Bound To Kill

XXI: Bound To Care

Sebastian

I watch as Nostradamus makes the single-person bed before I place Evie on top of the covers. Mary and Francis arrives with concerned expressions as expected. They're still in their coronation outfits. "W-What happened to her?" Mary asks, stuttering.

"Is she alright?" Francis adds, gliding past his wife to have a better view at the lying unconscious woman.

I watch steadily as Evie's chest rises weakly. Nostradamus walks around the other side of the bed to place a warm squeezed cloth on her forehead. "She will be alright, Your Highnesses. But I will have to check for needle wounds to assure that she really is."

"Why would she trek the woods alone? Didn't she knew it's dangerous?" Francis questions.

I stay speechless. Neither does myself know the answer to his question. Evie could be lured to the woods, or worse.

Nostradamus begins to squash herbs in a bowl. "Only God knows what happen to her." He says.

I close my mouth after realizing I've been sobbing automatically since we arrived. "The Pagans. They were using her as a sacrifice."

"A sacrifice you say?" Nostradamus stands from his chair. "Did you know what kind of ritual it was?"

I shake my head. "But they were using the pentagram symbol."

"The Devil's symbol." Mary gasps.

"Did you see any blood, killings perhaps happening during the ritual? Or a book, or candles?" Nostradamus asks more questions.

This time I didn't shake my head. "None. There was only her, the hooded Pagans and the pentagram, in the middle of a clearing." I say. The four of us went silent, no sound could be heard but the common ruckus upstairs.

Mary tightens her hand on her skirt, somewhat struggling under it, making me worried all of a sudden. I glance at Francis but he was stating straight at Evie. "I have to go. Call me when she wakes up." Mary leaves the room, and Francis follows after the door closes.

The door slams close again and Nostradamus heavily sighs. "She's warm, but I don't see any symptoms of a cold. She's also pale, paler than her normal complexion, yet she looks as normal as she was before, just... Pale."

"Someone could be sucking her life invisibly, for God's sake."

Nostradamus laughs, placing both his hands on his hips. "Let's not hope it's the Devil himself." He begins to walk to the door. "Stay here. I'll request some blankets for her."

"Thank you, Nostradamus."

He scoffs. "You're not the one I'm giving the blankets to, but you're welcome."

After he has left, I take a seat near Evie, carefully turning her head to me. Her auburn freed hair glows from the sun seeping from the window. Even with this lighter complexion, I admit that she still looks as gorgeous as ever. I trail the tip of my fingers down her arm and gave her hand a little squeeze at the end.

I wanted to talk to her, but I know better that telepathy is only a joke, as well as miracles. But I'd believe them both if Evie would just wake up. 

-

Evangeline

The line of Master Assassins of the English Assassin Brotherhood or Order stood opposite me and Alexander. Mentor separates the both of us.

The middle-aged female Master Assassins on the middle step forward. They attach the hidden blades, made of pure black leather and iron, on our wrists. The leather feels as though it were made for me, I hope Alexander feels the same way I do towards the material.

I glance sideways at Alexander, not averting my face away from the Master Assassins. Alexander doesn't glance back. He keeps a stone-hard emotionless scowl.

"Alexander Kenway and Evangeline Kenway, may you surrender your pasts and welcome yourselves to the futures of the Assassin life." The first Master Assassin from the far left says.

"You will serve with a heart that screams justice and freedom for the people." Then the one next to her.

"You will lay your blades low from the innocent." Then the other.

"Honor and always believe in the Assassin's Creed."

And the other, "nothing is true. Everything must be permitted."

And finally, the last one: Mentor. "And never leave an Assassin brother or a sister's death be unjustified."

Unjustified. Alexander's death was unjustified. And he was my Assassin brother. His death needs to be justified. I must kill his murderer. I must kill Bash. I mustn't leave my Assassin brother's death be unjustified.

-

I woke up to find myself alone in a room full and smells of herbs and medicines. I'm slightly mad and fully surprised I'm wearing nothing but my sleepwear. My uniform, where in the hell could it bloody be!?

A damp cloth falls from my forehead leaving without a single bead of liquid. I push the covers off my body and stand up, wincing as my vision blurs for a moment. I check my wrists and see no hidden blade attached to either one of them.

My stomach wrenches in pain and I'm forced to sit back down to the bed I woken up from. There I curl up into a ball with my hands squeezing my folded legs tightly. It hurts so bad I could imagine my own stomach twisting to knots internally.

I almost scream entirely before someone comes in. "Evie. I'm glad you've awaken." Bash says and places a pitcher on a nearby table before settling beside me and wrapping one arm across my shoulder. He fills a cup of water flowing from the pitcher he has delivered.

I immediately chug down the filled cup. Bash moves my frizzled hair out of my face. After giving away the cup, I quickly spill everything before I could forget. "I was at the woods. Then I was imagining about Alexander, in a dangerous way. I didn't know it by then but I woke up to the faces of hooded freaks." Bash scoffs. I continue, "they were chanting and... And, one of them asked if I was a virgin."

"Well, are you?"

I looked at him, feeling uncomfortable of answering but answered straight away in a rather offended tone. "No!"

"Being a female sacrifice of purity means they're unleashing their God, but a sacrifice like that must need at least the sacrifice's blood or his/her's life. Why didn't they killed you?"

I scoff. "Why are you asking me? It's not like I know these kind of things. I believe in a creed, not a religion or a Pagan God."

"They could've told you."

"But they didn't." I glare at him. He stands back up to his feet, walking immediately to the exit. "Don't just leave me here!"

He smirks. "I'm going to do some research, see if I may know the rituals they've performed on you. Secure your surroundings, or they might have the chance to abduct you. Your ritual was interrupted, meaning they will return to you. I've seen them sneak into the castle before, so lock the doors."

"I am also a lurker in the shadows, Mr. Protective Pants. I can assure you they might have a hard time kidnapping me."

He glances at me with a wry smile. "Without your blade, it might be impossible. So here." He begins to take off the wrist blade I gave him and tosses it at me. I catch it with one hand, the blade ejecting quickly that it almost stab through my palm. "I'll be back."

"Good luck with that, Sebastian!" I laugh, wrapping the blade onto my wrist carefully.