A Storm of Chaos (The Hunter Legacy #1)

Chapter Four

The crack of Vartha's hand against Kaya's cheek sent the room spinning, and Kaya just managed to brace herself as she crashed to the ground. Nausea roiled through her, and Kaya clenched her eyes shut as she turned on to her back and willed the world to still.

'I can make this easy on you though,' Vartha cooed, 'if you are willing to provide me with more useful information on your master.'

'What, your spies can only find so much?' said Kaya with a scoff, her eyes opening to the ceiling before she was lifted to her feet, and the world lurched again from the movement. Her knees buckled, but the thugs kept her upright with a tight grip on each arm.

Kaya's gaze settled on Vartha just as she felt Chaos wake, like a beast opening one eye to regard the threat. About time, she thought scornfully; she may have learnt how to keep Chaos leashed, but she still didn't have a say when it woke, and who it deemed a threat.

'You're making a mistake,' said Kaya through gritted teeth, as Chaos readied itself to pounce.

'Don't doubt me, girl,' Vartha hissed. 'My information is never wrong.'

Kaya managed to smile. 'I was referring to me.'

Chaos' symbols roared to life across her exposed skin, casting a silver-blue ambience across Vartha's startled features. The two thugs released her in shock, and Kaya took the opportunity to spin nimbly on her heel, one hand freeing her dagger from its sheath at the same time. She slashed it smoothly across the nearest thug's throat, and then ducked out of the spray of blood before she launched her dagger through the air toward the second thug. The strength behind her throw had her dagger slamming into his chest and he tumbled back, falling into the cluster of candles beneath the window. The flames caught his clothing, and then leapt up to set alight the drapes, and Kaya knew it would be a matter of moments before the entire room was aflame.

So Kaya turned back to Vartha, unsurprised to see recognition in her eyes.

'Impossible,' Vartha whispered, cast in the glow of Chaos' symbols while shadows from the nearby flames danced across her expression. 'You... You're...'

Kaya grinned. 'More than you bargained for? Oh, I know.'

Vartha's expression changed, as if other thoughts were all clicking into place for her, information she had collected and stored in her mind forming a bigger picture, a greater understanding. 'Does he know?' she asked then, forgetting the threat Kaya posed. 'Has he been oblivious all this time? Or has he known what you are but simply kept you to himself? I suppose he likes to keep short leashes on his pets.'

Kaya's jaw clenched at Vartha's words. 'I'm not his pet.'

'Now who is delusional?'

The thundering of footsteps had Kaya spinning around, just in time to avoid the thug from downstairs who had tried to tackle her. He staggered as he grappled only air, and Kaya snapped up her foot in a sharp kick straight for his temple, sending him sprawling, dazed, on the floor. She saw Vartha running for the balcony, but Kaya knew she couldn't let Vartha leave, couldn't let the old crone share whatever information she had on her master – or on her. Instead of her dagger, Kaya snatched the shard of black onyx from Vartha's desk and hurled it through the air, the sharpest point first – and it embedded itself in the back of Vartha's neck, killing her.

The flames roared higher, blocking the balcony, and Kaya glanced down at the third thug who was still recovering from the whiplash she had dealt him. The flames were growing too quickly though, so Kaya made for the stairs. She retrieved her dagger from one of the bodies and darted down, just as she heard the foundations of the second floor began to splinter above. Her teeth rattled as she jumped the last five stairs, and then she stumbled back out into the street where a small crowd had gathered outside.