Bloodied Lilies

Chapter 22

The decorative ceramic mask felt heavy on Adelia's face. Both Dreamcatcher and Wilhelmina were wearing them too, as was every other assassin at the Guild Circle. Adelia's white mask bore the symbol of a crimson crescent moon. It encircled one of her eyes. The crescent was the Blood Moon guild's mark and what made her qualified to attend this event.

While assassins did not hide their identities to those within their own guild, they did not like the idea of revealing themselves to outside rivals.

A heavy tang of tension hung in the great opulent halls of the hidden manor on the edge of Aretha. Everyone was wary of each other and also armed to the teeth, so if ever a fight was to break out, it would become a bloody war.

Adelia stayed with Dreamcatcher while Wilhelmina mingled with assassins from other guilds. They perched themselves in a corner that gave them view of the whole meeting room. The room itself was as big as Rainford Manor's ballroom, though its pasty walls were wearied with age and handed been kept up over the years, showing large cracks among the crumbling stone pillars.

"How do you suppose we should broach this subject?" Dreamcatcher asked, eyes curious behind his own heavy mask. "Everyone knows Rufus' name but few would have seen him in person."

Liletha's bell was in still in the pocket of her black assassin's garments.

"I have an idea," Adelia replied. "But I'm not sure if it'll work."

"My dear, whether something works or not cannot be assured until it is tried."

Adelia nodded. "I'll try it then."

She felt a little silly to be ringing a bell in a large crowd so she excused herself to find a secluded hallway outside the meeting room. The procured the small silver bell which felt ice cold to touch.

Adelia rang the bell. Its tinkling chime seemed to reverberate in the empty hallway.

She waited silently, listening for footsteps but not a single sound echoed other than her own breathing.

Perhaps it had been a prank, she wondered. Liletha had definitely seemed the sort for that. Or perhaps she needed to have rung it in the meeting room where everyone could hear, embarrassing though it would be.

But then someone tapped her shoulder and she whirled around so fast she almost knocked into them.

Adrenaline pumped into her blood rapidly as she stared at the auburn-haired young man who now stood in front of her. She hadn't heard his footsteps. In fact, she could barely sense his presence even though he was standing right there.

The man wasn't wearing a mask strangely enough. He was wearing a dark brown cloak with the edges of a lace cravat peeking out from the neckline.

"Miss Redeye, I assume?" he asked airily, with a touch of that arrogance that Adelia had gotten used to in Leo.

A highborn, Adelia thought absently.

She nodded.

"Follow me." The young man turned away from her and began walking. He was muttering something under his breath about Liletha and having to run petty errands.

He led her into a large, ornate hexagonal room that had small holes in the walls and a fancy blue divan with assorted cushions in the middle.

"This is the hearing room," the man explained. "There are five other private rooms linked to this one. You will be able to listen and look in on their conversations from here. Lord Rufus De'fel's representative will be having a meeting in the room to your left shortly."