The Failed Assassin

Subterfuge

Emma did not want to eat the food sitting in front of her. She reallydidn't want to. Why would she want to? Anything from one of themwas like accepting something from a demon. Sure, it'd made thingseasier for a while, but you'd end up paying for it later. Dearly.

Still what other option did she have? If she were to have to die theslow death of starvation was not what she wanted. She had seen toomuch of that. Both before her powers came on when she got her firstmoon sickness as well as after.

Not that she wasn't willing to make food for people but there wereseveral things keeping her from saving everyone in Beggar's Alley. Ittook her a long time to learn how to use her powers, they had startedeven weaker then Opal, part of her was curious if she was naturallystronger then Opal or if she worked harder then Opal as she had moreto lose. But they said as you grew older from twelve or thirteenyears it would settle so she went with the former. Also she didn'talways have flour and eggs as she could make bread with just wheat,eggs and water even if it wouldn't taste that good it was enough tokeep from dying. Still wheat was precious and few were able to get itin usually making gruel with it instead. And worst was, Emma didn'talways know. No one but her brother and mother knew that she was aMaker, so no one knew to come to her for help.

She often woke up screaming with the half remembered faces of thosewho died of starvation. Those that she could have saved if she hadonly known. The guilt threatened to consume her, who was she to havesuch a gift and not help them.

It was only in joining the Resistance that she felt better, felt likeshe could make a difference. More then just being a Maker, but byactually making a difference. Making sure that all could have achance to live. She was no fool, she knew that not everything couldbe given for free, but to tax almost all the wages of what peoplewere paid if they had a simple job. It was too much, and to knowfirsthand what it was that the royals and nobles had. Why should theyfeast while those at Beggar's Alley as well as the saints only knowhow many more just like it were in the entire kingdom.

So forcing herself Emma managed to force the food down her throat.She felt sick eating it. This would be considered a feast for many atBeggar's Alley.

She managed to force herself to eat the food, washing it down withthe water that though it was refuse it was still reasonably crisp.Much crisper then they could get on average day, though not as crispas the few times they had an excuse to go out to the lake and drinkfrom pure unfiltered Nature.

It was night time, she could tell as the light was slowly fadingbathing her prison in a orange-red glow and she sighed. Reaching downshe slowly pulled her dress down, using the room divider in caseanyone came in. She stripped off her dress and camisole so she couldtake off her corset, shoes and stockings before pulling her camisoleback on. Now a nightgown. She was grateful that she had designedeverything for comfort.

Moving to the bed she climbed on to the surprisingly soft mattress.This seemed more like a place political prisoners would be taken. Wasthat what she was now?

Shaking her head she took off all of her jewelry laying it in frontof her and smirked. She wondered why they hadn't taken it from her.Perhaps they could guess it wouldn't be real as she was a Maker?Maybe they didn't think of it, she didn't really know if sapphireswere considered not that valuable, or if they didn't want to make herangry in case it made it harder to get her to do what they wanted herto do. Either way, it worked in her favor. Putting her hands forewordshe smirked as her fingertips glowed and the jewelry turned into adagger with a metal handle and a blue glass blade.