The Spymaster's Assassin (An ACoTaR Fanfic)

Chapter 24

The human world smelled. It was also the dirtiest, ugliest place I had ever seen. There was nothing but dirt and stone roads, houses clumped together, and horse drawn carriages roaring up and down the roads. The people were even more so distasteful.

I pulled the brown cloak around my shoulders tighter and felt stiff in the strange clothes I wore. My disguise was a baby blue dress with a corset so tight, I could barely breathe. I wore gloves and put on several glimmers to hide my scars and wings.

My red curls were pinned into a strange updo with a net of pearls. Did all humans dress so pompously? I preferred trousers.

Every woman I came across wore dresses like the one I wore, except their's varied in colors. Feyre had reassured me countless times that it was true that they wore these outlandish things normally.

Azriel was far to the north, the farthest I had ever been away from him, and the farthest I had ever been from the Wall. In fact, this was my first time outside of Prythian.

I found a man standing on the side and I put on a desperate look. "Excuse me, sir, but I'm afraid I am lost."

The man looks at me and his eyes go hungry as they roam up and down my body. He pushes away from the wall and asked, "Lost, little lady?"

"Yes, sir." I said with a sweet smile. "I'm looking for the Children of the Blessed."

His expression turned into that of disgust and he grumbled, "That way." He pointed down south. "A few blocks straight that way. Can't miss it." He glared at me and said, "Pretty girl like you can't possibly be infatuated with the likes of the damned Fae?" He growled.

I smiled sweetly. "I don't know why we all aren't, sir. Thank you so much, sir." As soon as I turned away from him, my face molded into that of a scowl. I made my way towards where the man had pointed, and luckily, he was telling the truth.

The building was huge and looked more like a chapel than anything. There were bushes of roses and a sign with painted letters I didn't recognize was nailed above the door.

I knocked on the door twice, then the door opened and a large woman in robes and a giant smile answered the door.

"Hello, young lady. What can I do for you?"

"Are you the Children of the Blessed?" I asked.

"Yes, my dear." She said, but didn't welcome me inside.

"Well, um, I'm not here to taunt or make fun of you if that's what you are thinking." I said and smiled a little nervously.

"Well. I can't be too careful, now can I?" She asked, then opened the door wider. "Please, Child. Come in." She says with a warm smile.

I stepped into the building, holding my skirts in my fists and looked around.

"Where are you from? What is your name?" She asked as she closed the door and I noted that she locked it as well.

"My name is Helen. I am from a village up north near the forest and the Wall."

"The Wall!" She gasped. "What is it like up there?"

"It's harsh. The men in my village are afraid of the Fae. They have iron built into their homes and wear iron jewelry. It's atrocious."

"I can only imagine, the poor children from the north are always ridiculed and judged. Tell me, you didn't run into any trouble, did you?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle. Tell me, do you know of someone named Ravenna here? She is my sister. I was supposed to meet her here but I can't seem to find her anywhere. I figured she might come here first. We were planning on joining your order together, you see, we admire you very much."