The Gathering of Masters: The Bond Once Severed Book 1

33. An Introduction

Til inhaled deeply, allowing the breath to seep into his lungs without revealing any sign of movement in his chest. He repeated this purifying ritual, sensing his heartbeat slowing down and the chaotic whirlpool of his thoughts gradually settling. Before the emergence of this mysterious figure from the darkness behind his small campfire, Til would have sworn that he was all alone in the confines of the secluded mountain camp. Nevertheless, he refrained from making any defensive gestures. If the assassin in front of him intended to end his life, he would already be dead. There was no need to provoke them unnecessarily.

"You are Til." The feminine voice matched the lithe form that stepped closer to him. But gender could be confusing in the assassins, and nothing was ever as it seemed.

"You are my replacement?"

"I am, in a way, your new partner," the assassin answered. "Or you are mine."

"My orders were to wait for you here." Til knew he would lose any argument with the assassin, but he felt he should at least give the appearance of trying.

"And what were your instructions for after that?" The voice remained muffled behind the veil all assassins wore to hide their faces but became more distinct as the deadly killer stepped closer.

"I had none. I assumed I would go back to the Spymaster."

"And you will if you survive. But I require a partner. My previous partner is no longer available."

Til's shoulders relaxed slightly as he realized the assassin was alone. He had been on edge, expecting another attacker to strike from behind at any moment. But his hands clenched with surprise when the killer suddenly appeared before him, moving so fast that it seemed like they flew through the air. As the assassin's face came into view in the light, Til was struck by her striking grey-green eyes, framed by long lashes and curved eyebrows that added an air of mystery to her already enigmatic presence. Their appearance also helped confirm the gender he had already assigned to her in his mind. A female assassin was no less deadly than a male, but Til felt more comfortable in the presence of women, having grown up with only women in his house.

"No longer available?" Til whispered to the still too-close woman, not really expecting a response.

"But you are here and have been well-trained for mountain work."

"Yes," Til answered, allowing some of the pride in his training to straighten his back. He realized he stood half a head taller than the black-clad woman, not that this would help him in a fight with her. Though spies were trained in hand-to-hand combat, none were powerful enough to best one of the Queen's assassins.

"Then you will accompany us up this mountain, and we will find this renegade from the Queen's justice."

As he stared into her steely eyes, he realized that any protest would be futile. With a nod of acquiescence, he acknowledged her authority. He couldn't help but notice her strong connection with the Earth, a link that even his sister, an Earth Priestess, paled in comparison to.

He felt uneasy about collaborating with an assassin, fully aware that their techniques were anything but predictable. Nevertheless, being in the Queen's service, he had to comply. As far as he knew, no spy had ever teamed up with an assassin before; if they had, they had never survived to tell the story. However, as her partner, he would most likely be shielded from her lethal ways, at least for the time being.

"I brought food," she added with a lighter tone as she led her horse closer to the fire. "And you may call me Grey." It was an unusual name for a woman, but Til doubted it was her actual name, just as Til was not his.

"Thank you, Grey, for the food." Til stood and walked to the enormous beast that trailed behind the woman. An assassin's horse was almost as dangerous as the assassin's and was trained to kill just as swiftly. He knew better than to touch it until Grey allowed it. The assassin nodded at his caution.