Love of an Assassin

The Best Friend

TRIGGER WARNING: MURDER AND SELF HARM

|Luca|

"Luca. Sweetie, wake up." A warm, rough hand traces my forehead as I slowly open my eyes. "Good morning, baby. It's time to get up." My mom smiles down at me, the space around her crystalline eyes crinkling. I sit up, only to be pushed back down, and everything goes black.

A scream shakes me awake. I'm laying in a cell, my wrists shackled to the wall and my back against the cold stone bricks. It's dark, almost pitch black. When I try to look around, I can't move my neck without a sharp pain going throughout my spine. There's muffled screams and shuffling coming from a different room.

***

After what seems like hours, the door opens and a man comes in. I look up at him through teary eyes. "P-please let m-me g-g-go." My voice escapes my throat in a hoarse whisper, causing the man to chuckle.

"I don't think I will, little one. I think I'm gonna have my way with you." His thick Scottish accent makes it hard to understand, but as he moves towards me his intentions are clear. Without thinking, I kick him in the groin as hard as I can. He doubles over in pain, and I pull back and kick him again. I aim for his neck and kick again, the bones connecting his head to the rest of his body snapping. I scream and pull my hands against the shackles on my wrists, causing my bones to pop. "Fuck!" I strain against the cuffs and my hands are finally free. I stand and search the man's cooling body for a weapon, and I find a small gun with a full clip of ammunition. I shove the clip into my pocket and turn off the safety of the gun.

I slink my way over to the door and nudge it farther open with my foot. I silently peek around the corner, seeing two men. I take a breath to steady myself and I turn the corner and shoot them both in the head, nice and clean. I kick the bodies out of my way and open the door that they were guarding. There's nobody in the other side. As I walk down the hallway, a hand falls onto the floor. I turn the corner and I see my mom. With a hole in her head, blood pooling around her.

I jolt out of my sleep, breathing heavily. I can still see her face, vividly. I can't help but picture her dead eyes staring up at me, or the bullet hole in her head. "Fuck!" I get out of my bed and walk to the dresser on the other side of my room. I pull the small container of blades out of the top drawer and open it. I pick one, not caring how sharp it is and I practically run into the bathroom. I immediately sink the blade into the flesh on my wrist, watching the blood bead on the surface of my skin and begin to drip. I attack my arm over and over again, allowing blood to run down my arm and pool on the floor beneath me.

***

As I stare up at the sky, I notice Hayze has been looking at my arm for a while. I think she knows what I did. "Hey, Hayze? Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure. What's on your mind?"

"Why'd you take this job? I know you haven't really been one to take out multiple targets."

"Because it's a high paying job, and you said you wanted it. Friends do things for friends." She smiles. "My turn for a question." I nod and swallow the bike that has been rising in my throat. "Why are you hiding your cuts from me? I can tell you did it, and you know that I know. "

"Because I'm ashamed. I hate that I do it, and I want to stop, but it's hard to stay clean." She just nods.

"Well I'm always here to help. Besides, we have murders to plan, so let's get to it. " She sits up and pulls over a map of the palace. "Okay. First off, we have to disguise ourselves as new servants. I'll be assigned to the Princess, and you'll be assigned to the king." She slid a paper bag filled with clothes towards me. "This is your disguise. You can't let anyone see you without it. If they catch you, our whole mission is blown."

I nod and dig into the bag. There's two butler outfits, a ginger colored wig, a box of green contacts, and a pair of glasses. "So basically, I get discovered, I die. Correct?" The words are dripping with sarcasm.

"Yes, you smart ass. So don't get caught. Anyway, as I was saying, you earn the king's trust, maybe fuck a few of his kids, and then right before Arabella's coronation ceremony, we slice all of their throats and get out. Nobody will ever see it coming, and we'll get more money than we would if it was just her. Got it? "

"Yeah. I got it."

"Good, because we leave tomorrow. "

"Tomorrow, got it" I stand and look at the sky one last time before walking into the house.

|Arabella|

"What do you mean? I'm getting a new maid? Why?" My anger starts to bubble.

"Because you couldn't keep your hands off the last one. Now get up to your room and into bed. I trust you can do that yourself?" My father raises an eyebrow.

"Yes, father." I quickly now my head and stock out of the throne room.

Once I reach my room, I slam the door and flip into my bed, groaning in frustration. I walk onto the verandah and state up at the dark sky, where all of the stars twinkling down at me.

"Dear god, please give me a sign. Give me a small sliver of hope that this marriage will turn out alright. Anything, even a damn dove wielding a written declaration of love. I know that you're probably going to smite me for my sins or something, but you're supposed to help everyone. So I'm asking -no, begging- you to save me from this life. Please, please, please, please, let me get away. Even if the only way out is to die. I know you're probably not gonna answer me anytime soon, what with your godly duties and all, but it would be highly appreciated. Uh. Thanks."

I quickly retreat into the room and shut the door to the verandah. I unzip my dress and let it fall to the floor, crawling under my covers and willing myself into a restless slumber.