Three Months Prior

I could not recall a time when there was so much blood. Pools and pools of it gushed out of the man with pleading eyes with every incision I made, every cut I inflicted onto his flesh. I would be lying if I said the job of an assassin got any easier, but it was always so harrowing. On the outside, I was the ruthless Knife of Kentaurus that everyone has come to fear; on the inside, however, I would be lying if I didn’t admit that each life I took affected me just a tiny bit.

To my right was Lynda Katana, my best friend and fellow assassin. She and I oftentimes worked on contracts together, since it was easier to track down and flank our next victims with two able bodies. She was standing there, off to the side, watching me with a benevolent expression on her face. She was definitely no force to be reckoned with, but I guess neither am I.

This was the first of two contracts we had to perform today. Lynda and I oftentimes took turns taking the lives of those we were paid to end. This contract was mine to kill, and the next one would be Lynda’s.

By some miracle, the man was still alive, slowly bleeding out. A pained expression was written on his features, almost pleading. The man’s lips contorted into a thin line of pain as if he were wanting to say something but couldn’t find the words. His name was Quinton Camaron, the only thing I really knew about him other than the fact that someone wanted him dead. As I twisted the knife further into his gut, an inhuman screech of pain blurted out of his lips. His skin was milky white, the color draining from every inch of it, and his eyes, those blue, pleading eyes…

Within a few more seconds, the man’s eyes rolled to the back of his head, and the flame that was previously fueling his ambition had finally snuffed out. He was dead, just a shell of the man he once was, and I soon pulled the knife out of his torso, the entire blade coated in sticky, dark red blood.

I turned to Lynda, a cold expression on my face. “Shall we head back to the ship?”

Lynda flashed me a malicious smile. “In a bit. Let’s see what kinds of valuables we can find.”

Instinctively, I rolled my eyes. Even though there was no rule against assassins taking things from the victims they’ve killed, that does not excuse the fact that we are not thieves. However, Lynda may as well be both, since she has no qualms about this kind of stuff. Most of the time, I just tag along and occasionally take something if it catches my eye, but those times are far and few. Most of the time I prefer to just make my kills and then be done with it.

The next ten minutes were spent with Lynda scavenging what little valuables Quinton possessed and me standing off to the side, watching her impatiently. It was only when she had her fill that we were off, dashing out of the house and through nearly deserted alleyways so as not to draw attention to ourselves. The small ship soon appeared, and within moments we found ourselves safely inside its walls on cushioned piloting chairs. With one push of a button, the engine roared to life, and soon, we were taking to the skies once again with me as the pilot and Lynda as the second in command. Only once we left the atmosphere of Xiunus did any of us dare to talk.

“Where to now?” I asked Lynda.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Lynda pull out a folder and open it to the second page—the place where we stored all our current contracts. “Coelara.” She paused as she put the folder away. “We are to look for this person in the hutted village known as Warreten.”

“Of course it’s the desert planet.” I sighed, shuddering slightly. Coelara happened to be the hottest planet in the Kentaurus Galaxy, and every time I visited to fulfill a contract, I swear I sweat so much I’d be able to provide the entire galaxy with enough water to last a year at least. I hated the heat. Not that I was a huge fan of the cold either, which is why I’m happy to call the planet Xaenov my home—a planet that’s neither too hot or too cold and covered in thick forests. Of course, it also had a great amount of major cities too, one of which houses the royal family, including the Crown Prince of Xaenov.

“It shouldn’t be so bad,” Lynda said. “I heard they’re in the middle of their rainy season right now. Perhaps we’ll get lucky.”

Unfortunately, we were not lucky. As soon as we breached the atmosphere of Coelara, the temperature skyrocketed to uncomfortable heights, and the dueling suns were high in the sky without a cloud in sight. We landed the ship a few yards away from Warreten so as not to alarm the citizens and potentially our target, and once the engine died out, the two of us emerged from the ship.

I pulled up my hood to conceal my face, and Lynda did the same, something I wish we didn’t have to do. After all, as soon as I took one step outside, the hot air practically kissed my face, and my ankles were instantly swallowed by the scorching sand. I sighed.

Lynda walked ahead a few paces, the light reflecting off her brown skin. There was a slight sway in her walk, and sometimes I envied her. She rarely gets sunburned, whereas I with my pasty complexion sustain regular burns if not properly prepared.

I also sweat like no other. I was not built for the heat.

Lynda stopped suddenly and turned around to face me, pulling her lips into a pout. “Are you coming?”

I mirrored her expression. “Just…give me a moment.”

Suddenly, she broke into incessant laughter. “Astrid Bruckis, the most feared assassin throughout all of Kentaurus, is afraid of a little heat.”

I glared at her. “I’m not scared! I’m just…adjusting!”

“Of course you are. Is that why you refuse to move out of the shadow of the ship?”

I looked down, and sure enough, I was standing smack-dab in the middle of the ship’s shadow. Hesitantly, I stepped out of the shaded area and into the sun. “Let’s just get this over with,” I grumbled.

After shooting me a winning smile, Lynda spun around on her heels and began to walk towards the town. I followed her, being careful to not make eye contact with any of the people we passed.

The town itself was small, and soon we found ourselves walking through the marketplace, past various tents that were selling a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and meats as well as the occasional clothing vendor. The many smells made my mouth water, for I had not eaten a single thing since breakfast this morning. And by now, it was well past noon on Xaenov.

Lynda was the one who did most of the talking, asking about our target and where we could find him. She’s usually the one who does the talking, since she is a much better actress than I. Within moments, she found us a trail, and soon, the two of us took off, stalking through town until we reached the hut of the man who had swindled millions of poor women out of their hard-earned money—and perhaps had taken a little bit extra from them as well. I almost wished this one was my kill. Almost.

Within a second, Lynda’s knives were out, and she rushed into the building with me close behind her. At that moment, I realized this was personal for Lynda, the reason why she wanted to make this kill. I knew Lynda came from a poor background and that both her parents died in a horrendous way, a fact about herself she hated talking about. I couldn’t help but wonder if her past had anything to do with this.

I heard the screaming first before I saw what had caused it. Both of Lynda’s knives were twisted into the stomach of the man, and she had a wild and crazed gleam in her eyes. Instantly, I rushed over to where she was, and I could barely see the man giving me a pleading look out of the corner of my eye. Little did he know I was not here to save him. However, I did not want Lynda to lose herself either.

I put a reassuring, comforting hand on Lynda’s shoulder. I wanted her to know that she wasn’t alone and that I was here, and she didn’t have to carry any sort of burden herself. Her body tensed at my touch, but soon she relaxed as she yanked both her knives out. For a second, the man looked relieved. That is, until Lynda sliced through his neck.

Blood splattered us both as the head rolled harmlessly to rest at our feet. The rest of the body then slouched before falling over, and I gave Lynda a look. Her expression still looked pained and conflicted.

As if noticing me staring at her, she quickly turned away and sighed. “People like him are disgusting.”

“Are you okay?” I quietly asked her.

Lynda nodded. “I will be,” she said before turning away from the body. “Let’s head back to the ship.”

As we were heading out of the hut, I couldn’t help but steal glances at Lynda. After all, she always wanted to raid the belongings of our contracts after we killed them, but this time she didn’t. However, I did not press the subject matter. Lynda’s past was her story to tell in her own time, and there was no way I was going to push her boundaries.

***

Back on the ship, neither Lynda or I said anything. She sat towards the front, gliding us back towards Xaenov and more specifically our base. I, on the other hand, sat in the back, leaving the co-pilot seat empty as I nursed a massive sunburn on my cheeks. Despite the hood I wore, the sun still found a way to negatively penetrate my skin.

After a while, Lynda glanced at me in the rearview mirror and gave me a sympathetic smile. “How’s the sunburn?”

I scowled at her. “It hurts like a bitch,” I said somewhat sarcastically. “I really wouldn’t mind borrowing your skin at some point.”

Lynda chuckled slightly. “Enjoy your paleness. Xaenov has always found ways to be unkind to those with browner complexions.”

I sighed heavily, since there was truth to Lynda’s words. Hundreds of years ago before our galaxy was able to amass the kind of technology that allowed our individual planets to merge, each planet produced its own race of people that knew nothing about the existence of life on other planets. Xaenov and Caetania produced more pale complexions and no special features due to their cool climates and flat terrains, and I was Xaenovian. Lynda was Coelarian, whose brownish skin tone protects her from the dueling suns’ elevated UV radiation. Then, there’s Xiunus, the mountainous planet, and Eythea, the swamp planet, each with their own set of characteristics that are advantageous for their environments. Sietania is the only planet that supports life but did not produce its own humanoid race, so as a consequence, its barren, icy landscape is where we exile our worst criminals to. Naturally, when people began to travel and migrate to other planets, the different races did not get along, and to a certain extent, they still don’t.

“Do you ever wonder,” I began tentatively, “what it would be like if you moved to Coelara?”

“Don’t be silly. I was born on Xaenov.” Lynda bit out a bitter laugh before sighing. “However, yes, sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I lived somewhere where I was a part of the majority.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. I didn’t know what else to say. As assassins, we got to travel to all the habitable planets and even some of their habitable moons at least once, but we always returned to Xaenov. Lynda came to us when she—and I—were only eight years old, broken and alone. I never knew my parents; I was dumped at the assassin’s compound when I was just an infant, but Lynda…

She knew her parents. As to what exactly happened to them, she doesn’t like to talk about.

Lynda shrugged. “You should put some ointment on that when we get home. It will help.”

It took me a while to comprehend what she meant until it hit me. The sunburn. And just like that, our moment of sincerity died.

We did not talk for the rest of the ride home. Thirty minutes later, the ship finally breached the atmosphere of Xaenov, and we found ourselves soaring into the lush trees of Xaenovian never-ending forest. Landing here was always hard, for not only did we have to maneuver around trees, but we also had to make sure we were in for a clear landing. Soon, the brick building appeared overhead with its landing pad centered on the roof, and as I squinted, I could see tiny specks of people waiting for us.

The other assassins.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding as Lynda prepared us for landing. Gripping the steering wheel tight, she swiftly leveled us out before making the descent. Then, the ship touched home, causing a jolt to shake the entire ship. And then, Lynda cut the engine.

The ramp was soon lowered as the door slid open, and Lynda slid off the pilot’s seat in order to join me in exiting the ship. At first, I saw nothing but the cement of the ceiling. However, I soon realized as face after face swept across my vision that the other assassins were looking at me. And they did not look happy, not how they usually look after we complete a contract.

The leader of our branch of assassins then took a step forward, halting both Lynda and I once we reached the base of the ramp. His name was Rynold Cantin, and he was never particularly one to express happiness or gratitude, but in that moment, he looked even more serious. Some could argue that he even looked angry.

“Astrid Bruckis?” he questioned as his bright green eyes met mine.

I nearly trembled when I heard my name on his lips. Did I do something that was not up to his standards? Of course not, Astrid! I scolded myself. You’re the best he’s got!

Rynold stared impatiently at me as I stood rooted to my spot.

Then, I took one step forward. “Yes?”

“While you were gone, we got the most…interesting call,” Rynold said, a sinister smile stretching across his lips. “It seems as though the king has a proposition for you. You are to travel to his palace immediately.”

“The king? Of Xaenov?” I mumbled stupidly. Of course it would be our own king. “What does he want?”

Rynold shrugged as if disinterested. “It would not do you good to keep him waiting, Astrid. He has promised to pay most handsomely for your services, and who are we to turn down a contract such as this?”

I looked at him as if he were crazy. After all, what would the king of Xaenov need for an assassin? Yet, looking into his eyes, I realized I didn’t have a choice. The Knife of Kentaurus was about to fulfill a contract given to her by the very person who originally put that handsome bounty over her head to begin with. “Okay,” I said finally, trying to sound more confident than I felt. “When do I leave?”

Next Chapter: CHAPTER TWO