"Is...is she dead?" The boy poked his head out from around the corner.
I shot him a glance as I wiped my blade off on my cloak. "I thought I told you to get out of here?"
"You did, but as I was about to leave I realized I needed to thank you for saving my life. So, thanks!"
I was glad my mask hid the small smile that turned at the corner of my mouth. "That's my job kid," I ruffled his hair as I walked past him and led him out of the cellar.
"I'm not a kid," he grumbled as I lifted him out by his arm. "I'll have you know I'm thirteen years old," he straighten his hair as he continued to follow me.
"Trust me to me you're still a kid."
"You don't look that old."
"I'm older than I look." Much older.
"Well my name's Jayde. Just Jayde."
I paused and looked down at him. "It's nice to meet you, Just Jayde."
"Now's the part where you tell me your name ya know."
"That's not really how this whole mysterious assassin thing works," I chuckled.
"Well that lady called you the Mistress of Death in there. Should I call you that?"
"That's just a handle. A name the town gave me and one I use to avoid using my real name," I paused at the end of the alleyway I walked down. "Are you following me for a reason?"
"You saved my life," he shrugged. "Way I see it is I owe you."
I sighed and knelt down next to him so we were eye level. Despite his situation his grey eyes were full of life and hope. "Jayde do you understand what an assassin is?"
"I know the king has some that work for him and that people are afraid of them. People seem to be afraid of you too."
I bristled at the mention of Eyria's ruler. "I'm different than the king's assassin's. Everyone is afraid of them. Bad people are afraid of me. But what I do is dangerous and not something you should be involved in."
"Considering how we ended up meeting I would say I'm pretty involved," he smirked.
This kid. "Look, Jayde, I kill people, it's what I do. I'm a killer and I'm good at it. You're too young to be mixed up in this. You can be much more than me, so strive for that. I'm not exactly a good role model," I stood and ruffled his hair as I left him, an odd pang in my chest. I always had a soft spot for kids.
Howling Bridge crossed the small river that cut Lyca in half, sperating the Slums from the rest of the city. It was here I was told to meet my contact. She was pacing the walkway under the bridge nervously when I arrived, not bothering to pull my mask over face, she had already seen me without it.
"It's done then?" She asked shakily.
I nodded. "Her body is in the cellar of her tavern, your tavern now."
She stared at me in shock. "She left the inn to me?"
"Said you'll find her will in a false bottom in the right drawer of her desk. It will tell you that she left you the inn, she wishes you to do more with it than she did. It was her last request."
"I guess she still had some heart left in her somewhere."
"I think she always cared about you. She didn't want you to find out about what she was doing. She didn't want you to see her that way. But she accepted her death so I made it quick."
"Thank you," she sniffed and tossed me a bag of crowns, "you more than earned your pay."
I huffed and tossed it back to her. "Keep it Lil. You'll need it for the tavern and," I reached under my cloak and tossed her the hundred and fifty crowns she paid me up front. "I would use some of that to hire a priest. Some of those kids never made it out of that cellar."
"Your reputation precedes you," she gave me a small, sad, smile. "Be sure to stop by the inn at some point. The Den must get boring from time to time."
"The Den is anything but boring Lilly, you should stop in if you want to drink something that doesn't taste like Slum water."
"Only if Kari gives me the secret to her ale."
I huffed. "Good luck. She won't even tell me and I've threatened death."
She chuckled, a genuine one. "You're a good friend Sapphyre. I don't think I ever got around to telling you that."
"Yeah well, don't go spreading that around. Don't want the criminals around here thinking I've gone soft." I flashed her a smile then turned on my heels and gave her a wave as I headed back home.