Alexis was seventeen when she made her first kill.
The dagger left her fingers, finding their mark in Arden's throat.
Her vision blurred as the target fell, dragging his bloodied fingers across Noah's mouth.
They stared at each other, silent, frozen, hoping beyond hope they would wake from from this nightmare.
Then the boy collapsed, blood trickling from his neck.
The scream died in Alexis's throat as she ran to his side, frantically checking for a pulse.
The cut on his neck wasn't deep. It wasn't fatal.
But his heartbeat..
Her tears fell, trailing down his cheek as she tried to breathe life back into him.
She pressed his chest, spurred on by the faint beat of his heart.
Until it stopped completely.
"No.. Please!"
Her anguish echoed around the room as she cradled his head in her lap.
Her fingers trembled as she ran them through his hair, desperately willing him to come back to her.
"Please, Noah," She whispered, pressing her forehead against his, tears falling onto his cheeks as she softly begged."Please don't leave me."
Blood dripped from his lips, eyes fixed and glassy.
Through her tears, her gaze fell on the body of the archivist. Hate and anger flowed through her veins as she stared at the dagger in his neck.
'It was too quick.
I want him to suffer.'
She let her emotions control her as she ripped the blade from his throat.
Her sudden movement made the boy's head fall out of her lap, hitting the hard wooden floors with a thud.
She flinched, then gasped as his eyes shot open.
All at once, his pale face was flushed red, veins pressing against his skin as he arched his back and let out a bloodcurdling scream.
The house seemed to respond to him as the floorboards cracked and glass shattered all around them.
Then, as quickly as he had started, he fell silent, twitching as he fell back.
Alexis reached for him, her heart in her throat.
"Noah.." Her voice was as gentle as her touch as she laid a hand on his neck.
His strong pulse was enough to make her tears run again.
She was so caught up in her relief that she didn't notice the guard standing behind her.
"Alexis?"
Markus's voice reached her ears, making her turn.
His face was a mask of shock and disbelief as he surveyed the room.
"Markus, please-"
"You have one minute-" he moved closer, slowly, as if approaching a wild animal, "- to tell me what happened here."
His words sounded as shaky as Alexis felt. She took a deep breath, trying to speak.
"I don't-" She gasped, breathless from crying. "I don't know why.." She clutched Noah tighter, as if afraid to let go.
Markus eyed the boy in her arms, his thoughts racing.
"I told you not to come here."
"If I hadn't, I would've lost him." She stared him down, suppressing her fear as he gripped the hilt of his sword.
"Markus-" A final resolution came over her bloodshot eyes. "-I need you. To trust me. Please." She mouthed the last word, her throat closing up.
The silence between them was heavy, the bond between them on the line.
As a soldier, he had a duty. But he was more than that.
"Go."
She started, looking up at him.
Markus looked over his shoulder at the front door, "I'll handle this."
He motioned to the sleeping boy. "Get him out of here."
"Markus," she struggled to her feet, holding Noah, "Find out what was happening here."
The guard nodded, not taking his eyes off the corpse.
"And.. thank you." She threw her cloak around Noah and made for the back exit.
A few moments later, she heard the commotion as the guards entered the building.
She gripped him closer as she sped up, trusting Markus to do the right thing.
**********************
"What the hell happened here?" The junior guards spanned around the room, swords drawn.
"Wai- He's been branded?" The male guard, Aris, stepped closer to the body.
"That's not their M.O right? Killing their marks?" He turned to Markus for an answer.
"It may not be who we think it is," he muttered, lost in his own thoughts. He inhaled suddenly, back in his head. "Arden was suspected of treason by the court. Could be why he was eliminated."
Technically, that's not a lie.
"Shouldn't we secure the perimeter? The killer can't have gotten far." The other guard spoke up, already turning towards the door.
"No." Markus stopped her. "There was no one when I arrived. Priority is to secure the body and search for evidence of his crimes. And keep this quiet. You know how Lord Amari gets when he thinks he's been betrayed."
Images of a crying king flashed through their minds.
"Aris, search the attic. Frey, you take the first floor. Report back to me if you find anything."
"Yes, sir." They nodded, sprinting off to the stairs.
Markus turned back to the body, now alone. He picked through a bowl and some papers, exhaustion creeping up on him.
'I hope she got there safely.'
***
"How is he?" Markus stepped into her bedroom just after eleven bells, eyes adjusting to the candlelight.
Noah was tucked under the covers, Alexis sitting beside him.
"He's unconscious but his heart's strong."
She twisted her fingers into his messy hair. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this."
Markus was unsure who she was talking to but he pulled up a chair all the same.
"Alexis-" He waited till she looked at him. "What happened back there?"
She bit her lip, trying not to break down. "I didn't plan for any of this to happen. But he was going to hurt Noah and I couldn't-" She closed her eyes, turning away.
"Look, I found this." She pulled out the note she had taken from Arden's study. "He was targeting Noah."
Markus took the note from her. It was a list of names, none of them familiar till he read the last one.
Noah Weylyn.
"Alexis.." Markus began, unsure of how to phrase it. "I'm not saying what you did was wrong but why.... Why would Arden want to kill him?"
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You think Noah did something?"
"It's not that!" He moved to kneel beside her. "We don't know what the list's for. Did they even know each other?"
"No. He worked as an errand boy for Arden. That's it." She shook her head. "You must have searched his house. Did you find anything?"
"The guards didn't report anything-"
"I want to check again."
"Alexis-"
"Markus, please. I need this." She wiped her eyes before he saw the tears fall.
He sighed, giving in. "Fine. But get some rest." He nodded towards the sleeping boy. "I'll keep watch."
"No, I can-" She waved him off but her drooping eyelids betrayed her exhaustion.
Markus raised an eyebrow. "One sheep...two sheep... three-"
"Screw you, Markus." She muttered, even as she shifted her weight onto him.
"Alright, let's go." He sighed as he carried her over to the sofa, draping a blanket over her.
'I feel like a mom.
Wait, no.'