I lunged at him, stabbing my dagger at his chest. He parried it with his staff, and swung it at my head. I ducked, and rolled to the side. I threw a fireball at him, hoping to catch him off guard. He dodged it, and countered with a blast of darkness. I shielded myself, and felt the impact. He was powerful, and he was not holding back.
I got up, and ran towards him. He smirked, and waited for me. He thought he had the upper hand, and he thought he could toy with me. He was wrong, and he was about to find out. I feinted to the left, and then to the right. He followed my movements, and fell for my trap. I jumped over him, and landed behind him.
I grabbed his staff, and yanked it out of his hands. I snapped it in half, and threw it away. I kicked him in the back, and sent him flying. He crashed into the altar, and knocked over the candles. He groaned, and tried to get up. I was faster, and I was on him. I pinned him down, and put my dagger to his throat.
A few minutes later
"Who hired you ?" I said to the demon as I punched him in the face. It had been 10 minutes since I had punched him, and I had also burnt him. He had cuts and bruises all over his body, and he had blood dripping from his mouth. He was in pain, and he was scared. He knew I was serious, and he knew I was not going to stop.
The demon spat blood, and looked at me with hatred. He opened his mouth, and spoke.
"It was a young girl, she paid me good money, but apart from that I don't know anything else," he said, hoping to appease me. He lied, and he hoped I would believe him. He was foolish, and he was mistaken. I knew he was hiding something, and I knew he was not telling me the whole truth.
I tightened my grip, and pressed the dagger harder. I saw him flinch, and I saw him sweat. I leaned closer, and whispered in his ear.
"Don't lie to me, you bastard. I know you know more, and I know you can tell me. Who was she? What was her name? What was her motive? Tell me, or I'll make you wish you were never born."
He shivered, and he whimpered. He looked at me, and he begged.
"Please, please, don't kill me. I'm telling you the truth, I swear. I don't know her name, I don't know her motive. She just came to me, and offered me a lot of money. She said she wanted me to kill someone, and she gave me a picture.That's all I know, I swear. Please, please, let me go."
I listened to his words, and I weighed his sincerity. He sounded desperate, and he sounded terrified. He could be telling the truth, and he could be innocent. He could also be lying, and he could be guilty. I had to decide, and I had to act. I looked at him, and I made my choice.
I untied him, and let him go. He gasped, and he thanked me. He thought he was free, and he thought he was safe. He was wrong, and he was about to die.
"I'm free?" he asked, as he got up. He smiled, and he laughed. He turned around, and he faced me. He saw my dagger, and he saw my eyes. He realized his mistake, and he realized his fate. He screamed, and he tried to run.
I was faster, and I was ruthless. I threw my dagger, and I hit him in the neck. He fell, and he choked. He died, and he was silent.
I walked over, and retrieved my dagger. I wiped it clean, and put it back in my belt. I looked at his body, and I felt nothing. I had killed him, and I had no regrets. He had tried to kill me, and he had failed.
Of course I wasn't going to let him live, a young girl could be everyone. Damn this demon was useless.
I left the demon's lair and set off straight for the castle. It hadn't been a productive day at all, that demon was no use to me. He had only given me a vague clue about the person who hired him to kill Lydia, and he had put up a tough fight. I had wasted a lot of time and energy on him, and I had nothing to show for it.
I needed to find out who was behind this plot, and why they wanted Lydia dead. It could be a threat to Zara too.
I reached the castle, and I entered through the back gate. I had to be careful, and I had to be discreet. I didn't want anyone to see me, and I didn't want anyone to recognize me.
I headed to my room. I needed to rest, and I needed to think. I needed to plan, and I needed to act. I needed to find a way, and I needed to find a solution. I needed to end this, and I needed to end it soon.
But first I spotted my clone who was in the library on his own so with a snap of the finger I made her disappear before entering my room.
I opened the door, and what I saw made me blush. Lydia was changing, and she was half-naked. She was wearing a bra, and she was wearing a skirt. She was beautiful, and she was stunning. She saw me, and she gasped. She threw a pillow at me, and she covered herself. She was embarrassed, and she was angry.
"What are you doing here? And then knock before you come in," she said, and I went to the door, covering my eyes.
"I'm sorry, I keep forgetting that this is your room," I said, before walking out of Lydia's room.
What an embarrassing moment, I thought, as I closed the door behind me. I felt my face burning, and I felt my heart racing. I had seen her, and I had liked what I saw. I had felt something, and I had felt it strongly.
I shook my head, and I tried to clear my mind. I had to focus, and I had to be rational. I had a mission, and I had a duty. I had to protect Zara, and I had to save her. I had to forget my feelings, and I had to ignore my emotions.
I headed for the guest rooms, where I was supposed to stay. I had really got to stop going to the wrong room, or it would end up damaging me. It would end up confusing me, and it would end up distracting me.
I reached the guest room, and I entered. I walked to the bed, and I saw something. I saw a letter. I saw a note, and I saw a signature. I saw a red ink, and I saw a black seal.
I reached over, took the letter, and opened it. I read it.
There it was, large and red.
"Stop looking for me."