Take it easy, killer.
And the black shadows clinging to his magic.
Thane is no ordinary sorcerer wearing a mask and buffers.
He’s a sorcerer conjuring darker magic to kill.
He’s a shadow assassin.
Chapter 10
But how is that possible?
Sure, I’ve heard rumors about some of these elite killers still lingering around. I’ve heard stories about fights in the streets and how many became bloodbaths because of the assailants they called shadow assassins, who were far too impressive with their blades.
But the stories were hard to believe. Assassins who wielded black magic? They were once called Nightcarvers and were outlawed shortly after the war between Meriva and Ruvain centuries ago because of how lethal they were.
They first originated in the red sand kingdom of Quamira to protect the royals from wicked sea beastials able to walk on land. The only way to truly defeat the beastials was to conjure darker magic.
But then the Nightcarvers used theirblack magic to take control…all for destruction and power.
In an attempt to overthrow Ruvain’s kingdom, the Nightcarvers killed the ruling King Murren. The crown prince managed to escape, traveled straight to Meriva, and as Ruvain’s newly appointed king, he made a treaty with Meriva to end the warifthey helped stop the Nightcarvers.
So both acting kings of Meriva and Ruvain made it law that sorcerers caught using black magic alongside combat in their kingdoms would be killed without trial.
With Quamira’s aid, the Nightcarvers were caught one by one, given muting elixirs to tamp down their magic, and were all either beheaded or hanged.
That put an end to the dark sorcerer-assassin era…and made it abundantly clear that anyone else who tried to replicate that behavior would face the same fate.
And yet, here is Thane—just as destructive as the whispers and rumors.
The Divine soldiers have a certain code of conduct. They fight with specific trained techniques, and their skills are uniform, at best. I’ve gone on many tours of the Crystal Palace grounds and witnessed some of their training. None of it comes close to the tricks Thane is performing right now, and it’s both remarkable and terrifying.
What I pay attention to most from Thane’s magic are the black shadows trailing the gold streams after every blow. Each sorcerer has their own color-coded essence, but the use of white magic never comes with a trail of black.
Where the shadows did this man come from? And who am I really dealing with? If he is some kind of assassin, where does that leave me? A combination of dread and fear wraps around me like a snake and squeezes tight.
If I could capture him and turn him in, the queen would pay handsomely for it. There is a bounty on the head of any shadow assassin. That must be why Garyn tried to take him down. And whoever this Maliek person is, it must be why he’s searching for Thane, too. They know all about his power or are at least suspicious of him and want to exchange him for coin.
Regardless, what I realize is that hiring Thane was a mistake.
I’vereallyfucked up.
As the fighting and killing continues, I snatch up my rucksack and run toward the gate in a panic, dodging Garyn, who is too busy watchingmoreof his men get slaughtered.
The shock of it all has my whole body feeling cold. I have to get out of here.
When I make it out, Chaun is still at the front gates, but he doesn’t bother chasing me. Instead, he busts out laughing as he watches me run toward the forest that leads back to Meriva. It’s almost like Chaun knew Thane would start a fight and is glad he doesn’t have to be a part of it.
I stumble on an uneven patch of ground and stop for a moment to catch my breath before taking off in a full sprint again. Even though I’ve gotten farther away, relief is nowhere to be found. Will it ever be found again, actually? Thane knows my name. My face. Where I live. Where I work. Now that I know who and what he is, he might kill me just to tie up loose ends.
Bile rises up my throat, and it burns. I swallow it back down.No time for throwing up, Zaira. You gotta hide.
If anyone catches me with a possible shadow assassin, I’ll be strung up right along with him. I mean, it’s clear that Thane’s a fighter.
Or defender?
A brute, if you will.
