Princess of the Damned Read Free Page B

done?”
    Nala leaned in closer to whisper to the woman’s ear. A wide grin appeared on the woman’s face.
    “ This is interesting. I think I have the girl for the job. And do not worry, we are sworn to the oath of secrecy. If the person we sent out does not ‘flawlessly execute’ the job, we will have someone send you back the gold. Her life is courtesy of us.”
    “ I need the job done tonight. I’ll drug the bastard and you guys will have to take care of the rest.”
    “ We wouldn’t have it any other way.”
     
    The wagon was empty.
    She told him to wait here for her, but where did that kid go? He usually didn’t head off by himself without telling her. Nala removed her cloak and then wiped off the heavy theatric makeup on her face with a white cloth. She should have taken it off in the dressing room, but there wasn’t enough time. She had to find help.
    It was a good thing she found them at the Red City. She was afraid there wouldn’t be a branch here. The madam always went to them when she wanted something done. That was how she came to know of their existence. The madam calls them the traders, but they really don’t have a name to go by. They are a guild of ‘traders’ who will do almost anything for a price. Mercenaries, assassins, whatever they were, they were a blessing when you were in a tight squeeze. And the best part was that this guild worked under a strict code. Even under torture, the client’s identity and the objective of the mission would go with them to the grave.
    She shivered when she remembered that slob’s eyes on her. He wanted to swallow her whole. His touch was repulsive and his breath was even worse. Was he an aristocrat or a thug on the street? At least he took the bait and drank the drugged wine. The guild should have the job done.
    There was a smell of fresh blood in the air – human. She didn’t know how she knew, but she was sure. There was also Sayan’s scent in the air.
    The door of the wagon opened, and it was indeed Sayan. His hands were dripping with blood.
    “ What have you-” Nala quickly pulled him inside and closed the door. “What have you done?”
    He wrapped his arms around her. “I’m so glad it wasn’t you! I thought he was hurting you…I couldn’t control myself...”
    “ Tell me what happened, Sayan,” she demanded.
    “ I-I killed him.” He admitted. “I stabbed his back with my dagger multiple times until he rolled onto the ground. I was so glad it wasn’t you, Nala, I was so glad!”
    “ I told you to wait here for me, why didn’t you listen?”
    “ How would I know? I did it without thinking, but I didn’t regret it. I would have killed him over and over again if he was hurting you!”
    “ We don’t have much time until they find him dead.” Nala took the white cloth she used to wipe off her make up to wipe off the blood from his hands. “Go wash yourself quickly!”
    Nala ran out of her wagon and ran to the madam’s. The poor woman was terrified when she heard.
    “ We need to leave the Red City as soon as possible,” Nala said. “We need to split and scatter so they cannot find us. If they find him dead, they will kill us all!”
    “ You should have never saved that foolish boy!” The madam muttered. “I’ll have everyone leave as soon as possible.”
    When Nala returned to her own wagon, Sayan had already washed himself as she instructed.
    “ Unlatch the horses from the wagon,” she ordered and then went into the wagon to gather the gold and some clothes. She pulled out the heavy blade from under the bed and then strapped it to her back. “We have to split with the caravan from here on.”
    “ Where will we go?” Sayan asked.
    “ The Black City in the Northern Kingdom,” Nala said. “That’s the only place where we’ll be safe from the forces of the Western Kingdom.”

Chapter Three
     
    They were three days journey away from the Black City.
    They rarely stopped for any rest and even the horses were barely able