11 Chapter 11

Lilith was instantly down at my side. "Jaycie. Jaycie, are you okay?" After a couple of seconds, the pain that shot up my leg is gone, I am breathing hard. "Jaycie, what happened?" Lilith asked. There is genuine concern in her eyes. She looks worried for me. "What the hell was that?" I look around. The eight other girls are staring at me. The one guard that had been nice is looking behind me, towards the dead-end hall. There are two more at the far end who are making there way toward me. I look behind me, and there he stood. Daren was staring down at me, with a wide smirk on his face.

In his hand he had some sort of contraption. It was a small and black. It was some sort of spring-loaded device that would shoot something out of it. I look at my leg and there is a red disk on my calf. All around it was red as well. I feel my anger consume me. This had only happened to me three times in my whole life. I turned into someone completely different. And every person who had made me get this mad, died the same day. I turned into a stone-cold killer. Nothing could stop me. Not even Wilker.

"Oh, Jaycie. I didn't even see you there. I was just looking for the boss. I wanted to show him my newest device. I guess it works better than I thought it did." He is speaking as if it was an accident, but I automatically knew it wasn't. I stand up, wiping the red thing off my leg, using my powers to soothe it. The guard took a step towards me. "Ma'am, why don't you leave?" He asks. I just shoved him back, grabbing his sword expertly. He had been standing with it away from me, but I was an assassin. I knew how to get it. "If you don't want to die, I suggest you back off." I say to the guard. Then I turn back to Daren. He is still rambling on about his mistake.

He notices the sword in my hand and pales slightly. "Put that down before I send you back to the mirror room." He says to me. I keep walking towards him. One step at a time. My face is completely blank. My steps equal, each one taking me forward enough to make him go backward. "Jaycie, stand down. Now." He said. I hear a guard coming up behind me, and I swipe the sword back without looking. I hear the guard fall to the floor, and the light splatter that hits my calves tells me he is dead. "What's wrong Daren? Are you scared?" I ask. My voice it cold, not anything like it usually is. "Jaycie. Last chance." He says.

I give him a smile that had literally made grown men run from me. "I didn't need a first one. You are already dead." I say. Then I lunge. He blocks the sword that is coming at him with his arm. I feel my blade sink into it and he yells out. I pull if out and go for his neck again. He blocks this one with his hand. The blade sinks into his palm and comes out drenched in red. I keep sinking my blade towards his neck, and he keeps dodging and blocking with his arms, which are in streamers.

This last attack from him brought me out of the fear I was in from the mirror room. I couldn't stop attacking. I couldn't stop my blade from striking. I am about to bring my blade down when I feel the cool bite of steel against me neck. The point of a single bladed sword is pressed against the back of my neck. I laugh. This is any easy attack to make, but you have to know how to follow through. This guard obviously didn't. "That attack did nothing for you." I say. Then I spin, the point scratches my neck, but doesn't cut it. I duck under the blade as they try to hit me. The hilt of my blade hits the guard in the knee, shattering it, then my blade ends up in his heart, hilling him.

When I stand back up, I spear Daren in the gut. He gasps out. Then falls to his knees. "You...you..." He is at a lose of words. Blood is spilling out. I smile down at him. "You should have steered clear of me." I say. He growls lightly at me. "I hope you go to hell." He says. I smirk and kneel next to him. "Want to know a little secret?" I bring my head down to his ear so only he can hear me. "I have already become the queen of that realm. They are just waiting for me to get there. And when I do, I will kill you again." I stand up and fear glazes his eyes, then they lose their life.

Next thing I know, hands grab me. My arms are being pulled back, but I only stare at Daren. When I realize why I am being pulled back, my stone-cold killer falls. I look around as if just coming back to where I am. Then I pale. I had let it take over again. I struggle against the hands, but a needle enters my neck, and my head falls back, as I go unconscious. When I wake up, I am back in the mirror room. My fear immediately starts to cover me. I start shaking and pulling at the shackles. It only takes a few minutes for me to start screaming. After a few minutes, I catch my composure. I stop moving, stop screaming, force myself to stop shaking. I force myself to calm down.

I stay like this as long as I can, then I hold my breath and slow my heartbeat until I feel myself fall in sweet oblivion. It is a weak move, but I can't stay awake in this room. When I wake up, I am still in here. I hold my composure for as long as I can before I break down. To many memories come up. The first time I blew up, and about killed Wilker, because he tried to stop me from going after the one who caused it. Having to watch Lavren die. Almost dying at Zachery's hands. Everything. I am crying, screaming, shaking, fighting the binds. I yell until my vice goes hoarse. Until I can't speak any more.

This is how I spend the next however long. When I can't stand the staring, I just make myself pass out. Every now and then, my parched throat is no longer dry when I wake up. After a while, I can feel my stomach aching in hunger. Eventually, I can't make myself pass out any longer. I am forced to stay awake. I can only fall asleep when my body needs the sleep. After however long they wanted me to be in here passed, I hear the door open. It was in front of me this time. They did that to make sure I never knew were the door was.

It was the guard who had been nice to me. The one I didn't kill. He came and crouched in front of me. "It is time for you to get back to work. They have some very important guests." I don't look up, don't acknowledge him at all. He unlocks the cuffs, and whispers something to me. "I need you to get up and go into the hall. After that, I can help you." I flinch from him then wince as my muscles yell at me. "It's okay." He says. He steps back and says, "Stand up."

I force my legs up. I wobble and start to fall, but he comes close enough for me to grab onto his arm. Then we walk out the door, and into the hall. He closes the door, then puts his hands on my shoulders, the joint were my arms connect. I try and pull away, but he says, "I won't hurt you. You are okay for now." I feel powers run through my soothingly. My shoulders relax, and slowly, he let's his hands go down my arms, soothing all the muscles. Then he works my back. I don't say anything, and he just works his magic, literally. When he finishes my back he says, "I suggest you do your leg muscles before you have to go to the reception room."

I heal the cramped muscles, them turn to him "Why are you being so nice?" I see pain flash in his eyes. "My daughter use to be in your place. She died because one of the guards got to...rough with her." He turned from me and walked off. I followed, though my legs were still slightly wobbly, so it took me slightly longer. When we got to the door, I was staring at the floor. Xalem quickly said, "Sit down. I will talk to you when they leave. Don't get up, of look up. You know the rules. Trust me, you don't want to break them."

Without so much as making a single comment, I kneel, sit, fold my hands in my lap, and stare at the ground. I am siting there for only a minute before the guests walk in. I can hardly see them. One is taller, I see a hint of black hair. He walks with the confidence I use to walk with. I see the glint of blades at his side. The boy next to him looks kind of farmillar, but I can't tell who it is because my line of vision ends. They walk up to Xalem and start talking about a deal.

They are planning on taking someone hostage. Someone important named Prince Azeel. Xalem is holding a tour of sorts in three months. Inviting him and his nine brothers to look around, see his kingdom. They are taking the king to be from a place I had only seen on maps and using him as leverage to get more money. I soak in every detail of the plan as the continue to speak. The younger one doesn't speak at all. He just listens. Like when Wilker brought me to a deal to learn how to make them.

When they finish, I hear the steps come closer towards me. Xalem's voice booms across the room. "Jaycie, stand up and come here." I stand up and turn. I get a better look at the two me, even though I keep my eyes on towards the ground. I see the younger on stiffen up. He hides his face from my eyesight, but I don't understand why. As he passes me, he whispers something, that I almost miss. "Be careful here. They will kill you if you mess up too much." The voice sounds familiar, but I can't place it. I keep walking until I get all the way to Xalem. His wife is siting there staring down on me. She looks at me as if I am worthless.

"Jaycie, look at me." Xalem says. I look up, but don't meet his eyes. "Do you think you can refrain from slaughtering any more of my guards?" He asks. Usually this would spark some sort of flame inside me, but it doesn't get me. I just stare blankly. "Yes Sir." "That's good. Now that you have calmed down a little, I would like you to meet my wife. Sairyia, meet Jaycie. Jaycie, meet Sairyia." I slightly nod and Sairyia practically yells at me. "Yes. How could I forget the one who tried to kill me?"

I flinch and she laughs. "It looks like she is finally house trained. I thought it would take longer." I frown. Xalem is the next to speak. "Jaycie, you are her personal...assistant. The girls will show you were everything is tomorrow, and then you are all coming here at noon. Be ready and behave." I nod. Xalem raises his voice, "Ladies, you may go. My beautiful girl follows them to the dinner hall. They will show you around tomorrow." I nod and turn, but not before seeing the killer look at Sairyia gives me because he called me his beautiful girl.

I walk out with the other girls. I see the guard follow us. When we get into the dinner hall, it has ten places set with food on the table. We all sit down, but before I can, Lilith comes up to me and hugs me. I stiffen up. "Jay, I am sorry. You shouldn't have been punished that long. A week is crazy. I am so sorry." I frown at the name and at the fact that I was in there for a week. I would think I would have had an accident, but obviously the only gave me enough water to keep me from dying. When she sits down, I sit next to her.

We all eat in silence. I keep my eyes on my food. After we finish eating, we head to our room and quickly get changed, taking turns to go to the far side of the room while the others turn their backs toward the one changing. When they turn out the lights, everyone lays down. I just sit on my bed facing the wall. It takes only a few minutes for Janel and Lilith to come sit down next to me on my bed. "Jaycie, are you okay?" Janel asks. "I am fine." I say flatly. Lilith gives a small laugh. "Okay, I know she asked, but it was less of a question and more of a, 'I know you aren't okay. When are you going to tell us what's wrong?' We can see it in your eyes that you aren't okay." I look at one of them, then the other. Then I turn to where I am completely facing them. "If you knew what I was, you would stay as far back as possible."

They share a look then look back at me. It is Janel that speaks. "Are you going to tell us what you are. Who you were back in your town?" I shake my head. Lilith speaks this time. "We know what you were. What you are. We know you are an assassin. The guards have been talking about you. We saw your skills with a blade when you killed that jerk a week ago." I look at them with narrow eyes. "I am no longer an assassin. I am a servant." Janel gasps. Lilith puts two hands on my shoulders and shakes me. "No. You are an assassin. Don't forget that. Get out of here when you can. Get out and get out quick." I pull away from her and lay down with my back to them. "I will never be an assassin. It obviously it to hard for me."

Lilith scoffs. "No, you will always be the queen of hell. The assassin that killed Daren, and those two guards. The one that came here fighting, and that hasn't given up yet." I hear her walk to her bed and Janel walk to hers. I try and convince myself I am no longer an assassin, but Lilith's words lay the first steps to the ladder I need to climb out of this whole I am in.

When I wake up in the morning, I get changed into todays clothes. The rest of the girls wake up when the orange girl comes in. We all go to breakfast, then they start the tour. One of the girls who hadn't talked to me started it. "Hello Jaycie, I am Canterlen. It is nice to meet you. Anyway, this way it the kitchen." She leads me into a huge kitchen, and I look around at girls dressed in blood red and gold. They show me the laundry room, sitting rooms, studies, guest rooms, then head outside.

I feel the blast of heat hit me, and for the first time am glad about the attire I was forced to wear. They show me the gardens, where the girls in green work. They work there way through the plants, until they get to the dragon statues. They are pretty. Details are worked in everywhere. Another girl talks, her name it Ileana. "This is were we can have peace. Pray for everything we need or want."

I roll my eyes on the inside. The first sign of my old self. "Dranea gives you everything she thinks you need." I look the statue up and down. Then nod. I don't make any remarks on anything. As we walk back towards the reception room, I ask, "What is with all the different colored clothes. We are hot pink, some are green. Some are red. And I am sure you know the others." Canterlen smiles at me. "Different jobs have different colors. Gardeners in green, cleaners in orange, cooks in red, and we personal assistant's to the bosses are in hot pink." I nod, and we enter the reception area and take out seats. Out of the corner of my eyes, I start to assess the room.

I mark possible hidden passageways, note the guard shifts, notice how much the other girls move. I listen to footsteps enter and leave the room from behind me, even though the only seen door in the room is the one in front of me. And slowly as I have to sit here, I start to rebuild myself. I watch which come multiple times, and every time that mad and boy come in, I listen as they form their plans. It took about a week for me to be called on be Sairyia. "Jaycie. Up here now." I stood up and rushed over to her.

"Yes." I say. "That is yes Ma'am to you, and I need a glass of water. Hurry." I rush off. A guard follows me, but he has trouble keeping pace with me, even though I am the one in tall heels. When I get into the kitchen I say, "Excuse me. One of you, can I have a glass water?" I am immediately handed one and I rush back. When I get there, I hand it to her, and wait, unsure what to do. She takes a long sip, staring at me. "Well, don't just stand there. Go sit." I sit down.

That is how the days go. In my heart, I can feel anger welling up. It is soothing. I let it get bigger and bigger with each day that passes. Each night, when we go to sleep, I lay awake. I can only sleep about every four or five nights, but I don't make myself pass out. I just work through the drowsiness. It takes about four weeks for me to snap back.

Sairyia calls me over to her. She is standing in front of her chair. Xalem isn't there. I walk up to her and say, "Yes ma'am." She sneers at me. "I am having some friends over today. I need you to assign one of these to each of them." She points as the girls. I hiss. "How about you do it. You could obviously use the time to learn their names." Her hand flies back, and flies toward me. I duck under it, grab her arm, and throw her into the aisle between the girls. She stands up and shrieks. I see the guards by the door chuckle lightly and pretend not to notice.

"You better come help me up now." I smirk. "No thank you. I rather help Zachery up." She looks confused. "Who is Zachery?" I raise my brow. "Someone with a lot more-" She holds up her hand. "Don't even finish that statement." I walk down to her and put my hands on my hips. "What is wrong, are you to shocked to get off the floor on your own. To spoiled?" She jumps up. "Guards." Three walk in. "Ma'am?" One asks. "She needs a day in the mirror room." They all look at me and I slip out of my shoes. "They have to catch my first." I run out the door and down the halls. I run past may guards, just a flash of pink and gold. They all follow me.

I run around the city. The citizens all stare at me. I am a servant, running barefoot, through the streets, with about a hundred guards following me. They start to come out of alleys ahead of me, so I veer back towards the main grounds, and head to the dragon statue. I scale it quickly. The are all staring up at me. I see all nine girls staring up at me with Sairyia behind them and Xalem behind her. I must look crazy because I am dancing on top of the statue taunting the guards. They are all to big to climb the statue.

My eye's flick to the girls and they are all holding back smiles. I look up and see Xalem smiling and laughing. Sairyia smacks him. She starts yelling. I start singing at the top of lungs. More servants come out and stare at me. Then I go from singing to yelling insults about this place. I am digging myself a deep hole, and I don't even care. Finally, they get a ladder, and one of the guards starts to climb up. When he gets a few steps up, I shove the tops back, and he has barley enough time to jump off. "Hey, you okay?" I ask. "Because it looks like you were jumping away pretty quick. Though I thought you were supposed to be getting closer."

Xalem walks to the base of the statue and yells up, "Jaycie. Come down know, and you won't be punished." He calls up. I look down at him and I can see genuine humor in his eyes, though I can see the lie in his eyes. "No thanks. I know that trick. "Jaycie, get down now. We have guests coming in a few minutes. I look up and see the man and boy, though it is not a boy, more of someone my age. They are to far for me to get clear details of the face. "You mean them?" I ask pointing. He turns then faces me again. "Down, now." He yells. "No thanks." I yell back. Then I go back to dancing and singing.

The older man walks over and asks, "Isn't that one of your servant's?" He asks. Xalem nods. "Yes. She is rather rebellious." I start making a song about rebellion.

"They say behave and listen to your head, then they say follow your heart. Well I am sorry for them because my rebellious heart will always win. Yeah, my heart will always win. I am wild as the wind, running round with out a care in the world. Made a big mistake, just tryna catch a break. The rebel me will always run free." I keep rambling on, and the man laughs. "I think your words are inspiring her." Xalem smiles and says, "Get down here."

I smirk and start a new song. "I ain't never gonna come back down. I have flown so high up. I have made my way away from you, and I am finally free. Nothing holdin me back, nothin tellin me to stay. So I am gonna run run run. Run away from you." The man laughs. "This one is funny, but we have actual business to talk about." Xalem looks at me with pleading eyes.

I feel something wrap around my ankles, then my shoulders. Then one final thing around my waist. A huge yank pulls me back. I go flying over the back half of the dragon, and land in the arms of about six guards. I try to fight away from them, but the still have a hold on the ropes around me. While they carefully keep their hands on my arms. "Guards, take her." They knock me out, and when I wake up, I am surrounded by mirrors. They don't have the same affect this time, I just keep reliving my day.

When they pull my out, I am all cramped up and I heal myself quickly. Then the whole process of being good and soaking up information, snapping, running, making a fool of them, and getting sent back in here starts again. Each time, the mirrors have a more and more affect on me until I am back to screaming, shaking a crying.