I could feel blood welling around my hands and flowing down my dress as I pressed my hand to the wound.

Every step I took I could feel the world spin around me and darkness creep at the edge of my vision.

The garden, I just had to make it to the garden.

I pushed open the doors to the large castle and groaned, pain slicing me inside to out, tears streaming down my face silently as I made my way to the stairs, clutching one hand to the railing while the other one stayed at where the knife had entered my stomach.

I could do it, just to the garden, that’s what the note had said.

Almost to the bottom, almost to the bottom. The words repeated themselves inside my head, the pain making my vision fuzzy.

My foot caught on the last step and before I knew what was happening I was tumbling to the ground, my big ballroom dress cushioning my fall.

The sun shone bright, yet no one wondered the castle grounds, and no one saw as I got to my knees and started crawling, blood running on the concrete, so much blood.

My vision swam and I collapsed onto the ground again, the beautiful garden I had been aiming for only a few feet away.

Meet me at the garden path, is what the note said, but I couldn’t even think clearly, much less get to the garden. I was going to die there, all alone, without a single person in sight.

“Cassandra!” I looked up at the sound of my name, a pair of feet running towards me, and suddenly there were hands propping me up, a handsome face blurring before my eyes, but he didn’t move to save me, or run to get help, instead he leaned down and whispered in my ear, “is it done?”

My blood stained hands shook as I reached down, wincing, and took the paper out of my hidden dress pocket, half of it stained with a deep red. I closed my eyes right trying to breath deeply as I pressed it into the mans hands, unable to nod, “she…..” the words felt like they were cutting me, the pain unbearable, “fought…..” and then just like that my vision waned and then…..nothing. No pain, no light….just darkness, and nothing more

…

The man sat at a dark oak desk, a pencil in his hands as it whirled across the paper in front of him. A strand of blond hair falling in front of his face as he finished, not bothering to sweep it away, he tucked the piece of paper into an envelope before sealing it. He got up and went outside, a messenger already there.

“Send this to the boss,” he said, leveling his cool gaze at the shivering boy, “and don’t you dare open the letter or believe me boy, I will know.”

The boy nodded frantically and hurried down the long hallway. And the man found himself smiling at his retreating form. Another success.

…

The paper sent to the boss:

Plan 0012665

Location: Silvia Castle

Target: Princess Adelina Ashcroft, oldest of the Ashcroft line

Status: terminated

Assassin assigned to job: Zelia Evernote, code name, Cassandra Clarington

Status of mission: succeeded

Status of assassin: deceased, stabbed while assassinating target

Mission overall success

Note:

The mission was successful, I’m awaiting your next orders.

Sincerely,

Jacob Jones, head of missions.