I stalk within the night; the shadows reaching out to me like cold embraces,
Welcoming me into the darkness; welcoming me, their daughter.
Yet tonight I must deny their comfort, no, I cannot find any. I will take the pathways through the city roofs and watch my prey as he wonders. Wonders from yet another party that I could not attend with him, not even as he begged my father for me to go.
My true mother shines upon me almost comfortingly; I will have a clear shot in a moment the tree is bending in the wind. He looks up from a balcony smiling, I remember telling him that I was the moons daughter, I close my eyes. And I shoot; the pain in my heart is a shock, not as much as the wetness on my cheeks
I run from the screams when he is found, the sound of breaking glass accompanying it.
Running towards my home, ignoring everything except the movements I must make. If I concentrate on what I just did I will stumble and fall to my death on the cold pavements.
I close the door and remove my gloves, leaning gratefully against the hard wood. Feeling my face, I realise I am crying I sink down to the marble floor. My sobs awaken my father who comes running. "Hush" he says sympathy in his eyes "go upstairs immediately" Jerkily without thinking I do as he says. Pausing to lay a photo frame face down on my desk. His photo.
There's a banging on the front door, its too late for informal visits, this will be the watch.
I hear voices from below and look through the banisters like I did as a child to see who it was. "Sir, your daughters Fiancé had been assassinated" The tall captain was there and each word he spoke felt like it was I who had been killed. A crossbow bolt for every word. "Oh" was all my father could say he bid them goodnight and shut the door.
I had moments to reflect, things had happened so quickly, I had graduated months ago, killed a few low profile cases, but then my father said I should go quickly to look at the book. Pressing through the throng of people I had looked down and seen his name and reward and almost choked. I had heard someone discussing him and how best to deal. Poisons, they had discussed poisons. That decided me, the contract would not be withdrawn, and I could, would not allow the man I loved to be poisoned to death.
Telling him was out of the question, then we would both be killed, it would have to be me. I couldn't do anything but sit there now, the light filtering through the banister shining upon me, shining upon my weaponry, being absorbed into my black clothing.
My father walked up and gracefully knelt beside me. He too wore black, except with hints of grey and purple. He was after all a head assassin, one of the best.
"Is this what we become father? Black soulless things that even the moon cannot touch?" My voice was strangely choked
He must have seen the pain in my eyes, he held me close
"Child, only murderers are soulless. We, we are assassins, you have learnt tonight what we all know" he paused taking a shuddering breath "every death has a price"