The Compound
Desmond Miles
The horrid 4 months go by longer than I want them to, but the day has finally come that Azalea has promised that I will be moved to a compound with real people. The days up until this event have been spent with Azalea gone—sometimes weeks on end—on various missions that she refuses to speak to me about. When she is here at the safehouse with me, she avoids talking to me, and constantly types away at her computer. We've hardly said a few sentences to each other and she is more of a ghost than a roommate.
I walk out into the living room and she is surprisingly not hunched over her computer typing ferociously. I look around the area for her, and I don't see her around. I shrug and search the refrigerator for food. I bend down looking for something to eat. I hear a click and I close the refrigerator door. I look over at the front door and a tall blonde man enters the home. He stops in his tracks when he sees me. He looks me up and down and it is in this moment that I realize I am only in my underwear.
"Uh… Desmond." He says trying to keep his eyes to himself. "I… I am Harlan. Harlan Cunningham. I am a friend of your father's." he says awkwardly, keeping his eyes to the floor.
Before I can respond, Azalea walks out of her room, hair tussled, pulling a black silk robe on, covering up that she was wearing nothing but a bra and pair of panties. Harlan looks at Azalea, then back at me.
Azalea looks up at Harlan with wide eyes. "Harlan, I didn't expect you for another few hours." She says in a shocked tone, tying the robe to cover her up.
He clears his throat. "I… uh… I had some extra time off and thought I would stop by." She walks over to him and gives him a hug, he tries to whisper to her, but I end up hearing him ask "you two aren't having sex, are you?"
Azalea pulls away from her hug. "No, Harlan, I am not having sex with him." She says loudly in a pressed tone.
I clear my throat and tell them that I should get dressed. I shake my head at the sight and what Harlan must be thinking. I wonder what his relationship is to Azalea and my father. I wonder if he knows that she is immortal, and if he does, and he knows my father, does my father know about Azalea?
I pack my bag full of clothes that Azalea was nice enough to go out and buy for me. When I am finished packing, I head to the living room where Azalea is also packed and ready. They are quietly talking to themselves and it sounds like Harlan is scolding her for something. She has her arms crossed over her chest and whatever he is saying to her is not boding very well.
They both look over at me when I enter the room and stop whatever conversation they were having. They ask if I am ready and when I am, we leave the safehouse and get into a windowless van that Harlan drives. Azalea sits in the passenger seat while I am subjected to the back of the van. Azalea and Harlan talk about the compound we are about to go to and what accommodations they have made for our arrival. Harlan tries to bring up my father and his decision to appoint Gavin Banks as acting Mentor, but Azalea shuts down the conversation. She looks back at me, knowing that I am listening, and I give her an annoyed look. She knows more than ever that I would like to know more information about my friends and my father, but she withholds the information from me.
After a few hours of listening to their conversations, I feel myself getting bored, unable to understand what they are talking about and decide to get some rest. Ever since I was resurrected, I have been feeling faint and tired easily, and I hope that the feeling subsides with time. I close my eyes and the shaking of the van rocks me to sleep.
I wake to my body jerking forward. I look up and see Azalea look back at me with an amused look on her face. "Harlan is an awful driver." She says to me and Harlan scoffs. The sight is a curious one; I haven't seen Azalea look so at ease before. It is strange to see her as something other than a calculative snake.
"Are you ready, Desmond?" Harlan asks me as he exits the van and opens the back door for me.
"Ready for what?" I ask him wearily. I step out of the van and see a large castle standing before me. "Holy shit," I say looking onto the castle. "What is this place?"
"My house." Azalea says looking up at the castle, then at me. "Shall we?"
"How did you afford this?" I ask following her into the castle.
"I have a knack for moving money." She says.
We enter the castle and it is just as lavish inside as it is on the outside. The walls are decorated with medieval paintings, rich intricate woodwork, and lavished furniture. "This is my main residence." Azalea explains as we walk the halls. "I have since converted it to a compound to house all the Assassins who have dedicated their arms to my cause."
She takes me to an office where a man waits in a chair behind her desk. She opens the door and he lifts himself to his feet. The man is tall with blonde hair and a muscular set body. He has a well-kept beard and an all-around friendly face.
"Desmond, this is Theo. He is the trainer to all my recruits." I look over at Azalea with wide eyes and she lets out a laugh, "Oh sorry, here your identity is safe. There are only a few people living under this roof for now. All of which you can safely speak openly with."
"Desmond Miles," Theo says pulling out his hand and I take it. "It's a real honor to meet you. My path crossed with your father back in the 80s. He is a great man."
I don't know what to say to the comment so I just smile at the man and shake his hand.
"So, what is the plan?" I ask them all. "You train me, then we take down Abstergo?"
Azalea scoffs, "It is not going to be that easy, Desmond. We have been at this for years and Abstergo has the upper hand every time."
"But now we have the upper hand, with me. That's what you said."
"Yes, but we can't go storming in there throwing you in their face and expect them to fall to their knees begging for a truce."
"So then why am I here? What is the plan? How do you expect to get the upper hand on Abstergo? How are we going to end this war?" I look around at all their blank expressions. "Or have you guys not thought it out at all?" I scoff, "So you resurrect me, just to bring me here and scratch your heads at what comes next?" I am in shock that this is how they are taking this. "I have been gone now for 13 months and we have nothing to show for it. You won't tell me where my father is, you won't tell me what Rebecca and Shaun are doing, and with every second we are wasting, the Templars are gaining traction on becoming the most influential power player on the field."
"It's a lot more complicated than that." Azalea starts.
"So, what is the overall goal here?" I stop her before she can say anymore. "We kill all the Templars? Then what? They just stop forming and everything is right with the world? What is even the goal of gathering all the Pieces of Eden?" I say looking at her and she stiffens at my mention of them while Harlan and Theo look at her. "Oh, you haven't told them you're collecting them all to use against the Templars. Great to see that I have been dragged on such a communicative team."
"Desmond, you are smart." Azalea starts, "You know as well as I do that this war is a useless and endless power struggle between the Assassins and the Templars." She says. "We are all here for our own reasons. We all want something different from this war, but at least as far as the people in this room are concerned, our main goal is to take the Piece of Eden from the Templars so they do not use their powers foolishly."
"But what is the end goal?" I ask, "What are we going to be getting out of this?"
"If we keep the powers of the Pieces of Eden from the Templars, we will limit their rise. If we take possession of them, we—"
"Become no better than them." I interrupt her and she exhales. "You will just become the new power-hungry tyrant that another underdog will have to take down."
Harlan exhales and looks over at me, "Desmond, we are not the bad guys here. We believe in the free will of everyone on this Earth. Abstergo wants to take that away from us."
"But what do you want to do with it?" I ask. I look over at Azalea. "What are you going to do with them?"
"I think that is enough for today."
"No, fuck that!" I yell at her. "I have had enough skirting around the truth." She looks at me with shocked eyes and both Theo and Harlan tense at my harsh tone. "Eden is the last piece of the puzzle." I tell her. "What happens in Eden? What is its power?"
She looks at me reluctantly for a while. Her eyes looking back and forth to Theo and Harlan. Finally, she turns to her books behind her desk and pulls out an old brown leather book. She throws the book on the desk and looks at me. I hesitate for a moment, but then grab for the book. I read the title, El Dorado.
I look up at her with a confused gaze and she nods for me to continue. I open the book to the page that the book naturally opens to, after being opened to this page thousands of times. I read about a tribe called the Muisca who threw hundreds of gold trinkets into a sinkhole, now called Lake Guatavita, thinking they were sacrificing to the god's in the afterlife.
I shake my head, "I don't get it." I tell her, looking up at her and she leans over the table and turns the page.
"Look familiar?" She asks me and I see a primitive sketch of a woman that the book attributes to a god of the Muisca people.
"Juno," I let out as I see the similarities in their appearances. I look up at Azalea in shock and she smiles at me knowingly.
"They were not sacrificing petty golden trinkets to the afterlife to appease a god. They were gathering the Pieces of Eden and delivering them to Eden."
"Lake Guatavita is Eden." I say to her and she nods at me. I look back at Harlan and Theo, and they are in just as much shock as I am. I look back at the book, then back at Azalea, thinking of Clay's words pounding in my head. "So, what happens if you bring all the pieces to Eden?"
Azalea turns the page that displays another primitive sketch of death, destruction, and decay. I look at the next picture that shows finally peace, prosperity, and unity. I shake my head, "I don't understand." I tell her.
"You deliver the pieces to their Eden," she begins, "and you set forth the birth of a new era." My heart races and she continue. "It is my failsafe if I don't get that dagger."
"You're going to destroy the planet." I call out.
"With destruction comes rebirth. This planet is decaying, and we have become a cancer to it. Through the growth of technology, we have lost our connection to nature. I would see it all end to start anew."
"You sound like Minerva." I say to her coldly.
"Whatever the path," she says taking the book and placing it back on her shelf. "I will find my departure from this wretched place."
"You're fucking insane." I say to her coldly.
"When you've lived as long as I have, Desmond, you might understand better."
She begins walking out of her office when I call to her. "So that's it? You're going to end the lives of everyone on this planet because you're bitter? Who's to say it will even work? The Muisca people didn't manage it. What makes you think that you can?"
She looks back at me and just smiles at me, and without saying another word, she leaves her office, with Theo and Harlan following at her heel. I think about what she is trying to accomplish and I find the whole idea to be a shitty plot to a bad sci-fi movie. She cannot seriously think that throwing the Pieces of Eden into a lake will hurl the Earth into a second ice age. I figure that Azalea's bitter time on this Earth has made her become more and more unstable and irrational. I find myself increasingly uncomfortable at the thought that I am now forced into her care.
She looks back at me and says, "Alexa will ensure your transition within the compound goes smoothly. She will meet you in the courtyard and give you a tour of the grounds."
"So in other words, she is my babysitter while you go off and destroy the world?" I say to her in a bland tone.
Azalea laughs and says, "You're going to have so much fun here, Desmond." And with that, she and the other two walk off while I veer off towards the courtyard.
I look around the architecture of this amazing compound. The entire place is built from light tan brick and looks like a gothic English manor. I walk into the courtyard and see a beautiful stone fountain in the middle of the yard. Everything is so still here; still and quiet, save for the sound of trickling water.
I look up, seeing the ivy crawl up the side of the courtyard when I hear steps approaching me. I turn to see a girl approaching me. When I turn to her she smiles. "Hello Desmond," she says in a soft tone. I look her up and down. She is of average height, skinny, with raven hair, icy blue eyes, pale skin, with a round face and plump lips. She is cute, and has the most innocent and sweet face I have ever seen. Her features are soft and she looks almost childish. Her eyes are piercing and she looks at me with a soft and happy gaze. "My name is Alexa. Azalea has tasked me with showing you around the compound and getting you comfortable with the place."
"Nice to meet you, Alexa." I say to her, taking her small hand and shaking it. "So, can you tell me where we are or anything of important, or has Azalea tasked you with keeping me in the dark about everything?" I ask and she lets out a giggle.
"Well you're on Earth." She says and I let out a rye laugh. "I am only teasing. We are actually in Canada right now. We are about 500km north of Montreal. This manor that we are in is called Harroway Manor. Azalea was willed it by a man from the 1800s who she cared for."
"You don't find it odd that your boss—or whatever she is to you—is immortal?"
She lets out an uncomfortable chuckle and scratches her head. "Everyone here has devoted their services to Azalea—everyone's reasons being different. For me, I was… troublesome to say the least." She chuckles again, uncomfortable disclosing any information about her. I look her up and down and cannot begin to imagine someone as her being troublesome. She is so innocent looking. "She found me at my lowest point in my life and taught me to value myself and my life. Theo taught me to fight, and she gave me a new life. Over the years I have followed her from compound to compound, swearing my services to her, as gratitude for giving me the chance that no one else did."
"So she is a superhero, collecting a band of misfits to do her bidding?" I let out a laugh and she responds with a disapproving wrinkle of her nose. I let out a chuckle at her adorable attempt of looking displeased and she sighs.
"She didn't force me or anyone here to work for her. That was our choice. She gave us a purpose, and if we wanted to take it, we were welcomed, and if we didn't, we left."
"So why did you decide to stay?"
She shrugs, "Because there was nowhere else I was wanted." I frown at the comment and she laughs it off. "Come on, I will introduce you to everyone."
She escorts me to a huge study that has floor to ceiling books lining the walls. Inside the library are 6 people huddled around various areas. She approaches a tall woman with curly black hair shaved on one side of her face with dark caramel skin. Alexa says hi to her and she shrugs Alexa away, busy with her research. "Charlotte, this is Desmond Miles. Desmond, this is Charlotte De La Cruz. She is a field Assassin."
When she hears my name, she looks up from her books with wide eyes. "Desmond Miles!" She exclaims loudly, and everyone in the Library looks up.
"Ugh, hey." I say uncomfortably and everyone comes rushing over. They begin looking at me with inquisitive glares and I immediately feel uncomfortable, as if I am a celebrity trying to hide in plain sight.
"This is Guernica Moneo," Alexa points at a scrawny man with thick glasses. He lifts his falling glasses with his finger and waves at me. "The best hacker you will ever find! Umm… Over there is My'shell Lemair, don't get on her bad side!" She laughs pointing at a tall muscular woman who nods at me with her arms crossed, "Where is Galina?" Alexa asks with a frown.
"She is with Gavin on the Altair II." A large muscular man shouts from the group that surrounds me. "So is Kiyoshi."
"Oh," Alexa says in a sad tone. "Well you will meet them later." She points to the large man that just spoke up, "That is Arend Schut. He is Harlan's partner. You met Harlan already right?" I nod, "Mia O'Conner over there is an amazing shot. She is our sniper," She says pointing at a pale red head in the corner who absentmindedly waves as she is immersed in her book. "And lastly Damon Sheridan. He helps Azalea embezzle money from Abstergo accounts without their knowledge."
"It's an art, really?" The man says running his hand through his jet-black hair.
"Ugh… wow," I let out with a laugh. "Might take me a while to remember all your names, but ugh… I will do my best."
Everyone lets out a laugh and Alexa looks up at me, "I can create a cheat sheet for you with photos if you'd like." She says with a laugh.
"Wow, so you all work for Azalea?" I ask and they all nod. "Do you all know… what she is?" I ask not wanting to outright say that she is immortal.
"Like I said Desmond, we were given a choice to stay or go. We all decided to stay. Some of us work for the Creed, while some of us work for Azalea."
"Those are two different things?" I ask and the mood in the room shifts a bit. I look around at the group warily.
"Azalea's devotion to the Creed isn't always strong." The one named Charlotte speaks up. "She has had her fair share of run-ins against the Creed, but in the end, Abstergo is still our common enemy."
"Right…" I say, "So Azalea is using you guys to get the Pieces of Eden and you are using Azalea for her resources against Abstergo?" I say and some people stiffen at the comment. "Real sense of a team around here." I say sarcastically.
"I see you are skeptical to be here with us," The one I believe to be Arend says. "But we are a team, and we work together to ensure each other's safety. As we will ensure yours." He says with a bow of his head.
"Can any of you tell me then where my father is?" I ask them and they all look at each other with worrisome eyes.
"Your father has gone dark." Alexa says. "No one knows where he is. He gave up his title to Gavin Banks, and he has been gone since.
"What about Rebecca and Shaun?" I ask them.
"Galina and Kiyoshi are probably with them now on the Altair II." Alexa says, "When they come back, we can ask them about your friends."
"Right," I say, "but when do I get to see them?"
"I don't know, Desmond," She says in a sad tone. "I am sure Azalea has a plan to get them back to you."
I shrug knowing that Azalea has more concerns on her mind than reuniting me with Rebecca and Shaun.
"So, what do you have planned for me now?" I ask Alexa and she smiles up at me.
"I will show you your living quarters." She says excitedly. She says good bye to everyone and I wave to them all. We begin walking down the hall. "I know it is a lot to take in, but don't worry, we are all very excited to have you here." She says with a smile.
"Do you have any leeway with Azalea?" I ask her and she looks at me with pressed brows, cautious of what I will ask her. "I need Rebecca and Shaun by my side, Alexa, if you can convince her—"
"Desmond, I can't." She says sadly.
"Why?" I ask her. "Are you scared of her?"
"It's not that," she lets out. "Azalea is a very cautious person. She needs to ensure that they can be trusted with the knowledge that you are still alive."
"I trust them with the knowledge that I am alive more than I trust any of you." I say and she frowns at me.
"You can trust us, Desmond. We are a team."
"Yeah well I had a team. One that I liked a lot, and didn't want to lose."
She looks down at her feet and I feel bad for making her sad, but I want Rebecca and Shaun back. I want them to know that I am alive, and to be next to me and give me advice like they used to.
She points at a door to the right. "This is your room." She says in a sad tone. I open the door to the room and see a massive bedroom with a large intricate wooden bed that a king would sleep on in the 14th century.
"Wow this place is amazing." I let out as I touch one of the beams from the bed.
"Yeah," Alexa lets out. "According to Azalea, Doctor Harroway was a very particular man when it came to the finer things in life." She says with a smile on her face.
"I am kind of tired." I say looking at her. "Is it alright if we continue this tour tomorrow? It's just been a long day and I would like to get some rest."
"Of course," she says. "I can meet up with you tomorrow and we can continue the tour of the Manor."
I tell her thank you and she leaves the room. I let out an exhale and look around the room. There are clothes in the closet that are all my size and style, the bathroom has scented soaps, cologne, toothpaste, and hair wash. The towels are fluffy and cleaned fresh. I take a quick shower and get into the large bed. The bed is comfortable and my body sinks into the mattress as the blankets hug my body. I let out an exhale and I am soon fast asleep.
I wake up to the sound of a piercing gun shot. I jerk out of bed at the sound to see Alexa standing at the foot of my bed. I look at her with shock and she puts her hands up in a defensive gesture. "Sorry," she calls out. "I promise I wasn't standing here staring at you. I just walked in." Another gun shot is heard and I turn towards the window. "Azalea has asked for you." Alexa says.
I nod once at her, "Can you give me a moment?" I ask her before I pull the covers and expose myself to her.
"Right, of course." She says uncomfortably. "I will be outside." She says as she closes the door behind her.
I get out of the bed and get dressed and brush my teeth. I am quick to get ready and I meet up with her in the hallway. We begin walking down the hall silently. I see her looking out of the corner of her eyes down at my arm. After a while of this, I let out a chuckle and say, "if you want to know, you should just ask."
"Why did you do it?" She finally says, "Why did you place your hand on the pedestal? Did you know it was going to kill you?"
"Yes, I knew it was going to kill me." I tell her with a sigh. "I did it because I believed that it had to be done; to save the world."
"Did it hurt?" She asks.
"It felt like every nerve in my body over heated and burst." I say simply and she wrinkles her nose in pain. I smile at her cute reaction. The shot is heard again and I look around for the sound. "What the hell is that?" I ask her.
"It's Mia." She says simply. "She is training with Azalea." She looks up at me. "Want to go watch?"
I shrug and she leads me to the back of the Manor where endless rolling hills accompany an extravagant fountain and hedge labyrinth. I look up at the balcony of the Manor where I see Mia stationed with her sniper rifle. She is kneeling down and looking at the scope while Harlan stands next to her with binoculars. I look out to where they both are staring at and see a small outline of a person hundreds of yards away. I squint to get a better look, to see that it is Azalea. She holds up a small paddle and after a second of silence, Mia shoots the paddle out of Azalea's hand.
"Damn, she is a good shot." I let out.
"Azalea has been training her for four years." Alexa says. "She grew up in one of those Wako cult-type situations where her parents formed an unhealthy fascination with a fascist cult leader; thinking he was the next prophet." Alexa explains. "Mia escaped and Azalea found her. She turned her into the best sharp shooter we have."
"So, what is your story then?" I ask her, looking down at her. "You said you were troublesome. But how did Azalea dig her claws into you?"
She presses her brows together, "A story for another time." She says as another shot rings out. I look up at Harlan as he takes notes of Mia's range.
Harlan congratulates Mia and she lifts herself to her feet. They turn away from the balcony and head back into the Manor. I look over to the yard where Azalea makes her way back to the Manor. I excuse myself from Alexa and head towards Azalea.
"Desmond," she says once I am within ear shot of her. "How are you liking the Manor? Has Alexa shown you around?"
"Have you made contact with Rebecca and Shaun?" I ask instead of answering her.
She lets out a sigh, "I have set up a training session with you and Theo today so he can determine your level of fighting and your use to the team."
"You didn't answer my question." I say to her.
"And you didn't answer mine." She says simply, walking past me.
"I won't do it." I call out to her and she stops walking away, sighing heavily then turning to me. "I won't be apart of this team until I have mine back."
She stretches her neck annoyedly then says, "Rebecca and Shaun have left Abstergo Entertainment and teamed up with an unknown agent by the code name 'Bishop'." She finally lets out. "Harlan and anyone else affiliated with the Creed have been unable to trace this agent's association within the Creed and are cautious if she is actually an Assassin." She approaches me with a softer demeanor. "I want you to be happy here. I want you to feel safe here. I may be using you as a tool against the Templars, but I still want you to know that I will keep you safe while you are here. For the time being, your friends are surrounding themselves with people that I cannot confirm their associations and intentions." I let out a sigh and she continues, "I will reunite you with your friends, Desmond. But I cannot do that until I can ensure that it is safe."
"When is the training?" I ask in a defeated tone. I may not like her answer, but if she is actively watching Rebecca and Shaun with the intentions to bring them to me, then I will play her game of house until then.
She smiles at me, "Theo will meet with you at 15:00. Until then, enjoy the Manor with Alexa." She turns away from me and heads towards the Manor where she and Harlan skirt off somewhere.
Alexa comes walking over to me with a smile on her face. "What did you talk about?"
"She said that she is looking into making contact with my friends." I tell her.
"That is great news!" She exclaims. "I would love to meet them! I am sure they are great!" she says excitedly.
"So, do you guys have a cafeteria or something?" I say changing the subject. "I am starving and could use a hot meal."
"Yeah," she says, "We have a great chef on site who can make you anything you'd like."
We make our way to the kitchen where I ask for a stack of pancakes. I haven't had pancakes in years and as soon as he drops a steaming plate of delicious disks, I begin devouring the stack.
I moan with pleasure as I shovel the food in my mouth. Alexa looks at me and giggles at the sight. I continue to shovel the pancakes in my mouth when one of the people I met yesterday comes over to the table.
"Good morning, Charlotte." Alexa greets her warmly.
"Azalea wants to see you." She says distantly.
"That's odd," Alexa begins. "I just spoke with her."
Charlotte rolls her eyes and tenses her body. "Look, can you just give me and Desmond a moment?" She says with a pressed tone.
"What do you want to talk to him about?" Alexa says defensively at Charlotte's demeaner.
"Hey," I jump in, "Alexa, it's fine. Can you give us a moment?" I ask her in a sweet tone and she is conflicted leaving me alone with Charlotte. After a moment of hesitation, she finally gives in and leaves the table.
Charlotte sits down next to me and takes a piece of toast from my plate and begins eating it. "How are you liking it here so far?" She asks me in-between bites.
I shrug, "Not much to gather from my time here." I tell her. "Seems like everyone here is okay with the fact that Azalea is immortal and willing to lie down their life for her, or she is poisoning the water and I should be more cautious."
"Trust me, it's not all sunshine and rainbows like little miss beauty queen would like you to believe." She says referring to Alexa. I suddenly become more engaged in what Charlotte is saying. "Azalea is power hungry, and to be honest, a little unhinged." She says quietly and I wonder if she knows the extent of how true her statement really is.
"What is your story with her?" I ask her. "You don't seem to trust her, so why do you work for her?"
"To be honest," she says as she leans back in her chair, "she is the lesser of two evils." She sighs, "I either work for the Assassin's Creed and get nowhere with stopping the Templars in their climb to power, or I side with Azalea and take her crazy in stride."
"So why fight the Templars?" I ask her. "What beef do you have against them?"
"It's a long story to tell." She says distantly. "Azalea wants me because of my colorful lineage within the Creed. She takes whatever memories she gathers from the Animus with the hopes of locating the Pieces of Eden."
"You've used the Animus?" I ask her in an astonished tone.
"Yeah," She says with a simple shrug. "Do you want to go see it?" She asks me and I nod. She gets up from her seat and leads me down a labyrinth of halls until we reach a door. She opens the door and instantly I can hear the Animus's hypnotic humming.
I am draw to it and as I approach it, I can hear it calling me, as if it is trying to speak to me. "Do you ever get side effects from it?" I ask her "You know…like…" I struggle to finish the sentence and she smiles at me.
"The Bleeding Effect," She finishes for me.
"Yeah," I let out with a sigh.
"It's a fun little side effect for digging up the past." She says bitterly. "Is that why you killed yourself?" She asks me, "The Bleeding Effect?"
I swallow hard at the comment. "I don't even know anymore." I tell her.
"Azalea goes inside it from time to time. It doesn't affect her like it does with us. I think it has something to do with her overuse of the dagger."
"Azalea uses the Animus?" I say in disbelief. "For what?"
Charlotte shrugs, "I am sure with her extended lifetime, she has some memories that she needed to relive to remember properly."
"Going back into the Animus to see your own memories is dangerous." I tell her and she shrugs.
"I think that is the last of her worries."
"So why did you want to talk to me? To show me the Animus?"
She shakes her head. "Consider yourself warned." She says simply. "Alexa is Azalea's shadow. There is a reason she appointed Alexa to watch over you. She will report everything back to Azalea. So, I would watch what you say to her."
"Thanks for the warning." I say to her with no gratitude in my voice. "What do you have against Alexa?" I ask her.
"She is the only person here whose life before Azalea is unknown and protected by Azalea. I don't like that secrecy."
"So, what you really want from me is to spy on her." I say understanding her intentions with me.
"You do this favor for me, and I will do a favor for you."
My heart races as I think of what I want her to do for me. "My friends," I begin, "Rebecca and Shaun. I want you to get a message to them."
"That's a pretty dangerous favor." She says in a pressed tone.
"Don't worry. I know exactly what you will say to them. It will be vague and Azalea won't catch on. From there, they will know what to do."
She nods simply and I take her hand into a shake, striking up the deal. I smile knowing that soon, Rebecca and Shaun will know I am alive.