Chapter Three
For a moment all I can do is gaze at the beautiful woman in front of me as feelings I thought I'd forgotten flow through my every limb, leaving me overwhelmed. I take a few more seconds to settle my shaking hands and steady my voice from the stutters waiting to leap out.
"Khara?" I ask again, heart throbbing in my chest.
She stares back at me, her expression switching from the curiosity I'd first seen when I'd met her to a slightly frightened look as she takes in the hidden blade on my left arm caked with bits of dried blood. I curl up my hand slightly and the blade instantly retracts as I make my way towards her. But instead of staying in the same spot like before, she backs away, her eyes never leaving my left hand.
"You're missing a finger," she states, her voice filled with bewilderment.
I say nothing and instead keep taking slow steps towards Khara. My hands are shaking again and I feel for a moment that I can't approach her. I stop for a few seconds to steady my breath and try to calm myself down. It's now or never.
As I draw nearer I see a multitude of grazes and cuts on her left arm from when I'd pushed her into the ground. Truthfully, I hadn't known it was Khara. I was too absorbed in my task. Too absorbed in getting away to notice that my clumsy stalker had been the girl I met by Acre's largest cathedral. I really wasn't expecting to meet her again. I thought fate had decided to dump this girl in my timeline to see how well I could ignore someone and get on with the real tasks at hand. A test, I had thought.
I halt half a metre away, scared of intimidating her further. She stops backing away but looks ready to run at any moment. Eventually she speaks and my heart rises again with the sound of her voice, even though the words are words I don't necessarily want to hear.
"You're the murderer?"
The question is filled with her normal curiosity but this time fear shrouds it too.
"Yes. But I'm not going to hurt you further." I gesture to the red lines etched across her pale skin. "I want to help you. Please. I'm sorry I pushed you."
Khara stares back at me, uncertain. My heart races uneasily, each beat faster than the last one. All common sense runs out of my head as I decide that what Al Mualim thinks about this doesn't matter, or any Assassin for that case. I now understand the emotions I had felt before. Getting time to think everything through had lead me to a final conclusion. Love is love. And I loved this woman. Meeting Khara the first time was chance. Feeling those emotions was instinct. But meeting her again, yes, maybe that was destiny. Maybe we were meant to be together. And maybe, just maybe, she felt the same.
My thoughts feel farfetched as I take more steps towards her and she flinches, as if expecting an attack with every movement.
"You're a killer," she whispers, voice slightly quivering. "How can I trust you?"
I push the hood of my robe back and look her eye to eye, ochre to hazel. Khara's expression falters a bit as she has a first look of my facial features. I watch carefully and silently as she observes my brown ruffled hair, her eyes travelling down my face and finally to my hand outstretched in front of her.
It's now or never.
"Do you love me Khara?"
At this the woman looks up, her expression perplexed. She tries to look brave but her eyes betray her, echoing the fear I had seen on her face before.
"Why does it matter?" she replies stubbornly. "Why does it matter when you're probably going to kill me now?"
I sigh heavily. "I'm not go-"
But Khara rambles on, her eyes overpowering with fear. "Just let me go. Oh wait, here's a better idea. How about I ask you a question? Do you love me? This should make you happy since you seem to love to question about something so trivial. Isn't it just fun to know who loves you just before they die?" she retorts sarcastically, "how many times have you pulled this one before?"
Her eyes are filled with an untamed fire as she continues to babble on, occasionally throwing questions at me which she of course gives me no time to answer. I feel like losing my temper but instead I press a finger to her lips. She looks back at me, the same fear reflected in her expression before now dousing the fire that just moments ago stood proud in her eyes.
"Yes."
I pull my finger off Khara's lips and she takes a set of exasperated breaths before staring at me genuinely confused.
"What?"
I smile, and hold her head in my hands.
"Yes. I do love you."
And with that I press my lips to hers.