The Prince's Assassin

Chapter Seven

The perimeter of the castle is highly guarded, which was expected.

I try to keep my adrenaline down and my breathing steady. Guards and security cameras watch for movement in the darkness. I glance around before making a run for the palace fence. I leap up in one bound and grip the wall, hauling myself over quickly and quietly.

I land safely on the other side, now within the palace perimeter.

"Oi," I hear a deep voice nearby.

My heart stops in my chest as I slowly look around. A guard is running in the other direction to where a dog has also entered the palace garden without permission.

I relax a little after being so frightened and look up at the castle. I had memorized which window was the prince's, and began running towards the palace wall.

The guards continue to circle the perimeter, not bothering to look behind them at the assassin climbing the castle.

Just as my feet slip inside the window, a guard calls at me and runs to warn others of my presence.

Crap, better be quick now.

I take large steps towards the king sized bed. He lays in the center, his nose making a musky sound as he breathes.

I rear my arm back and eject the blade from my wrist.

The blade of my hidden knife stops just a few centimetres from the prince's warm skin of his neck. He lays there, eyes closed and rhythmic breathing. His defined jaw relaxed and his teeth barely showing behind his pink lips.

I hear voices coming from the hallway. I glance up at the door then back to the sleeping Prince. The door handle rattles, the guards yell from behind the wall. I bite my lip, balancing the blade just on the skin of the prince's neck.

The door bursts open just as I slip out of the bedroom window into the cool midnight, no evidence of my attempt to assassinate the prince.

I don't stop running and climbing and jumping until I am a good ten kilometers away from the palace. I stop to bend over and catch my breath, gathering my thoughts in my messy head.

Why couldn't I do it?!

I would have had time before the guards burst in!

Oh no, Snake is gonna kill me! Literally!

I only have tomorrow and tomorrow night left to kill him. I'm so stupid.

I reluctantly make my way towards home, trying to think of something to say to snake that will get me out of trouble. He won't let me live if I don't complete the mission.

But the prince.......I don't know what stopped me killing him. He is just like any assassination target I've had before.

Isn't he?

I slowly walk up to the front door of the house and enter carefully. Snake and other men are laughing in the kitchen, probably playing poker or some other card game.

Am I the only one who works around here?

I try to creep past the doorway but Ajay calls my name.

Glad to see he is up and back to his old ways again. Not.

"Ah, Raven. Your mission is complete?" Snake turns to me in his chair with cards in his hand.

"Well, actually........." I glance at Ajay who looks concerned. "The place was crawling with guards, it was very difficult. I'm sorry. But I still have tomorrow, right?"

He stands slowly, placing his cards of the table and flicking back his jacket to reveal a gun attached to his belt. I look down at it nervously then back to his piercing eyes.

"Raven. My patience is wearing thin. I expected you to have this completed on the first day, it's not that hard to kill one person." He speaks flatly but threateningly.

"I'm sorry, Snake, I will have it done by midnight tomorrow night. I promise."

I rarely make promises. They are verbally binding and aren't a responsibility I like to hold. But if I don't then he will kill me. He has to take my word for it.

"You know what I'm capable of. Don't test me, Assasssin." He hisses before turning back to the poker table.

The tense atmosphere in the room is to much for me to handle so I escape to the attic once more.

I'm treading on thin ice as it is. I can't risk any more stuff-ups tomorrow.

I will kill the prince.

My life depends on it.

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