Chapter 4: One

THEIR SCREAMS never stop.

Sometimes they were quiet, and others I felt as though my mind might shatter into pieces. A never ending sequence of unapologetic pain where there were no winners. No loosers even. Just a simple mindless existence.

The screams were my damnation. My punishment. Always waiting for a moment to break free from that wall I'd tried and failed to build between myself and my victims. But they were always there. Waiting for the moment I shattered completely; waiting to deliver that killing blow.

I had never been able to tell if the screams of people I'd killed just chose to taunt my very existence, or if I was so guilt-ridden about the crimes I'd committed that I wouldn't allow myself a second of silence.

It didn't truly matter in my reality.

I was bound in chains, however invisible they might be. My hands were tied behind my back as someone else used me as a puppet. Controlled me as though I were a doll to be played with.

We needed the money. We needed it more than anything and there was no limit to what I would do to get it. Maybe it was some kind of sick blessing that I'd become who I had. A dark miracle.

The stars shone in the sky as the moon lit a path for me. The darkness between the stars casting a sweet shadow over the Mortal Lands as my swift feet led the way. A soft whisper following my every step as my boots glided against the cobblestone rooftop like a shadow. My eyes never left the man walking the lamp-lit street below me.

Rhodney Ferris. A 5"9 man. Strawberry blonde hair and brown eyes. Favored his liquor, whiskey mostly. I'd read over his file at least a dozen times, and each and every one had made my stomach churn to the point I was nearly sick.

I knew my victims as though they were my own kin. Their darkest secrets imprinted on my mind forever like a brand. It was the only way I kept myself in check. Knowing that the people I stole life from were not innocent. That they deserved the fate I bestowed upon them.

Rhodney looked as though he were a dapper young man walking through the streets with a smile on his face. Likely the light of his family. But it was a mask. Hiding himself behind flashy smiles and expensive suits. How wrong they all were.

I wouldn't underestimate him. I'd never made that mistake with anyone. Mistakes got you killed in this line of work.

The blonde man turned a street corner, leading himself into a small alleyway littered with empty bottles and cigarette butts. It looked like a common hangout for the village riffraff, places where people came to do things they couldn't do in the light.

A quick sweep from above told me it was vacant. No more than a second did my eyes drift away before I looked back to the man I'd been following for 7 blocks. He was one of the most wanted criminals in the land, you'd think he'd be smarter.

My steps were silent as I sped up my pace, as though my boots were carried on the wind itself. The roofs had lowered enough that I could jump down and not be injured by the fall. I wouldn't miss the opportunity.

Bending my knees just slightly as I kept a steady pace, I inhaled deeply, pushing away every ounce of emotion that had dug itself up from the depths of my mind as I unsheathed my dagger from my hip.

I wasted no time as I dropped down onto the dark ground. My legs absorbing the impact. But my focus was elsewhere. Rhodney stood in front of me, his steps still leisurely, like he had all the time in the world.

I positioned my hand on the dagger, swiftly getting within reaching distance of his back.

I didn't hesitate as I struck.

My blade found purchase, a sickening sound running throuh the dark alleyway as flesh met steel. I plunged my dagger deep into his back, right between his ribs. Far enough that my blade invaded his heart. He died before he had even known what had happened.

Rhodney fell forward, his body slumping on the ground as he took his last breath.

Dead.

My pesky emotions tried to claw themselves up from my mind, but I sent them away again.

With a shake of my head, I kneeled down on the ground as I turned his body face up. Moved him as though he were nothing more than a muddle of blood. I picked up his left wrist, inspecting the golden watch with diamond accents that made a soft ticking sound as the hands moved. I quickly unclasped it from him and stuffed it into the inner pocket of my cloak.

Proof would be required if I wanted the money.

The amount offered would be enough to feed the five of us for about a week before I'd need to go back for another "job". Hopefully, if my sister's hunt proved well, we might actually have some money to spare in the upcoming week.

I looked back at the man; his body limp on the damp stone of the ally way, his deep red blood seeping into the stone, forever staining it with its memory. A lapse of guilt rose and I crouched down beside him, closing his eyes before standing up and walking out of the ally as though nothing had ever happened.

As though I weren't a monster.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I trudged through the snowy steps that led to the rune-marked door of our home. The small light of the fire burning inside illuminating my path as I wound down the hidden rocks. The soft glow shone, glittering across the powdery snow in front of me as it coated my boots in a thick layer.

My thoughts had strayed far away, reeling from the kill I had just bestowed. Forcing the guilt down, down, and down until it was no more than an ember of distant emotion. An inconsequential nagging on my mind.

A soft whimpering sounded from the distance, nearly drowned away as snow crunched under my feet. My spine straightened, and on instinct I went on alert.

The small, pittering steps were light. Too small to be a large animal, too large to be anything like a rabbit. Human. It had to be human.

Our house was far away from any sort of civilization. Cast on the poorest, secluded area beside the dark forest. So far away from those who welled within the village there was no doubt in my mind that it was a mere wanderer.

I whirled; hand on my dagger, assessing my surroundings with a hawk's eye. Scanning the tree line of the forest as I looked for the looming figure, following the sound of the footsteps.

A small person appeared not a few yards away from our cottage, hunched over, carrying something large and heavy on their shoulders. Light brown hair gleamed in the moonlight, and blue eyes looked up.

Feyre.

Her knees were wobbling under her as though she was about to collapse altogether. I took off, running to my sister without second thought as my hand fell away from the weapon at my side.

"Feyre!" I called out, my feet carrying me across the white powder.

As I reached my sister, she sniffled, the cold nipping at her pinkened cheeks. Her knees shook with a new fervor, Feyre's body nearly ready to give way.

I pulled the deer from her shoulders, hauling it onto my own with a soft grunt. The weight immediately greeting me as I adjusted to the new baggage on my body. She huffed out a breath of relief, her legs shaking with relief.  "What are you doing? You should have been back hours ago." I questioned.

Feyre heaved a few breaths before replying, "I couldn't find any game and I didn't want to come back without any." she reasoned, "I waited, and it paid off. A wolf came through, too, I figure we could sell its hide at the market tomorrow." she held out the large wolf hide so I could inspect it.

I sighed, running a hand through the soft fur. "Alright." I breathed, "Just please don't do it again." I pleaded, sounding like a mom. Gross. She wouldn't listen, I knew that. "It's dangerous. And I rather not have to haul you back to the cabin at all hours of the night, it would be terribly inconvenient."

She chuckled, still out of breath. "Wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

"Though, I suppose I could use a workout." I drawled, making my way back up to the cottage, "Maybe instead of hauling away from the woods I should put you over my shoulder and run around with you on my back."

Feyre twisted to look at me, "You wouldn't." She dared and I laughed.

"Care to place bets Feyre?" I challenged, nearing the steps to the door.

My sister grumbled something half-heartedly, something I wholly chose not to hear, as she swung open the door with a loud creak. The old hinges squeaking eternally.

Stuffy hot air from the hearth assaulted my senses almost immediately. Suffocating my lungs with the drastic change from freezing to warmth in a matter of seconds.

I didn't allow myself to adjust as I stepped into the sad hovel. My boots clunked on the wooden floor as I took my first step inside.

At least it was warm today.

"Danika! Feyre!" Elain gasped as she stood from her seat on the couch, clutching her hand to her chest as though she'd just given herself a heart attack. My elder sister's eyes roved over us, noticing the disheveled state each of us stood in.

My hair was messy--crusted and iced with the water I'd used in an attempt to get the few splatters of blood from my hair. My eyes drooped with the exhaustion that weighed on my limbs. So tired I felt like I might very well just topple onto the floor and not get up.

Feyre wasn't much better, her clothes were tattered and dirtied from scouting in the woods all day. The careful braid I had seen this morning now tousled. Soft bags lay under her eyes, and her gaze was entirely uninterested as she stared at Elain. Something we had in common.

Elain held a thin blanket over her shoulders as she stood near the small hearth, clutching it as though it was her lifeline. Her golden-brown hair gleamed in the flickering light, flowing over her shoulders and down her back effortlessly.

The honey brown locks my entire family shared. With the exception of me.

My hair was white as snow, hanging low near the small of my back. The snowy strands were pin-straight, different from my sisters in the aspect they all possessed lose waves.

I'd always envied their hair for more than a few reasons. The first being, that you could see every trace of dirt that it caught--or blood, whichever substance the day wrought.

Elain twisted her head to look at the deer on my shoulders, "Where did you get that?" she murmured, her words laced with a hunger I knew we all shared.

It had gotten worse in the passing weeks as winter rose around us. The harsh cold had driven away most of the game in the woods and barely any traders passed through town on their travels, the roads too snowed in to enter the village.

These months had always been the hardest. Ones where our hunger ate us alive and each of us became more withdrawn. Winter was terribly lonely.

I walked toward the small table in the middle of the room and slung the deer off my shoulders. The game making a loud thud as it hit the old, creaky table. Wood groaned under the weight, splintering and cracking as it sounded. Ignoring the way the old table creaked, I fully inspected the doe.

Should catch a fair price. It would do nicely.

"Where do you think she got it?" I replied to Elain, disdain written in my tone. At times, it was mental war with myself to keep my anger in check with my sisters. They scarcely acknowledged anything and everything Feyre did to support us. Nor did they even lift a finger to help.

Looking toward the crackling fire, I watched my father and Nesta warm their hands by the steady flames. The two sat an awkward few feet apart as they pretended the other didn't exist. Occasionally interrupted by Nesta's impromptu glares.

The two had always hated each other— well, more Nesta despised my Father and he did nothing about it. They could barely go a conversation without Nesta scrutinizing him in some way. He never did anything to defend himself and it had always been a great wonder to me why he didn't.

Feyre came up behind me as she put the wolf's hide near the doe's body. The both of us turned back to Elain, her brown eyes fixated on the doe.

"Will it take you two long to clean it?" Elain questioned. My older sister made it sound as though we were the servents she could order around to do her bidding. I wouldn't be surprised if she thought the house was cleaned by the cleaning fairy.

I snorted, "Well, if you're so hungry, surely you wouldn't mind helping us? Would you?" I questioned innocently as I batted my eyelashes.

Elain cringed, ignoring me words completely as she placed a hand on her belly, probably as aching as my own. I hadn't eaten in two days, choosing to eat last so my family could. The food seemed to run out more quickly than it came.

My sisters weren't cruel. I suppose Elain, at least, meant well, but sometimes she just had a tendency to forget that Feyre and I were actual people and not her slaves.

Nesta on the other hand. She had never had it out for me like she did Feyre, but a poisonous snake ready to lunge out and bite you in the ass if you anger her at any time is the only way to truly capture her essence.

Elain and Nesta were older than Feyre and I when we lost our wealth. I remember very little about the supposed "life" of a proper lady, but I was usually gone all the time for buisness.

Feyre was younger than me by only a year, but even when we were young she had been more curious about the courtier lifestyle than I was. Considering Feyre's obvious disinterest in it, i took it as a win that I hated it more.

"Danika, Feyre." Our father's voice grumbled from across the room, "What luck you had today—in bringing us such a feast."

"Oh, Right!" I exclaimed almost excitedly as I reached into my pocket pulling out the bag of coins I had gotten from my assignment. It was more than I had ever gotten before, and with the hide Feyre had attained, we would have money to spare. Lucky for us.

I handed the bag to my younger sister as I grinned, dropping it into her waiting hand I saw her face contort into shock. She looked back at me, a grin spreading to her face as well.

but my slight joy was cut short as I could feel Nesta and Elain's staring at the coin pouch from miles away.

"The tavern must pay very well," Elain spoke from beside us. Feyre was the only one who knew where the money came from—what I had to do to get it. And yet she didn't judge me for it. She most definitely didn't like it, but she didn't judge. I think deep down we both knew she'd do the same if given the choice.

I also knew that my older sisters would take the money and spend it on things before Feyre and I got to spend it on something useful for the both of us, like a new bow, or new daggers, things to keep providing us with an income rather than buying new hats and pretty shoes.

Feyre turned again as she saw that Elain's gaze had again drifted to the doe in front of us, "We can eat half this week," Feyre said coldly all trace of the smile she had just seconds ago gone, "And Dani and I will go to the market tomorrow to see how much I can get for the hides."

"I'd love a new cloak," Elain spoke, at the same time as Nesta who said, "I need a new pair of boots," I rolled my eyes, not going unnoticed by my sisters as they shot me cold glares.

Both Feyre and I looked towards the door where Nesta's still shiny boots sat next to Feyre and I's word down, too small ones.

"But I'm freezing with my old raggedy cloak," Elain pleaded, "I'll shiver to death." I had to hold back a glare. Did Feyre not just get back from the icy woods, and me the risky streets on the rough part of town? Elain's eyes flickered between Feyre and I, "Please, Danika, Feyre."

I turned towards the table closely followed by my younger sister. The both of us knew they were about to argue about it, not bothering to ask either of us what we wanted to do about the money we earned.

I hadn't noticed when our Father came up to the table and began inspecting the doe before it slid to the wolf hide as he ran his fingers against it.

"Feyre," He murmured, "Where did you get this?"

"The same place I got the deer," She replied.

"Feyre..." He paused, "The risk." he took a large breath.

I heard Nesta sniff before crinkling her nose, "You both stink like pigs covered in their own filth. Can't you both at least try to pretend your not ignorant peasants?"

I scoffed, "You do realize, dear sister, that if we are peasants, you are a peasant by relation." I sing-songed, "And I don't believe you've taken a whiff of yourself lately because I assure you, you smell just as dreadful, Nessy." I replied, she sneered, but I only held my hands up in mock surrender as a sinister smile curled it's way onto my lips.

Feyre instantly broke us up as usual before things escalated. Which had happened many, many times. Once, Nesta slapped me in the face, and I very nearly threw her off the nearest cliff. It seemed as though Feyre wanted to avoid that particular wrath.

"Can you make a pot of hot water and add wood to start the fire?" She asked Nesta, both of our gazes went to the woodpile seeing only five logs left.

I turned towards Nesta, "I thought you were going to chop wood today." somehow managing to keep my voice a mask of calm.

Nesta had the audacity to pick at her nails like she could dismiss us with a wave of her hand, "I hate chopping wood. I always get splinters." I barely held back a sneer at her. Nesta looked back up at us, suddenly reminding me of our mother. Out of all of us Nesta looked the most like her, especially when she wanted something.

"Besides," She continued, "You two are so much better at it! It takes you half the time it takes me. Your hands are so suited for it, they're already so rough." I glared at Nesta just as she glared back.

"Please," Feyre asked, "Please get up at dawn to chop that wood." Feyre began to unbutton her tunic, "Or we'll be eating a cold breakfast."

Nesta narrowed her eyes, "I will do no such thing!"

"It's fine." I bit out, hating how the words felt coming from me, "I'll do it."

Feyre gave me a grateful look before we both began heading upstairs to change in the small room we all shared.

I took of my cloak first, revealing the black body suit I wore on assignments, it was given to me after I completed my training, and is now the most expensive thing I own. Nesta and Elain don't know I have it, I have no doubt they would sell it at the market the second they got their hands on it.

I finally took it off and changed into more comfortable clothes before placing it back under the floorboards neatly, ready to be used again.

I groaned as I walked back downstairs to start on the venison.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

First chapter! Hope you like it😏