[Sarah]

Mikaela sprinted around the corner into the shadows. “Zhie?” She hissed into the darkness. There was no response. “Damnit,” she cursed and began running.

It wasn't safe for her to stay in one spot for too long. She'd been on a hunt and had been spotted when she made her kill. Mikaela cursed herself again as she ducked through the alleyway. Zhie was meant to help her get away if things didn't go well.

[Sarah]

If Zhie wasn't going to show up then she was going to do her best to make it out of the city. Every passing day left her with fewer people she could trust. Either they died or they betrayed her and today was no different. What in the hell was she going to tell her guild? Zhie was well respected, and it would be easier for the guild to accept that he was dead than that he was a backstabbing asshole.

Mikaela reached the edge of town, and with every eye on her, disappeared into a safe house. The guards that had been chasing her through the city might not have seen her go, but any and all other guilds knew all about her escapades. Sometimes such losses were acceptable, and that night had been an utter loss.

[Sarah]

Once she was in she didn't stop moving. As much as her lungs and limbs screamed for her to stop for a moment she knew she could not. Mikaela threw open a hatch door and practically flung herself down the stairs. The sooner she could crash in the safety of her hideout the better, but she had to get there first.

Mikaela liked her guild. Their leader wasn't incompetent, they had a mix of new and old members, and up until a moon ago they had all been trustworthy. Mikaela couldn't say what changed because she had been in another city dealing with other things. When she came back her guild had changed, and not for the better.

[Sarah]

With the guild in possible shambles Mikaela handy really felt safe around them. She used their safe houses, stuck around the territory, and took jobs like she should, but she did not do anything that would let her guard down around them.

Her hidden room was below the safe house and through a series of tunnels that connected the guild to different points of the city. Some trails ended dead and she had made her room under the cover of a storage space.

[Sarah]

What was stored there? Nothing of use. Mikaela had stacked boxes haphazardly in the front part of the room. Filled the boxes with rocks so it would be hard to move them and stuffed her things away behind the mess. If someone had been in the room she would know right away. Mikaela had developed a photo image of the room in her head once she had everything done how she wanted.

A few more minutes of walking in the dark and she was at the door. The tunnels were seldom lit and Mikaela didn't light a torch in fear of being followed. Instead she waited until she locked the door behind her before lighting the torch. It's warm glow lit the room fully and Mikaela inspected her surroundings closely. Nothing looked out of place, and soon her apprehension melted. She had enough confidence in herself to trust that the room was safe.

[Sarah]

Mikaela made it through her little maze and was rewarded with a straw bed. She secured the torch on a hook and suffocated the flame. Finally she was able to stop moving. Her muscles ached angrily and oxygen moved through her lungs with ease once more. Her day was over and there was nothing that was going to stop her from sleeping away a few hours.

Hell, Mikaela had been so caught up in getting to bed that she hadn't even reported back to her guild. Oh well, they could wait until morning. Maybe then the traitorous Zhie might be available for an ass kicking.

[Sarah]

“I can't hear you,” the whisper came from the darkness.

Mikaela mumbled again. She had something she needed to say. Something was wrong and she needed to warn her.

“Speak up beloved,” the whisper came again.

Mikaela couldn't speak up. There was too much at stake, if the wrong ears heard her then it would all be over. She needed to get the information to her, but she couldn't risk being too loud.

[Sarah]

Mikaela woke with a start. Her eyes opened to darkness and she reached around for the torch. She didn't know what time it was, and she had to go report what happened last night. Her target was dead, but the whole of the city knew about it. Mikaela snorted a laugh. They already knew what happened. What was the point of her going in and humiliating herself?

[Sarah]

Her bed no longer looked inviting so she put on clean guild clothes and headed out. Once she was on a path to the main house she lit the torch. Creatures scuttled out of her path, but were otherwise unafraid. She reached the end of the pathway soon enough. There was an old wooden ladder leading to a hatch in the ceiling. The hatch did not open easily, but once people, knew someone was trying to get up things got much easier.

“Your back,” the guard commented. He wasn't excited to see her. “Lanette’s looking for you,” he instructed.

[Sarah]

Of course Lanette would want to see her. The woman was in charge of the guild while her husband was out of town. Not only was she the wife of their leader, but Lanette was the ultimate power bitch.

Mikaela had never wanted to give up her position to lead until Lanette had taken over. Lanette’s husband had been in another city for months trying to set up another branch for the guild. That was what he told them, but Mikaela feared he had abandoned them.

[Sarah]

“You wanted to see me?” Mikaela asked. she simultaneously knocked on and opened the door.

“Wanted is too strong of a word,” Lanette hissed when Mikaela entered. “Zhie had some interesting things to say about you last night…” The woman tailed off.

“So?” Mikaela asked.

“So, tell me your side,” Lanette snapped.

[Sarah]

“I took a contract from Zhie because he claimed he needed another person. We got to the target. I fucked up and we were ambushed, but the target still died, and no one saw either of us as far as I know,” Mikaela reported.

“The whole kingdom knows the prince was assassinated, but you didn't stick around long enough to claim the kill,” Lanette said.

Mikaela frowned. This was why she was upset? What did it matter that she didn’t claim the kill? Mikaela knew full well that the guilds were in disarray pointing fingers at each other, or claiming the kill for themselves. It was nothing to get upset over.

[Sarah]

“Zhie told me you left him,” Lanette said.

“I thought he was dead,” Mikaela defeded.

Lanette scoffed. She didn’t believe that for a second. “You didn't show up last night. You haven't slept with the guild for months,” she said.

[Sarah]

Mikaela shifted nervously. “So?” she asked. “That's not a rule,” she said meekly.

“It's not, but it is suspicious,” Lanette pointed out.

“Trust me, I sleep alone,” Mikaela said dryly.

“I do trust you. As much as you might dislike me,” Lanette said, suddenly serious. “More than that, My husband trusts you,” she added.

[Sarah]

There was a stunned silence as Lanette let what she said sink in. Lanette couldn't help but grin mischievously. She knew how Mikaela thought this meeting was going to go. the woman had been flighty ever since Lanette had come into power.

“You’ve been good to the guild,” Lanette began. “Loyal, hardworking, aware. These are good qualities to have, and they haven't gone unnoticed,” she said.