"Ladies, you did a satisfactory job today. You may eat lunch."

We got into our neat little line and started to leave the room. The instructor stood near a far wall watching us. He made me feel uneasy, his eyes narrowed to dark slits as his gaze landed on me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I followed Anastasia out of the room. I glanced behind us, the instructor strolled a short pace behind us.

"What's wrong with him?" I whispered to Anastasia.

"Who?"

"That instructor."

She looked behind us and rolled her eyes. "I don't think he likes you."

"Why? I've never done anything to him."

"You didn't, but your grandfather did."

"I don't understand."

"He was banished from the English court before your father became king."

"That was over twenty years ago. He sure can hold a grudge."

"Yes, a lot of the teachers around here can. Most of them are banished lords of various courts."

"Oh," I mumbled, sitting between Anastasia and another girl with beautiful olive-colored skin; jet, black hair; and the saddest brown eyes.

The same servant girls from the day before brought out the large platters of food. I looked closely at the blonde who placed delectable fish in front of us. Her wrists were bruised an ugly greenish purple and there were chain marks around her neck. I reached out, grasping her hand and stared into her pale blue eyes. A sudden look of panic crossed her face as she wrenched free of me.

"Don't interact with the servants," the black-haired girl mumbled. "The Guild leaders will kill both of you."

"What?"

"Shh," she mumbled, taking a piece of fish.

I tore off a piece of bread and slowly chewed. This place grew more interesting by the moment.

Now I have to save the servants as well as the assassins.

I went through the motions of the rest of the day. The classes and instructors only got harder and more unbearing. They had no qualms tearing girls down and making them feel as though they were nothing. I assumed it must have been another means of keeping everyone in line. Destroy the confidence they once possessed.

When we sat for supper I noticed that the blonde servant girl was not present. I glanced about the room throughout the entire meal hoping to catch a glimpse of the girl to no avail.

"Why wasn't she at dinner?" I whispered to Anastasia.

"Who?" she asked.

"The servant girl. She wasn't there."

Anastasia shrugged her shoulders and continued toward her chambers. "Don't think of it, Evelyn. It will only make you sadder than what you should be while here."

"What happened to her?" I urged.

Anastasia sighed heavily and paused near the staircase. "Anything could have happened to her. She could be dead; she could be locked up in the kitchen pantry, in the dungeon, or in the stables."

"Why are they doing that to their servants?" I questioned.

"They didn't start as servants."

"Pardon?"

"They used to be assassins."

"How..."

"They weren't able to impress the Guild leaders enough to remain assassins but proved to be useful as servants."

"That's terrible."

"It's life here. Do your job or die."

"Or become a kitchen girl," I grumbled.

"I'll visit tonight, Evelyn."

I nodded and hurried up the stairs as the instructors came out of the dining hall.

I closed the door behind me and looked for a lock.

No way to lock our doors? Of course not. Why would there be a way to lock the doors?

I hurried to the window and pushed it open. There was a sheer drop-off to the hard rocks below. No possible way anyone could escape through the windows.

"What have you learned?" a gruff voice above me asked.

"Draco!" I sighed with relief at the sound of him. "It's absolutely dreadful."

"I assumed it would be."

"It's much worse than we thought. They turned some assassins into their servants if they proved unable to carry out their duties. They abuse all here, even kill them," I said quietly.

"They kill assassins?" he asked.

"They're not quite assassins yet. They're still in training, but yet they kill them."

"You have to leave this place, Evelyn," Draco said. His hot breath rushed down to me, warming my face.

"I can't. Not yet. I have to save the girls here. It's no longer about keeping my family safe, I now have to save everyone and destroy the Guild once and for all."

"Evelyn, your mother trained with them for seventeen years and only managed to kill one brother. He was the weakest at that. How are you going to destroy the other two and their loyalists?"

"I don't know."

"Who are you talking to?"

I spun around to see Anastasia standing near the bookcase.

"Fuck."

"Who's out there? How can someone be there? It's so high up."

"Anastasia, I need you to meet someone."

"Are you sure?" Draco whispered.

A puff of smoke blew in through the window.

"It's kind of late to not introduce you now."

"Why is there smoke? What is going on?" her voice rose an octave as she panicked.

"First, calm down. You're going to draw attention to the room. I'm going to show you."

I crossed the room and took her hand, leading her to the window. I pushed them open more and sat on the windowsill, patting the seat next to me. She hesitantly sat down and looked outside.

"What are we looking at? Nobody is out there," she said.

"He's not down, he's up."

"Up?"

I nodded as she turned her head toward the roof. "Just don't scream."

Her mouth dropped open; her eyes grew as large as saucers. "What is that?"

"That is Draco. He's a dragon, and we're bound together."

"Does the Guild know about him?"

"They know of dragons, they don't know I'm bound to one."

"I don't think dragons are in the rules of conduct for assassins."

"I'm not really here to be an assassin," I said.

"Evelyn!" Draco hissed at me.

"Draco, I think we're past formalities. Anastasia wants to leave as much as I do. So do many of the other girls. We have to save them."

"How do expect to save an entire school of girls?"

"I don't know yet."

"There are passages throughout the castle. The leaders know of them, but I don't think they know we do," Anastasia said quietly.

"There are more?" I asked.

"Of course, there would be. These castles are old, they had to have escape routes in case they came under siege," Draco responded.

"Where do they lead to? Can we use them?" I asked, looking between the two.

"I think so," Anastasia said, furrowing her brow. "There is one in the library, behind a bookcase; it leads to the river about a mile from here."

"Will that be far enough away to get help?" I asked, looking up at Draco.

He nodded his massive head. "We have a few dragon riders in the area. I can talk with them about having wagons ready."

"That will work."

"Or I can go get your parents and James," he suggested.

"No. I don't want them in harm's way."

"Evelyn, they should know."

"No, Draco. I have to do this. I rely on them entirely too much."

"I understand that you want to do this on your own, but it's okay to ask for help sometimes."

"You don't understand. I'm the reason why they're in danger to begin with."

"Actually, it's your mother. She disobeyed the Guild and now the punishment is falling on you."

"Either way, it doesn't matter. I am doing this without them."

"Why are you so stubborn?" he asked.

"I'm my mother's daughter."

"When do you want to do this?" Anastasia asked, interrupting us.

"How long will it take for you to acquire the necessary carriages for the girls?" I glanced at Draco.

"Give me two days' time. At midnight have them leave through the passage. We shall wait for them at the end."

We nodded and Anastasi hurried back toward the bookcase. "I'm scared."

"It's alright. We'll all be okay."

"Promise?" she asked.

I took a deep breath and nodded.

"Are you sure everyone will be okay?" Draco asked.

I shook my head. "No."

"You lied to her."

"I know. She doesn't need to know that there's a possibility we won't all make it out."

"No. I suppose not."

I sighed heavily and reached out to stroke his neck. A deep purrish kind of growl emanated from his throat. I smiled lightly and lead against the side of the window, closing my eyes as a cool breeze blew in through the window.

"Am I doing the right thing?" I asked.

"Now you ask? Kind of late for that, don't you think?"

"Perhaps. I just can't let these girls continue to be manipulated and murdered for the Guild's pleasure. It's not right."

"No, it's not." He clenched the windowsill with his front claws as his back claws gripped the stone siding of the castle. "Have you noticed anything odd?"

"Besides this place?"

"No, with you."

"With me? No, why should I?"

"There's more to being a dragon rider than just bonding with me," he said.

"More?"

"You're going to develop certain abilities."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Magic, Evelyn. You're going to have magic," he said bluntly.

"Magic? Because being immortal and a dragon rider isn't enough? Now I'm going to be magical?"

"Yes."

"What kind of abilities are we talking about?"

"Dragon fire."

"What?" I asked incredulously.

"Dragon fire. You'll be able to create dragon fire once my blood and tears have fully soaked into your being."

"Dragon fire? How?"

"Energy can build between your hands creating a fireball."

"Okay," I said.

I held my hands up and concentrated on the energy. Heat grew between my fingers and palms, but there was no fire. No ball of light.

"You haven't absorbed all of my essence into your being just yet. Did you feel anything?" he asked.

"Heat. A scorching heat."

"You're almost there then."

"I need to go to bed."

I crossed the room and flopped onto the not quite soft enough bed. My eyes were shut before my head hit the pillow.