___

  Carefully, I took off my new gloves and put them away, tucking them deep into a space behind a wooden slat in the wall. I was feeling happy that I had taken the risk of getting them. As I laid down, I moved my hands behind my head and tried to get comfy as I stared at my ceiling, thinking.

  How much did I really know about Adrian?

  ___

  By the time I had fully come to terms with the decision to deliver the message to Mark, I was already on the rooftops and heading towards him.

  I guess on some level; I felt bad for Mark, whoever he was. And he obviously seemed to be a friend of Adrian’s and I felt like I needed to help them both. And I was also increasingly curious about the guild. Not that I wanted to join them, but possibly figuring out more about how they operated didn’t seem like a bad thing.

  Although, I had to admit, my last few encounters with Adrian hadn’t revealed hardly any information about Terra or her guild. And I was questioning everything I was doing.

  I didn’t know exactly why I was doing this, or why I felt as if I should help Adrian in the first place—but it was a nice change in routine, and thinking back to the thrill I got when I had stolen the gloves, maybe I was just chasing a change of pace. I didn’t have time to examine my reasonings too closely though.

  The journey to the prison took less time than I had expected. It was the middle of the night, and I probably could have hit more houses, even on my way over here. But I felt the extra time might be helpful, since I didn’t really know what I was getting into by coming here.

  Crouching down, I surveyed the building. I had seen it a few times before, but only in passing. Typically, this area was only used as a shortcut to someplace else. The building itself stood alone, no easy access to its top by neighboring buildings, which was to be expected, for a prison. But the surrounding fence made me pause. That made things seem a bit more daunting.

  I watched for a long time, and I saw two shift changes. They were the same: two guards switched off, leaving only a brief five-minute window for me. But there didn’t seem to be any guards on the North side. And based on the windows, it was also the only section that held only three cells instead of six or more. Odd.

  I had moved around the rooftops, getting a good look at the cells, and the only one that seemed to be on a corner was on the North-facing wall. Maybe that was why they felt they didn’t need guards on that side, or luck was with me tonight, I thought.

  My original plan had been only to get the layout of everything tonight, and come back tomorrow for the actual delivery. But I felt confident I could do it now. For someone who was usually so careful, I was being awfully reckless lately. That made me pause for a moment, reconsidering.

  But, after few minutes, I stretched as much as I could in the shadows, and the thrill of the risk caught up to me. Plus, I was still relishing in the feeling of my new gloves to entertain that hesitation for too long. So I traced my way down the side of the building the next time the guard left his station.

  The fence was one of the trickier parts. At least, it would have been had I not spent my life getting into places I wasn’t supposed to be in. There was only a main building with a perimeter fence around it, and guards patrolling between the fence and the prison. What they had obviously forgotten about was the placement of the wood pile they had placed on the North side.

  Knowing that I had little time and couldn’t make much noise scared me a little. But that was part of the fun, too. And I didn’t really have much of a plan for escaping once I was in, mostly just a lot of guesswork and hoping. Not how I usually liked to deal with things, but like I said, I hadn’t been that careful recently.

  If I was truly honest, I thought I might be getting tired of living this way. Fighting for every meal. Maybe I wanted a change, and that’s was why I was doing this. As the thought crossed my mind, I shrugged it off, took a deep breath, and on the exhale, jumped down.

  I moved the logs as fast as I could, though they were heavier than I had expected, and threw a few of them over the fence, cringing at the noises they made. But I waited a few moments and no cries of alarm had sounded. I jumped off the logs on my side and rolled into a crouch on the other side of the fence. So far, nothing had given me away, luckily.

  I made my way to the corner cell, leaving the wood where it was for now. My heart was hammering in my chest as I whispered next to a set of bars. If I had gotten into the wrong room, all it would take was for them to call out, and I’d be in there with them.

  “Mark?” My voice was barely audible as I crouched by the cell window. There was a pause before a low voice answered shakily.

  “Yeah?”

  “Message from Adrian.” I slipped the note between the bars and ran. Hurriedly, I moved the logs I had on this side of the fence into a sort of pile, and after taking a couple of steps back, I sprinted and threw myself over the fence.

  It quickly became apparent that I had misjudged how much clearance I would need. I bit back a cry as I felt my right side being torn open by the barbed wire. But I was grateful it hadn’t been caught enough to stop me from making it over the fence. Rolling on the other side, I scarcely missed the pile of wood and bit back a scream. Placing a hand on my side, I got to my feet and knew I couldn’t stop there. Climbing was painful, but I made it back to the rooftops. Collapsing as soon as I reached the top, I fought the urge to swear.

  I knelt down, removing my hand from my side gingerly. The moon gave enough light for me to see a flash of red on my fingers. And on my brand new gloves yet, I thought bitterly, and laughed under my breath. This is why I don’t have nicer things. I was hoping my clothes had stopped most of the injury, and they probably had, but judging from the blood dripping from the cut and coating my side, they hadn’t protected me enough. I was about to reach under my jacket for a needle and thread, but a noise from behind stopped me.

  “Izzie. Don’t.” His voice was still slow and hoarse. I assumed he was still recovering from his injuries.

  “Adrian?” My voice came out a whisper. I looked behind me, as he stepped forward and crossed his arms over his chest. My breaths came fast, and I could feel my heart race through my fingertips. How had I missed it? How had I not heard him approach?

  “I told you they’d get me out.” His breaths seemed shaky, like it hurt every time he inhaled, but his posture gave away nothing. “And you did a good job. You passed.” My thoughts froze. Passed? Passed what?

  “This was a—test?” Still speaking in a whisper, I could hear the disbelief in my voice. “The letter to Mark was -”

  “A test. Yes. Keep up, Izzie, would you?” His tone was mocking, hurtful. Not like how he had been before. He walked around me, and titled his head as he took notice of my hand pressed against my side. “Injured,” He murmured. “That’ll be used against your evaluation. Probably okay though. You did well otherwise.”

  Now my thoughts were catching up with me again, getting over the initial shock of the barbed wire. I needed to run, or grab my weapons and attack him. I reached for my blade and stood, but the cut on my side slowed me down. Adrian grabbed my right arm and twisted. I felt the gash in my side open further. I sharply inhaled the pain but stayed standing.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “And now,” His breath was warm against my ear as he spoke, “We’re going back to my guild and you’re coming with me.” I wriggled against him, but his tight grip stopped me from moving much. His voice changed, less cold, back to the Adrian that I remembered from the guild. “Wait, Izzie, relax. I’m not going to hurt you.” He paused and the coldness in his voice was back. “Well, if you cooperate, that is.”

  I felt him release my arm, and I quickly pulled the arm in front of me, and then threw my elbow back as hard as I could. There was a loud crack, and I guessed I probably broke his nose. Turning, I saw his hands fly up to his face. Planning a way out, I started running—and almost made it to the edge of the roof. I didn’t see what hit me, but I felt the impact to the back of my head, and could feel my balance sway as I fell forward and hit the roof, stopping only a foot from the edge.

  Feeling dizzy, I rolled over. Adrian was still holding his nose as a few other figures surrounded me. I wanted to run, to leave, or stand or anything, but all I could do was watch the edges of my vision go black. At least while unconscious, I thought, my head wouldn’t hurt. And that was the last thing I remember before the darkness took over.

  ***

  Sitting upright immediately, I didn’t know where I was, but it was bright. I was standing and ready to fight before my eyes had even adjusted.

  “Easy. You’re safe.” I recognized the voice and squinted as my eyes remembered how to focus. Then the pain came back, my head first, then my side. I put a hand on the bed to steady myself. Looking down, I saw the same clothes that I remembered wearing last. That’s a good sign, I thought. And my side wasn’t bleeding anymore, though my shirt and leather vest were cut slightly. My new gloves were tight, caked with dried blood that flaked off onto the bed as I moved my hands. Idly, I wondered if the purple stitching would be stained.

  “We fixed you up a bit. Clean like. No infection, promise.” I looked at the voice, and my brain offered me a name: Gunther. From the guild.

  He sat in a chair across the room, leaning forward. And I was in Adrian’s bedroom. Sunlight was streaming in through the windows. Daylight. Suddenly, I remembered everything that had happened before I blacked out. I needed to leave, or find Adrian and do more than break his nose. I needed to—

  “Easy. There will be time for things later. But for now, you should change. You’ve got blood on you, and—“

  “I don’t need to change.” I yelled, “I need to find Adrian and kick his—” Gunther raised his hands in a ‘no-harm-meant’ gesture before I could finish, the same gesture that Adrian had made before.

  “You probably should hurt him. He’d deserve it. But later.” Gunther ran his hands through his black hair, pulled back like last time.

  It looked like he was wearing the same clothes from before as well, a white dirty tank top, and brown coveralls. “He thought it would be easier if you saw me first, but I don’t know. I don’t do so well with people sometimes. Karol, the one with the clothes last time, s’much better.” His accent was becoming stronger - he must be flustered. I wondered if it was just me or my rage toward Adrian making him uncomfortable.

  I sat down on the bed again as I realized I felt bad for Gunther. Sure, I was mad at Adrian, and the guild by association, but so far, he had shown me nothing but kindness. And I didn’t seem to be in any danger, at least for the moment. I gave him a weak smile. He smiled back, showing a few missing teeth.

  “Much better. Now,” He stood up abruptly, looking like he was far too large for this room. Grabbing clothes from the desk beside them, he offered them to me. “You change. Karol will fix your clothes. And I—” He smiled again. “Will leave you be. Come out when you’re ready, and we’ll give you some food. Maybe some medicine for your head, too.”

  After he left, I changed slowly, minding the cut on my side. There was bruising around it, probably from Adrian twisting my arm, and then me falling. But the stitches looked clear, and it wasn’t that long of a gash, just covering the length of a few ribs. I felt the back of my head, and there was some pretty major swelling, but I didn’t suppose there was anything to be done about that.

  Again, the clothes were a bit big, but they were made of a nicer material than mine. I looked at the gloves I had placed on the bed. The feeling of things on my bare hands came to mind, and I knew I couldn’t handle it. I didn’t want to give those up, even if they could be washed. I put them on instead and winced as I heard the dried blood snap as my fingers pulled at the leather.

  My thoughts drifted to a time before all of this, a reoccurring nightmare of a night where nothing had gone right. Blood had caked my hands, and I could feel the tightness then too as it dried. Closing my eyes, I took a breath, quelling the panic inside me. I needed to move. I needed to do something.

  I stepped out onto the landing, moving the curtain. Looking down, I spotted Gunther right below me. I stashed most of my clothes under my sore arm and against my injured side. Slowly, I made my way down, mostly one-handed, to the floor.

  “Looks good.” Gunther nodded his approval at my new clothes as I handed him my old ones. He hesitated as he noticed the gloves. “Karol can take care of those, too. Delicate touch she has, very good.” I shook my head no, and he shrugged. He walked away with my clothes and I was relieved he didn’t press the matter. After everything that happened, I just couldn’t give them up.

  Gunther motioned for me to follow him, and he led the way back to the laundry room, and where Karol was working. She had dark circles under her eyes, with an apron tied around her, but her hands were on her hips again as she turned to see us walk in.

  “What is it Aid’s done this time?” She shook her head and took the clothes from Gunther. “And what are those?” Pointing to my ruined looking gloves. “Gunther, you’re going to let the poor girl walk around with those filthy things all day?” He held up his hands apologetically and glanced at me.

  “She said she didn’t want them washed.” He stole glances at me, as if asking for help.

  “It’s true,” I started. “I don’t need-” Karol stepped closer to me.

  “Yes, you do. I bet you can barely move your hands with all that blood caked on them. C’mon.” She turned around, rifling through a drawer until she brought out a pair of plain leather gloves. “Here,” she handed put them on the chair next to her, and then held out her hand to me impatiently.

  “No, really, I-”

  “I’ll do my best to get the blood out of the stitching as well.” She moved her hand again, obviously gesturing for me to remove them. I supposed there really was no arguing with her.

  I reluctantly took mine off and placed them in her outstretched palm, thinking I would not see them again. Pulling on the gloves she’d offered me, I watched Karol move the clothes she was holding and place them on a nearby table. She ran her fingers over my gloves.

  “These are, wow. Exceptional quality. I-” She looked at me questioningly for a moment but asked nothing. She glanced down at the gloves again before she spoke.

  “I’ll take care of them and keep them in the back.” Karol grinned then and met my gaze. “I totally understand your reluctance in parting with these, but I promise, they’ll be like new. And I’ll keep them separate and safe. Just come see me before you leave.” And with that, she grabbed the clothes and disappeared into the back. I followed Gunther back to the main floor then, but I had something on my mind that was bothering me. The way Karol and Gunther interacted, they seemed close, maybe –

  “Gunther,” I hesitated, unsure how to talk to him. “Could I ask you a question?” He raised his eyebrows at me and shrugged. I took that as a yes. “Are you and Karol...?” Gunther looked startled by the question at first and then started laughing. Loud enough to gather looks from the surrounding people.

  “You mean as in—No, my little one. She is a good friend, that is all. And keeps me in my place. In fact,” He laughed more, “She seems to keep everyone in their place.” I smiled at that and felt that it was probably true. But I remembered why I was here, and I needed to find Adrian. My thought must have shown on my face, because Gunther sighed.

  “Okay, we will go find him, but,” He smiled slightly. “Promise me something first.” It was my turn to raise my eyebrows.

  “Like what?” I asked him.

  “You have to promise not to kill him. Adrian, I mean. Injure him, okay. Maybe even broken bones, but you’re not to kill him. Deal?” I hesitated, even though I had vowed never to kill anyone again. I was angry, and I wanted answers. But I looked at Gunther and sighed, nodding. “I know,” Gunther told me solemnly, gently placing a hand on my shoulder. “Adrian can be—difficult—sometimes. But, he is not bad, he does good work and—” He ran his hands through his hair again. “He means well.” I felt like I owed the promise to Gunther, especially after all of his hospitality.

  “Okay,” I smiled at him. “I promise.” I watched as Gunther’s face broke into a huge smile.

  “Good, good. Do you want to find food and medicine first, before we go?” I shook my head. That could wait, I decided. This conversation seemed more pressing. “Okay then, I’ll take you to him now.”

  I followed Gunther through hallways I had never been to until we came to a set of wooden double doors. Larger than the ones I had seen, these doors seemed to tower over us, even Gunther.

  “Now,” Gunther spoke softly as he pressed on the door. “It is not just Adrian that you’re seeing...”

  I gasped as the doors opened.