Of Daggers and Ledgers
Copyright© 2026 by CyndNoxhill
Chapter 11
Soft golden light crept in through the cracks of the window, falling directly on Aoba’s face. She propped herself up, her head aching, and her eyes felt swollen from all the crying. The silence of the safe house was deafening. It was much smaller than the one they stayed at before. There wasn’t a second floor, and it only had one bed at the corner with an old armoire beside it.
Slowly, she pushed herself up to her feet and walked across the room, lowering herself onto the edge of the bed, the plush velvet of the mattress offering no comfort, only a soft, yielding surface for her heavy thoughts. The adrenaline that carried her through the night has evaporated, leaving her raw and exposed.
She did the job, and Soren had set her free.
Free.
Aoba felt a hot, stinging sensation behind her eyes again. She fought it back for a second, but then it broke free, hot tears tracking down her cheeks. A quieter sob, silent and unashamed, washing away the tension of the last two months, the pain of the training, the confusion of the mission.
“Gods,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I don’t know what to do.”
She rose abruptly, the sudden movement sending a wave of dizziness through her, but she quickly recovered.
First, she opened the armoire and found sets of new clothing for her. None for Soren. She clenched her fist. He never planned on coming back. There was a small pouch on top of the pile; inside were a few coins. Lastly, a small satchel, hers. The one she always used.
She changed into the new, clean clothes, leaving everything else on the floor. Instead of putting on the straps or her dagger, she left them inside her satchel, then walked out.
Outside, she immediately broke into a sprint, running past the old dilapidated houses, scrambled up a wall, and perched on the rooftop to get her bearings.
She scanned the horizon and recognized several landmarks. This was the exact opposite of their previous safe house. She looked around some more and saw the chimney top of an inn. That’s where she’ll go next.
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