Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 32429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 130(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 162(@200wpm)___ 130(@250wpm)___ 108(@300wpm)
Things in our home are mostly the same. I spend a lot of time with my sister Matilda. I also grew close to some of the people who work at our home. There is a group of people who work for my father and during my time at the house, I got to know them all better.
I usually hang around the children of my family's employees. But the one I got the closest to is a young boy around my age, perhaps a year or two older, called Davide.
We've always been close, spending a lot of time together. Sometimes I join him for his tasks in the gardens, which he makes sure are kept up to standard, even though he's a little young to have a job. My dad seems to like him, since he's given him a job and some security.
So when I come to my first day of training to be an assassin, I'm shocked to find Davide there.
"What are you doing here?" I ask him with a cocked eyebrow, a playful smirk playing on my lips. "You're not part of this, are you?"
Only then do I notice that his face looks ashen and he's pale as a ghost. I don't know what's going on here.
I wait in silence with Davide, saying nothing at all while we wait for my trainer to join me. Once the door to the walled garden finally opens, I'm surprised to find my father walking through the gates.
"Hello," he says.
"Hey, Dad," I reply easily.
"No, I'm not dad, not here," he reminds me. "Here, I am only your trainer, the man who will show you every trick in the book, every trick that will take you to learn how to finally combat the one true evil in this world once and for all. After all, you know who Xavier is now, right?"
I nod solemnly. It's hard for me to admit my beloved godfather has turned into an evil figure in my mind, but I know I don't have a choice. My loyalty lies with my family and with my parents. And after all the horrible things they've told me about Xavier, I have no doubt that I have to fulfill my debt to them first of all, before I can even think about fulfilling Xavier's wishes.
"Then you need nothing else from me, only to learn how to kill someone if necessary. Someone innocent."
Dad looks right at Davide, and a shock wave goes through my body, reminding me just how under the influence I am. Before now, I've wondered whether or not my own parents were telling me the truth about Xavier. Whether there was any small possibility that he wasn't a bad man they painted for me. Right now, it seems more like Heath, my father, is the bad man.
He's staring at my friend with dark intent. That can only mean one thing.
"What is Davide doing here?" I ask my father, my voice trembling as I stutter over the words.
"I think you don't need to ask me that question. Because deep down you already know why he's here," Dad replies with a solemn smile. "Davide here is working off some debt his family had with my cartel. Isn't that right, Davide?"
My only friend nods. He still won't look at me, keeping his gaze trained on the floor, and his face is still as pale as a ghost.
"That means he's going to be punished for something he didn't do today. But that's okay, right, Davide?" Dad asks again and Davide nods, as if he's caught in a trance that he can't wake up from.
My mind is racing and I'm wondering whether or not it's the right thing to go through with this. If there was ever a moment for me to voice my worries, it's now, but I'm too afraid and I stay frozen to the spot, my lips not moving even though the words are desperate to rip themselves from my mouth. I want to make my intent clear - that I have no intention of harming someone who's innocent in all of this. After all, this started with my parents and it's going to end in Xavier's death. Why did they have to bring in someone innocent like Davide? Especially knowing how close we were and that we've been friends for years...
My father walks over to me as if sensing my hesitation, his heavy palms landing on my shoulders as he forces me to look at him. One silent and lonely tear falls on my cheek, and as it slides down my skin, I imagine a different outcome.
Davide still hasn't looked at me. He's sitting in the garden that we're in, on a stone bench surrounded by roses. With quiet resignation, his hands fold in his lap.
"Davide is here because he needs to die," Dad tells me. "I need you to accept your role once and for all, Tallulah. We already told you the truth. It's not an option of believing in us or not, you have to do what you were made for."