A fist swung towards her head. Cerra ducked, flinging her legs from under her, catching the man by the ankles and bringing him towards the ground. Gabe landed with a thud, and got up, patting the dirt off his clothes, smiling.

"Good job! You've basically mastered this move," he complimented. Cerra grinned, wiping the sweat off her forehead. The sun blazed above, and Cerra squinted at the distance, where a glistening pool drew her in.

"Let's go swimming!" she suggested, pointing towards the pool like a child. "I think we've done enough training today."

• • •

The pool invited her in, its cold water lapping at her legs. Suddenly, the water started churning, rising. Cerra stared in horror as a wave of water started leaning towards her. Right before it would have crashed dangerously upon her, it stopped, and a head popped out from the tip. A little boy with dirty blonde hair grinned at her, his cheeks squishing into a single dimple on his right cheek. Cerra let out a huge breath.

"You scared me," she said. The boy giggled and let his wave down.

"Theo!" a voice called. Cerra looked towards the end of the pool and saw Jay swimming towards them, with a little girl on his shoulders. The girl was screaming with excitement, her brown hair woven into braids. When she spotted Cerra, she pushed off Jay's shoulders and swam towards her.

"I'm Lila," she greeted. "Jay's cousin." Cerra smiled, patting her on the head. Jay stood with the top half of his body above the water, his sculptured abs shining from the water and the sun. Cerra's face heated up, and she turned away, just in time to see Gabe launch himself into the pool, spraying water everywhere. The drops hung in the sky before Cerra, and Theo laughed, poking at them, creating smaller drops. They spent the afternoon splashing in the pool, letting their worries wash away.

• • •

"Today?" Payton asked, shaking his head. "I don't think that's a good idea." Leo slapped his hand on the table.

"There's no choice," he growled. "I need to make sure she's gone."

"Why don't you ask her politely first?" Payton suggested, bringing tea over to Leo. The tea floated in midair, just a few inches away from him. "She might listen." Leo laughed so coldly the air around him shivered.

"I know what type of person she is," he said. "She isn't going to listen." Payton sighed, and poured the tea, the teapot tipping in the air, Payton's hand making a pouring motion in the air.

"I just don't want you to be suspected again," he said. Leo sighed.

"Yes, my history is quite troubling. Although father probably has forgotten about it by now."

"But Jay and Dan definitely haven't," Payton said.

"It's now or never," Leo said with a smile that chilled Payton. Payton supposed that he should be used to Leo's manners, being his servant for as long as he lived. Yet, he was still bothered by those cold looks, and the emotionless face. He just nodded.

• • •

Cerra strolled through the gardens, her hair still damp from swimming. The sun was setting, reminding Cerra of the days she had spend at the beach with her parents. Full of life, she was able to run around wherever she wanted. She had taken everything for granted. Her beautiful dress that flowed behind her was made of the silk from carefully cared for silkworm cocoons, each thread spinning skillfully into the other, golden luster weaving into the pattern of cherry blossoms.

She looked up. A man blocked her path, his body clothed in black, a scarf tied around his mouth. Cerra's eyes narrowed in suspicion. This was a typical movie assassin, yet she wasn't sure what ability he would have. He disappeared, his figure melting into the ground. Cerra spotted his shadow still intact and realized with a tinge of horror.

She jumped into the air, swiping her hand horizontally, creating a layer of her invisible material between her and the ground. She knew Shadows could disappear into their shadows and reappear from another shadow. The man rose up from behind her, a knife clutched in his hand. Cerra faltered. She had not been trained enough to know what to do in these situations. She ducked his attempt to stab her heart, side stepping behind him. She smelled a whiff of alcohol as she passed him. He must have drank before he came, which meant he wasn't a very good assassin. A sword materialized in her hand and she slashed at the man, but he was gone.

Another faint scent of alcohol hinted at where the man was. Cerra pivoted to the side, knowing the man would take any chance he had to kill her. She swiftly turned around. her sword cutting through the man's attire and cleanly through his body, the bloodied tip near his spine. Cerra let go of the sword, backing away from the man. He swayed once, twice, then toppled onto the ground. Cerra's breathing quickened, the noises around her drowned out by her rapidly beating heart. She turned around, unable to keep looking at the man. The man she killed. Cerra slowly knelt to the ground, her mind racing.

She had just killed a man. The man was trying to kill her. And she had killed him. He was dead. She felt weak and slumped down, her senses unable to function.

• • •

Jay slipped on his black jacket, beginning his daily stroll around the gardens. He loved the smell of the night, a cold and delicate smell. He could be himself and absorb his surroundings at night. He knew that many deadly actions were performed at night, yet he couldn't resist the feeling of having the garden to himself.

A silent weeping sound brought him to his senses. The sobs hiccuped and the breaths were unstable. He started towards the sound, stepping quietly. He found Cerra slumped on the ground, her head buried in her hands. Jay inhaled sharply when he spotted the man lying a few feet away from him.

Suddenly, from above, he heard a faint whistling. A spinning arrow split the air, heading straight towards the girl. Jay acted immediately, flicking his hands. A thick vine erupted from the ground, thrashing in the air. The arrow was deflected, landing with a clack on the stone pavement. Cerra's pupils wavered with surprised and fear, her hands shaking rapidly.