Chapter 81 Attempted Assassination

Chapter 81 Attempted Assassination
\[Atticus’ POV\]

For the rest of the day, I roam around town, and when night finally falls, I make my way to Morte Diem, where August’s apprentice should be waiting for me.

When I arrive, I spot her behind the counter chatting with the last two people that I expected to see, and for a moment, I wonder if I should leave and come back another time. However, when her eyes come to rest on me, I know that I couldn’t.

“Hey!” Morgana calls, causing both that woman and Vance’s eyes to come rest on me. “August told me you were coming.”

Remaining in place, I meet the woman’s gaze and feel something in me shift as all the hatred and hurt that she is feeling slams into me like it is my own emotions. It is weird, and I’m not sure how to take it, but maybe this meant that she was actually telling the truth earlier on.

“Atticus,” Morgana pushes when I continue to remain in place. “Are you just going to stand there?”

“No,” I finally say, snapping out of my daze.

Brushing off all the unpleasant feelings that are flowing through me, I move forward and take a seat beside Vance while he glares at me.

“Maybe we should leave,” he murmurs to the woman beside him, causing anger to flare up in me. “I don’t want to deal with any more unpleasantries.”

“Why?” The woman asks. “We were here first. If there is an issue, he can go to hell or somewhere.”

At her words, Vance shoots me a smug look and then simply nods.

“I suppose you’re right, Tabitha.”

Tabitha. So the woman’s name was Tabitha. Something about it resonated deep within me, but just like all the other fucking times I tried to remember anything, I’m met with a searing pain in my head.

“Fuck,” I growl, reaching up and touching my temple. “What the hell is wrong with me?”

“You’re an idiot,” Vance offers, assuming that I was talking to him or just not wanting to miss the opportunity to insult me. “A big one at that.”

Letting out a growl, I fight the urge to punch him as Morgana clears her throat, drawing my attention away from the irritating vampire and to her.

“You should step into the back with me,” she says, taking in Vance and Tabitha. “So that we aren’t disturbed, hm?”

“Sure,” I huff, getting up and walking around the counter so that she can lead me to August’s office.

When we arrive, Morgana locks the door and makes her way over to a bookshelf that is filled with many different herbs. After picking out the ones she would need, she starts to put together the elixir, and when it is done, she hands it to me.

“You’re going to want to lay down,” she says, motioning to a beanbag chair that must have been put in place for me. “This stuff is pretty strong.”

For a moment, I don’t move as I look from the beanbag chair to her, but after deciding maybe I was being too paranoid, I do as instructed.

“Here you go,” Morgana beams, holding out the elixir to me. “I’m going to head back out, but please don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”

Nodding, I take her offering and watch until she disappears, and once I’m sure I’m alone, I bring the elixir to my lips and down it.

Sighing, I relax into my chair and close my eyes while my insides start to feel warm. Soon, everything around me seems to fade, and I find myself tumbling into the abyss, but when I start to come to, I’m not where I expected to be.

Frowning, I take in the area around me as if it were a foreign place instead of my own room back in the darklands. Why the hell was I here when the thing I was seeking were memories of Tabitha?

“August,” I growl, realizing that the bastard made this elixir specific to my reason for being in the human world in the first place.

Realizing that I wasn’t going to get the answers that I wanted, I slowly sit up and then begin to get out of bed, but before I can stand, my door bursts open, and two men clad in all black make their way in, and when they spot where past me should have been, they lift their swords and attack.

Remaining calm, I don’t move as they attack my bed, which at this particular time was already empty due to all the commotion that was going on beyond. However, as I continue to watch, I start to understand that their actions are pretty precise and almost planned.

“He isn’t here,” one growls, yanking off his mask and causing my eyes to grow wide from shock before a red-hot rage rushes through me.

“It just means that he is out there somewhere fighting,” the other responds.

Instantly, my blood turns cold as she takes off her mask and reveals her true identity, but what the fuck was she doing here when she was supposed to be dead?

“Don’t worry, Altaire,” she murmurs, stepping up and rubbing my brother’s cheek. “We will get him, and when we do, you can take your rightful place as the next leader.”

Next leader.

Next leader.

Next fucking leader.

The words begin to whirl around in my head as I process what I’m watching, but before I can fall into a full spiral, something sharp touches my neck, and when pain shoots through me, my eyes fly open, and I’m back in August’s office, reaching out and grabbing the wrist of the one that is attempting to kill me.

“You,” I hiss, taking in Morgana’s shocked expression. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Dammit. Was this a fucking set-up put together by August, and if so, what the hell was his purpose? Was every fucking person I considered to be on my side actually out to get me?

Unable to control my anger, I pull at Morgana, causing her to fall onto me with an amused expression on her face.

“Oh, do you like to do this sort of thing with your assassins?” She giggles, pressing her body closer to me. “Honestly, I don’t mind. You’re pretty damn handsome, and it would be a waste not to taste you at least once.”

“Shut the fuck up!” I growl, attempting to move, only to find that my body is moving slower than usual. “What the fuck are you planning?”

Before she gets a chance to answer, the door to August’s office flies open, and Vance and Tabitha appear with looks of shock on their faces.

“Whoops,” Morgana sighs, jumping up and throwing her weapon at Tabitha, who easily dodges. “Looks like our fun is over; August is going to kill me.”

Giving a quick wink, she throws a vial on the ground that bursts on impact, and as it does, smoke starts to swirl around the room until it is impossible to see. And when things finally settle down, the only ones that remain are me, Vance, and Tabitha. Morgana managed to escape, and it was all because I was stupid enough to trust someone like me.