WHERE RIVER MEETS SEA | TWO

MELIQUE HADN'T ALWAYS been like this. Once, the country had been a bustling, developing nation with so much to offer. But then it got greedy and ambitious. That had been its fall.

  Leocadio Mallen. Danna wasn't a fan of the man, personally, but she supposed he was better than Caba. But then again, most people were. Melique's president was strangely unlikeable. Funny, because he was handsome and charming and manipulative as a snake.

  Maybe that was why. Because Danna had a brain and eyes and wasn't blind or an idiot.

  It was late. She hadn't glanced at the clock, but it had to be two or three o'clock now. And she had work to do tomorrow, so she should catch a bit of sleep. But.

  Sucking in a breath, she placed the file on the Black Camellia back where it belonged.

  She'd seen the assassin in action. Once. The woman seemed to possess some supernatural grace that wasn't quite human, but Danna had never heard reports about her being wiccai either. And if she was wiccai, wouldn't she be a member of the Melique's Falcons instead of a separate, one-woman army?

  It couldn't be because she was Asayaman either, because she knew that the Meliqueans had plenty of foreign agents under their belt. So the Black Camellia should be human. One nice thought among all of this.

  One highly-skilled assassin, she and Aleks could handle. One highly-skilled wiccai, they could not.

  Thinking of wiccai made her feel a pang of sadness. She knew plenty of the magical herself. The Saian's Iron Wolves, for example. They'd discussed sending a few over, but it never came into fruition. As much as she'd have liked that, a part of her was relieved.

  Less lives in danger. Though perhaps not in the long-term. No, it could, she just had to play her cards perfectly.

  She'd been trying to figure out Leocadio Mallen before all of this. The man had practically risen from nothing to everything in a single night, and was the only person now who could hold a candle compared to Rufino Caba—the man's own allies not considered. His promises were ambitious and positive, things most people liked, patching up the holes Caba had left behind, but he just didn't strike Danna the right way. He said nothing about his actual stances, which annoyed the Saians. Would he continue pursuing the peace treaty that had been under discussion for a few months? Or would he abandon it all and continue on with war?

  She'd always trusted her guts. Asteria used to say that she was impulsive, but her friend was wrong. She did think about her choices. She just did it quicker than any of them.

  They wouldn't have sent her to this shithole if they weren't at least a bit confident in her ability to make split-second decisions. Perhaps she should have been an impulsive fool, then.

  It wasn't precisely that she hated being an agent. No, it had its advantages. She enjoyed the thrill of a fight, the brainwork needed behind every successful mission. But she hated the responsibility. The knowledge that the lives of entire nations was on her back. The knowledge that she carried a burden she should not have to.

  All because her mother was Meliquean and her father was a fool. Wasn't that all fun? They said children should not have to pay for the crimes of their parents, but look where she was now? A textbook example that was not true.

  She didn't feel anything towards them, though. Hadn't have for many years. Not her late mother, not her idiot, traitorous father, not her cruel stepmother. That chapter of her life was done. Had been done for years.

  She wondered how her sisters were faring. Megara, ever practical, hadn't put up much of a fight when it was announced where Danna was heading. Hebe had been the one who'd thrown tantrum after tantrum, crying her tears out. Sweet, loveable, naive Hebe. The only good one among the three. Megara was too cold, too business-minded. Danna had always been brittle and mocking.

  It's been three years since she'd last seen them. Hebe would be seventeen now. Maybe she'd stopped reading those idiotic romance novels. Probably not.

  Last she'd heard, Meg had decided not to send Hebe to Lady Kuroki's School. They'd pick another one instead, one that was normal and didn't educate young lady spies. Asteria promised she'd still teach Hebe some basic self-defence. Irina had promised she'd make sure Hebe had a good social future. Two terms for her agreeing to go to Melique willingly.

  There were more, of course, but those two were the ones she cared most about. She didn't want Hebe following her path, neither did Meg. One thing both sisters agreed on.

  She rubbed her eyes and sat down behind her desk, crossing her legs and leaning back. She sighed. Somedays, Danna felt exhausted, old beyond her years. Sometimes she walked past girls her age on the streets and wondered how they could be so different.

  She was only twenty-one. She should be enjoying life, not living in fear undercover. But someone always had to make the sacrifices, and in this life, she was one of them.

  Nothing she could do about it. She'd never had a choice, after all.

  She stayed in the study for a few hours more, going through some paperwork. She drafted and redrafted her message back home, with both personal and professional queries and information. Mentioned that no, Io hadn't written back or appeared for two months. Yes, she was worried, but she believed in the girl.

  Sometimes, it was difficult to remember that Io was no longer the nine-year-old she'd first met when she had joined the school. Io was eighteen now, and one of the biggest assets Sai had. She was highly skilled, bloody brilliant, and had spent more than half her life under the umbrella of espionage.

  Danna didn't need to worry. It was one of those few things Io could do for her, and Io was one of those few people in the world just like her, who refused to let anyone down.

  Different reasonings, but same goal.

  Asteria, the third member of their little squad, had never quite understood the way they thought. Danna couldn't blame her. Asteria was rich, beautiful and powerful. She'd never truly known hardship. She went through life like a thunderstorm with nothing standing in her path. It wasn't her fault, but neither Danna nor Io could have truly confided in her and had her understand.

  Which wasn't an issue, because both girls weren't the confiding type to begin with anyways. They'd rather die than talk about their feelings with someone other than their own head.

  Not very healthy, but no one could do anything about it. Danna had always been reclusive and relatively shy.

  The sun was starting to rise when she made her way upstairs and crawled into the covers besides Aleks. He stirred beside her but didn't wake. Danna shut her eyes.

  A few hours of peace. She'd treasure this.

《-》

  HE WOKE UP with a note on his chest. Rubbing his eyes, he picked it up and read quickly. Nothing he didn't know. Her agents had arrived earlier than expected, so he should stay inside the room and be quiet.

  His feet landed on the cool wooden ground as he combed his fingers through his brown hair, mustling it slightly. He heard the faint sounds of hushed conversations in Meliquean downstairs and didn't bother listening in.

  That was how much he trusted Danna.

  The curtains were still pulled together in the room, the way they usually were. Danna's way of making sure no one could easily peek in. It wouldn't do much against someone skilled or someone determined, but it served as a simple defence. Her cover being one of a widow, no one would question her reclusiveness.

  The Saians were ridiculously thorough when it came to their agents. Sometimes he wished his own superiors were half as careful.

  Not that they were careless. They often gave foolproof cover stories as well and more than enough preparations. But not every time.

  Though he supposed the first time he met Danna had been a mission where neither the Caershireen nor Saian agents had been given any information at all either, so there were plenty of exceptions.

  She'd come to bed late yesterday. At five in the morning, probably. She must be exhausted, but she'd be used to ridiculously long hours of staying awake. This job was demanding. At twenty-one, she headed the operations in an entire country. And not just any country either.

  He felt a sudden wave of sadness wash over him then. Today is the first day I'm spending where Pyotr Solovev is no longer alive.

  And it's been three years, two months and fifteen days since Sveta had vanished without a trace before being killed.

  It was a daily ritual at this point. A silent moment as he remembered his fallen friends and wondered who'd be next on the list. He wondered if Danna did something like that as well, or if it was just him who was never able to move on.

  When he was young and stupid, he hadn't learned to not make attachments. He hadn't learned to keep some parts of himself private. He gave and he gave and he kept nothing back. That had been a fatal mistake, but he hadn't realised it until it was already too late.

  No way to change it now. Those lost friends were etched in the darkest corners of his heart and soul. Nothing would ever wash those carvings away, and he wasn't sure he wanted them to vanish.

  Who else would remember them, mourn them, live for them?

  The agents stayed for a while. An hour, by his calculations, after he woke up. He wasn't sure when they'd arrived, so probably more. Though the ink on the paper was newly dried, so not that long. He could make out the voices: a man and a woman, and Danna's voice, commanding and confident. Danna wasn't Lady Asteria, but she was a leader in her own right. She'd just rarely had a chance to exercise that particular skill until coming here, that's all.

  Though he wasn't all that sure it was such a good payoff.

  When Danna returned, he stood. She said, "I have breakfast prepared. What do you have to do today?"

  "My only mission is to hunt down the Black Camellia."

  She replied, "We won't be able to arrest her and send her to either of our governments, you know."

  Aleks closed his eyes and nodded. "My orders are to kill."

  "Good. Mines are too. The Camellia has managed to extremely piss off Irina, which is never a good thing."

  Irina. The niece of the Emperor of Sai, and Danna's close friend.

  He looked at her. "Let's go eat breakfast and then start plotting. We have a long day ahead of us."

  She shot him a worried look. "Your injuries—"

  "Nothing unbearable." He let his lips twist upwards. "I'll be fine, Danna. Don't worry. Come on, what have you prepared for us today?"

  For a moment, they'll pretend everything was okay. For a moment, they'll pretend they were normal people living a normal life. For a moment, everything would be okay.

  Until everything came crashing down in the end, anyways.

  After breakfast, she brought him to her study. He hadn't been here that many times. He usually didn't visit her due to business, but simply because of chance. It was plain but comfortable, some books scattered on the shelves, paper stacked on the desk. Nothing important. She didn't keep those somewhere so obvious.

  She reached behind the shelf and took out a file. "I went through the Black Camellia's file earlier today."

  "Have your agents seen her anywhere?"

  Danna shook her head. "She doesn't let people see her unless she wants to be seen. And to this day, none of us know what she looks like past the fact she's Asayaman. But that means she could probably pass off as from Sai, Cheonuang, and probably Kon Ria."

  "Still stands out here in Melique." He didn't, because there were plenty of people with paler skin here as well. "If I see her, I'd recognise her."

  "I would too." They'd both have run-ins with the assassin in the past. His only regret was not capturing and killing her then and there.

  She flipped open the file. "Barely any information on her past her extensive list of victims."

  He didn't look at that, because he could recite most of the names anyways. She continued on. "Asked my agents if they knew anything else. Not much. She popped up around three years ago, that's when her first victims were known, and she's been active ever since. Don't know why she works for the Meliqueans, if it's for money or otherwise. No one named the Black Camellia was known in Asayama, so we can assume she wasn't just some mercenary."

  "I heard she's wiccai."

  "Unlikely. She'd be a Falcon otherwise, but she operates mostly alone. Never affiliated with anyone else. Lone wolf. Imagine the female version of the Panther."

  Aleks raised a brow. "What does the Panther have to do with this?" He'd heard about the Panther in passing, a Joskum mercenary. But what he'd heard, he was mostly retired now, and hadn't been heard from for a while.

  Danna waved her hand in the air. "Never mind. It's a long story."

  He frowned, but said nothing. She'll tell him in her own time. No need to force her. They had more important things to focus on right now anyways. "I've seen her in action..."

  "So have I. Doesn't strike me as wiccai-level speed, strength or durability. Just peak human.

  Aleks tried to remember that day. Tried to recall the way the Black Camellia had moved, then he nodded. "That makes sense. She's still extremely good. Proficient with almost all weapons. I almost lost an ear to one of her knives."

  "Her aim is..." Danna shook her head. "If she wasn't a Meliquean agent, I'd be begging her to teach me. Fucking impeccable. A shame she's an enemy."

  "Maybe you could beg her to accept you as a student in her last moments."

  Danna's lips twirled upwards. "Maybe. Think she'll agree?"

  "Your charm is endless."

  "Still can't beat yours." Her fingers skimmed the top of the wooden table as she looked at the curtained window, lost in thought. "I need to go get some food later. I'm running out."

  "I'll go out with you. Go meet a few sources, see what they know."

  She nodded absent-mindedly. "Sounds good. We leave after lunch. Can probably get back before nightfall." They'll leave separately, just in case. She'll go right out the front door, but he'll have to be a bit more sneaky. And stay away from any guards walking by, just in case the ones yesterday got a good look at his face.

  They didn't say any of that, though, because both of them had already formulated the same plan in their head. Their styles were frighteningly similar. Even when she was oceans away, he'd often feel as if she was right next to him.

  Maybe that was why they didn't get along at first. Because she took one glance at him and knew exactly what he was doing and he the same with her. It never felt right at first, having someone who could counter your every move and thought before you even made it. But once you get used to it, you'll see all the advantages. One shared look, and they'd know what the other was thinking or planning to do.

  It was truly a pity they didn't work for the same country. But at least they could form some alliances like this. Not like anyone was precisely monitoring what they were doing. Even if they knew, so what? Danna reported either to Lady Asteria or Princess Irina, and the former was familiar with him, even if they weren't on the best of terms. And from what Danna had told him, the princess's trust in her was formidable and steady as a rock.

  He envied that. Truly, he envied that. Because his superiors sure do not trust him as much half the time. Perhaps it was the callous attitude he often displayed. You'd think they of all people saw through the facade.

  Alas, no.

  He asked, "What were you working on before this?"

  She replied with a quick shrug. "This and that. Nothing special. Small cases, trying to clean up after my agents."

   "Kept you up the whole night. And why so much? Isn't the peace treaty under discussion?"

  She rubbed her neck. "I never said there was little work, or it was simple. Not everyone is as careful as you or I. I'm a babysitter, that's what I am." He noticed she ignored the second question, but didn't press.

  "Can't escape the job?"

  "Watching Io was not babysitting. She's more than capable of watching her own back, I didn't need to... cao xing." Worry. She switched back to Sai for the final two words, because she rarely would have a chance to use her native language otherwise. "But here, I'm responsible for all these people's lives..."

  "I'd hate your job."

  "I do too." A pause, as if she was deep in thought, but then she shook her head. "But that doesn't matter. I have some stuff to finish up, if you don't mind me. If you feel like leaving the house earlier, be my guest, just be back before nightfall so I don't have to worry you're dead."

  "I wouldn't dare. Don't worry, I'll leave at the same time as you."

  She nodded. "Stay away from windows." Even with the curtains, he'd easily cast a shadow. If anyone was looking at the right time, they'd spot him. That was a can of worms they didn't want opened.

  "I'm not an idiot," he scoffed, but her concern made him smile anyways. When was the last time someone had watched out for him? He rarely saw his parents, and he was distant from the rest of his family. He had few friends past some other agents, and they were usually posted in different parts of the world and their paths rarely crossed. And he'd just lost Pyotr...

  "Could have fooled me," she mumbled half-mindedly. He took that as cue to leave the study, standing and picking up the file on the Black Camellia.

  "I'll take this with me."

  She nodded. "Just be sure to return it later. Won't want to lose it."

  He left through the front door, not making a sound as she did so, turning a final time to see her settle down in her large chair, staring at some paperwork on her desk blankly.

  Life was cruel. Especially to the ones that were good.