• Jaymz) As we drove through the city, I asked Nyx all I wanted to know. “You’re an Assassin?” “Yes.” “You kill people for a living?” “No.” “What do you mean?” “I kill Templars. Templars kill Innocents to get what they want.” “What do they want? The Holy Grail?” “No. The Grail is just a cup. They want power.” “Are the authorities Templars?” “Most of them. There are some Assassins in the authorities, too, and some Innocents. Not many, though.” “What’s your full name?” “Nyx della Notte.” “Are you Italian?” “Yes.” “Were your parents Assassins?” She hesitated. “…Yes.” “What happened to them?” “Not your business.” “Where are we going?” “Shut up.” “That’s rude.” “You’re annoying. Shut up.” I shut up. After about 10 minutes, Nyx said, “We’re being tailed.” I looked behind us. I didn’t see anyone. “There’s…” “A black 2007 Mustang GT500 with tinted windows and no lights on.” She turned right. “Do you see it now?” A light from a lone street lamp ran over us, then I saw it. I nodded. “Hold onto something,” she said, “things are about to get really fun.” I barely had time to grab the ‘Oh, Crap! Strap’ before she hit the gas. The Corvette flew ahead like a startled wild horse, racing ahead. The city passed by in a blur. Nyx made crazy fast turns, sometimes so sharp that we were on 2 wheels. The Mustang was steadily falling behind, but he was following us like a bulldog. Finally, after we lost sight of him, we pulled into an empty parking spot at a motel. Nyx turned off the car, got out and gracefully strode to the main office. Not as gracefully, I got out and stumbled after her. As soon as the door to the car closed, Nyx locked it with the key remote. Nyx waited for me and let me lead. She hid, almost shyly, behind me, whispering, “Just get the cheapest.” I felt her press a few bills into my hand. I talked to the man reading a magazine at the front desk. He was shorter than me, about 5’6”, with dark blond hair, pale skin, and a blue-brown combination heterochromia. His tag said he was also the manager. “The cheapest you’ve got, please.” He nodded. As he reached for the key, Nyx jumped out from behind him. Just before she hit him, he turned, twisted, and caught her around the neck. She punched his nose, which immediately started bleeding. He tightened his hold, and then Nyx bit his arm. He yelled. Nyx twisted, tripped the man, and shoved him down. Then, she sat right on his chest and said, “I win, Nikkolai.” He started laughing. “Malenʹkaya Zmyeya! How long has it been?” His thick Russian accent rang through the office. “A while, Nikkolai.” Nikkolai lifted Nyx up and set her on his shoulders, both of them laughing. All of a sudden, she gasped and fell backwards. If I hadn’t rushed forward, she would’ve crashed onto the floor. I caught her and stumbled, her sudden weight throwing me off balance. Nikkolai steadied me, saying, “Here, come to the Assassin’s Suite.” I followed him into room 7. It looked like a cheap hotel room, but he walked over to a painting on the wall. When he pressed a part of the frame, the wall shifted behind it. He pushed it and we entered a beautiful suite that would’ve challenged the best 5-star hotel in the world. A large, old-fashioned four-poster bed could be seen through a door. A kitchen could be seen through another door. A couch, loveseat, fireplace, and shelves of books stocked the room we just entered. Our footsteps echoed on the marble floor as Nikkolai led me to another door, which he unlocked using 4 different keys and a combination, along with a retina scan and thumbprint scanner. Inside there were plain grey walls and a large, Dumpster-like tank. Nikkolai opened the tank and took Nyx from me. He gently placed her inside the tank, then closed and locked it. I attacked him shouting, “No! She’ll suffocate! There’s not going to be enough air in there for her!” He bore my attacks like I was an angry 4-year-old child. “Rasslabʹtesʹ, rebenka. It’s an isolation tank. The oxygen levels, air pressure, and water temperatures are strictly regulated.” “Water? She’ll drown!” “Net. The water has special chemicals in it so that she will float safely. Do not worry for Malenʹkaya Zmyeya’s safety. She has slept in there many times.” I contemplated unlocking it and saving her, but decided that if Nyx trusted Nikkolai, then I could too. I relaxed, then followed Nikkolai out. “Feel free to do as you wish, everything is fully stocked. If you need anything, just dial number 13,” Nikkolai said. He touched a portion of the wall behind him, slipped through the hidden door, and closed it, leaving me in the glorious prison cell.