Cassian's POV
The knife left my hand before the drunk fool finished his insult.
I heard it thunk into the wooden board across the tavern—dead center, right where I'd aimed. The room went silent. Then someone whistled low.
"Impossible," the drunk muttered. "He can't even see the target."
I smiled without warmth. "Don't need to see it. I can hear your breathing. You're standing two feet to the left, shaking like a leaf."
He was. They all were. That's what happened when a blind man never missed.
I turned back to my ale, listening to the whispers ripple through the Rusty Dagger tavern. That's Cassian Thorne. The Blade of Shadows. Heard he killed twelve men in the dark. Heard he moves like a ghost.
Most of it was true. Some of it I'd encouraged. Fear kept people from asking questions about my past.
"Another round!" someone shouted. "Triple the bet if he can hit the center again!"
I needed the coin, so I stood and pulled another knife from my belt. "Call the target."
"Dead center!"
I threw. Perfect hit. The crowd erupted as money changed hands. I collected my winnings—forty silver coins—and sat back down.
Not bad for an hour's work. Another month of this and I'd have enough to leave this miserable city behind.
That's when I felt it. A change in the air near the door. Someone new had entered, and they moved differently than the usual tavern crowd. Lighter steps. Expensive boots on worn floorboards.
I pretended not to notice, taking a long drink. The stranger wove through the crowd, heading straight for me. I tracked them by sound—the soft clink of metal, possibly a sword, and barely any smell of ale or sweat. Definitely not a regular.
"Cassian Thorne?" A woman's voice, crisp and formal.
"Depends who's asking."
"My name is Mara. I have a business proposition."
The tavern went quiet. People sensed trouble and started sliding away from our table.
I set down my mug. "I don't do business with people I can't see."
"You can't see anyone," she pointed out.
Fair. "What do you want?"
"To offer you a job." She sat across from me without asking. "One that pays more gold than you'd earn in a year of tavern tricks."
"Not interested." I'd learned that jobs offering big money usually came with bigger problems.
"You haven't heard the offer yet."
"Don't need to. Good night."
"Ten thousand gold pieces."
I froze halfway out of my seat.
Ten thousand gold. That was... that was impossible. That was enough money to disappear forever. To buy passage across the ocean, start over somewhere new. Somewhere I could stop being the Blade of Shadows and just be... someone else.
Slowly, I sat back down. "I'm listening."
I heard her smile—the small shift in breathing, the faint creak of facial muscles.
"There's a relic that needs to be retrieved," Mara said. "It's hidden in a temple in the Whisperwood Forest. Dangerous journey, but nothing someone with your skills can't handle."
"The Whisperwood is cursed."
"Which is why the pay is so high."
I drummed my fingers on the table, thinking. Ten thousand gold. Freedom. A new life where I didn't have to hide who I used to be.
"What's the catch?" I asked.
"No catch. Retrieve the relic, bring it back, collect your payment."
"Who's hiring?"
"A private collector. Very wealthy. Very discrete."
She was lying. I could hear the slight hitch in her breath, the way her heartbeat sped up. But I didn't care. Ten thousand gold could buy a lot of new starts.
"When do I leave?"
"Tomorrow. There's a ceremony you'll need to attend first—just a formality. Standard magical protection for the journey." She placed something on the table. "This card will get you into the meeting place. Midnight tomorrow."
I picked it up, feeling the smooth surface. Expensive parchment with a wax seal.
"What kind of ceremony?"
"Nothing dangerous. Just a binding ritual to ensure you complete the mission. Think of it as a magical contract." Her chair scraped as she stood. "Be there at midnight, Cassian. This opportunity won't come twice."
Her footsteps moved toward the door, then paused.
"One more thing," Mara said. "You'll have a partner for this job. Someone to help with the magical aspects of retrieving the relic."
"I work alone."
"Not this time. But don't worry—they're very capable. You'll barely notice they're there."
She left before I could argue.
I sat in the noisy tavern, turning the card over in my hands. Ten thousand gold. The chance to finally leave this life behind.
The smart choice would be to walk away. Jobs this good were never what they seemed.
But I'd been running for five years, ever since I lost my sight and the woman I loved. Five years of tavern fights and dirty mercenary work. I was tired of it. Tired of being alone. Tired of surviving instead of living.
Maybe this was my way out.
I pocketed the card and finished my ale. Around me, the tavern returned to normal—drinking, gambling, fighting. The same as every night.
Tomorrow at midnight, everything would change.
I'd retrieve some relic, collect my gold, and finally disappear. Start fresh somewhere new. Maybe even find peace.
It sounded too good to be true.
But for ten thousand gold, I was willing to take the risk.
I stood and headed for the door, my hand resting on my sword out of habit. The night air hit my face, cool and crisp. Somewhere in the distance, a clock tower chimed.
Twenty-four hours until midnight.
Twenty-four hours until I walked into that ceremony and my new life began.
I smiled. For the first time in years, I had hope.
I didn't know I was walking straight into a trap.