Just wanted to say a big thank you to @PopsieX for making me this awesome cover!

Anyone else good at banners and covers please do message me with your covers for Blade of Embers (now SoS) if you make one and they'll be featured in a chapter. 

-4-

She was late. An ominous door greeted her, the training room looming behind it. With the cool press of Ravaryn against her thigh giving her some strength, Elle pushed open the door.

Oil lamps had been lit in a hope to restore some flickering light to the dark place, which flickered as the dust from her shutting the door swept into the room. A balding man sat hunched in his chair. The first thing Elle noticed was that his crumpled shirt clashed horribly with his cantaloupe tie. "Miss Hallor."

"Elle."

Glancing up nervously, he reshuffled his papers. Her attention brushed past him to the other agents lounging in their chairs: a girl with pink hair and warm brown eyes offered a sweet smile. Gods, her bone structure was nearing perfect—high cheekbones and plump lips. Jealousy flared before she squashed it down.

The three boys had copper, brown and dark hair. One didn't bother to look up through his dark hair. A brooding asshole. Great. The man with curly brown hair shifted in his seat, his muscles rippling underneath his shirt. She found herself glaring at the smug smirk fixed into his expression, his skin tanned from being under the sun.

A small wave and a goofy grin from the third guy. And she thought the pink nymph would be hard to handle. She hadn't seen any of them before, but they probably knew each other.

Elle lowered herself into the empty seat next to Kade. "Why are you glowering at me?" He whispered, tying his hair into a small ponytail. All she wanted to do was fix the messy blonde tail. "I'm wishing away your existence."

Chuckling quietly, he settled into his seat once more. Stares from her 'teammates' burned holes through her clothes until she glared at them to stop.

"Right...now that we are all here I think introductions are in order." Baldy peered around the table. A smirk still playing on his mouth, the brunet cleared his throat. "I'm Jax Gailsen. You probably already know of me."

Elle snorted and mimicked him under her breath. "I'm Jax Gailsen, you probably already know of me."

Kade shot her a disapproving glance at her quiet laughs, but the copper boy across from her wasn't so subtle. Seeing as now everyone's attention was on her, she spluttered a "sorry" and bit her lip hard.

Baldy didn't bother to conceal his disdain, shaking his head. "It's a shame how far one can fall." Kade kicked her shin under the table to stopper the retort already breaking from her lips. "Ow." She elbowed him and clamped her mouth shut when he groaned quietly.

"Jax here will lead this team."

Elle sank down lower in her chair, screwing her eyes shut. This can't be happening.

Going next, the beauty raised her hand charmingly, "I'm Kath Tiriwal."

"Leo Neath." The copper one supplied.

"Elle," she grunted.

The final member of the team, Tristan Lyander introduced himself in a low, gravelly voice. 

"You will train and get to know each others moves inside and out," Baldy muttered, "and soon you will be sent on an errand together before your main mission."

"What's the errand?" The copper-haired Leo asked, eyes lighting up. If the guy could be bouncing in his seat with anticipation he would have been,

Kade waved a hand at Baldy to quiet him. "There's wind of a transaction occurring between two parties which we need to intercept in about a weeks time, in the east side of the slums. We will see."

Jax, being an arrogant bastard stood. "We don't need an entire team for that. I could do it alone."

Elle groaned loudly. His attention snapped to her. "What? You think you would be better?"

She bared her teeth, leaning forward on her elbows. "No, no. I know I would be better."

Kade stood abruptly, surveying the room under his sharp eye. "No more fighting, agents. You are now working as one team. The errand requires collaboration—something which you clearly do not have yet. Get training."

Baldy nodded numbly along with him. After all, Kade was even his superior. "I'll leave you to it." Without another word he strode out of the room. One by one, the assassins pushed back their chairs and headed to warm up. Elle halted, grabbing Baldy's arm and pulling him aside when they were out of earshot.

"There's been a mistake—"

"It is no mistake that you are here. All I need you to do is sit back, shut that ghastly trap of yours and follow orders. If you can't even do that then your incompetency exceeds even my expectations." His patronising voice ground on her eardrums.

He expected her to tame herself like a pet?

"I do not take orders from anyone else but myself. Not you, not Kade and definitely not Jax!" Her voice menacing and still hushed. As she let go of his wrist and took a step back, Baldy's face reddened and he began shaking his finger in front of her nose, spewing retorts and threats to go to Mikel.

In a swift movement, Elle unsheathed Ravaryn against her leg. She just knew she'd need to share the shit out of someone.

"Don 't come near me."

Immediately, he stumbled back. His beady eyes scanned her body for any other sharp items. A sheen layer of sweat glistened on his pallid skin.

The clanging of the others' training quietened. The room swaddled in silence until—

"Put the weapon down, agent." Jax Gailsen clutched another dagger in his palm, jaw clenching and unclenching. Baldy scrambled away from the fuming assassin gratefully, panting and trying to fix his askew tie. Elle merely smirked at the curly-haired agent, blindly following orders. "I don't like you and I won't hesitate to attack. You don't have anyone here to protect you," he jeered.

Elle remained unmoving. Amidst his whimpering, Baldy managed to stutter out, "Jax, you need protection more than she does."

He scoffed, brown eyes never leaving hers. "I highly doubt that. She's an unstable coward, and I'm not one to be afraid of a ratty bitch—!"

Breaking into a sprint, Elle's fist struck his nose and her foot follower with a sharp kick to his precious jewels. She would have pummelled him more if Leo hadn't grabbed her with spine-snapping force, stopping her from tackling Jax as he buckled to his knees, face scrunched up.

Once she had stilled in his iron grip, the man released her. He was much taller and broader than she had expected up close. Catching Baldy's eye, Elle pointed a damning finger at him. "When this mission fails and teams begin to be slaughtered again, you'll realise you're all bloody fools."

She stalked away from Jax and Leo, to the weapons rack, flitting between the finely-made daggers, weighing each in her hands. No one appreciated the danger of being seen in teams. Her breaths ripped out in tatters.

Slowly, everyone retreated back to their training.

Footsteps approached and heeled boots scraped to a stop. Kath Tiriwal tucked one of her pink locks behind an ear. Elle stared at her delicate features: those reminiscent of a sprite or nymph. She commanded an ethereal beauty. Magical species like that had become extinct years ago, certainly in Myndor when the Enforcers rose to power. Outside the realm lived many varied species of creature and person but they weren't welcome within Myndor's borders.

Kath offered a small smile which Elle didn't return. Folding her arms, she kept her chin lifted. The pink-haired girl opened and closed her mouth a few times, before shaking out of her daze and offering her hand. "We haven't properly met, I'm Kath."

Elle didn't take her hand. Kath rubbed her fingers like the rejection physically stung. "Why don't you want to be here?"

"Working with others is dangerous,' her voice remained clipped and harsh.

Her soft-spoken answer was a mere whisper. "Everything is dangerous. Better to go headfirst into peril knowing others have got your back."

Elle clicked her tongue. "I don't think he has my back," she jerked her head towards the scowling Jax.

"He'll come around," Kath followed her gaze. "I think. He's this rude to everyone most of the time."

The corner of her lips lifted. The copper-haired member joined them, leaning against the stone wall. Tristan and Jax were already beginning to pump weights behind them. "Leo." He inclined his head at her greeting.

"Elle, correct?" His dimples showed. A beat of silence. "Would apologising for the headstrong Jax help? I've known the man since we both arrived at the Order."

"He can pardon himself."

"Very well. I'd better start training before someone starts yelling." He quirked a brow and left them to it, walking off with a bounce to his step.

Kath fiddled with a button on her shirt, eyeing Elle as Leo sauntered off, humming.

"Choices are funny things," Elle's attention snapped to her. "The right choice could be the hardest thing you'll ever have to do. Nothing is easy, nowadays." She left her by the rack to think in peace. Strange girl, but wise all the same.

Elle's eyes shifted to the small windows in the training room as streams of light had begun to filter in as the new day began.

Steadying her feet in front of the red punching bag, she smoothed her hair back. Her initial punch made the bag jerk backwards sharply. Grunting, she kneed the bag until she noticed the men in the training room wince. Grinning to herself, with another jab to the bright bag—maybe this wouldn't be too bad after all.

Over the next few days a trainer from the Order brushed up on their skills, working through moves with them. Elle found endless amusement from Jax becoming more and more frustrated as he parred with Pik. His eyes flashed to Jax's hips to predict his next moves, meeting them with fluidity and calm precision his opponent lacked.

Pin-prick rain hit the glass of the windows, the dismal day bringing churlish clouds grumbling in a pellucid-blue sky. Semi-solid rain slushed and fell onto the streets below. Morning frost decorated the corners of the glass with its flakes.

Elle pressed her fingertips against the cool surface, debating whether to jump to the sodden streets below—if she did she would make sure to take Jax down with her.

A voice sounded from behind her. She turned to see Tristan at the weapon rack, running his hands over the displays. "What's your speciality?"

Slowly, she took a few steps closer, examining the man. His green eyes were sharp, offset by his darker skin tone. They observed as she located her dear old friends - a collection of small wicked daggers. Flicking them between her fingers, she smirked.

"I'm more into swords." He picked up a longer blade. 

Pik noticed the pair from the other side of the room. "Hands off the weapons for now, Elle. Prove you can survive without them in the ring."

She peeled away from her fascinating conversation with Tristan, waving innocently as she strode over to the ring. He rolled his eyes once she had turned.

Swigging from her canteen and arriving at the lip of the pit, she cracked her tender knuckles.

Kade had caught her on her way to training that morning. After a moment of awkward silence all that the man could get out was: "Remember to behave in training today, to avoid getting into hot water with the Highers. So when someone gives you the 'don't do anything stupid or reckless' look, don't do anything stupid or reckless."

Elle had replied with a prickly I've got it covered. It was only natural that they would drift apart with his new shiny role, and her less than glamorous one.

Landing crouched on her haunches, she snapped her glare back to Pik who observed her like a hawk. The sandy grit of the floor was already bloodied in patches from previous matches. Her bones ached for a chaotic fight. "Your opponent—"

Cut off by someone leaping into the pit, brown eyes met her narrowed ones as Pik finished. "—Jax." 

(edited)