Chapter 5: Someone who makes people disappear

"Thank you so much for deciding to help me," Aleena admitted gracefully.

Azea accepted her hand. Aleena shook hands with Azea for a moment, but as she retrieved her hand. She found Azea's hold to be quite tight around hers.

"I am taking a leap of faith in believing there is some truth to everything you've told me. If I am to find out that you've lied to me in any way..." Azea paused momentarily to weigh the words she wanted to say next. "Aleena De Luza, there won't be a haven in this world that will protect you from me."

Aleena gulped. Sweat trickled down her forehead while a shiver ran down her spine. Azea was scary.

"This place that you are sending her, where is it?" the male inquired curious about the address that Azea was directing Aleena to head to.

"It's one of my safe houses. The people there will help her," Azea let out not getting into the details.

"Who are you?" Aleena found herself asking out loud. The more and more that Azea spoke, the more questions she had about the girl's identity.

"I am someone who makes people disappear. For the right price of course," Azea vaguely uttered. Her organization did many things, they gave people new identities and helped them disappear. They cleaned up messes and fix problems for the rich who had money to pay for the services offered.

Nothing was off the table as long as one paid the right price. Azea believed that in business it was safe to put her heart under lockdown. It was rare for her to get personal in her work.

"In your situation, it's the best solution for you. Consider it a family discount," she let out.

Aleena stared at Azea. Her eyes were full of admiration and envy. She wished that her life was as interesting as Azea's. To know people in places that could make all her problems disappear would be an answered prayer.

"How soon can they help me disappear?" Aleena questioned touching her belly, the male beside her wrapped his hand around her shoulders and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I need my baby to be safe," sge added.

"As soon as yesterday," Azea walked to her wardrobe. She fetched some clothes for Aleena and packed them in a bag neatly.

She took out a red ball gown, one of the best she had, and excused herself to go and change. Azea brushed her finger over the bow and arrows on the bathroom door.

Just in case Aleena and her friend tried to steal from her. She was a good shooter and had the best aim when it came to firing a bow at a target.

Azea was certain that if they tried anything, it would be their last trick. She removed her dress and let it slide down to her feet, her eyes eying the dress before her.

She could recall the last day she put on the gown. It was the night that her eyes opened to the reality of the world. The night changed the course of her life and showed her the truth about how unfortunate it was to be a woman in Astria.

Azea figured that it was the perfect gown to help start her on the new journey.

After changing, she stepped out of the room. The dagger was still in hand. She caught Aleena crying into the arms of the male who Azea had not gotten to get acquainted with.

She didn't know his name or what relations he shared with Aleena. Even though they had exchanged a lot of words here and there since their arrival.

"Ahem!" she cleared her throat to alert them that she was back. "We should get going before dawn breaks," she advised them.

It was much easier to get started in the dark. Without many eyes on them, the fewer witnesses they had, the better chances they had of getting away with it.

Aleena wiped her tears, and the man with her took the bag with the supplies that Azea was generous enough to spare for Aleena. Azea handed him her treasure chest too to carry. He took it and headed for the window.

"You most certainly do not expect me to go out of my house through a window," Azea was struck dumb by the idea.

"Do you have a better idea, my lady?" the man teased. Azea scoffed. Being called a lady gave her a bitter taste in her mouth.

"I do," she assured. Azea ambled to the door and held it open. "Through the door like a normal person. And not through the window like a thief."

She led the way while Aleena and the man followed behind her. Azea knew her family, no one would care if she were to disappear. She was the black sheep of the family, they would be relieved to have the burden of raising her taken from their hands.

There was guilt in her heart. Azea was walking away from the life that she was used to. A house that she had called home for as long as she could remember.

Deep down in her heart, there was a part of her that was going to miss her home. Miss all the memories she had made playing around innocently in the hallways.

She was going to miss all the scolding from her mother, every time she went against the norm and performed tasks in an unladylike manner. They were fun ways for her to spend her day.

Before she realized it, her cheeks were wet. Azea had dreamt of the day she would leave the house many times. Yes, it came sooner than she had planned but she never thought that it would be so hard for her to walk away.

"Are you alright, Azea?"

Azea had no answer for her. It was puzzling indeed, was she alright or was she having second thoughts about chasing the life she dreamt of?

"Did you hear about Lady Azea?" she heard one of the maids' voices from the distance.

"Yes, I heard. Poor girl, she will be devastated when she wakes tomorrow," another voice sounded responding to the first maid. "I can't believe the Lord had decided to send her to a far-away boarding school in the countryside. I feel bad for her."

Azea clenched her fist. Untold rage burned inside her, her eyes threatened to jump out of their sockets with disbelief.

Just because she wasn't like everyone else, or what they wanted her to be, her family decided to send her away. It was unbelievable yet such was the fate of girls who didn't fall in line.

"We should hurry," she insisted all hesitation vanishing from her eyes.

Her father's decision convinced her that Aleena couldn't have arrived at a better time. Azea didn't believe in fate but it seemed Aleena had saved her from being shipped off to the middle of nowhere.

'This is my life and I will choose how I live it,' she sounded in her mind.