Hush.

Analina woke up to the sharp edge of my knife pressed against her throat. Her time was up. She had gone to bed at a reasonable hour, she had stayed quiet all week, and she had never bothered her brothers. Analina had been perfect. What could she have done wrong this time?

Analina was turning nine years old today. At least she made it to nine. Most couldn't wait to get rid of their extra children, especially in this cutthroat world. Extra children were a liability and a weakness, especially to those as powerful as her father. However, her father had found some use for her. 

In her father's eyes, Analina could never do anything right. Many nights she had been unable to sleep, shedding tears of childhood innocence that would never be regained. On these nights, she clung to her stuffed bear tighter as if it could stop her suffering. Tonight, Analina was squeezing the bear so hard it looked like it might burst.

Finally, Analina pulled herself together and looked into my eyes. Careful to keep the knife on her throat, I looked around her bedroom, piecing together the story of her life. The walls were decorated with medals and trophies which gleamed with care as if she was not only trying to prove something to the admirer but to herself. Watching her this week, I learned more than I ever wished to know about her.

To her, life was a game where everyone else had an unfair advantage. The only way to win is to outpace everyone else. This was her mistake. There was no way to win for people like us. No matter how well she did, she would never be recognized by her father, the duke, as anything other than a mistake.

It was at that moment that I realized I could not kill this child, my target, Analina Desmes, Fourth Daughter of the Duke of the North. I set down the knife on her bedside and leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"We need to get you out of here, so do as I say. I am going to cut your arm, but don't scream. I am supposed to dispose of the body anyways, but I am going to need to make a scene. If it is too graphic or you just can't handle it, don't be afraid to close your eyes. I can and I will get you out of here, but you need to stay quiet. Sounds good?"

Analina silently nodded, but I could see the fear in her eyes. No nine-year-old, no matter how mature, could be okay at this moment.

I gestured for her arm and she held it out to me timidly. I quietly made a small cut on her skin, being careful to leave no more than a scratch. Then, I let the blood drip over the pillowcase and onto her bed. Thankfully, I had packed a makeshift medical kit in my satchel, so I quickly wrapped up the child's arm with a bandage. I watched as the bandage absorbed the blood, the worst of the injury more or less taken care of.

Analina was now holding on to me, with one hand squeezing her bear's hand and the other one squeezing mine, her eyes filled with fear, but also somehow hope.

"Okay. See the window next to your vanity?" I said. "That window is a blind spot for the security team, so climbing down there will be our best chance, especially if you ride on my back. If you stay quiet and hold onto me, I should be able to get us both down to the garden without being spotted."

Once again, Analina nodded solemnly, so I bent down to help her get onto my back. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around my neck, clearly desperate to get out of the manor. As I slowly walked over to the window and stepped over the sill, I felt her tears soaking through my shirt. She must have been trying to put on a brave face, but there is only so much a kid can take.

Before starting my descent downward, I turned around and took one last glance at her room. It was as pristine as ever, with the numerous golden award plaques reflecting the moonlight back at me. Then I turned to her and saw her expression, fear but also desperation, urging me to move faster.

"It's going to be okay. Just hold on tight, and whatever you do, don't make a noise," I told her. "If the guards hear us, they will catch us."

Analina buried her face into my back as I started to climb down the old brick facade of the manor. Fortunately, this was the entrance I used to enter her room, so I knew the path well enough. Once I had reached the last few bricks, I jumped down and attempted to pry off the child, but she was not letting go. I couldn't do this. Analina was my target, and I had to kill her. I had to, right? It was my job. But where can I draw the line? Am I willing to kill innocents?

There was no point in turning back. I had already gone too far. She was not going to die tonight. With a sigh, I looked around and snuck toward a large bush. Once we were thoroughly buried in the bush, I gently set her down and I turned to her again.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "I promise we're almost there. Once we get to the forest, I can take us back to my castle," I whispered.

"I'm fine," she whispered.

Those words were the first Analina had said to anyone during my time observing her. Beforehand, I was starting to wonder if she was cursed and unable to speak. I had seen it before in noble children, especially extras. It was easier to control those who couldn't speak to others.

I picked her up once again and snuck out of the bush and into the garden. 

To my left, I saw no more than two guards in the distance walking toward us. The Coast was clear, but I had to be fast. I picked up my pace, hoping I could get to the forest before they saw me. Little did I know that the guards were on double duty tonight.

"Intruder spotted near the right wing," a voice said from behind me.

I quickly turned around, panicked and afraid. Two guards had just turned the corner to my right and were sprinting toward me, both wearing resolute yet terrifying expressions on their faces. These men were deadly and would do anything to stop me from leaving the premises. I spotted a third behind them yelling orders into a radio, his scratchy voice echoing through the night. 

I grabbed onto the child's legs and started running towards the forest, a dark maze of trees in the distance. If I made it to the forest, then I could get to the electrobike that I stashed earlier and escape. But only if. 

Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I tried to piece together a plan, the rush of the moment addling my train of thought. There were so many options, yet so little time.

But it was too late. The guards on the right alerted the entire manor of my presence. I was seconds away from being caught. Everything that I had achieved in the past three hundred years would be put to waste. I couldn't fight the guards, because that would put Analina in danger. I couldn't run to the forest, because I knew I wouldn't make it in time. I had no other option; the only way out was up. The guards were seconds away from shooting, so I had to act fast. I turned around to fill Analina in quickly.

"I've got a plan. Close your eyes and hold on."

Without another word, I spread my wings and took off into the night sky.