Damon's eyes narrowed. "One of the Twelve?"
Alzara nodded. "The Twelve Blades of Silence. Each one is a perfected monster raised from birth by the Umbra Path. They're not mere killers. They're walking calamities. Once marked, no one survives their pursuit."
The sand at her feet began to swirl with growing agitation, responding to the churn in her aura. "They're used only for high-profile threats. People, the Umbra elders want removed from the very memory of the world.
Another woman stepped next to Alzara and explained. "Our princess has been marked by those deviants. They have been hunting her nonstop, not giving her a single moment of peace."
"Can't you give them money or something? Aren't they assassins for hire at the end of the day?" Damon asked.
Alzara let out a bitter laugh. "If only it were that simple. The Umbra Hand has two sides. The visible one, the one that takes contracts, negotiates prices, and plays the mercenary game."
