original

His Huntress

Chapter 1: The Test

Iris

The air was cold on my face as I weaved through the thick, emerald forest, moist from the morning dew. The silence disturbed by my breathing and footsteps, yet not loud enough to drown out his. They grew louder as the distance between us shrunk. My heart felt aggressive with each beat against my ribcage.

I can't let him get me. I'm so close.

As the edge of the forest came into view, I felt the slight brush of his fingertip at the nape of my neck. I instinctively duck my head off to the side and avoided his grab. I push myself even harder and break through the forest lining right into the parking lot. I soared through the cars, looking for my black Toyota Corolla. Once I reached the car, my hand flew towards the glove box where my black pistol resides. As I turn around, the man is running straight towards me. I swiftly aim the gun at him and pull the trigger.

"You're dead." I say through pants as i examine the red paintball stain located where his heart would be.

"Very well", the man said as he removed the hood from his head and the mask over his mouth, revealing his salt and pepper hair and proud smile. "Very well indeed. 4 minutes and 17 seconds. A new record."

I could barely contain my smile. I had just set the record for the fastest escape in training history. Now that I had passed the field test, it meant I was ready for the next phase. We climbed into the car and placed our seatbelts on. The drive from the forest trail to the house was a bit quiet other than a few remarks about the weather and ideas for tonight's celebration dinner. As we reach a red light, he looked over at me.

"Iris, I have set a date for you to meet il capo. You will have to be on your best behavior if you want the position. This is very important for the your mother and I. We raised you to serve his family. Make us proud."

I looked over and our eyes met, steel grey to steel grey.

"I never fail, father. Victor Valentino will have no choice but to acknowledge my skills." I reassured my father with a confident smile.

If he chose to deny me, my wrath wouldn't be a pretty sight.