I woke up with a warm breath against my neck as the sunlight streamed through the stained glass window above my bed. The headmistress brought this on herself when she put me in the old chapel.

I tossed off my pink comforter and hit my companion with my pillow. “Get up. You are going to be late for your first day of weapon training,” I said as  I untucked my braids from underneath my black satin cap before I put it in the drawer of the nightstand next to my bed. I went to take a shower and hoped that the grunt was gone by the time I left the bathroom. He saw plenty last night, and I didn’t  need to make this separation any harder for him. 

I closed my eyes as the warm water rained down on me. I looked at the screen on the wall of the shower and flipped through the different body washes available on the shower’s interface. I pressed lavender and smiled as a purple cloud formed above me and wrapped around me like a hug that covered my body. I let the water wash over me as the cloud dissipated, and clicked the option for hair care. The shampoo came out of a small faucet next to the touchscreen and I washed my hair thoroughly.

  I stepped out of the shower, dried myself off, and brushed my teeth. I took a look at myself in the mirror as I cleaned it off. I had a dark heart-shaped face,  brown eyes, and thick pink lips shaped like the bow that is my weapon of choice. The air hit me as I stepped out of the bathroom. I rolled my eyes as I walked to the closet across the room, and  I started to get dressed in the traditional black bodysuit for training. 

“A trainee? Really Kya?” I heard, and I sighed at the familiar voice, as a smile spread across my face.

“He’s legal.” I looked at my best friend on sitting on the bed. He was taller and darker than me with his braids in a ponytail. The years of training by the masters had sculpted his body into something that would make the masterpiece David look like it was made in art class by a primary student. He was wearing smooth pants with a knife in a holster on his hip.

“Lord knows why they put you in charge of recruitment,” he said, shaking his head in disappointment. I saw his grey eyes sparkling with amusement.“The Headmistress wants to see you”

“So you came shirtless to make sure I didn’t run?” I asked using my old towel to dry my hair before putting my hair back up so all of my braids were able to fit back under my cap. 

I asked the Headmistress if I could have a suit with a silk-lined hood. She said, “Our job is not about vanity, Kya.“ I told her to tell that to my edges. She made me run five miles around the school for my disrespect.

“That was for the trainee,” He said calmly. “I can’t let him get cocky because he was in your bed,” he said as he took my bow off of the wall above my bed and hit the top of the doorframe without looking away from me. I bit my lip as I thought about ripping that bow away from him along with his clothes, and riding him until we both couldn’t walk out of this room. I shook my head of those thoughts. You lose way too many people in this job. I can’t make it any worse by fucking my best friend.

“You should know by how quiet it was last night that he needs training with all types of sword, especially the short one in between his legs,” I said pulling on the hood to obscure my face. It’s supposed to help us not form emotional attachments when we fight so we don’t let our personal history cloud our judgment so we can take our opponent down no matter who they are to us.

 I smiled as Theo rolled eyes, “I tune you out especially when Tassos stops by. Meditation would be better for your back.”He points out as he puts the bow back on the wall.

“Tassos is more of a shower person.” I laughed as his mouth dropped open slightly, and he managed to keep himself from gagging.

“That’s it. I’m requesting a room change,” Theo said as he walked out the door, shaking his head.

I ran after him, jumped onto his back, and wrapped my legs around his waist so he couldn’t push me off without effort.

“You can’t do that. It’ll be more work for you anyway because Headmistress will have you deal with me,” I said not caring that students were walking by, and stared at us. The boys appreciated my backside, and the girls glared at me because they wish they were on Theo’s back. I wasn’t moving any time soon.  I smiled as a tall young woman about our age walked by her straight black hair reached halfway down her back. She smiled at me, her dark red lipstick matched well with her dark skin tone. She wore a short mini skirt and a white blouse over a black bra that had different swirls on it. I guess she figured if she’s going to show it off anyway, her bra might as well look pretty.  I rolled my eyes at the whistles from guys as she walked past them. She walked up to Theo. Her smile became bigger. 

My fingers twitched with the urge to rip her lace front off in the middle of the crowded hallway. It would only take a minute. The bitch probably glued it in after that incident when we were younger, she cut off one of my braids while playing barber. I didn’t know how to hit hard then, but I still knocked her to the floor. She cried like the baby she is, and Headmistress made me polish all of the daggers, knives, and swords as my punishment. I hit the floor bringing me back to the present, and this bitch had her lips on Theo. I was about to jump up and crush her windpipe. Then I saw him pick her up, and squeeze her dwarf planet of an ass as he kissed her back. I walked past them thankful for the hood that covered my eyes.

“Kya, Wait.” I heard Theo yell in the distance, but I was already in front of the marble archway that lead to Headmistress’ quarters when he caught up to me.

“Kya, I was going to tell you,” He said as he tried to grab my hand, but I pulled it away.

“We’ll talk about you finding your inner eye in that bitch’s vagina later,” I said as I walked. through the marble archway leaving Theo behind.

Headmistress’ office was its own dimension. She claimed she designed it this way so if the school was ever under attack we can just portal here, and resume classes safely. I think she just needed to be away from students sometimes, and an office on the opposite side of the school isn’t far enough. 

I sat down on one of the soft grey couches that were around the room. One half of the room had bookshelves containing books on poisons, the history of all manners of weaponry, and famous Earth philosophers like Confucius. The other side of the room was a gleaming wooden bar with a cabinet containing every manner of juice and alcohol known in the galaxy.  The sides were separated by a brown desk covered in papers that are in messy piles with a soft leather armchair behind it. The headmistress is nowhere to be found in the room lit by starlight. I puffed my cheeks. Why ask me to come if you aren’t even here? I walked over to the bar and grabbed a tall goblet. Then I mixed a red wine spritzer. I sat back down, pulled down my hood, and sipped my drink while I watched the door.

A few spritzers later, a young woman with curly silver hair and rose-colored eyes tumbled through the door. She seemed to float rather than walk to her desk. Her leather dress hugged her frame like a second skin, and her skin golden like she has the sun as her soul. 

“Thank you for coming, Kya,” Headmistress said, smiling as if she can’t tell I’ve had half a bottle of wine already. I raised my glass to let her know I’m only still here because she has booze. “I’m giving you your first assignment.”

I sat up and tried not to bounce on the couch. I had been waiting for a mission for six years, but Headmistress said my talents are best served here in recruitment.

“You and Tassos are going to provide intelligence and support to Prince Taiki as soldiers in his army,” she explained as I crossed my legs. I didn’t need my body giving anything away. There are stories of the prince’s charm, and that he plans to usurp his mother to take his rightful place on the throne.

“The prince is staying on Neptune. You will meet him and your sister tomorrow in two days to receive further orders.” She said calmly as I finished my drink and got up to get a refill.

Did she say, sister? My glass shattered in my hand, and blood mixed with wine as I fell to the floor with a thud.