The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 159

Chapter 159

Back in Ravenport, Zoria, before her first encounter with Damien Thorn, the master of the Shadow Sanctum, Nova had always been aware of both the Shadow Sanctum and Damien’s existence.

But until then, she had never actually met Damien, nor had she ever set foot in the Shadow Sanctum headquarters.

In Zoria, it had always been Damien who sought her out; she had never taken the initiative herself.

This was the first time for her to visit the Shadow Sanctum headquarters.

She couldn’t help but feel a bit of anticipation. ‘What kind of place is the Shadow Sanctum headquarters, anyway?‘ she wondered.

“Shadow Sanctum!?”

The moment Blood Orange, Blood Lychee, and Blood Chime heard that name, they all cried out in shock, almost as if they’d rehearsed it together.

Even though the three–apart from Nova–were members of the internationally renowned Bloodred Task Force, that name still sent a jolt through them.

When they realized Nova had picked the Shadow Sanctum as their very first ally, none of them could hide their surprise.

They all sucked in a breath, wide–eyed at what they’d just heard.

Blood Orange blinked in disbelief.

“Bloodforge, with just the three of us, I’d be confident about striking an alliance with any crew in the underground world.

“But if we’re talking about the Shadow Sanctum….

“Honestly, we really wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Even Blood Chime, who was usually silent, couldn’t help but speak up.

“With Shadow Sanctum’s international clout, they wouldn’t even bother to look at us.”

Blood Orange and Blood Chime weren’t wrong.

Their crew might be a big deal internationally, no doubt about that.

But compared to Nova’s Bloodblade Mercenary Corps, it was like kids playing in the big leagues–there was just no comparison.

Now that there was a traitor inside the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps, the only group that could’ve made a deal with the Shadow Sanctum was completely off the table.

Even if Nova tried negotiating with the Shadow Sanctum under the name Bloodforge, she knew it was pretty much a shot in

the dark.

Blood Orange and Blood Chime’s worries weren’t unfounded.

“Do you trust me?” Nova asked, her voice soft and sure, not bothering with any explanation.

“Of course we do! If we didn’t trust you, Bloodforge, we never would’ve made it this far,” Blood Orange declared, glancing at Blood Chime and Blood Lychee for backup.

“Then let’s move out–right now!” Nova nodded.

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Before heading out, Nova entrusted Ghost–Hammer to Blood Lychee and tasked her with escorting him safely back to Zoria.

Taking Blood Orange and Blood Chime with her, she set off for the Shadow Sanctum, ready for whatever lay ahead.

The Shadow Sanctum was perched on a private island in the Caribbean, right in the heart of the tropical Atlantic.

Its exact location wasn’t much of a secret–it was known to pretty much anyone who mattered on the global scene.

But because everyone understood just how dangerous and off–limits the Shadow Sanctum was, unless you were a client. looking to hire an assassin, or one of those shady middlemen brokering deals, you simply wouldn’t dare set foot there.

Before setting out, Nova didn’t contact either Aiden or Damien.

She, Blood Orange, and Blood Chime boarded a passenger ship heading to the Shadow Sanctum from the coast.

Everyone aboard was either a deep–pocketed client out to hire an assassin from the Shadow Sanctum, or a middleman looking to cut a deal with one of their killers.

No one else would ever willingly go to a place like the Shadow Sanctum.

“Hey girls, are you here to hire a killer from the Shadow Sanctum?”

Nova leaned carelessly against the ship’s railing, her long, straight black hair dancing freely in the ocean breeze.

Before long, a middle–aged man with the look of a seasoned businessman and a briefcase tucked under his arm strode over to them.

Blood Orange quickly stepped in front of Nova, her voice sharp. “You got business with our boss, or what?”

“Oh, hello there. My name is Wine–you can call me Mr. Wine. I noticed you three are Zoriaien, and I’m guessing you’re here at the Shadow Sanctum to hire an assassin, right?”

“As luck would have it, I’ve got a few killers I work with all the time, and they’re solid. Need me to hook you up?”

Mr. Wine let out a sly chuckle.

It was obvious he was a middleman.

Middlemen like him were the go–betweens, stepping in whenever a hitman didn’t want to deal directly with a client.

Mr. Wine took one look at Nova and instantly thought she was here to hire a killer–he couldn’t wait to score the deal.

“No need,” Nova said flatly, brushing him off without so much as a glance.

“Are you sure, miss? How about a discount? I really can get you a better rate…” Mr. Wine kept trying to pitch, refusing to give

1. 1. up.

“Our boss said we’re not interested. You need to leave–now,” Blood Chime cut in, her stare frosty enough to freeze him on the spot.

The way Blood Chime subtly tightened her sleeve made Mr. Wine break out in a cold sweat; his instinct told him if he didn’t walk away now, he’d seriously regret it.

Mr. Wine gulped nervously, let out a little whimper, and scurried off without another word.

When the passenger ship finally docked at the private island, Nova found the Shadow Sanctum was way different from what she’d imagined.

Directly ahead loomed a gigantic, high–tech facility–seriously, it dwarfed any old Western castle by at least threefold.

By the entrance, there was a sleek facial recognition system, but what really grabbed their attention was a mummified woman dangled upside down above the doorway, clearly left there for years.

The clients and middlemen coming and going barely glanced at the body; they just passed through the facial scanner in silence and strode straight inside.

Booking a hitman here was as routine as swiping into the subway–everyone just followed the process, no fuss at all.

If you didn’t know the real story, you might mistake this place for some kind of futuristic VIP trading lounge.

Nova narrowed her eyes, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. “Not bad…”

They’d only just been standing there for a moment when a tall, gaunt figure in black approached. “My honored guests, our master has invited you,” the assassin said, bowing politely to Nova and her group.

He wore a black mask that concealed his entire face, every inch of his posture radiating rigid respect.

Assassins from the Shadow Sanctum always wore those black masks whenever there was a chance of running into a client or middleman–no one here ever risked exposing their face.

‘No need to ask, Nova thought–she just knew this assassin had been sent by Damien.

As soon as Nova set foot on the island, she couldn’t help but notice the sheer number of surveillance cameras packed along every edge–hundreds of cold, unblinking eyes tracking every single move. Even if there wasn’t a guard in sight, she could feel the total 360–degree coverage, everyone stepping onto the island watched from every possible angle, no escape from their gaze.

“Alright, lead the way,” Nova said with a nod.

Blood Orange and Blood Chime froze for a second, caught off guard.

Wait, did Bloodforge already talk to the Shadow Sanctum before we even showed up?‘ the thought flashed across their minds.

‘Is that why the boss invited us the moment we landed?

‘Yeah, that had to be it.

Not dwelling on their suspicions, the two fell in step behind Nova, letting the masked assassin guide them past the bustling main hall and into a discreet corridor at its side, out of sight from the client crowd.

From there, they ascended, heading straight toward the innermost depths of the Shadow Sanctum headquarters.

Meanwhile, Mr. Wine, who had arrived on the same ship, was still trying to figure out whether Nova and her crew were clients or middlemen. ‘How dare they talk to me like that!‘ he fumed inwardly.

After all, he was a seasoned middleman with long–standing ties to several of the Shadow Sanctum’s top assassins.

But to his utter shock, he watched as the three of them were personally escorted upstairs by the master of the Shadow

Sanctum himself.

The sight was so shocking that Mr. Wine’s false teeth actually fell out of his mouth. He scrambled into the trading hall, barely making it through the facial recognition scanner.

****

The Shadow Sanctum’s fortress–like interior was just as formidable as its notorious reputation.

The whole complex was armored with heavy–duty, blast–proof materials–and as Nova followed the masked assassin, she passed through layer after layer of cutting–edge, facial recognition security doors.

At last, they arrived at the innermost depths of the Shadow Sanctum.

As soon as she walked in, there was Damien Thorn, standing right ahead.

With flawlessly sculpted features and short black hair brushing neatly over his pale brow, he looked almost unreal–like some impossibly handsome character stepped straight out of a graphic novel.

This place looked like Shadow Sanctum’s conference room.

All the higher–ups were gathered here.

Nova spotted Aiden not far away, along with Shanlock–the guy she’d run into at the Greslin family last time.

The rest were all strangers to her.

Nova wasn’t here to play games or beg for favors–today was all about forging a clear–cut alliance with the Shadow Sanctum, nothing more, nothing less.

No way was she going to fall back on her personal connection with Damien or try to cash in on their “special relationship” for an edge.

But honestly, in a place like this, seeing Damien all serious and in charge–she just couldn’t resist teasing him a little, just to see how he’d react.

So, before Aiden could even say a word, Nova stepped forward right in front of everyone, closing the distance to Damien until only nine feet separated them, her voice ringing out and instantly drawing every eye in the room.

She put on her best “strangers at first sight” act, reaching out her hand with a cool, almost teasing smile, like she was meeting the boss for the very first time.

“So, you’re the master of the Shadow Sanctum?

“Nice to meet you. I’m here to discuss an alliance with the Shadow Sanctum.

“Can we shake hands?”

Nova’s purposely indifferent tone, like they’d never met before, made Damien’s face cloud over–even he couldn’t hide how much that ticked him off.

A flash of annoyance flickered across that arrogant, almost otherworldly profile–Damien was the kind of guy who expected respect, not games.

Blood Orange and Blood Chime shot each other uneasy looks, instantly worried Nova might’ve accidentally ticked off the master of the Shadow Sanctum with something she said. ‘Did Bloodforge just piss him off? Oh man, we do NOT want to get on his bad side, they fretted inwardly.

After all, they’d come here with just the three of them, outnumbered and deep in Shadow Sanctum territory. Nervous sweat was already trickling down their temples.

Everyone in the Shadow Sanctum–except for Aiden and Shanlock–looked on in shock, practically holding their breath at Nova’s reckless move, unable to believe what they were seeing.

After all, the last female assassin who dared get within nine feet of their master was still hanging right outside the main entrance. Her corpse served as a chilling lesson for anyone thinking of getting too close.

‘She came here to make an alliance, but now she’s about to piss off the boss…‘ everyone thought, on edge.

However, what no one in the room expected was-

Damien Thorn, the infamous master of the Shadow Sanctum–hailed as the world’s most ruthless man–didn’t hesitate.

He reached out, claimed Nova’s delicate wrist in his hand, and drew her swiftly into his strong chest, holding her close with an unmistakable sense of ownership.

His deep, magnetic voice didn’t hold a trace of warmth–as he spoke, the icy words seemed to freeze time. Every Shadow Sanctum operative, along with Blood Orange and Blood Chime, went rigid on the spot, petrified like statues by the force of his presence.

“Alliance?

“I’m yours, and so is the Shadow Sanctum!”