by Fatima Fayez
I started laughing so hard the cereal threatened to come back up.
"It's not funny. I can totally see you doing that. Tell me you wouldn't do that," Noor huffed. "Besides, doesn't the Alliance have rules against fraternization?”
"He says they don’t.” I shrugged. “We were too busy doing other things to discuss that."
She grinned at me. "Do you want to share details?"
"Not at the moment." I wondered if I should tell her that Rafael had been assigned to me from the start. I decided against it. She was already hurt about the Leroy incident.
A look of disappointment crossed her face. "Boo. You should be kind to your friends who aren't getting any."
"I'm surprised you haven't asked me for something yet."
"What's that?"
"I thought you'd ask how soon I could hook you up with an Alliance agent."
"Oh, that's right," she drawled. She twirled a long strand of her black-and-blonde hair around her finger. "You're going to have access to a whole new group of guys. Be a friend and set me up on some awesome dates."
"I'll try.”
"When do you start?" Noor asked me.
"Today." I pulled out my phone and glanced at the time. "I'm actually running late. I have to take a shower."
Noor shook her head, a smile on her lips.
"What?" I asked her.
"The Supernatural Shadow is working at the Alliance. It's just funny."
I couldn't disagree with her. "I'm acting as a consultant."
Noor laughed. "This is going to be amazing. I can't wait to hear what they get you up to. You can share details, right?"
I shrugged. "They didn't tell me I couldn't."
Noor clapped. "Fantastic! This might be even more fun than hearing your bounty and assassination stories. The other ones always ended one of two ways: captured or dead."
"Glad to be of use to you." My lips twisted as I stood up from the table. "Now I have to get ready and get going or I will be late, and who knows how they'll react to that?"
Chapter Thirty
Leon had requested I start at the Alliance as soon as possible, so that meant bright and early the morning after I'd been arrested. When I got to the headquarters, Rafael was waiting for me at the front door. He gave me a crooked smile. "Are you ready for your first day, Agent?"
"I'm not an agent, I'm a consultant," I told him as he walked me over to the elevator.
"Aren't I entitled to a little fantasy?"
"Is that one of yours?" I pressed the elevator button. We were the only ones waiting. I wondered what time everyone else showed up for work.
"We've already engaged in several of mine." He leaned in to whisper into my ear, his breath tickling my neck. "The first one was seducing the most-wanted assassin in Europe. The second was arresting her for criminal behavior and then taking her back home to teach her a lesson."
I laughed. "Is that what happened? Personally, I thought I taught you a few things, or did you forget the handcuffs?"
Rafael grinned. "You can teach me lessons any time."
The elevator doors opened. Rafael placed his hand on the small of my back, and we stepped in. I counted the seconds as the elevator doors closed and then swiftly turned on him, pinning him to the wall. I held his wrists above his head with one hand and reached behind my back with the other for my dagger. His moss-green eyes sparkled as he laughed at me. I silenced him with a forceful kiss. His tongue darted into my mouth, probing. I broke off our kiss suddenly, leaving him wanting more. He waited to see what I would do next.
I raised my dagger and trailed the edge of my blade down his delicate features and along his masculine jaw. The tip of the dagger pressed lightly under his chin. I watched his Adam's apple shake. He was trying to contain his laughter. It seemed my fae lover enjoyed playing with sharp objects, too.
"The next time you're in my bed, I'm going to teach you a lesson in blades," I promised him.
"I look forward to it."
I glanced above my head and nodded to the upper corner of the elevator. "We just gave the security men a good show."
Rafael let out a loud laugh and grabbed me around the waist. He kissed my mouth roughly. I was careful not to nip him with my dagger. We broke apart as the elevator door pinged. I smoothly returned my dagger to its place and ran my fingers through my curls.
The elevator doors opened, and we stepped outside.
We were back on the sixth floor. It resembled the seventh, but unlike on the seventh floor, these cubicles were filled with people. Supernaturals of all kinds typed on computers or talked on the phone. I saw a few pointed ears — other fae. From the way their noses rose as we walked past, I noticed a few shifters, too. The rest appeared to be witches and wizards.
Rafael led me to an office and we stepped inside. Leon was standing at a window with his back to us. The office was spacious. There was a large desk with a couple chairs across from it. In the corner of the office was a small, circular table with four chairs surrounding it. A bowl of fruit sat on the tabletop, accompanied by a large glass pitcher of water and some drinking glasses.
Leon turned around at our entrance. "Good, you're right on time. Have a seat."
Rafael waited for me to sit before he took the seat across from me. Leon stayed where he was with the window to his back.
Leon studied me, his golden eyes intent. "In an ordinary situation we would insist on an ankle bracelet to track you, but because Rafael vouched for you we've decided to forgo that. Besides, it makes things awkward with the way you two are carrying on."
I frowned at Rafael, and he shook his head minutely.
"I can smell your arousal," Leon said bluntly. "Your scents are all over each other. Maybe next time avoid pawing each other in the elevator?"
“Jealous?” I arched an eyebrow. I studied the shifter. “Are you seeing anyone? My roommate is looking for an Alliance agent to date. She said she wanted a hot one, but you’ll do.”
Rafael covered his mouth and coughed, clearly trying to cover up his laughter, but to no avail. His body shook with silent laughter. I grinned.
Leon waited until we were able to compose ourselves. He ignored my question. I’d have to ask Rafael about his relationship status later. Once Rafael had stopped laughing, the Alliance agent began. "As stated in the contract, we'll use your services." He coughed and continued, "You'll get a regular salary to cover your living expenses. I'm sure it's modest compared to what you were earning from your criminal endeavors and freelance activities. You're not to take on any bounty hunter jobs or assassinations, independently or with another organization of any kind. Failure of compliance will result in termination of your services and negation of your contract. We would transfer you directly to Arkanez Prison for Supernatural Criminals. Any questions?"
I shook my head. Most of that had been covered in the contract.
"Another thing,” Leon said. “We don't kill at the Alliance.”
"If we can help it," Rafael muttered.
"None of that," Leon reprimanded Rafael before turning to face me once more. "If you kill someone, you would be in violation of your contract, and again—"
"You will transfer me to prison," I completed his sentence.
"You're a fast learner." He gave me an approving nod.
"Don't patronize me." There was a reason I had insisted that they add a self-defense clause to the contract. In their hurry to get me to sign on with them, they had failed to state the definition of self-defense and what fell under it.
I refused to be made a victim because of stupid rules and regulations. Sometimes the only way out of a situation was to kill. And I would rather kill than be killed.
Leon moved over to us and sat in his chair at the desk. He leaned back. "Anyway, now that's out of the way, I can assign you to your first task."
My ears perked up. I was curious to see what task the Alliance would give a former bounty hunter and assassin. What could I do that their agents hadn't been able to? Well, I was
about to find out.
Chapter Thirty-One
I was pretty sure the task Leon was about to assign me was the reason he had been so eager to get me to sign on in the first place. He placed a hand on a manila folder in front of him. "Your first job is to track a vampire that has evaded us for too long."
Strange. I knew I was an excellent bounty hunter, but he could have outsourced this job instead of assigning me to it. I frowned. "Why don't you ask the vampires?"
"We did. They claim not to know where he is."
The vampires always knew where everyone was. "What about his Master?"
"His Master hasn't been able to locate him for us. In any case, we believe you have the skills to locate him. You have an excellent reputation as a bounty hunter."
I raised an eyebrow. Was this it? Was this why Leon wanted me to work for the Alliance? He could have hired me at Javier's office. There would be no guarantee that I would have taken on the job, of course, but it would have been less of a headache for him than trying to justify paying me two years' salary instead of locking me up. Then again, I doubted the Alliance had to justify anything to anyone. The lack of supervision and regulatory laws were part of the reason they were so distrusted in the supernatural community. Unless they were needed, of course.
"Yes, I had your records sent over and took the liberty of informing your former boss that you're not to take on any more bounty jobs," Leon confirmed. "We need you to get the vampire alive."
"What's he done?" I was curious to see what had made the Alliance so antsy.
"He's threatening to expose us all."
"The Alliance?" I asked.
"The supernatural world." Leon’s lips pressed together.
This was the reason there was increased chatter about supernaturals being revealed to humans. Mateu was going to be so happy when I gave him this piece of news. I paused as I tried to remember if this fell under the non-disclosure amendment in the contract. I would have to be very careful about what I shared with the gargoyle in the future.
"The vampires won't help with that?” I said. “If we're exposed, it will affect them, too.”
"We believe they're cooperating to the best of their abilities, but still, no one's found him. We have assurances from his Master that he's made attempts to reach the target, but he hasn't responded."
I whistled. Vampire protocol was that if a Master summoned you, you responded immediately or risk being shunned. If a vampire was shunned, then the entire vampire community cut ties with him and he was declared an exile. After being declared an exile, it was nearly impossible to find any type of success without the aid of other vampires. There was a reason for the vampire hierarchy, and one would be hard-pressed to find any vampires that lived in complete isolation from other vampires. Due to their long lives, they needed each other for survival. If humans found out about a vampire and his or her location, it was effectively a death sentence. The vampire community made sure to keep their world secret at all costs. Without the community's protection, an exiled vampire wouldn't last very long.
"What's the timeline? When do you need him by?" I asked Leon.
"As soon as possible. The chatter is getting louder that this event is happening sooner rather than later." His voice was grim.
"Can I use my usual sources for information?" I needed to know if I could get Ibrahim and Mateu's help on this. Or Hubert, if I needed him.
"Yes, and you will have access to the Alliance’s full resources. Let Rafael know what you need, and he'll see to it that you get it."
“Oh, he’s good at attending to my needs.”
Rafael swallowed a laugh. Leon glowered.
I smiled. In reality, I didn't have much faith in their resources, but I was curious about what they had nonetheless. "Okay, who's my target?"
Leon slid the manila folder across the desk to me.
I picked it up and flipped it open. I looked down at the face of my target. At first I was shocked, but then I started laughing.
Rafael and Leon exchanged looks.
"This is a joke, right? You're hazing me." I pushed the manila folder away. "Good one. You nearly got me going with the whole 'threatening to expose the supernatural world' thing."
"It's not a joke," Leon said. His eyebrows were knit together.
My laughter died as I looked between the two of them. They were serious.
Rafael gave a tiny shake of his head. "This isn't a joke, Aisha. We need you to find him."
"Why do you think it's a joke?" Leon asked me.
"Because this guy"—I pointed at the folder—"is dead."
There was a sharp hiss of breath from Leon before he demanded, "How do you know that?"
"Are you sure?" Rafael leaned toward me.
"Yes." I looked at them both before I answered. "Because I killed him myself."
Chapter Thirty-Two
"Explain," Leon demanded, leaning forward in his chair. "What do you mean you killed him?"
"It's Sebastian." I pointed at the photograph. It showed a handsome vampire with dirty blond hair and blue eyes. He had a smug smile on his face. He wore glasses even though he didn't need them, but he believed they made him look more intellectual. It was a pity that the illusion shattered whenever he opened his mouth. "He's my ex-boyfriend."
"Do you have a habit of killing your ex-boyfriends?" Rafael quipped, eyebrows raised.
I gave him a sharp smile. "Only the ones that irritate me."
"When did you kill him?" Leon asked with a frown. He was all business.
"A year and three months ago." I’d killed him on our anniversary; I didn't realize how much time had passed.
"Turn to the next few pages." Leon leaned back in his chair again, but this time he wasn’t relaxed. He steepled his fingers and pressed them to his lips as he waited for me to read the documents in front of me.
I flipped through and saw CCTV photos of Sebastian. The photos were grainy, but the man in the photos was unmistakably Sebastian. I inhaled sharply as I saw the dates on the photographs; they were as recent as three months ago.
"He's alive?" The words came out in a whisper. That was impossible — Sebastian couldn't be alive. I had killed him. I glanced up at Leon.
He nodded grimly. "Yes."
Sebastian was dead. I had made sure of that. There was no way for him to be walking around Barcelona, but the photographs showed that he was.
I lifted the surveillance photos with my left hand. "Could these be fabricated?"
"No, there's too much evidence showing that he's active. Other than photographs, there have been two live sightings, but the agents didn't have time to get to him. He slipped through their fingers."
"How did you kill him?" Rafael asked me. "Did you tear out his heart?"
"No, I dumped him in the sea. I made sure he wasn't breathing and then dumped him overboard," I said almost distractedly. I sifted through more surveillance photos, trying to identify where they had been taken. All of them contained unfamiliar backgrounds, but I recognized Barcelona regardless. The idiot hadn't even bothered moving to a different city. He had been under my nose this entire time. His sheer arrogance made me want to scream.
A year and three months ago, Sebastian had told me he wanted to go on a boat ride for our anniversary. We rented a boat for the day and set out. It had been a beautiful morning with a slight breeze. I packed a few bottles of wine so Sebastian could get drunk off my blood. What he hadn't known was that I had poisoned each bottle before I drank it. Yes, I poisoned myself in order to kill my ex-boyfriend. I drank an antidote after he had sipped my blood.
I waited until he passed out and then slipped him overboard. I couldn't weigh him down with rocks; there had been no way to bring them on board without it looking suspicious.
"What did he do?" Rafael asked. "Why did you kill him?"
"Why do you want to know? Want to avoid his mistake?" I raised my eyebrows.
"Genuinely curious," he said.
I gnawed my lower lip. I didn't kno
w where to start. "Everything was great when we first got together. He was a thoughtful partner and we got along great. However, over the time I knew him he grew increasingly erratic. He talked about exposing supernaturals even then. At first I thought it was just the usual complaints, didn't think much of it. Then I realized it was something more. I talked to his Master about it, and his Master told me it was nothing, that it was just a phase many vampires went through, but I knew it was more." My voice trailed off as I reflected on the past.
His Master had been upset with me when I confessed to him what I had done to Sebastian. I knew he'd feel their connection sever and send out people to see what had happened. I eliminated the risk of people coming after me by admitting to my part in the murder right away. It was the same thought process that had led Rafael to inform the lounge owner about the dead vampire out back: as long as the vampires knew someone had been held accountable, then their thirst for vengeance was quenched. I had been prepared for a fight, but instead Sebastian's Master agreed to exchange favors. So far, he hadn't called in any yet. I still awaited that day.
"When did you decide to kill him?" Leon pressed.
"When he told me he was going to be the one who would change the world for the better." I paused. "The thing with Sebastian is that his actions come from a good place, but I knew it would just plunge us all into chaos. At first I didn't believe him, but then he started spreading rumors and recruiting anyone who would listen. He thought that upending our world would help humans. He didn't see that it would only cause more misery and strife in the human world." I stopped again and thought of the implications of Sebastian's existence. I’d tried to kill him once for wanting to reveal us to the humans, and I couldn't let him try again. Sebastian failed to understand that if humans found out about the supernatural community, then the humans would no longer be on top of the food chain. Once they realized that their spot at the top of the pyramid was being threatened, they would come after us holding pitchforks.
