A shudder nearly rocked her off her feet. She should not have portaled here. But, she’d wanted to help her best friend and mentor, Galen, who’d hoped to save the woman he loved from a cloned god. Long story. The unarmed Sent Ones had occupied a far corner, as still as statues, locked in some sort of trance.
The next thing she’d known… she’d moved through their ranks, decapitating each and every warrior. No one had fought back or even ducked.
I can’t be trusted anymore. If she were to inadvertently harm her friends, because of her demon’s whispers…
Horror consumed her in an instant. Won’t risk their lives. The time had come. After spending five thousand years with Galen, she needed to ditch him.
Ready to sob, she planted her heels, going still, then blinked to clear her vision. She would return home, pack a bag, and go. A hot tear trickled down her cheek. I don’t want to go.
As she wrapped her arms around her middle, the temple crystalized. A bloodstained altar, and a golden throne. The tree that had grown through the marble floor. Where were her frien—
Firm hands settled on her shoulders and squeezed. An enemy?
Distrust did his thing, whispering, Kill him before he kills you. Kill him now, now, now.
No! Not again. Never again. Heart thudding, Fox wrenched free, but she didn’t dart off. Not yet. Not until she knew the male’s identity.
She pivoted, spying blond curls, baby blue eyes, and feathery white wings. Galen! Relief bombarded her. She loved the keeper of Jealousy and False Hope with all her heart.
He’d found her on the flagstone roads of Ancient Greece, mere days after the death of her mother. She’d been a child, and he’d saved her from a life on the streets. Not only had he cared and provided for her, he’d helped her anytime she’d encountered a problem.
With a sob, she launched into his strong, open arms. Me? Sob? Fox wasn’t a crier. Except for that one…ten times she’d accidentally watched a Hallmark movie. In every other case, tears were reserved for kids and men with colds. But still she didn’t stop snotting against Galen.
“Did you do a bad thing? Yes. Can we undo it? No,” he told her, gently petting her hair.
“Are you strong enough to get through this? Hell, yes. I’ll send in a crew to dispose of the bodies, though we both know word will spread anyway.”
Oh, yes. Word would spread. They were in an immortal realm, where spirits could be hiding around every corner, watching and listening.
“You are my favorite protégé, and you can do anything,” Galen said. “Even overcome a terrible mistake.”
Heartbeat, heartbeat, heartbeat. “I…I’m your only protégé.” He’d fired all the others. Literally! They’d died screaming as flames melted their flesh. What? They’d deserved it.
His soft chuckle ruffled strands of her hair. But, only seconds later, his amusement evaporated. “Other Sent Ones will come for you. They will want to end you, but it’s going to be okay, babe. I swear it.”
“Why didn’t the Sent Ones defend themselves, Galen? Why?”
“I don’t think they could. They were under some sort of enchantment. At least you made it quick and painless.”
She recoiled, but he held tight, refusing to let her go. “You should cut ties with me. Otherwise, you’ll be guilty by association and—”
“Don’t be foolish. I will never cut ties with you.”
A pang ripped through her chest. Most people considered Galen a villain, and they weren’t wrong. Centuries ago, Fox and Galen had done terrible, awful things in the name of war. At the time, they’d entertained a single goal: do whatever proved necessary to gain more money and power. Only friends in their circle of trust had been safe. Therefore, no one had been safe, because they’d had no friends. But. In the past year, he had built a trust circle. Fox had not.
Fox still had Galen and only Galen, but he had Legion—his every waking hour revolved around her happiness—and a close-knit group of warrior confidants.
Would Fox ever find someone special? Or even a friend?
Don’t want to. Better off on my own. According to previous “boyfriends”—her relationships never lasted past a few weeks—Fox didn’t know how to love.
The foundation at her feet evaporated as Galen swept her up into his arms. The temple vanished next, her private bathroom appearing, complete with hundreds of tools, screws, and sheets of metal. In her spare time, Fox loved to build…anything. Her specialty happened to be robotics and weaponry.
Someone must have flashed them home, moving from one location to another with only a thought. She sucked in a familiar breath: machine oil, leather, and lavender.
When her friend set her on her feet, the ringing in her ears subsided. Her vision cleared. Legion, Galen’s mate, stood at her side, a beauty with blond hair, dark eyes, and tanned skin. The opposite of dark-haired, hazel-eyed, pale-skinned Fox.
Their personalities were just as different. Legion was sugar, and Fox was spice. They’d never gotten along, and it was Fox’s fault. She’d been rude as hell, too proud to admit she was jealous of the bond Legion shared with Galen.
Voice soft and sweet, Legion told her, “We’re here for you, all right? Whatever you need, we will provide.”
Guilt and shame coursed through her, torching her newfound calm. For weeks, she’d acted like a total bitch to this girl, hating every minute they spent together. “Thank you, Legion. I don’t deserve your kindness, but…thank you,” she repeated.
“Fox, you need to shower off the blood. It’s not a good color for you,” Galen said. “And I need to put distance between us. My demons are itching to attack you.” Unlike Fox, he hosted two fiends. Jealousy and False Hope. Also, unlike Fox, he had not willingly welcomed his dark companions. He’d received punishment for convincing other warriors to steal and open Pandora’s box, unleashing the demons trapped within…then he ratted them out to the king of the Greeks. Partly because his pride had been pricked, partly because he’d felt bad about the plan. “Legion?”
“I’ll take care of her,” Legion vowed.
Galen kissed Fox’s brow, then Legion’s lips. “Thank you, love,” he told his future wife before stalking out of the room and shutting the door behind him. Fox sank onto the edge of the tub, head bowed.
Legion perched at her feet and took her hand, linking their fingers. “I’m sorry you were hurt today. You went to the temple to save me, and now… I’m sorry,” she repeated.
“You did nothing wrong.” The ragged response tripped from her tongue. Sent Ones were beyond powerful; they commanded armies of angels and lived to assassinate demons. They were physically unable to utter a lie, and they despised magical abilities...like portal opening. Once they decided to travel a particular path, they could not be budged until they reached the end. They delivered wrath better than any other species. “I plan to pack a bag and hit the road after I shower. I won’t let you and Galen get injured in the crossfire—”
“No, no, no. I’m not worried about being pestered by an army of Sent Ones. You are a Gatekeeper. You can escape, overcome, and win anything.”
True. Gatekeepers were extremely rare; they wielded the power to open a portal to any location at any time, as long as they knew the coordinates. No one could catch her, because no one could keep up with her. If anyone had a chance of success, however, it was a Sent One.
“But,” Legion continued, “I am worried about your state of mind.”
Another pang lanced Fox. “But why? I treated you terribly.”
Legion waved in dismissal. “I was afraid of my own shadow, and you called me on my crap. How can I complain about any harsh words you uttered when I’m a thousand times stronger as a result? I mean, I got to decapitate Galen’s greatest enemy today. Actually, I got to decapitate the bastard twice! I’m a new woman, and I’ve left the past in the past. I hope you do, too. You are a wonderful, secretly nerdy, closet do-gooder, and I love you.”
“What’s nerdy about loving fun things?” she asked as Legion patted her
knee. “Trolling internet trolls. Playing Dungeons and Dragons, with actual dungeons and dragons. Bingeing reality TV shows. And, yeah, okay, I know a lot of my favorite shows have sucked this season, letting people break rules while pretending viewers are too stupid to notice.”
Legion grinned, clearly proud that she’d distracted Fox from her pity party. “Maybe you’re getting a wee bit worked up about your TV obsession?”
If there’d been a narrator for Fox’s life, the bastard would have said, “She always gets worked up.”
“Maybe,” she agreed, only then realizing she’d sunk her nails into her thigh, drawing forth a bead of blood. “I usually ship and stan the so-called villains, and love to hate the supposed good guys. A couple of times, I’ve even portaled to places where live broadcasts are being filmed to cheer on my favorites.” Once, she’d been a total conspiracy theorist. She’d loved coming up with scenarios and theorizing about possibilities. After Distrust, she just wanted to believe something, anything beyond a shadow of a doubt.
“Ship? Stan?” Legion asked. “You are speaking English, but I’m hearing Greek.”
“To ship is to love someone so much, you want to sail away into the sunset together. A stan is a mashup of stalker and fan.”
“See! Nerd.” Legion pressed her lips together, an obvious attempt to smother her laugh. “I don’t want you going on the run. I’ve been there, done that, and it’s no way to live. I want you here, with us. I will marry Galen, and you’ll become my stepdaughter. I’ll have daily chores for you and stuff.”
“And I’ll have a magic apple for you to eat,” Fox muttered.
Legion laughed. “I’m the stepmother. I get to give you a magic apple.”
Patting the woman the way Legion had patted her, Fox said, “Maybe I don’t deserve to run. Those Sent Ones were in some sort of trance and weaponless, yet I removed their heads.” Free of charge! No. Wrong. She would be paying a terrible price. “Whatever fate their brethren deliver is justified.” The guilt and shame returned and redoubled, overtaking Fox completely. Stupid tears scorched her stupid eyes. Her chin trembled, the salty droplets spilling down her cheeks.
“You need to ease up on yourself, Foxy. You are newly demon-possessed. You haven’t learned to fight Distrust properly yet.”
How did one properly fight a demon? Though the bastard had quieted—appeased and sleeping at the moment—it was only a matter of days…hours…before he woke and began her torment anew. How did she silence his dark whispers? How did she ignore the constant paranoia?
“What’s more,” Legion continued, “those Sent Ones could have been the evilest, vilest Sent Ones in town, banished to the temple for terrible crimes.”
Maybe, but probably not. Wait. She arched a brow and asked, “Foxy?”
Legion shrugged. “I’m trying out new nicknames. Just go with it.”
“Sure thing…Mommy.”
One corner of Legion’s mouth twitched. “We aren’t without resources. We have allies able to aid us in amazing ways. Harpies, and queens, and goddesses, oh my. We will all do everything in our power to protect you.”
No way she would endanger Galen and Legion. No, Fox would rather be on her own, the only one at risk.
“Thank you for everything.” For the first time in their acquaintance, Fox wrapped her arms around Galen’s mate and hugged her. Her first female friend in...ever? Fox wasn’t just cold. Her acerbic personality tended to prick tempers. “I’m sorry for the pain I caused you.”
“I told you the past is in the past, and I meant it. No more apologies from you. I reminded you how wonderful you are, and I meant that, too. You are loyal to the ones you love. Do you know how rare that is? You are strong and cool, and I want to be more like you so bad!”
“No!” Fox blurted out, then repeated the denial at a lower volume. “Don’t be like me.” Mostly unfeeling, unwanted, and despised by others. Distrustful of everyone. “You are perfect, just the way you are.”
“Dude. I just got a compliment out of you. This is a good news day!” Again, Legion patted her knee. Then she gave Fox another momma-bear-like hug and stood. “Shout if you need anything, all right? I’ll be nearby.” She padded to the door and paused. “Love is truly the only thing worth fighting for.”
Not waiting for a reply, Legion closed the door, leaving Fox alone.
Love is the only thing worth fighting for.
Love. An emotion she had yet to experience.
Great! Her chin began trembling again. She stripped, her motions jerky, turned on the hot water and stepped into the stall. Crimson-tinged water rinsed from her and circled the drain. The blood of her victims.
Guilt and shame intensified, burning her throat and chest as if she’d drunk a gallon of acid. Her chin trembled, and her chest tightened. Emotions were garbage, she decided. They always shaved points off her IQ.
She needed to think of a way out of this situation, which meant she first needed to calm. So, Fox stuffed every emotion in a mental lockbox, the good and the bad. In seconds, she went cold, her preferred MO. No feelings equaled no problems.
Time to work through my troubles and find a solution. Ten dead Sent Ones, murdered by her hand. An assassin would be sent to her, Legion and Galen were right about that. Probably ten assassins. Like for like. Sent Ones couldn’t flash or open portals, so they’d have a difficult time catching her.
What if she—?
A loud crash sounded. A sound she recognized. Someone had just kicked in the door.
Chapter Two
Heart racing, Fox pressed a series of tiles on the wall before rushing out of the shower stall. Ahead, a section of the wall popped open, revealing a sword hilt. As soon as she reached it, she grabbed that hilt, freeing the weapon. A little compartment she’d built for emergencies like this. She refused to open a portal to a new location. Her attacker(s) might or might not follow her through. If not, Galen and Legion would be vulnerable to ambush. No, Fox would stay, and she would fight.
As she rounded the corner, she spied golden feathers. Oh, yes. A Sent One had come for her. Though she’d locked up her emotions, a new one sparked. Awed terror. This wasn’t just any Sent One. This was one of the Elite 7. The best of the best for allies, the worst of the worst for enemies.
Suddenly, she came face-to-face with the most beautiful male of all time. Dark hair, bronzed skin. Rainbow eyes. Wow, wow, wow. His irises contained hints of blue, green, gold, and red.
The terror faded, leaving only awe. He wore a long white robe and held a sword of flames. How he’d gotten past her friends, Fox didn’t know. Surely, someone had heard his entrance.
If so, she had a minute, perhaps two, before that someone showed up to check on her. Unless the Sent One did something to prevent others from hearing what occurred in her room. Or killed those others.
Rage overwhelmed her. “Did you hurt my friends?” The question exploded from her.
“I did not.”
The rage dulled, and their gazes met, awareness punching her dead center in the chest. Never in all the eons of her life had she experienced such a visceral reaction to another person.
As she struggled to take in air, he pursued her inch by inch. He liked what he saw, no doubt about it. An erection tented his robe an-n-nd damn! He couldn’t be that large. Nope. No way. He must have smuggled in a package of tube socks filled with dildos. Either way, her nipples puckered and goose bumps spread over her limbs.
He swallowed. “You are Fox the Executioner.” A statement, not a question, spoken in a delicious, gravelly voice.
New shivers hurried down her spine. “I am.” Why deny it?
“Then you know why I’m here.”
“I do.” Again, there was no reason to deny it. “Nice hate-on, by the way.”
A growl rumbled from him.
Excellent. She pushed back a little more. “Be honest. You’re regretting your assignment now that you’ve seen me, yes? I mean, it’s pretty obvious you gave my body a five-boner review.” Desp
ite the dire circumstances, Fox couldn’t help but tease the big, bad warrior who’d come to slay her…a male who looked like sex on legs and sounded like the world’s best-paid phone sex operator.
A blush painted twin circles of pink on his cheeks.
A blush? From an assassin? How adorable was that? Even still, she lifted her blade. As much as she’d struggled to survive her childhood, as fiercely as she’d fought to endure her demon, she would not go down without a fight. No matter how much she deserved the punishment.
“You are mistaken. I regret nothing,” he told her. “An involuntary bodily reaction changes nothing.”
“Or maybe it changes everything. Who are you, anyway?” And why hadn’t he launched his first strike, if he had no regrets?
“I am Bjorn, the One True Dread.”
Well, well. He’d actually answered. Now, her mind whirled. Bjorn… Fox kept mental files on every major species and player in the heavens, Earth, and the Underworld. He qualified. She knew Bjorn and two other Sent Ones had interacted with Galen a couple of times, and every meeting occurred while Galen interacted with the Lords of the Underworld. The men and women Galen had once convinced to steal and open Pandora’s box. Every one of those warriors played host to a demon.
In fact, Distrust used to live inside a Lord named Baden. After Baden had died—the first time—the demon had wandered the Earth for centuries, tormenting humans. Then, Galen had captured the fiend and forced him to possess Fox.
What else, what else? Bjorn’s two friends were Thane of the Three and Xerxes, once known as the Cruel and Unusual until a monstrous immortal named Lazarus came along and did something crueler and more unusual, and Xerxes was redubbed the Terrible…and why did any of this matter right now? Moving on. The three owned and operated the Downfall, a popular nightclub in the heavens.
Other Sent Ones once considered Bjorn a bit of a playboy. Then he’d been held captive for months, by someone, somewhere, and emerged unpredictable and vengeful, more selective about his partners, preferring those who wanted rough and temporary. For the last year or so, he’d been linked to a grand total of zero women. Or men! Either he’d gotten better at hiding his liaisons, or he’d simply stopped having liaisons. She’d heard rumors about a crazy ex attacking anyone who caught his fancy, but those rumors had yet to be verified.
The Darkest Assassin Page 2
