The Darkest Assassin

by Gena Showalter

  Foreboding prickled the back of her neck. Can’t let her leave with him. Not this time.

  Heart thudding, Fox jumped up and raced to the closet. At some point, Bjorn must have returned to the cabin and changed her. No longer did she wear her singed, smoke-scented clothing. A pink tank graced her up top, and a pair of boxers covered her intimate area below. She donned a pair of boots and spun, searching for a weapon, any weapon. There! The daggers Bjorn left on the nightstand. She swiped them up and hurried to the front door—closed.

  Bjorn’s voice sounded at last. Unlike Alana, he maintained a moderate tone.

  “I will not be going with you, Alana. I will not be supplying you with power at the expense of my life. I will not act like your husband—I am not. You forced a bond and now, I want no part of it. I am disgusted by you. You repulse me in every way. No one is uglier on the inside. To be honest, I would rather die than touch you. I am willing to die to end our bond.”

  Bjorn, dead… No, no, no! They weren’t on the best of terms right now, but Fox didn’t want him dead. She wanted…she wanted…

  Argh! She didn’t know what she wanted anymore. Before he’d tenderly washed her body, painstakingly trimmed her hair, and pledged to fight for her forgiveness, she’d been ready to cut him from her life. Now the thought of losing him sent her into a panic.

  What if they could have a fulfilling life together?

  Distrust whispered, You cannot.

  Fox fisted the sheets. For too long, she’d either listened to the fiend or fought to ignore him. Today, she fought back. You speak your lies to crack the foundation of truth I stand upon, ensuring I will crumble. Bjorn speaks truth, always. If he thinks we can make this work, I choose to trust him.

  Only setting yourself up for pain and failure…

  No. I’m setting myself up for love and joy. Alana was going to get the stinky boot. And one day, Distrust would, too. She’d thought to use the phantoms to cleanse Bjorn of the queen’s bond. What if she used them to cleanse her of Distrust? Or any of the Lords of the Underworld who were interested?

  The demon panicked, clawing at her mind.

  She grinned. If she bonded to someone else, she would survive, avoiding the Gatekeeper death as she’d hoped for so long.

  Will Bjorn wish to bond with me?

  “It’s the girl,” Alana hissed, breaking into Fox’s thoughts. “You’re doing this for her.”

  “You will stay away from her!” He hadn’t moderated his voice this time. No, he’d let his fury ring loud and clear.

  Fox nearly melted to the rug as feminine power flooded her. Oh, yes. This man loved her and craved a future with her. He would bond with her. And I will be his knight in shining armor!

  How to proceed? With caution! Not at my healthiest. Think! Should she bust out there and just start whaling on Alana? Then what? Usually, Fox followed a target for days, weeks, before ever making a move; the more she knew about their personalities, habits, likes and dislikes, the better the likelihood of her success. But, at the end of the day, she always had to make do with what she had. So. What did she know about Alana? In other words, what did she have to work with this time around?

  Alana was selfish, greedy, and probably a sociopath. She survived off of other people’s life-forces. She was the Queen of Shadows—

  That! That was the key. The answer slapped Fox silly. Shadows equaled darkness. What if Fox imprisoned Alana in a realm without darkness? If the female weakened in sunlight, Bjorn would weaken, too. But. He would have time to go to Phantasia without Alana’s interference.

  Do not do this, the demon pleaded. You’re too weak to win. Alana will kill you, and then Bjorn.

  Hardly. But then, he’d say anything to stop her. Go exorcise yourself.

  As calmly and quietly as possible, Fox opened the front door and leaned into the open frame—a floorboard squeaked, ruining her efforts. Both Bjorn and Alana swung around to face her.

  She raised her chin. Not wanting to be distracted, she purposely avoided Bjorn’s gaze as she told him, “I’m sorry, baby, but this is going to hurt you.” Then she faced the glaring, scowling Alana and smiled coldly. “Hello and goodbye. It hasn’t been nice knowing you.” That said, she tossed one of the daggers. Aim: Alana’s heart.

  Chapter Twenty

  Fox’s dagger whooshed through the air. Time ticked by in slow-motion as Bjorn watched, astounded by the turn of events. The blade sank into Alana’s heart, dead center. Thanks to their bond, pain exploded through his chest. He saw stars.

  Alana screamed and stumbled back. Fox didn’t miss a beat. She opened a portal behind the woman. Unfortunately, Alana stopped just before she passed through it…until Fox dove at her, the two flinging out of Hell and into a sunny flatland. They rolled across the ground, throwing punches and elbows. As soon as they stopped, Fox yanked the blade from Alana’s body. Black blood spurted from the wound, quickly soaking the queen’s torso.

  Bright rays of sunshine blistered Alana’s skin. And Bjorn’s. Weakness poured through him; the same weakness that poured through Alana, though his was much, much worse. She used their bond to steal more of his strength.

  While he still had the necessary juice, he shouted telepathically for his friends. Thane! Xerxes! I need you. They’d come. He knew it.

  Even as his knees threatened to buckle, he tripped to the portal. The two women lumbered to their feet, the fight continuing without pause. More punches and kicks. Daggers and claws slashed. Neither opponent held back, grunts and groans ringing out.

  Alana didn’t have a tenth of Fox’s combat skill. Having always relied on her ability to possess and drain, she’d refused to learn how to war. So, she received more blows than she landed, and Bjorn felt every single one. He didn’t care. He would happily suffer as long as it led to Alana’s defeat. The problem was, Fox noticed his poor condition and began to hesitate before delivering any shots.

  Bjorn rejoiced. I still have a chance with her!

  Unfortunately, Alana noticed the reason for Fox’s hesitation, too, and grated, “The more you hurt me, the more you hurt Bjorn. Right now, he feels as though a thousand little soldiers are marching through his veins, slashing everything. Panic must be enveloping his mind in an icy fog…”

  Fox grated back, “I’m certain he’ll forgive me when I present him with your severed head.”

  “You fool!” Alana threw a punch and missed. “If I die, he dies.”

  “Who said I’m going to kill you today?” Going low, Fox swiped out her arm, as if she intended to knock the queen’s legs together. Instead, she slicked a dagger across Alana’s ankles, nicking the tibial artery. “Maybe I have something else in mind…”

  Dizziness nearly toppled him as he bent to withdraw the dagger from the sheath strapped to his calf. Deep breath in. Hold, hold. Slowly exhale. Good, that was good. The dizziness faded just enough to steady his aim. He tossed the dagger, and the blade sank into Alana’s throat.

  Fox screamed a denial as Alana gasped and stumbled back. Now struggling to fill his lungs, Bjorn collapsed. He wheezed, his body wracked by searing agony. Can’t pass out. Must stay awake! If Fox needed him…

  Unleashing a war cry, Fox attacked Alana with more vigor, aggressive as hell and all the sexier for it. Moving quickly. Slashing those daggers. Slice, slice, slice. Blood trickled from the new cuts and gashes as they appeared on his shoulders, abdomen and thighs. The air-less Alana couldn’t keep up and tripped over a rock. Unable to halt her momentum, she fell.

  Fox dove on top of her. In a one, two motion, she planted a dagger in both of the queen’s shoulders, pinning her down. As the bitch bowed her back and screamed, Fox snarled, “I’m going to trap you in this realm of perpetual sunshine until your forced bond with Bjorn is negated.”

  No. Absolutely not. Alana could not be allowed to live another minute, much less the years he would be forced to spend on Phantasia. Too much risk. If she escaped and summoned her army of Shadow warriors, Fox would be in danger the rest of her
life—however long it lasted.

  Where were her Shadow warriors now? Why weren’t they with her, protecting her? For that matter, where had they been during Bjorn’s final visit to her lair?

  “Let me go!” Alana shouted. “Let me go!”

  Fox stood beside her thrashing body. He used the final drop of his strength to crawl to the females. As soon as she saw him up close, Fox released a ragged sound he’d only ever heard from wounded animals.

  “Oh, Bjorn. I’m so sorry.” Guilt laced her voice, and he hated that.

  “You are not to feel shame, vixen. This is not your fault.”

  “I… I love you. I did my best to avoid harming you.” Tears spilled down her cheeks. “Now you’re bruised, broken and bleeding.”

  Oh, yes. She would give him another chance. One he would not take for granted. She loved him. Loved. Him. The knowledge redoubled his certainty—he was doing the right thing. Time and time again, he’d hurt her, but now…now he would help her the only way he knew how. She deserved a happily ever after, and he would do everything in his power to ensure she got it.

  “I love you, too, vixen. Always and forever.”

  Alana went still, though she continued heaving panting breaths. She looked between Bjorn and Fox, rage mottling her cheeks. “Love?” she sneered.

  He maneuvered to his haunches, raised his arms, a sword of fire appearing in his hand.

  “Wh-what are you doing?” Alana demanded now. “Bjorn, don’t do this. You’ll kill me, but you’ll also kill yourself.”

  “You are not doing this,” Fox barked, latching on to his wrist. “Don’t do this. Please don’t do this!”

  I must. No other way. “Tell me where your soldiers are,” he demanded of Alana.

  “They are on their way here,” she told him, and laughed, gleeful. “Your whore will be the first to die!”

  A foul taste inundated his tongue. A lie. She’d told a lie. His eyes widened. “They are not coming to your rescue, which means, they are imprisoned or dead.” Nothing else would keep her minions away. Unless… “You sold them. You sold them to Lucifer to…what? Buy a ticket to Hell. No. Buy Fox’s abduction and murder.”

  Her gaze skidded elsewhere, anywhere but him, and he knew. She had. She had sold her minions to hurt Fox. Done with her, he raised the sword higher and struck, the fiery blade whooshing through Alana’s neck, removing her head.

  Now, Fox would live.

  As Alana’s body went lax, Bjorn’s world went dark. The last thought to blast through his mind before he dropped face-first to the ground: Worth it.

  * * * *

  With a scream, Fox threw herself at Bjorn’s body to feel for a pulse. It was there, but unbearably weak and concerningly slow.

  Thane and Xerxes came rushing through the portal. Crouching around their friend, they exuded panic, horror, and fury.

  Thane pressed what looked to be an empty vial at Bjorn’s mouth, explaining, “We purchased a single drop of Water of Life from a Sent One named Axel. It cost us the Downfall, but saving Bjorn is worth any price. The drop will buy Bjorn a few minutes…maybe.”

  “Then I have less than a few minutes to save him,” Fox said, doing her best to stay calm. She just, she had to save him. “He needs a new bond. I volunteer. But I need him to awaken and pledge his eternal loyalty to me.” His safety wouldn’t be guaranteed—the bond might kill her instead of save him, thereby killing him, too—but he would for sure die if they didn’t try.

  She patted his cheek. When he failed to rouse, she slapped him with every bit of her might…

  He fluttered open his eyes, and their gazes met. Yes! His irises were glazed over, and he couldn’t focus, but he had awoken and that was all that mattered.

  “Hey, baby,” she said softly, caressing his jaw. “Alana is dead, and you’re dying.” No reason to hide the truth. “We must forge a bond between us. You’ll be saved—”

  “No.” He thrashed his head, and she reared back, stunned and hurt, the wound soul-deep, even though a part of her had suspected the rejection.

  “T-then I’ll find you someone else. Just tell me who you want, and I’ll portal to her,” she rushed out. She would rather he live without her than die. “Remember, timing is critical.”

  No, no, no, the demon chanted. He prowled through her mind, his claws sinking deeper into her brain, drawing blood. A Sent One and a demon-possessed assassin? Bjorn will never forgive you for bonding him to evil.

  Oh, crap. She hadn’t thought about what would happen if Bjorn bonded to a demon-possessed woman. Yes, she hoped to remove the fiend. But…what if he grew to resent her for the link?

  “Do not want…any other woman…I want you…but if… we… bond…and I die…you die, too.” He spoke between panting breaths. “I would rather…die than cause…you harm.”

  Melting. This. This was love. Any lingering hurts faded, new tears streaming down her cheeks. “We won’t die, baby.” Ticktock, ticktock. Those few minutes were running out fast. “Trust me this time.” She took his hand and squeezed, then lifted his arm to flatten his palm against her tear-stained cheek. “Trust me,” she repeated. “I know you’ll have a bond to someone who is demon-possessed, but we’ll find a way to make it work. And I’ve been thinking. Maybe, once I’m bound to you, Distrust can be removed from me—no, never mind. Then I would need to draw from your immortality to survive, and I won’t use you as Alana did.” Frustration mounted.

  “Want you…to draw from me…want to provide…for you.”

  Melting faster. The man who hated risks was considering her offer? Another example of his love for me! “I want you to know that I forgive you for doubting me. We’re still learning each other. I also want you to know I’m going to be changing my entire business model. I’d like to become the official Gatekeeper for the Sent Ones…and take the occasional job killing demons.” She’d loved aiding Bjorn and his army, and looked forward to doing it again and again.

  “But I won’t…risk you,” he continued, as if she hadn’t spoken.

  Fox wilted. Unlike Alana, she wouldn’t, couldn’t force this bond on him. He had to say the words willingly. But she didn’t want to pressure him in any way. So, how was she supposed to proceed?

  “You love this woman, and she loves you.” Thane’s deep voice rang out, more bite than bark. “She wants to save you. Therefore, you will let her.”

  “You will do this, Bjorn,” Xerxes commanded. “Or I will follow you to the hereafter, leaving Thane and Elin heartbroken.”

  In that moment, Fox forgave the pair for their horrendous treatment of her. They’d always had Bjorn’s best interests at heart, and she could not fault them for it.

  Would that stop her from forever tormenting them about the whipping? Not even a little.

  Bjorn opened his mouth to respond, but the words got lost amid a wheezing cough. A death wheeze. His eyelids slid closed, and his head lolled to the side.

  I’m losing him. Fox didn’t give Bjorn a chance to decline again. Panicked, she slapped his cheek until he opened his eyes once again. “Your friends have spoken. You are doing this, Bjorn.” Then, she sliced the center of her palm, blood welling. “I pledge my life and my future to you, Bjorn the One True Dread.”

  To her astonishment, and delight, he did not hesitate. “I pledge…my life…and my future…to you…Fox the Executioner.” He was still panting, his volume lowering more and more.

  Since he didn’t have the strength to cut his own palm, Xerxes made the cut for him. Fox twined her fingers with Bjorn’s to mix their blood, then placed their bleeding hands over his mouth, ensuring the blood dripped down his throat. She did the same for herself, swallowing the metallic drops.

  It wasn’t the prettiest or most elegant of ceremonies, but it was quick and unadorned. Her preference. “Is something more supposed to happen?” she asked the boys. Having never bonded before—

  “Just wait,” Thane said. “As soon as the blood hits—”

  Bowing her back, she threw back he
r head and screamed. The pain! She felt every wound that littered Bjorn’s body, and oh, how had he survived this? She thrashed. Too much, too much.

  The demon quieted, as if he’d been muzzled. Had he been muzzled?

  Her thoughts dimmed, darkness creeping through her mind. She thought someone swept her into his strong arms and carried her away…thought that same someone laid her upon a soft bed. By then, the pain had begun to recede. She became more aware of her surroundings. Thane had carried her, and Xerxes had carried Bjorn, who now lay beside her. His essence filled her mind and her heart. No, all of him filled all of her. She was no longer Fox. She was Fox and Bjorn. She felt his great love for her, and oh, it was pure, precious, and all-consuming.

  “His heartbeat grows stronger by the second,” Xerxes said, his relief palpable.

  “Hers, too,” Thane replied.

  “They will both recover, and all will be well.”

  They laughed, making her smile. Fox blinked open her eyes. The cabin Bjorn had built. The master bedroom to be exact, the only door closed. There was no sign of Thane and Xerxes. But, but…they were just here.

  Bjorn lay at her side, as she’d suspected, and he too blinked open his eyes. As soon as their gazes met, they launched at each other, hugging, kissing, crying.

  “I’m so sorry, vixen. I’m so sorry. I hurt you—”

  “I expected too much too fast, and I should have—”

  “No, no, you did nothing wrong. But I did. I doubted you when you needed me most.”

  “Why don’t we blame Alana for all our problems, hmm?” She curled into him, clinging to this man she adored. “I love you, Bjorn.”

  “I love you, too, vixen. So much.” He caressed his fingertips down the ridges of her spine. “Always and forever.”

  “Always and forever,” she echoed, smiling a genuine smile for the first time since their blow up.