EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2020 N.J. Walters
ISBN: 978-0-3695-0192-9
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Audrey Bobak
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
During my writing career, I’ve been blessed with many wonderful readers and author friends. One of those good friends is no longer with us. Ti Kern, I will miss you. You were generous and kind and so enthusiastic about my writing. This one is for you.
Thank you to all of you who enjoyed the Marks Mercenaries series and wrote asking if there would be more from this world. That encouragement spawned the Assassins of Gravas series.
And thank you to the incredible team at Evernight Publishing for working hard to bring this book to life.
SPEAR’S SEARCH
Assassins of Gravas, 1
N.J. Walters
Copyright © 2020
Chapter One
Someone was following him.
Not by a single twitch of a muscle or blink of an eye did he alter his path as he slowly worked his way along the crowded docking station. He wasn’t concerned about being recognized. He was wearing the rough pants and shirt of a dockworker, a fake beard covering the bottom half of his face and a blond wig concealing his hair. Contacts and a skin-lightening pigment completed the change. All anyone would see when they looked at him was a tall, very white-skinned, scruffy blond male with blue eyes.
Just one among the many species of males and females working to resupply or load and unload the many ships docking in the busy port on Oasis. Sure, there were robotic cargo droids that did much of the heavy lifting and carrying, but there was still plenty of work to be had, not to mention information. It flowed as freely as the liquor did to the paying customers in the bars populating the station.
Which was why he was here.
As he rounded a turn, he slipped into the shadows, melding with them. It was where he was most comfortable. Being out in the open, even in disguise, was the most dangerous part of his mission.
Back to the wall, he casually scanned the area, searching for anyone paying too much attention to him. No one stood out among the people nearest him.
The short hairs on the back of his neck stirred.
Whoever was out there was good. Exceptionally good. But unfortunately for them, not good enough.
He was a Gravasian assassin. And as everyone knew, there were no better killers in any galaxy.
Gravas was a warrior planet that guarded its security and secrets well. Most thought Gravasians never ventured far from home. And they’d be right. But there were long-range scouts and spies always infiltrating other worlds—all to assure their own security. They had no interest in taking over any other worlds or they would have done so a long time ago.
They came and left without leaving any trail, any sign that they’d passed through.
Gravasian assassins were even better. They were ghosts, a whisper on the wind.
But there was no doubt someone was following him. The likelihood they knew his true identity was minuscule. Still, he had to check it out. His training demanded it.
It was a delay that might cost him dearly. The man he needed to find would only be on Oasis for a few planetary hours.
Tension hardened every muscle in his body before he forced himself to relax. He would not fail in his mission. He never had and wasn’t about to start.
The stakes are too high.
But a mistake now could cost him later. Taking the time to investigate wouldn’t change the inevitable outcome, only delay it.
When a group of workers strolled by, he timed it perfectly and slid into their midst. He casually scanned the area without seeming to. Only years of practice kept his heart rate level and his breathing even. He hunched slightly, as though leaning down to hear what one of the men was saying.
At six-six, it wasn’t easy to go unnoticed.
The group he’d joined continued to the other side of the large platform, giving him time to survey every inch of docking station number four.
Some might call him paranoid, but his instincts had kept him alive in situations where he should have died. He never doubted them.
There. Off to the right in the deepest shadows. The slightest of movements. If he hadn’t been looking straight at it, he would have missed it. The light was out in that corner.
Accident or on purpose?
He’d bet the last credit in his pocket it was the latter.
Keeping his head down, he continued with the group, breaking off when he was past the viewer. Ducking behind a recycler, he counted to ten before making his way behind several large pipes that ran parallel to the floor. The wonderful thing about a docking station was the myriad places to hide. It was a beehive of activity and a labyrinth of pipes and cubbies and equipment.
Every step was silent, even on the metal flooring. Not that anyone would hear it above the ruckus of people and machinery. But it was a mistake to underestimate the watcher. Some species were gifted with abilities above the norm.
The corners of his lips turned up slightly, in spite of the gravity of the situation. He did love a challenge.
His vision quickly adapted. He inhaled slowly, drawing in any scents, but picked up nothing beyond the usual stench coming from the ships and people working on the platform. There were too many to isolate any specific one.
Going slower than even a Darkatan silkworm, he eventually positioned himself behind a steel girder and listened. Five minutes passed before he caught the slightest ruffle of clothes.
The watcher was patient. Hadn’t left the hiding spot. Maybe he wasn’t the target at all, but his interest was aroused. And it was always better to be certain than sorry.
He carefully withdrew the razor-sharp dagger from the hidden sheath strapped to his arm. Made of the finest titansteel—a virtually indestructible metal only found on Gravas—it was easily concealed from security scans, lightweight, and could be used to kill with minimal effort.
Unlike a blaster, it was silent.
In a soundless rush, he was around the girder, thick forearm wrapped around his victim’s neck and the sharp tip of the blade at the base of the skull.
The person didn’t fight, didn’t move a muscle.
He was dealing with a pro. Only another assassin would react in such a way.
“Want to tell me why you’re following me?” It was second nature to change the pitch and tone of his voice and speak in Alliance Standard, the language most commonly spoken on all Alliance planets and stations.
“I’m not.”
The voice was low with a slight lilt that skated over his skin like a caress.
What in the depths of Gravas was going on? Why was he reacting in such a manner?
With lightning speed, he assessed his quarry. About six feet, slender, short dark hair. Not enough light to determine true color. The lightest fragrance of mint teased his nostrils and made his entire body clench.
“Try again.” He wasn’t leaving without answers.
The tiniest shrug caused the blade to scrap across the tender skin on the back of her neck. And it was a woman. The certainty settled in his bones.
Not that it meant anything. Some of the deadliest assassins in the world were women. Too many people undere
stimated them.
He wasn’t most people.
“I wouldn’t move if I were you,” he cautioned. One thrust and she’d be dead before she could take a breath.
She cursed under her breath. “Fuck.”
His informant was likely slipping through his grasp, but for the first time in years, Spear el Gravaso, prince of Gravas and elite assassin, was actually more interested in something other than his mission—or rather, someone.
“I won’t ask again.” Curious or not, he couldn’t waste any more time. He flexed his forearm the slightest bit, not enough to choke her but enough so she knew he meant business.
****
Sass clenched her jaw to keep from swearing again. How in the three hells of Brenam had he snuck up on her? No one had been able to accomplish that feat since she’d turned twelve. She was Artemis’s best assassin for a reason.
Something to stew over at another time. Right now, she had a much bigger problem, and he was standing behind her with the tip of a knife pressed to the base of her skull. As angry as she was with herself for allowing her interest in the man to pull her attention from her mission, she was impressed with his skill.
Even without seeing him, she knew it was the tall stranger she’d been watching on the platform. “You’re no dockworker.” If she could keep him talking, he might let down his guard enough for her to get away. Like him, she favored knives and had several strapped to her body, all within easy reach. Her fingers twitched but she didn’t reach for one.
His knife wasn’t at her throat but in a more strategic location. With one easy thrust, he could end her and walk away with hardly any blood spilled. No muss, no fuss.
“Neither are you.” His voice was so very deep and sank into her bones. He spoke Alliance Standard but there was a hint of an accent. Or maybe that was a ruse. She often changed her own voice to fit the situation.
“Got me there.” Keeping her tone conversational, she started to shrug again but stopped. There was already blood trickling down her neck from a slight cut. No need to add to it.
“Who hired you?” he asked. His tone was monotone, as though he had no real interest in her reply. She wasn’t buying it.
“No one. I just got off one of the ships and decided to hang out and watch the excitement of the docks. Sure, I noticed you. Hard not to.” That was the pure truth. A man like him—tall with broad shoulders and a lean build—captured a woman’s attention. But it wasn’t his physical appearance that had caught her eye. Okay, not only that, but rather the way he moved. There was an animal-like fluidity to the way he walked and a complete attention to his surroundings in a sea of people.
Playing to a man’s vanity was a tried and tested ploy for a reason—it usually worked.
Not this time. There was no loosening in his hold.
“I bet if I searched you, I’d find several knives, wouldn’t I?” The puff of warm breath against her ear sent a shiver down her spine, making her skin tingle.
Not the time for tingles.
She threw her head to the side—not back because, hello, he had a knife almost piercing her neck—but he dodged easily and laughed, low and amused.
Bastard.
Sass lifted her legs and dropped, or tried to. His arm tightened around her neck like a band of titanium. The air was cut off from her body. Rather than release her, he increased the pressure. If she didn’t stand up, she’d literally hang herself.
Slamming her boots onto the metal platform, she used the slight forward momentum to unsheathe one of her weapons. Now they were even.
She turned the blade so it was pointing behind her. Without even stopping to consider the possibilities, she thrust back. There was no way to get a kill shot, but she could hurt him. Her primary goal was escape.
He caught her wrist before it got even close. Damn, he was fast. Now that his arm no longer had a stranglehold on her, she spun around and struck out with the palm of her free hand, aiming straight for his face.
“Not the nose.” He caught her other wrist in an unbreakable grip. Where had his knife gone?
Their small scuffle went completely unnoticed in the dimly lit area. “So what now?” she asked. She tried to ignore the heat from his palms and how easily his fingers wrapped around her wrists.
Something about him drew her. Which only proved that she’d been working too much lately. The man had tried to kill her. She stopped and had to modify that. He’d held her captive and questioned her, but he could have killed her before they’d ever spoken a word.
With the knife no longer a threat, she relaxed. There were a dozen ways to break his hold, but she was curious about the mystery man, even more so than when she’d first clapped her eyes on him.
Not good. Curiosity like that would get her killed. Either he’d follow through on his implied threat or Artemis would kill her if she messed up the assignment.
Her boss had a zero-tolerance rule when it came to failure. If it were only her life on the line, she might have given up years ago, but that wasn’t how her boss worked.
“Now you tell me why you were watching me?” His question broke her away from her dour thoughts. Distractions like that couldn’t be tolerated. They could leave her dead if she wasn’t careful.
“Sheesh, this again?” She tilted her head to one side and gave him a sultry smile, one she’d practiced for months in her mirror before perfecting it. Her best friend and sister of the heart, Delphi, had praised her efforts, while Delphi’s twin brother, Zaxe, had simply rolled his eyes. No, she couldn’t think about her friends, her family, not now. She had to escape and find the informant. That was her mission.
“You’re an assassin. Whose, I wonder.”
Her heart skipped a beat. It was nothing more than speculation on his part. No way could he know for sure. So she’d do what she’d always done—brazen it out until she could gain the upper hand. “You’ve watched too many entertainment vids, my friend. I’m just a girl from a small agra-planet enjoying her time in the metropolis of Oasis.”
The corners of his lips twitched. She held her breath, but he didn’t smile. Maybe she’d imagined it.
“If you think I’ll believe that, I have some prime beachfront property on Kalaman to sell you.”
Sass gave a snort of laughter. Kalaman was a desert planet with little but sand. Her captor had a dry sense of humor.
“Listen, big guy, why don’t we just go our separate ways? You have things to do and so do I.”
Did his grunt mean yes or no?
“What things do you have to do?”
Damn, he was persistent. “I have to meet a guy. He’ll come looking for me if I don’t show up soon.” Not likely. Granter would rabbit, and she’d have to spend time she didn’t have tracking him down again. The man never stayed in one place for longer than a couple of hours.
“That’s interesting. I’m here to meet a guy, too.”
That stopped her cold. They couldn’t both be looking for Granter. The universe wouldn’t be that cruel.
Of course, it would. Her life was a cautionary tale of just how unfair the universe could be.
Time to take control of the situation. “It’s been fun and all, but I have to go. One scream and security will come running.” Or not. Oasis was rough, but there was decent security in the docking stations. They took the safety of cargo seriously. Supplies were hard to get this far out and worth a lot of money. Lives were much cheaper. It was a tossup if anyone would respond if she did cry for help.
“Go ahead.”
The bastard, which she had now officially dubbed him in her head, was taunting her. He knew as well as she did, if security did answer her call, they’d both be tied up for hours. She couldn’t afford that, but she guessed he couldn’t either.
Since flirting and guile wouldn’t work, she went for directness. “I’m here to find a man, get some info, and leave. I won’t get in your way if you don’t get in mine.”
“You’re already in my way.” Huh, his tone suggested that w
as a surprise even to him.
“What can I say? It’s a talent.” She raised one of her arms. His hand, still gripping her wrist, rose as well. “What do you say?”
“You’re an assassin. Who are you looking for?”
He certainly wasn’t mincing words. She could respect that. “So are you. Who are you looking for?” She was no pushover. Some men assumed because she was a woman she would be. It was always a pleasure to teach them the error of their ways.
“Look.” She decided to be the voice of reason because someone had to. “We both have jobs to do, so we should get to them, right?”
“Why were you watching me?”
Sass blew out a short breath. “Like a Terran coywolf with a bone. Honestly, you caught my eye. You’re a big, good-looking guy, and as skilled as you are at blending in, the way you move, your awareness of your surroundings stood out and made me look twice.”
She should be embarrassed to admit that. It was the first time in her life she’d ever gotten even momentarily sidetracked from her job. And look what happened. All the more reason to focus on the task at hand.
“You’re telling the truth.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course, I am. You think I’d easily admit getting distracted by a man? Not good for my reputation.”
Was that a laugh? The quick, muffled sound was over as quickly as it began. He tilted his head to one side and studied her, as if trying to figure her out.
Good luck with that. Even the people who knew her best had never been able to.
He yanked her, and the forward momentum slammed her against his chest. His very wide, very muscular chest. She tipped back her chin, ready to blast him, but his lips touched hers.
Heat exploded through her entire body. Maybe she was standing on the unforgiving desert sands of Kalaman.
If he’d been rough or tried to force her, she would have resisted. But he coaxed her, his lips nibbling at hers. A yearning started deep in her soul. Her heart rate doubled and her breathing quickened.
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