The Assassins of Light

by Britney Jackson

  THE ASSASSINS OF

  LIGHT

  CREATURES OF DARKNESS: BOOK THREE

  BY BRITNEY JACKSON

  THE ASSASSINS OF LIGHT

  Copyright © 2018 by Britney Jackson

  All rights reserved.

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Published by Noctem Publishing

  First Edition, May 2018

  www.britneyjackson.com

  THE ASSASSINS OF LIGHT

  by Britney Jackson

  SUMMARY

  The war is coming…

  Alana might be gone, but the world hasn’t forgotten what she did. The damage is done, and the world is quickly spiraling toward a war that will threaten the survival of humans and vampires alike.

  The Assassins of Light, an organization whose mission is to eradicate all vampires, has emerged again after centuries of lying in wait, and for reasons no one understands, Rose Foster is their new target. As Rose struggles with her own inner turmoil, she must find a way to protect the people she loves from the Assassins of Light.

  Kara Unnarsdóttir tries to protect Rose from afar by utilizing her impressive network of spies, but her investigations into the Assassins of Light lead her to the realization that the extremist organization is closer to Rose than she originally thought. In a last-minute effort to end the war before it begins, Aaron instructs Kara to assemble a team of vampires from the Tomb of Blood to attack the Assassins of Light.

  Can Rose protect the ones she loves without surrendering to the Assassins of Light, or is she doomed to watch more people die because of her?

  Can Rose and her friends stop the war before it begins, or is war inevitable?

  In this third installment of the Creatures of Darkness series, the world will find out what happens when tragedy meets the power of the Eklektos…

  CREATURES OF DARKNESS

  Series

  Book One: THE STONE OF THE EKLEKTOS

  Book Two: THE TOMB OF BLOOD

  Book Three: THE ASSASSINS OF LIGHT

  Book Four: THE REIGN OF DARKNESS (Coming Soon)

  Find out more at:

  britneyjackson.com

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  The Dark Warrior

  No Rest for the Weary

  Something Worse

  The Target

  The Message

  Daughter of Loki

  The Trap

  The Black Rose

  The Rescue

  Want

  Guilty

  Needed

  Strictly Business

  The First Attack

  Kara’s Darkest Secret

  Derailed Train

  Choosing

  The Red-Eyed Vampire

  Owen’s Mistake

  The Mission

  The Monster

  No Time for Grief

  Unhappy Welcome

  Village of the Undead

  Equal

  The Alliance

  Bad Intentions

  Mercy Killing

  Going Rogue

  The Betrayal

  DEDICATION

  This book is dedicated to Peggy Robinson.

  I love you, and I miss you.

  “And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”

  —Friedrich Nietzsche

  The Dark Warrior

  612 A.D. in Northern Europe…

  Kara stumbled through the ancient forest, her vision blurring as warm, wet tears poured down her face. The brutal, icy wind howled through the trees, chilling the blood that coated her skin and armor, causing a deep, painful chill to seep into her body, penetrating her down to the bone. The snow-covered ground sloped upward as she ascended the mountain, searching for that familiar patch of red berries. She remembered seeing them a month or so earlier when they traveled down the mountain. She had warned one of the other warriors not to eat them.

  She ran her blood-coated hand over her face, trying to wipe away the tears but merely smearing blood on her face in the process. Then, she saw them.

  Kara knelt down in front of a thin, birch tree and swiped away the snow that covered the berries. She snatched up a handful of the small berries and lifted them to her mouth, a choked sob escaping her lips, as she prepared to eat them.

  “Don’t,” someone called out suddenly.

  Kara froze, her brows furrowing, as she glanced over her shoulder. The moonlight couldn’t penetrate such a dense forest, with its thick vegetation and canopy of snow-covered leaves overhead, so Kara saw nothing but shadows and glistening snow as she peered into the trees. She didn’t recognize the woman’s voice—so soft and seductive, its lilting accent similar to her own. She closed her hands around the berries, hiding them from the unseen woman. “Who’s there?”

  “Please…don’t,” the woman murmured. “Please, don’t kill yourself.”

  Kara turned and straightened, squinting as she tried to see the woman who had spoken to her. “I wasn’t going to kill myself,” she lied. “Where are you?”

  “Those berries are poisonous,” the woman said. “You know they are.”

  Kara shook her head. “They look similar to the deadly berries, but these are perfectly safe,” she told the mysterious voice. “This forest, on the other hand, is not safe. Are you from the kingdom? I won’t harm you, my lady. I assure you.”

  “No. I am not from the kingdom,” the woman said simply. She emerged from behind a tree, and although she still stood too far away, Kara did manage to make out the shadowy outline of her delicate body, clothed in a flowing dress.

  Kara frowned. “You speak the same language that I do,” she realized.

  The snow crunched beneath the woman’s shoes as she stepped toward Kara. “I speak both languages. Your language. And Old English. Just like you.”

  “But how?” Kara said, her frown deepening. “We’re a month’s journey from the Norse villages, and no one around here knows the Norse language.”

  “Do you think that you’re the only woman capable of crossing the sea, Kara Unnarsdóttir?” the woman asked in a soft, seductive tone. She took another step toward her. “As a matter of fact, I can travel much faster than you can.”

  “How do you know my name?” Kara asked. “I never told you my name.”

  “I like to watch you,” the woman told her. “I find you…interesting.”

  Kara frowned. “No offense, but I’d know if you’d been watching me.”

  “Oh?” the woman murmured. As she moved closer, her features became clearer—her pale, blonde hair, her dark blue eyes, her seductive smile. She raised an eyebrow. “Yes, you’re sly, sneaky. But my body is designed for the shadows.”

  “Is it?” Kara said, her mouth going dry, as she trailed her gaze over the dark outline of the woman’s body, over her subtle, delicate curves. A strange wave of disorientation cascaded over her mind. “Because I’d love to see it in the light.”

  The woman smiled. “Ah, there it is,” she giggled, closing the last bit of space between them. “There’s that mouth I’ve wanted so badly to see in action.”

  “What kind of action are we talking about?” Kara said with a flirty smirk.

  Another giggle escaped the woman’s lips. “I’ll let you decide that.”

  Kara raised an eyebrow. “Really?” she said. She wasn’t used to
women coming on to her. Usually, she had to initiate things. The sadness still poured over her in waves, but for whatever reason, every time she looked at this woman, desire consumed her thoughts, disorienting her. “Do you…like…women, my lady?”

  The woman smiled. “I like you,” she said slowly. She ran her fingers over Kara’s chainmail armor, feeling the blood-soaked metal and leather beneath her fingertips. “I’ve only ever had sex with men, but…I think I’d like to change that.”

  Watching the woman touch her blood-coated armor seemed to jolt her mind back into focus. “I’m covered in blood,” Kara said, her brows furrowing.

  The woman just giggled. “I know,” she assured the warrior. She trailed her fingers down Kara’s arm, over the metal and leather, down to Kara’s hand. She lifted it to her mouth and uncurled Kara’s fingers, revealing the berries. Then, watching Kara’s face, she bent her head and touched her tongue to the berries.

  Kara immediately closed her hand around the berries and jerked her hand back. “Don’t,” she gasped. “I’m sorry. I lied to you. These berries are poisonous.”

  “I know,” the woman said with a smile. “I just wanted you to admit it.”

  Kara watched her with a frown. “That was a very dangerous thing to do,” she mumbled, trying to make sense of the woman. “Also, quite…manipulative.”

  “You’re the one who lied about trying to kill herself,” the woman said.

  “If you knew what I did,” Kara said, “you’d want me to kill myself, too.”

  “Do you mean the man that you hacked into pieces with your axe? The man whose blood is all over your body?” the woman asked. “Because I loved that.”

  Kara stepped back, her eyes widening. “You…you saw me kill him?”

  The woman rolled her eyes. “Haven’t you been listening? I just said that I’ve been watching you,” she said irritably. She ran her fingers, which were now soaked with blood, over Kara’s face, purposely smearing the blood on Kara’s soft, fair skin. “I was impressed by what you did. That man deserved to suffer, darling.”

  “Then, you know that I do, too,” Kara said. She covered her aching chest with her hand. “That is why I must die. It’s my fault it happened. I killed her.”

  “It is your fault,” the woman agreed, “but I won’t let you kill yourself.”

  “Why not?” Kara asked, her brows furrowing. “I did something terrible.”

  “Yes,” the woman said again. “But you’re not like the other warriors who do terrible things. Yours was a mistake. You never meant to hurt her, darling.”

  “Of course I didn’t,” Kara whispered, tears forming in her cornflower-blue eyes, causing the beautiful, intense color to glow brightly. “I loved Hadleigh.”

  The woman’s dark blue eyes softened with sympathy. She reached out and tucked a lock of Kara’s tangled, brownish-blonde hair behind her ear. “Aww, darling,” she murmured soothingly. “It was just a terrible mistake. You can’t take it back. It’s over now. You must accept it. Killing yourself won’t bring her back.”

  “I can’t live with myself,” Kara whispered, “knowing what I’ve done.”

  The woman’s full, pink lips curved into a smile. “Who knew there was such a softness in this warrior?” she commented, ignoring the confused look that came over Kara’s face. “Kara Unnarsdóttir, I have watched you for two nights. I’ve watched you love, fight, and deceive. You have thoroughly impressed me. I think that your death would make me sad, and death doesn’t usually bother me.”

  Kara watched her with glistening, tear-filled eyes. “What is your name?”

  “Alana,” the woman said, her voice soft and lilting. “My name is Alana.”

  “That’s a Saxon name, isn’t it?” Kara asked. “But you sound…Norse.”

  “I lived among the Norse for a long time,” Alana said, “unfortunately.”

  Kara’s frown deepened. “What is your family name? Your surname?”

  “I don’t have one,” Alana said. Her dark blue eyes darkened with anger. “You know what that means, don’t you, Viking?” She sneered the word Viking.

  Kara’s light blue eyes softened with sympathy. “You’re a slave.”

  Alana slapped her. It was so sudden and so unexpected that Kara didn’t know how to react for a moment. Alana’s eyes were wide, and her heart pounded harshly and erratically as she watched Kara lift her hand to touch her bruised face.

  When Kara finally managed to respond, all she could think of to say was, “You’re stronger than you look.” Her face ached and burned, just from that slap.

  “I don’t like that word. I’m not a…” Alana trailed off, her entire body trembling. She sounded so broken and scared. “I’m not one of those. Anymore.”

  “You’re…free, now?” Kara asked, choosing her words carefully. When Alana nodded, she offered her a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring back traumatic memories. I assure you: I hate slave trade. People belong to no one. Even if you weren’t free, I would view you as no different from myself.”

  Alana’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “You actually mean that,” she said as she listened to Kara’s thoughts. “You truly are a good Viking, aren’t you?”

  “I wouldn’t say that,” Kara said. “I have a reputation for being quite bad.”

  That managed to earn a smile from Alana, and Kara felt relieved to see it, lightening the anger and sadness that had darkened her face just a moment before. “I noticed,” Alana laughed. She watched the artery pulse beneath the fair skin of Kara’s neck, in time with the steady pounding of her heart. “I’d like to do something to you,” she said suddenly, as it occurred to her that she definitely did not want Kara to die. She licked her lips. “But I don’t really know how to do it.”

  Kara’s eyes widened. “Eh,” she said, laughing. “You have my attention.”

  Alana giggled as she read Kara’s mind, hearing all of those inappropriate thoughts that she’d just sparked. “It’s none of those things, you naughty girl!” she teased with a cute smile, “although, I wouldn’t mind doing…all of those things.”

  Kara’s eyebrows arched even higher. “Er…what things, exactly?”

  Alana smiled as she realized something. “On the bright side, though,” she said thoughtfully, “even if I do mess up, you already wanted to die, right?”

  Kara frowned worriedly. “Er…wait. What is this thing you want to do?”

  Alana leaned in close, tugging at the thin layer of chainmail that hung over Kara’s leather clothing. “Shhh,” she murmured, her lips brushing against Kara’s lips. “No need to worry about that yet. First, you must drop the berries.”

  Kara immediately opened her hand and let the handful of deadly berries fall to the snow-covered ground. “You’re very…persuasive,” she said, confused.

  “Am I?” Alana asked curiously. “I haven’t learned how to control it yet.”

  Kara’s frown deepened. “Control what?” she mumbled bewilderedly.

  “Shhh,” she whispered again. She tilted her face forward. “Just kiss me.”

  A surprised smile tugged at the edges of Kara’s lips. “You don’t have to ask me twice,” she said as she bent her head and pressed her lips against Alana’s.

  Kara lifted her hand to thread it through the woman’s long, pale blonde hair, as she leaned closer, deepening the kiss. Alana’s lips and body felt so warm and soft against her own, the warmth a welcome relief from the miserable cold.

  She thought she tasted something on Alana’s lips—something metallic, something that reminded her of blood. But it couldn’t have been blood. Right?

  But with that one thought—the mere suggestion of blood—reality came crashing back down. She stumbled back, her back hitting the tree, as the painful, heart-wrenching memory of Hadleigh’s blood-soaked body flashed in her mind.

  Alana stepped back, watching curiously, as pain twisted at Kara’s face.

  “I’m sorry,” Kara said, turning her face away, as tears p
ricked at her eyes. “I’m afraid you caught me in my weakest moment. I’m usually more charming.”

  “I know how you usually are,” Alana said. “I watched you with her.”

  Kara frowned at the strange woman, not sure what to think. “It’s odd. When I look at you, it’s almost as if I forget, but when I look away, I remember.”

  “Well,” Alana said with a smile, “I quite like it when you look at me.”

  “But I can’t forget,” Kara said, her voice breaking, “I need to remember.”

  Alana reached up and ran her fingers beneath Kara’s eyes, wiping away the warm, salty tears. “I wish someone would cry for me the way you cry for her.”

  Kara looked at her, blinking away tears. “No one’s ever cried for you?”

  A bitter smile twisted at the edges of Alana’s full, pink lips. “Why would they?” she asked harshly. “I’m just a possession. No one cries over a possession.”

  Kara lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t know. I’ve seen some pretty large men sob over a broken bottle of mead,” she quipped. When she saw the murderous glare that the beautiful woman was giving her, she smiled guiltily. “Sorry. I don’t think of you as anyone’s possession. That’s not what I see when I look at you.”

  Alana paused, intrigued by that comment. “Then, what do you see?”

  Kara tilted her head back against the tree, her gaze sweeping over Alana’s form, as she considered the question. She lifted her hand to touch Alana’s face, feeling the softness of Alana’s skin beneath her fingertips. Her intense, light blue eyes flashed with a spark of lust. “I see soft skin that I want to taste,” she began.

  Alana smiled, her skin warming under the human’s heated gaze. “And?”