Contents
FATAL ASSASSIN
Also by Tameri Etherton
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
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Read more by Tameri Etherton
About the Author
Never fall in love with your mark.
Cian MacNair is Faerie’s best assassin. He knows the rules, hell, he made half of them. Rule number one: Never fall in love with your mark.
Sent to the human realm to discover who’s been kidnapping fae, he’s tangled in a web of deceit that threatens not only Faerie, but the humans as well. It’ll take working with the enemy to uncover who the real villain is.
There’s just one problem. She’s been sent to take him out before he discovers too much.
Also by Tameri Etherton
The Fatal Fae
Fatal Illusion
Fatal Assassin
The Song of the Swords
The Prince of Dragons
(Previously published as The Darathi Vorsi Prince)
The Stones of Resurrection
(Previously published as The Stones of Kaldaar)
The Temple of Sacrifice
(Previously published as The Temple of Ardyn)
The Ruins of Betrayal
1
Dead witches tell no lies.
Cian MacNair crouched over the withered body of the enchantress, hope creeping away with every passing second. His sister’s dagger lay among the rotting detritus and he carefully retrieved it. When he had a moment to think, he’d have to ask Rori how she managed to hit her mark without seeing the target. Acelyne had been behind a tree when Rori cast the dagger toward the enchantress. Cian blew out a breath, impressed with his baby sister, and equally concerned for her well-being.
When she’d stormed off into the forest, he’d waited with the two queens of Faerie, Eirlys and Midna. They’d planned it all from the start—upsetting Rori enough so that she’d confront Acelyne—but what they hadn’t counted on was Rori’s skill as an assassin. Yes, they’d used his sister as a trap. Hell, it had been his idea, after all. Not that he was proud of it, but he’d known Rori would seek refuge in the forest and he’d also known she’d be drawn to Acelyne just as much as the enchantress was drawn to her. There was a connection between Rori and Acelyne beyond the glass prisons; he needed a hot second to figure out what.
Cian wiped the dagger on a tuft of grass, noting the elegant lines of the blade, the script scrawling from hilt to tip. It wasn’t a weapon he recognized. He was reminded how much his sister had matured since the Academy. How much time had passed since either one was anything other than a spy. In truth, neither of them had ever had a choice in their career. Not since their father’s death. Cian had watched his sister emotionally shut down when she’d heard the news and he’d known at that moment she’d follow in their father’s footsteps.
That was a long time ago and now Rori was one of Queen Eirlys’s favorites. A begrudging smile strained his lips. He was damn proud of his sister. He just wished she’d be more careful.
“The enchantress will not take her secrets into the darkness.” Queen Eirlys muttered low enough only he heard. The Seelie queen moved in front of him, her arms outstretched. “Will you help me, Midna?”
Cian rose and backed away, allowing Eirlys and Midna room. The Unseelie queen stood on the other side of the decaying body and arched her arms toward Eirlys. Together, they chanted an ancient spell, one of dark magic Cian knew to be forbidden. Except for queens, apparently. He knew most of the forbidden spells of dark and black magic—had been taught them as a young lad, always with the condition he never used them. Knowledge, he’d been taught, was power. Using black magic was dangerous not just to the cursed, but to the spellcaster as well. Cian had taken the warning to heart and rarely, only when absolutely necessary, delved into the dark arts. And he never, ever told anyone about his forbidden knowledge—not even Rori.
The queens’ voices rose and lowered in a convoluted melody he tried hard to follow. Their words mingled together, becoming one long string, a single syllable stretching to the end of time. The witch’s features filled in, flesh returned to rotted bones. She no longer resembled the attractive woman she’d been, but now had the appearance of an aged crone.
Hope bloomed in his chest. Perhaps he could get answers after all. He moved beside his sister and returned her dagger. She took it, her face screwed into a look of confusion. After a moment, she slid the dagger into the sheath strapped to her thigh.
“I don’t understand,” Rori half-whispered.
“Nor do I,” Midna’s expression was one of concern, “but we’ve done our best to preserve her mind. I’ll send her to my necromancer to see if there’s anything yet to learn.”
Midna signaled to her soldiers, dressed as courtiers for surreptitious guard duty, to take the enchantress away. Cian debated following them, to keep the body in his sight for fear of losing an opportunity for answers, but chose to stay with the queens. The elven thief Therron stood by Rori as she and her friend Tug chatted with Meg. The healer’s haggard appearance had been erased. In its place was the face and body of a young woman. He overheard her saying Acelyne had been stealing her youth for years and a bitterness wedged itself in his heart.
Stealing Meg’s life force, kidnapping fae, and endangering his sister were the crimes Cian knew about—what else had the witch done? He strode to the body of Dorchmeir, one of Queen Eirlys’s guard, and withdrew Rori’s dagger from his throat. His gaze slid to Esme, who stood with Rori’s small group. If memory served, she was Dorchmeir’s betrothed. She and his sister had answers he desperately needed. Two dead bodies, both with Rori’s daggers sunk deep in their flesh. How had Dorchmeir slid under Eirlys’s radar—or had he? Was he working as an informant? Too many questions—the kind that made him lose sleep at night—plagued his thoughts.
He cleaned the weapon and placed it in his pocket for the time being. Daggers weren’t really his style, but seeing how lethal his sister was with them, he made a mental note to get in some target practice. A soldier wrapped Dorchmeir’s sword in a blanket and took it away to be analyzed. Cian gestured to another soldier to take the body along with Acelyne’s to the necromancer. Perhaps more answers could be found.
He left the stench of death behind and stepped through the woods to the vale and inhaled deeply. Fresh, clean air filled his lungs. Sunlight warmed his skin and he nodded that all would soon be as it should. He’d make certain of it.
Queen Eirlys turned from the Unseelie queen and sighed. “This day has been one I had hoped would never come to Faerie, yet here we are. There is malevolence growing all around, and we need to stop it before it destroys every last one of us. Rori, I should like you to go to the human realm and gather what you can about the amulets. Meg, get her healed and fit. Cian, continue doing the good work you’ve started here. Midna and I will do what we can to uncover who is behind all of this.”
<
br /> Cian heard his queen’s words like a blow to the gut. This should’ve been his assignment. After all, hadn’t it been him who had worked for months tracking down Malcolm Dagniss and every scrap of information about Malcolm’s company, SIRE Unlimited? Malcolm was in the human realm, where Cian should be, not Rori. He could continue investigating SIRE while searching for clues about the amulets and who might be involved. Eirlys had hinted at the possibility of war in the past, but he’d not heard even a whisper of discontent in Faerie. The fact that she followed up her musing of malevolence with sending Rori to the human realm gave Cian the idea she meant the friction was coming from there. So why keep him in Faerie?
His gaze flicked to Midna. If this was a ploy of hers to keep him at her court, he’d make sure she understood his displeasure. To date, he’d avoided her bed, but another month and his resolve might crumble. She was voracious in her appetites, including wanting him to father her heir. Midna looked the picture of innocence as she held Eirlys’s hand and nodded her agreement with what the Seelie queen said. He tore his gaze from her and met Rori’s apology-laden stare. At least his sister understood this should be his mission. But there was nothing to be done. The queens had made their decision.
He tilted his head and cracked his neck, his mind churning. If he had to stay at the Unseelie palace, so be it. He would, as Eirlys said, continue doing the good work he’d started. Bastards and rubbish. If it was such good work, then why did it feel like a demotion?
He followed the queens into Rowan’s cottage and hung back, not wanting to be too near them for fear of saying something that might be regarded as treason. Rori ambled in, Therron supporting her as best he could. Cian studied them, saw the subtle flush of his sister’s cheeks. He mentally flipped a coin whether to tell her all he knew of the elf. She wasn’t a child anymore—it wasn’t his job to protect her, but still he felt obligated to tell her who Therron was, and what he’d learned about him at the Unseelie Court. He took a half step and paused. Rori had to learn her own lessons. He’d say nothing for the moment. Instead, he’d keep a close watch on the pair.
Rori cleared her throat and said in a firm voice, “I’d like Cian to go to the human realm to seek out the miscreant who is kidnapping fae.” She dropped a low curtsey and winced.
Cian stared at his sister as if she’d grown a dragon’s tail and shook it like an exotic dancer.
He barely heard as she continued, “If you approve, Your Majesties, I would like to convalesce with Queen Midna for an undetermined amount of time. Once healed, I’d like to learn everything she can teach me.”
The room quieted as if everyone crowded into the space held their breath. He glanced at the two queens, who each raised their eyebrows at Rori’s request. Cian’s gaze swept to his sister and even she looked shocked at her words. Surely she knew what she was asking, but did she realize what exactly Midna would expect from her? This was one time Cian wished Rori wasn’t his sister. He didn’t want to know what she’d be doing at the Unseelie Court. Didn’t want to know what education she meant. Fuck it all, but he did know. Knew only too well what Midna would do to Rori and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to stop it.
Eirlys turned to Midna, a coy little smile tugging the corners of her lips. “Well, sister of my heart, do you consent to taking my Rori on as a foster?”
“Only with your approval.”
“Then you shall have it.” Eirlys scanned above the heads of those gathered and met Cian’s look with a silent challenge. “Cian, what say you to your sister’s request?”
What could he say? No? Hell no? Stay the fuck away from my baby sister? None of those words passed his lips. In fact, for once in his life, he honestly wasn’t sure what to say. If Rori wanted to stay at Midna’s court, the least he could do was get the hell out of Faerie.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” The queen giggled when she turned toward Rori. “You’ll have your education, dearest. Learn well, but learn quickly. I have a feeling your brother will be needing your assistance soon enough.”
With what? What assistance did Eirlys think he’d need from Rori? Cian was accustomed to Midna playing games, but now it seemed Eirlys was infected with the tiresome habit. Before he turned to leave the room, Therron caught his attention. The fool elf held Rori with a strong arm wrapped around her waist. That wasn’t what stopped Cian from storming out like a wounded child. It was the look deep in Therron’s eyes that stopped Cian.
There, in the murky darkness, he saw a silent request.
Therron was asking for Cian’s permission.
Bloody hell and codswaddle. The man was insufferable. Rori shifted as if to maneuver herself away from the queens, and Therron looked away from Cian, his focus entirely on Rori. Something passed between the pair. An electric current even Cian couldn’t deny. If Rori chose Therron, he’d have to give his blessing at some point, but he would prefer it to be later rather than sooner. Conflicting thoughts raged in his mind—why would Rori asked to be one of Midna’s álainn obedience if she had feelings for Therron? Certainly, she wouldn’t expect the elf to stand by while she explored her sexual desires with the queen? Unless, of course, there was another reason Rori sought Midna’s teachings.
I’ll take care of her, my sweet. Never fear, for what she discovers in my court will make her stronger in all things. Compassion, caring, even killing. Do you deny this?
Midna’s words brushed his thoughts, and his jaw tightened at the truth of them. He knew what Rori would go through at Midna’s palace, and he agreed it would make her one of the finest assassins Faerie had ever known. But she was his sister.
Aye, I can’t deny the truth of your words, but I don’t have to like them either.
I suppose this means your stay with me is at an end.
Their eyes met and he saw not sadness, as he thought he might, but a challenge in Midna’s glorious eyes. A smirk twisted her lips. Insufferable. Every night, he’d denied her request to join in the sexual festivities and now, he realized she’d known all along he would. Her constant prodding and begging him to bed her was nothing but foreplay. Rori would indeed be safe with the queen. She’d not make his sister do anything she wasn’t comfortable doing. He shook his head and laughed, a full-chested chortle that caused several courtiers to jump in surprise.
Cian strode to the queens and bowed low at the waist. “Your Majesties, I am ever your servant. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve preparations to make. I should be leaving Faerie by sundown.”
Eirlys eyed him suspiciously while Midna continued to grin with an irritating, all-knowing expression.
“We shall miss you, Cian.” Eirlys took his hand in her own and gave him a meaningful stare. My daughter lies in slumber, but for how long, we can’t be certain. Even Meg is unsure how to wake her, nor do we know how to release the others. Be swift and sure in your investigations. If you encounter any opposition, you have my permission and blessing to do what’s needed.
“I shall miss you, as well. You’ll both have regular updates on my progress.” To Eirlys alone, he replied, Arianna will be avenged, my queen.
Midna was less eloquent.
“If you find whoever is responsible for the kidnappings, kill them in a most brutal way. I wish to know all the details when you return.” Her eyes, ever shifting and changing in color, much like her hair and wings, bore into his. “I can’t shake the unsettling feeling Mairead is there, with the humans. Please find her.” The last was said in a near whisper, with enough emotion behind the words to knock Cian sideways.
No one could deny the Unseelie queen’s love for her sister, nor could they question Mairead’s loyalty to the throne. That’s why those who knew of her disappearance were concerned—Mairead would never venture out of Faerie on her own.
“If she is in the human realm, I’ll find her. That I promise you.”
But how, was the question. Faerie was tiny compared to Earth, perhaps the size of North America, with a fraction of the population. Those who had never traveled bey
ond the doorways had no way of knowing how vast and overflowing with people the human realm was. Finding Mairead might be damn near impossible. At least Cian had a clue where Malcolm Dagniss and SIRE were located.
Edinburgh.
The only city where Cian had vowed never to return.
2
Everything hurt, as if hellfire burned in her veins and a troll was squishing her guts. Yet Rori gave no outward indication of how difficult it was to walk beside Therron. With too much effort, she kept her head held high as she left the queens and their confusing words. Although, she’d surprised even herself with the admission that she wished to return to Midna’s court.
She glanced up at the elf, and the intensity of his gaze spun through her solar plexus. This was no illusion. At least, she hoped it wasn’t. Hoped what she saw burning in those depths was the same desire she felt. What delicious torment he could unleash upon her and how ready she was to accept it. A shiver of lust tickled down her spine, and Therron tightened his grip.
“You’re in shock. We need to see to your wounds.”
It wasn’t shock she felt, but well, maybe it was. She had lost a lot of blood, and her hand throbbed from where she’d broken it punching Dorchmeir’s ruddy face. It had been totally worth it to see the surprise in his eyes, to know that he would never again hurt anyone, especially Esme. A fresh tremble—this one of rage—rattled her bones. Therron pulled her close and she inhaled his scent, imprinting him firmly in her mind.
Fatal Assassin (Fatal Fae Book 2) Page 1
