by Jayne Hawke
A firm knocking came from the front door. Everyone was out in the courtyard sparring for the morning. I lifted my chin and strode to the door with all the confidence I could muster. A tall, broad man with a mop of black curls looked down at me with a smirk.
“Miss Stormchild?”
I gave a small nod.
“I’m here to take you to your temporary home.”
There was a spark of amusement in his amber eyes. The predator sat just beneath his skin, waiting. He was the first cu sith I’d seen in person, but I’d read all about the fae assassins. Unlike the lords in their expensive suits woven with magic, he wore a wrinkled black t-shirt and pale blue jeans with the left knee starting to wear thin.
I turned away and picked up my bag. It contained everything I owned in the world. With one last glance at the courtyard, I steeled myself and prepared for the next stage of my life.
THIRTY-ONE
The cu sith led me towards an expensive black car that blended in with all of the other rich lords and ladies of the city. It was almost entirely nondescript. I sank into the soft leather seats and bit back a smile at the comfort of it. The cu sith turned on his music along with the quiet engine, and the car was filled with the sound of classic rock. I was familiar with Bon Jovi, but the next song was new to me.
“Connor, by the way,” he said as he glanced over at me.
“Iona,” I replied reflexively.
He nodded before he began singing along to a Queen song. I was surprised to hear that he almost hit the top notes. He must have been 6’4 and well-muscled with a gruff, slightly gravelly voice. I began to relax into the situation but stopped myself as soon as I noticed. I was being taken into the heart of a predator’s den. The last thing I could allow myself to do was relax.
We stopped at a set of traffic lights at the edge of Brixton.
“How did you become a huntress?” Connor asked.
I looked out the window at the red brick buildings and watched a woman balance a tray with five large cups of coffee on her arm while she tried to wrangle her phone from her purse.
“It’s the same story as my sisters. I’ve a drop of fae blood, which means no one wants me. The sisters took me in as a baby. I know nothing else,” I said bitterly.
He nodded.
“People aren’t all that keen on cu sith,” he said with a gentle shrug.
I hadn’t really thought about their place in the world, or how they might feel about it. My chest tightened. I didn’t want to become a cruel killer with no thought or empathy for others.
We pulled away from the traffic lights and remained quiet in the traffic for a few minutes.
“You’re hunting the dragon?”
“Yes. It’s a great honour. There’s only one left, then the world will be safe once more,” I said without thinking.
I caught him roll his eyes but let it slide.
“So, you’re going to murder him, then what?”
“Then I’m free. I’ll wander the country helping innocent people find justice and safety.”
“It’s all as simple as that?”
I looked at him and saw the tightness in his jaw where he was gritting his teeth.
“Yes. It’s as simple as that.”
“And what if this dragon is a man?” he pushed.
I shrugged.
“He’s a murderer. He’s killed many innocents over the centuries.”
“So, you’re judge, jury, and executioner.”
“It’s what the Sisters of the Hunt do. We protect and avenge the innocent.”
He snorted.
“What proof have you that this dragon is a monster who deserves slaughter?”
“There are books dedicated to those he has slaughtered. The lives he stole,” I said, feeling my blood pressure rise.
Looking away, I watched the runners with their ear buds in jogging along the thin grey path that edged around the brilliant green woodland. It was a sanctuary for those fae that needed forests and trees to be content and happy. A small black fence barely knee height reminded people not to enter.
“Have you considered that there might be another side to this story?” Connor growled.
“Why does it matter to you? Why are you so concerned about this hunt?” I growled back.
His amber eyes met mine. My instincts screamed at me to run from the beast sitting beside me, but I refused to look away.
He exhaled and shook his head with a soft laugh.
“I suppose I can’t blame you. All you’ve ever known is your little cult. It’s not your fault. I just hope you’ve the intelligence to at least try and look outside of your dim little bubble.”
His words cut deep. My anger and retorts fizzled on my tongue, and I felt myself deflating. He wasn’t entirely wrong. The sisters had been very careful about the information we had access to, and our experience of the outside world was very limited. Could it be that we were the monsters?
THIRTY-TWO
Connor pulled up in front of a large, sleek modern building formed of glass and steel. His car matched the other black cars on either side of us. I retrieved my backpack from the back seat and stepped out onto the grey sidewalk that wrapped around the building. It must have been almost a block across and forty stories high.
“You’ll be staying on the top floor. I hope you’re not scared of heights,” Connor said, not unkindly.
He gestured towards the glass double doors to my left, and I followed him towards them. Fae magic had been etched into the glass, leaving faint swirls of silver and white. It was only visible when the sunlight struck the glass at the right angle. I paused and admired the delicate designs. It was a true work of art. Every sigil interlocked into those around them, forming a complete and impenetrable barrier.
Connor had put his hands in the pockets of his jeans and waited for me with a small smile. He nodded towards the doors, and I casually caught up with him. Hurrying would give him the impression of submission and weakness; neither was something I wanted a fae to associate with me.
“The lord is busy, so I’ll take you to your suite. He has provided books on the dragon for you to read while you wait,” Connor said as he strode across the brilliant white floors.
The floors looked as though someone had captured virgin white snow and covered it in a tissue-thin layer of translucent acrylic. Given they were fae, it could have been that they really had. I followed Connor into the generously sized elevator. He hummed a tune under his breath, another rock song that I didn’t know. The elevator moved quickly but it still took a minute or so to reach the very top floor. The smaller space was making me twitchy. I found myself reaching for my knife twice without even thinking about it.
We stepped out into a room with glass walls providing incredible views over the city to the left and right. The wall directly in front of us was matte black with a bronze door set in the middle. A small black desk with a delicate blond man behind it was the only feature of the room. Connor ignored the blond man and the glare that formed on his face when he saw the cu sith.
I wondered what had happened between those two but wasn’t given a chance to consider it as Connor’s long legs ate up the space between us and the copper door. I picked up the pace without allowing myself to look flustered and followed him into a hallway that felt dark and dim after the walls of glass. We were surrounded by slate grey with dark quarry tiles on the floor and wallpapered walls with a soft black pattern engraved into the grey paper. Connor opened the door halfway down the hallway.
“Your suite,” he said as he stepped sideways to let me see.
He nodded to the door further up the hallway on the right.
“That’s the lord’s suite. Don’t disturb him without an explicit invitation. The door at the end of the hallway is his office. The same rule applies.”
“Got it,” I said.
“Settle in. I’ll get you when he’s ready,” Connor said before he walked towards the lord’s office.
The suite was beginnin
g to look like a cage.
The suite was far more luxurious than anything I’d experienced before. The bed was large enough to comfortably fit four people, and the mattress was a thing of dreams. I’d walked into the wardrobe before I realised that was what it was. Everything was done in delicate pale silvers, white, and touches of black. It was very elegant, and I felt completely out of place there, as though I was dirtying the place up.
I had to admit that I was looking forward to sinking into the large bathtub and making the most of the luxury bathing products provided. Settling myself down onto the bed, I began looking through the selection of books the lord had left me.
To my surprise, they told a very different story about the dragons. In everything I’d been taught since I was a little girl, the dragons had been shown to be savage monsters. The books before me showed them as protectors and guardians. I was reading a section about the very first attack, in which the dragons were protecting the village from an invading army of pixies, when a knock came from the door. I jumped and was glad that no one had seen that before I called out for the person to come in.
I realised too late that it was likely a bad idea to invite a fae into my bedroom. There hadn’t been anything about that in the etiquette manuals I’d read, but there were all sorts of small rules that gave them more control than was desirable.
Connor leaned against the door frame with a casual smile upon his face. Mischief danced in his eyes.
“The lord is ready to see you now,” he said with a rougher Scottish accent than he’d used earlier.
I tidied the books onto the desk and walked to the door. Connor stepped back, giving me some room before I made sure the door was fully closed. I saw a lock, but Connor made no attempt to hand me a key. It wasn’t my home; it wasn’t entirely unreasonable that he hadn’t given it to me.
There was a distinct playful happiness about Connor as we walked towards the lord’s office. He had a bounce in his step that he hadn’t had before. I kept my hand near my knife and prepared for some twisted fae game. They hadn’t promised not to harm me, after all.
Connor opened the office door and gestured for me to enter. I walked into the office with three walls of floor-to-ceiling windows. It was almost as big as the entire upper floor of the house I’d grown up in. The lord stood with his back to me, his hands behind his back as he looked out over the city.
He turned to face me, and my heart stopped dead in my chest.
Evander.
THIRTY-THREE
I tried to keep the smile off my face as I looked at Evander. I had no idea if Connor knew that Evander and I had seen each other. A knot formed in my stomach. What were Evander and I to each other? Were we dating? Was it something less?
Evander strode over to me with a small smile upon his face.
“I’ll give you have a minute,” Connor said before he closed the office door.
Evander wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into a deep kiss. I dug my fingers into his hair and allowed myself to let go and enjoy the feel of his lips against mine, his tongue caressing my own. My breathing was rough when we finally released each other.
“You didn’t tell me you were a huntress,” Evander whispered as he stroked his thumb along my jawline.
A shiver ran down my spine. It deepened when I saw the sadness in his eyes.
“I didn’t know how to tell you. We were at the ball under a guise so we could learn more of your world. There was never really an opportunity to say, ‘Hey, so I hunt things that hurt innocent people,’” I said.
He gave a small nod and stepped away from me, leaving me feeling cold and alone.
“And you’re hunting the dragon.”
“Yes. The most dangerous of the beasts that roam these streets. It has lived for centuries and killed countless innocents. Once I’ve killed it, I’ll be free. I’ll still be a huntress, but I can live where I please and carve out a life for myself,” I said a little too enthusiastically.
Evander gave me a small sad smile before he put his arm back around my waist and guided me towards the windows at the far end of the spacious room.
“Do you have plans for your life after this hunt?” Evander asked.
I leaned into him a little and enjoyed his scent filling my nostrils.
“I want to take a month to just relax and explore. We aren’t given much time to get out into the city, I’d like to really understand where I live. From there, I’d like to see the countryside, maybe head down to Tintagel in Cornwall, and I’ve heard York is beautiful.”
Evander nodded.
“And you’ll remain a huntress?”
“Of course. That’s my life, my calling. I’m going to continue protecting the innocent.”
“Against people like me,” he said ruefully.
I’d been so wrapped up in the happiness at living close to him that I hadn’t thought about the impact my words might have had on him. Fae were something I hunted. Even sidhe like him. I wasn’t fool enough to take on a lord, but I would hunt a lower sidhe that hurt innocents. There had been whispered plans to take down Lord Fionn after I’d shared too much alcohol with Sienna and Nicole. He was one of the more dangerous lords. I had no proof that he’d hurt humans, but there were plenty of rumours about the vile acts he had his bound witches commit.
“Not exactly like you. People who harm innocents, who attack humans,” I said.
“You’ve always had an interesting taste in women,” Connor said from behind us.
Evander snorted and gave a soft laugh.
I was surprised to see the cu sith speak so freely around Evander. I’d read that fae were very hierarchical, and a lack of respect was usually dealt with violently.
“Connor will give you a tour of the personal space here. I’ll see you at dinner,” Evander said before he kissed me tenderly.
Of course I couldn’t spend the day with him. He was a lord with businesses to run. Still, I felt a sadness as I turned and walked towards Connor.
“Come on, there’s one room in particular I’m sure you’ll love,” Connor said.
That piqued my curiosity. What had Evander told Connor about me?
Once we were halfway down the hallway and out of Evander’s earshot, I said, “I didn’t think fae spoke to each other as you did to Evander.”
Connor laughed, a rough joyful sound.
“He’s my best friend and has been for many centuries. We don’t stand on ceremony. I’m technically his second in command, but we’re equals in private.”
I wondered how old Evander was. Would his lifespan make a relationship difficult between us?
“You frown a lot. I thought huntresses would be more scowl-y,” Connor said with a wide smile.
I laughed and followed him into the elevator.
“I didn’t think many people knew about us,” I said.
“Oh, aye, we know of you.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. He was clearly holding a lot back.
“You’re fierce women who are best not crossed. Blood thirsty, well trained, and determined.”
That wasn’t how I would have described us.
“We’re guardians and protectors. We’re not blood thirsty,” I said defensively.
“If you say so,” Connor said as he stepped out onto the floor below Evander’s office.
“Why would you think we’re blood thirsty? We only hunt those we know have harmed humans,” I pushed.
Connor made a non-committal noise. He paused and gripped the large handles on the tall black wooden doors before us. Turning to grin at me, he opened the doors with a flourish, and I gasped. The room on the other side of the doors was full of books. The walls were covered in floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Tall shelves lined the room leaving narrow walkways between them. There must have been thousands, tens of thousands of books in that room.
“You’re free to read anything that calls to you in here,” Connor said.
I stepped into the room and felt overwhelmed. I had no idea w
here to start.
“Fiction’s over there, on the coloured shelves. Red for romance, white for thrillers, and so on.” Connor pointed to the right. “Non-fiction is on the black shelves. There’s a guide around here somewhere. Have fun, I have paperwork to catch up on.”
Dragging my fingers through my hair, I looked over it all and realised my mind was blank. There were enough books in there to last me a lifetime. Seeing one of the ladders on wheels leaning against the closest shelf on the right wall, I knew what I had to do first.
Gripping onto the cool smooth wood of the ladder, I placed one foot on the first rung of the ladder and pushed off with my other foot. The ladder flew sideways, and I giggled like I hadn’t done since I was a little girl. It really was the little things in life.
THIRTY-FOUR
Evander
I swore the gods were laughing at me. The woman who could break my curse was a huntress sent to me to kill the dragon. To kill me.
Closing my eyes, I tried to focus past Iona and the fact she was nearby. It would have been so easy to slip into the library and run my hands over her beautiful skin. To hear her soft moans and feel her give herself over to me entirely. The curse would be broken when she fell for me and we slept together the first time. Only her love and decision to give herself to me would free me from the dark scales and hide that swept over me every night.
Connor returned from escorting Iona down to the library. There was business to be dealt with.
“The Hades god touched are closing in. They’ve almost succeeded in pushing Ailsa from her territory. Contracts are to be signed for them to take her string of bakeries tomorrow morning,” Connor said with a growl.
“Have we made her a better offer?” I demanded.
“Aye, but she’s scared.”
“I am bested only by Ryn. She should damn well be more scared of me,” I snarled.
