“Get some rest,” he rasps, clearing his throat. “We’ll hunt the Nephilim tonight.”
Kane starts toward the door, and my heart leaps. I don't want him to go. Not yet. "How?" I blurt, stretching halfway off the bed. "The city is enormous, even the poor areas."
“We’ll simply have to wait,” Kane says. He heads towards the door, heels clicking on the wooden floor.
“Wait,” I breathe.
He stops mid-step and looks over his shoulder. His face is twisted with pain. “I’ll be back when night falls.”
Before I can protest, Kane slips out the door. It closes with a soft click, and I hear his footsteps recede down the hall, towards the stairs. Visions of him pressed against the woman below fill my mind, and my body heats with anger and confusion and disappointment. I collapse back onto the bed, burying my face in the soft down pillow. Sunlight streams through the window despite the heavy purple curtain. It glows around me. I press my palms against my eyes, refusing to cry.
What I did was a mistake. I need to distance myself – to protect myself. But when I see him, all I want to do is let down every wall and simply be his bride. My shoulders tremble as I strain to hold back my emotions. But I’m not his bride, not truly. I’m an assassin. And I have no right to be anything else.
Chapter 9
Kane
My leg bounces beneath the table, jostling it slightly as I muse over Briar. There's no doubt that she and Aiden were together, alone, sometime these past two days since we arrived in the mortal realm. My heart twitches with irrational jealousy, and I tamp it down quickly. Envy is what got me into this mess with Briar. I let myself fall too deeply into the soul bond. I shouldn't have kissed her. All I've done is confuse us both.
Sighing, I lift my head from glowering at the grains of the table and survey the parlor. The Diamond has only gotten busier as the day wore on and night crept closer. Now, almost every woman here has a man attached to her hip. The women here are clever, they know how to make men think spending money on drugs or spirits was their idea. They can convince a stranger that he’s the love of their life in only a few sentences. They’re masters of manipulation. Nothing like Briar, who is frightened at every turn and wears her emotions on her sleeve. She’s hiding something from me lately though, but I haven’t bothered to find out what. Perhaps now I should. Now that I know how she would respond to me if I acted on my temptations. And she is tempting.
I lean back into the plush cushions of the armchair and tap my fingers impatiently. The bond is fucking with me. It will take more concentration to find the truth beneath the nuances of the magic sealing us together. I look up at the ceiling, to the second floor where Briar is still moping. For a moment, I feel the urge to open the bond; listen to her thoughts, and feel how she feels. But I suppress it with a scowl. Night will fall soon, and I can't afford any distractions. I should keep Briar here where she'll be safe. If anything were to happen to her, I would experience it too. If she loses her soul – so, do I.
“You look tired,” Aiden says, slamming his palms on the table.
I don’t flinch. Narrowing my eyes at him, I gesture for him to sit. “And how were the wares?” I ask, a hint of disgust in my voice.
“Delicious.” Aiden grins, his mouth stretching too wide. “I went back for seconds. And thirds.”
“That’s enough details.” I raise a hand to silence him, eyes half-closed. I sent Aiden off to distract himself during the day, but he never left the dark rooms of the Diamond’s first floor. From the corner of my eyes, I see a woman stagger out of one of the private rooms, her knees shaking. I suck on my teeth angrily, eyes slipping back to Aiden. “You’re still a taker.”
“No, brother,” he says, leaning forward. “I’m a giver.”
“Tell me, if you’re such a giver, why can I taste her fear every time she looks at you?” I ask, nails sharpening to claws unintentionally.
Aiden shrugs, eyes glinting. “Why do you care?”
“Kane has always cared too much about helpless, worthless creatures,” Willem says coolly. I purse my lips at him as he slips out of the shadows, surprising a few patrons nearby. “I’ve heard rumors of a few strange corpses found in the city; I think we’re in the right place.”
“Good.” I nod. “Night is coming, we should get into position.”
“The slums are huge,” Aiden scoffs. “Where do you suggest we even start?”
I narrow my eyes at him, considering refusing to let him join us after what he did to the mortal woman. But I don’t want him near Briar. Nowhere near her. “Away from where the first bodies were found. He’ll know people will expect him there. He’s a killer of opportunity, and there will be more on the blocks where people aren’t afraid.”
“That’s hundreds of blocks,” Willem says. His brows furrow. “It will take us weeks if we don’t run into him out of sheer luck.”
“Use me as bait.”
I turn, eyes wide at the sound of Briar’s voice. She hovers at the base of the stairs, her eyes fixed on me despite the distractions in the room. “You should stay here tonight,” I snap. I feel Willem’s eyes boring into the back of my head. “At least until we get our bearings in the city.”
“Willem is right. It will take too long.” Briar’s voice is strained as she admits this. “If you use me as bait for the Nephilim, we can draw him out.”
“What a clever idea, Briar,” Aiden coos. He folds his arms over his chest. “Come over here.”
Briar strides closer, her shoulders stiff. She
