Shaedes of Gray: A Shaede Assassin Novel

My jaw dropped and I promptly snapped it shut. Come again? “Your what?” Raif simply winked, and let me tell you, it wasn’t an expression that suited him. Think of an alligator winking just before he snaps his jaws down on your neck.

“What’s really going on here?” I asked.

Raif took a step closer and bent his face to mine. “War is coming, Darian. If you can’t get to Azriel before he gets to his father . . .” His voice was smooth and frigid. “Xander’s in danger, and we have no idea how far our enemies’ reach is. We don’t dare trust anyone.”

“Why trust me?” I couldn’t think of a reason. I was growing sick of Xander and his games. I might be more likely than his enemies to do him harm.

“I trust you,” Raif said. “And so does he.”

I raised a sarcastic brow. Sure, he trusts me.

“With his life.”

I didn’t argue with him. I was past the point of fighting in what was now a losing battle. I’d been drawn into the game that first night I’d entered the staged town house, dagger in my hand. “So, what am I supposed to do—sit outside his door all night?”

Raif laughed and turned toward the stairs. “Not exactly,” he said, and left.

“Darian, come in here,” Xander’s muffled voice called through the closed door.

My shoulders slumped. Shit.

I stormed into the room without a knock. Xander lounged in a chair, bare to the waist. He kicked off his shoes one at time.

“So,” I said, going for my best impression of casual disinterest. “You think there’s someone lurking around who’s even less trustworthy than me?”

He gave me a rather wan smile in response. For the first time, I noticed he looked tired. Exhausted, really. “Amazing, isn’t it?” At least he wasn’t too drained for a smart-ass remark. “I take it Raif filled you in?” He gave a wan chuckle. “You’d think he was the older brother, the way he watches over me.”

I didn’t exactly consider the small amount of information he’d provided as filling me in, but, to be honest, I was tired too. The Lyhtan venom had really kicked my ass, and no matter how much I wanted to, I just didn’t have it in me to pick a fight. “You two don’t look alike,” I said instead.

Xander’s brows inched up his forehead a bit. And then he smiled. “I’m better-looking, right?”

“I have a feeling you don’t need me to offer confirmation of that,” I said. “What’s the plan? What do you want me to do?”

“Just stay close,” he said. “For now, that’s all I need.”

He reached his arms high above his head and stretched his legs out toward the floor, showcasing each individual muscle on his well-built body. He closed his eyes and yawned, an almost exaggerated sound escaping his mouth before his body uncoiled and came to rest. He opened his eyes and looked me over from head to toe and back up again. An anxious shiver chased his gaze as it roamed over my body.

“Would you release your Jinn if I asked you to?” he asked out of the blue.

“Tyler is not mine,” I said, the ire rising with the tone of my voice. “And you need to stop talking about him like he’s some sort of stray I picked up on the corner.”

“Did you know that by binding himself to you, he has essentially forfeited his life?” Xander stood and carefully draped his shirt at the foot of his bed. He turned to look at me. “His life is now tied to yours. If you die, he dies.”

“Bullshit.” The word shot from my mouth.

The look on his face said, Do I look like I would bullshit you? He settled back down on his chair and crossed his legs at the ankles before stretching out again. I could have sworn I saw him peek through one eye, checking to see if I was watching him. “The Jinn are an ancient race—older than the oldest Shaede. I’m not sure, but I think they come from across the sea—Europe, or some speculate the Middle East, which would explain the genie legends. I also know they possess a very powerful magic and can change shape and form, but only when their charge is threatened.”

“Such as . . .” I prompted.

Xander shrugged. “I have no idea. I’ve heard tales that the shape they choose is the physical embodiment of their protection.”

“Are they immortal?”

He shook his head and jumped out of his chair. “You don’t listen very well, do you?” He took a few steps closer to me. “Nothing on this earth is immortal, Darian.”

I looked away; his stare was too intense, and my emotions were becoming more ragged with each explanation. “Didn’t you hear me say that his life is now tied to yours? He’ll die if you die. He’ll die to save your life. He’s become entwined with you in a way you cannot comprehend.” I still refused to look at him. “You can die. You can pass from this existence into shadow forever. Haven’t I told you over again that you are more fragile a creature than you’ve thought?”

I felt an unfamiliar lump forming in my throat. It was like choking on a golf ball. The swell of emotion threatened to break from my chest and engulf me in a century’s worth of sorrow, forgotten until this moment. Maybe it was an effect of the Lyhtan venom that lingered in my body. Maybe it was the realization of what Tyler had actually done. Maybe it was simply a long-overdue breakdown. Keep it together, Darian. Christ. Just suck it up and keep your shit together.

“Jesus,” I said, snapping back into myself. “Why couldn’t you have just left me the fuck alone?”

“I need you,” he said. “And I suppose I must remind you again that you’ve been paid well for your services. I needed an assassin. And not just another killer off the street. I need you specifically.”

Xander’s smug expression did little to soothe my anger. How long had they been watching me, feeling me out and assessing my abilities? When did his little plan take root, and how had he known I was the only girl for the job? Of course, he could’ve killed Azriel himself. Their blood bond made that possible. Then again, Xander would never risk his royal neck by getting close enough to Azriel to do the deed. Paid or not, I’d become a pawn in his little game. His sardonic smiles didn’t fool me.

Resuming his place at the armchair, Xander regarded me like I was some sort of anomaly. Studying me like a cell on slide, his fingers in a steeple before him, his golden eyes probed right down to the pores on my face.

It wasn’t pity, though my disillusioned state was undeniably pathetic. Made me easy to maneuver too. With Raif’s help, he’d molded me like a hunk of clay, and if everything went his way, he’d have one dead enemy and one trained monkey. Over my dead body. Bile rose in my throat at the thought and I swallowed the bitterness down.

“We have a busy day tomorrow,” he said. “And I’m ready for bed.” His eyes twinkled behind a veil of calculation. “You can join me if you’d like.”

Somehow, I didn’t think Xander cared so much about social taboos. I’d slept with his son, for shit’s sake, and I had no interest in making it a family affair. “Sure,” I scoffed. “Wish in one hand, shit in the other. See which one fills up first.” I spun on a heel and left the High King of Bullshit chuckling behind me.

Chapter 17

My phone vibrated in my back pocket, stirring me from restless slumber. Tilted back in a chair, my legs propped up on the banister, I caught bits and pieces of rest while Xander slept safe in his bed on the other side of the door. The vibrating stopped, and I sighed in relief just before it started again. I knew who was calling. No doubts there.

Stiff and numb, I lowered the chair onto all four legs. My knees buckled when I stood, and I shook out my blood-deprived limbs, bending at the knee and testing each leg before placing my full weight on my feet. Tiptoeing toward the door, I carefully opened it just wide enough to check on Xander. His peaceful countenance made him look like he didn’t have a care in the world. Asshole. The vibration in my pocket stopped, but I was sure it would start up again as soon as Tyler could hit the redial button. A soft breeze stirred the drapes, and I quickly crossed the room. The French doors in the bedroom hadn’t been opened the last time I’d checked.