Against the Dawn (20 page)

Damn it.

The room erupted into applause. A polite golf clap that unnerved me more than the fact that Kaii had me by the proverbial balls. “Point to Kaii,” Kieran announced.

The Reaper backed away slowly, lowering the gold daggers to his—or was it her?—sides. My curiosity got the best of me as I examined my opponent more closely, searching for something, anything, that might belie a gender. But I wasn’t getting anything—not even an inkling of what might be hidden beneath the head-to-toe covering.

Though my disadvantage burned, it was nothing compared to the annoyance that flared from the enchanted daggers in my palms. Jeez, talk about sore losers. Another surge of confidence swelled within me and I reacted without thought, letting instinct—and magic—guide me where I usually relied on patience and level-headedness, and a healthy dose of fear. I might have been a bad decision maker in my personal life, but I never took chances in a fight. I doubted my mindless assault would’ve impressed Raif much, but the daggers didn’t give a shit about playing it safe it seemed. No, they wanted me to
win
. To triumph over my enemies. Kick ass and take names!

My actions exceeded my training as the daggers’ mojo snaked up my arms, spreading through my chest and extremities. Even my brain grew fuzzy as magic pinged and fired my synapses, as though I was merely operating on auto-pilot, totally incapable of controlling my own movements.

Oh fuck
.

The daggers didn’t seem to understand the concept of a friendly sparring match. Kaii’s eyes widened in surprise as I attacked, retreating with every one of my advancing steps. A murmur rippled through the crowd of spectators as I spun, cutting down sharply with my right hand only to have Kaii deflect before my blade could slice into the Reaper’s left shoulder. I blocked an upward swing and thrust with my left hand. Kaii jumped back and I merged with the shadows as though jumping through time to regain my solid-self mere inches from delivering a killing blow. On and on it went, a frenzied battle dance that didn’t allow for any of Kieran’s gentle applause or the awarding of points. This was no longer a friendly contest of skills.

It was war.

Inside my pocket, the abalone chip burned, a not-so-gentle warning that I was close to violating house rules. Somehow, the daggers didn’t seem to care, and my assault on Kaii continued with the frenzied passion of someone fighting for her life. Kaii held her—or was it his?—own, matching my speed and agility with lithe graceful movements that had to be nothing more than a blur of color in the spectators’ eyes.

“Hold up magic dagger type persons. No need to go off the deep end. Skin barbequing, here…”

Did sentient weaponry ever answer back?

Kaii gave me a look like I’d lost my mind, which probably wasn’t too far from the truth. Seriously, who talked to their weapons?
During
a fight? But I was starting to get worried as the battle wore on, one: because I wasn’t even a little winded, and two: I had a feeling that if I couldn’t stop myself, I’d kill Kaii which would
definitely
violate Kieran’s rules. But the daggers didn’t give a shit about rules, or whether or not all of this was only for show. They didn’t bother with the fact that the Reaper certainly wasn’t my enemy and hadn’t done me any true harm. No, killing was the order of the day and I didn’t get a say on whether or not that was fair. Xander’s gift was turning out to be a little more than I could handle.

Command them
.

The whisper of voiceless words echoed in my mind, slogging through my consciousness like chunks of ice drifting down a frozen stream. You gotta love the Fae and their telepathic tricks. Citrine eyes focused on my face as Kaii’s thoughts invaded my mind.
They belong to you, not you to them. Command them
.

Hmmm.
Easier said than done, Reaper.

Those creepy yellow eyes crinkled at the corners and I could’ve sworn that Kaii was smiling. Despite our mental conversation, the physical battle raged on, both of us spinning, thrusting, dodging and stabbing. And all the while not a single contact had been made. The room had grown deathly quiet, the eager spectators now rapt as their evening distraction turned into a scene right out of
Gladiator
. Are you not entertained?!

I’d tried the gentle approach, sending out a mental suggestion that my magic accoutrements were perhaps taking this a little too far. But maybe the solution to my problem lay less in thoughts and actual commands and more about my will. After all, if they were in fact, an extension of my hand, it wasn’t direct thought that made me move my fingers, but an instinct in my brain that
willed
them to move. A simple electronic impulse…

I pulled my thoughts back into that hazy state of magical influence, just enough to lose a tiny bit of focus. The trick was to not overthink, but to command the daggers subconsciously. My own fear and insecurities had triggered the aggressive kill or be killed response from the enchanted weapons. I needed to convince myself—and thereby the pesky little Terminators in training—that there was no threat. This was simply a game.

Kaii’s left arm feinted for attack and I anticipated, parrying the right stab. In turn, I struck out with my own right hand, catching the Reaper in the side with my blade, making purchase on nothing but thick fabric. Thank.
Fuck
.

“Point, Darian!” someone yelled from the crowd to the reception of a round of applause.

The daggers sang with elation, sending a pleasant tingle the length of my body. Yeah, yeah, good for us. At this point, I was just glad we hadn’t managed to kill anyone. I forced the anxiety from my mind, the feeling of being cornered that had less to do with my current predicament and more to do with my recent attack six months ago. It was hard to feel safe when Kade’s assault still felt so fresh. The thought triggered a visceral reaction and I left my body behind, appearing behind Kaii in less than the time it would take to blink an eye. My left hand was poised at the Reaper’s ribs, while my right held the dagger tight to my opponent’s throat.

“Point, Darian!” Another raucous shout spurred the crowd into applause.

My arms shook with the restraint it took not to deliver a killing blow. A simple constriction of muscles would simultaneously eviscerate Kaii’s liver and cut the Reaper’s throat. The abalone chip screamed in the confines of my pocket, white-hot pain ripping through me as a dead serious warning not to move another inch. I took several cleansing breaths and found a scrap of positive energy to latch onto. One of unusual hazel eyes, haphazard bronze curls, and a warm smile that could melt my heart. This was my safe place. With Tyler, and inside of that feeling, nothing could harm me.

You’re in control
.

His reassuring words came back to me and I felt the magic of the daggers ebb, sucking from my limbs like water at low tide. I released my grip on Kaii, and brought my arms to my sides, sliding the daggers back into their sheaths. Whether or not Kieran was satisfied with our little exhibition, I was done.

I stepped away from Kaii feeling for the first time since starting this fight, the effects of my physical exertion. My breath labored in my chest and my limbs ached from the speed and intensity of my movements. I’d pushed the boundaries of what even I was capable of and I knew I’d be paying for it in the morning. Kieran’s eyes narrowed as he studied me and I dug in my pocket, retrieving the abalone casino chip. I tossed it in the air and he caught it in midair and rolled it across his knuckles.

“Impressive.” His voice carried a suspicious edge as he stood. Kaii’s head dipped in a bow and the Reaper took several steps back, leaving me all alone in a room full of curious eyes. Kieran approached slowly, that same suspicious expression etched onto his face. “It would seem that for once, the rumors were not exaggerated. In fact, dare I say you’ve been greatly underestimated, Darian?”

I held back a snort in response. If I was impressive at all, I had Xander’s daggers to thank for it. From the way Kaii had fought, without the aid of magic, I would have been put in my place. Big time.

“No more games. Just give me what I came for so I can get out of here.” I was beginning to think it was time to ditch the excess testosterone in my life and find a girlfriend or two. Surely a BFF wouldn’t send me into the lion’s den to get something for her or give me an enchanted gift that bordered on homicidal.

With the excitement over, our audience dissipated, most of the patrons going back to whatever they’d been doing before my spectacle with Kaii started. Kieran gave me an apprising stare and said, “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Darian, but I have nothing to give you. Lorik has sent you on a fool’s errand. I owe him no debt.”

Son of a
bitch
.

Chapter Seventeen

“What?” The word burst from my lips in an incredulous bark and I was surprised that steam hadn’t billowed from my ears. I was going to kill Lorik.
Kill him
. “If you owe him nothing, then what was the point of all of this?” The thought that Lorik might have set me up sent me into a rage, one that the daggers recognized as a threat as they hummed angrily in their sheaths.

“Your fiery disposition wasn’t exaggerated, either,” Kieran remarked. “What Lorik wanted from me wasn’t money, assassin. I owed him information.”

My ears perked at the admission. “What sort of information?”

“The kind that he won’t enjoy hearing, I assume. Tell Lorik that his marker is irrevocable and non-transferable. There is nothing I can do about it.”

“That’s it?” What did it even mean? Talk about your cryptic message. It grated that I’d had to go through a public spectacle, not to mention I’d damn near killed someone who didn’t deserve it for that little tidbit of nonsensical information. “I’m supposed to go back to him and tell him that?”

“I realize it’s not what you thought you’d be delivering to your friend, but it is, in fact, all I have to offer. I can’t be blamed for Lorik’s misleading of you. I am simply the messenger.”

Then what did that make me? “And the exhibition I was forced to participate in?”

Kieran hiked a shoulder. “I was curious. You know, I could offer you a far better salary than anything Tyler is paying you. Perhaps you’d consider a change of employment?”

“Thanks, but Ty’s got a great dental plan.”

That earned me a laugh but Kieran wasn’t easily deterred. “I would think that his royal highness would be pleased to find you no longer under the Jinn’s thumb.”

There he went, making assumptions. I wasn’t Xander’s to worry about. And even if we were together in the way everyone assumed…I
still
wouldn’t be his to worry about. “I decide who I keep company with.” My lips curled in a complacent smile that contradicted the heat of my words. “And no one else.”

“Well, the invitation stands,” Kieran said with an incline of his head. “Whenever you’re ready, my doors are open, assassin.”

“Thanks.” For nothing.

I headed for the door, ready to get the hell out of there so I could get down to the business of making Lorik pay for sending me in the first place. My steps faltered and my pace slowed as I noticed a form clad head-to-toe in white waiting for me near the door. I really,
really
wanted to know what Kaii was hiding under that balaclava. Maybe if I asked nicely I’d get a peek.

“Sorry about that.” I jerked my head back toward the salon as I approached the Reaper, praying there’d be no hard feelings. Now that I had a level head, that same feeling of dread crept slowly over my skin like a hoard of tarantulas. “I uh, got a little caught up in the moment.”

The Reaper made a sound that sounded a lot like a sarcastic snort.

I stepped a little closer and a chill permeated my skin. Kaii’s energy left me feeling uneasy, despairing. This one must’ve been a blast at parties. “You’re not big on conversation, are you?”

Those canary yellow eyes pierced me.

Silence stretched between us and the feeling of unease intensified to the point that I reached for the daggers at my side, almost desperate for the boost of confidence they’d give me. My hands hovered near the grips and the blades vibrated in their sheaths, eager for the contact. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to encourage them again. The last contact I had with the daggers had pushed me past logical thought, boosting not only my confidence, but my abilities as a fighter. And let’s face it, the last thing I needed was to lose control and accidentally kill Kaii after I’d basically been given my walking papers. Kieran’s little corner of Seattle wasn’t anyplace I wanted to frequent now or in the future. Killing one of his—whether accidental or not—wouldn’t bode well for me.

I twisted the ring on my left thumb instead, and surprisingly enough, that little piece of Tyler calmed me. Kaii’s intense yellow eyes studied me, making me feel dissected. The Reaper reached out and I fought the urge to cringe away as long delicate fingers brushed a lock of hair from my face. The lingering scent of decay and musty earth invaded my nostrils and my knees went weak from Kaii’s proximity. Without Xander’s magic daggers, the Reaper would have kicked my ass.

Go back to Tyler and tell him what happened here today
. The words echoed in my mind, again, with no voice, barely even a thought.
Don’t come back here and don’t give Kieran any reason to seek you out
.

My brow furrowed. Kaii knew Tyler?

Kaii’s gaze wandered to the daggers sheathed at my side.
And take care with relics such as those
.
Danger comes in the guise of protection sometimes
.

I took a step backward, unable to take a deep breath. My proximity to the Reaper stole the air from my lungs and dark spots swam in my vision. “Noted,” I said through the thickness in my throat. My steps faltered as I headed for the doorway, past Kieran’s gatekeeper who gave me a superior smirk as I brushed past him. I didn’t dare look back as I stepped out onto the street, sucking in deep breaths like I’d just breached the surface of deep water. Kaii’s gaze followed me, a heavy weight that I couldn’t shrug off. I welcomed the gray twilight into my skin, every inch of me tingling as I left my corporeal form behind. My exit couldn’t be followed if I couldn’t be seen and as I raced for the safety of my apartment, I wondered how much more there was to Kaii’s warning that wasn’t said.