shaede assassin 05 - shadows at midnight (30 page)

Relocated? What the hell? Was I entering into witness protection or some shit? After the emotional wringer I’d just gone through, I wasn’t sure how much more I could take today.

“Be straight with me, Ty. On a scale of one to ten, how fucked are we?”

“Honestly?” he remarked. “About a fifty.”

Shit.

“A car ride through downtown is going to take too damned long.” I was fully prepared to wish myself straight to my apartment.

“No.” The tension in Tyler’s tone gave me pause. “It’s not safe.”

Since when had it been unsafe to exercise what was my right through our bond? I felt raw and exposed, too damned vulnerable for my peace of mind. Adrenaline coursed through my bloodstream like fire and my muscles twitched in anticipation of being put to use.

“Wanna elaborate on why?” I couldn’t stop my tone from reaching near-shout proportions.

“I’ve been ordered not to grant any more of your wishes. The
Délash
will know and the moment you speak the words, it’ll find you and kill you.”

Jesus. If that wasn’t a kick in the gut. “I’m on my way,” I said. “I’ll get to you as fast as I can.”

“Darian, I love you,” Tyler said.

A wave of fear crested over me. “I love you, too.”

I ended the call. In the space of a few minutes, we’d officially become fugitives. Forget staying at Xander’s house, the only way we’d be safe now was if Tyler and I left the fucking planet.

Climbing into the back of one of Xander’s car was the equivalent of locking myself up in a cell. The spacious town car might as well have been a sardine can and the amount of breathable oxygen in the enclosed space wasn’t enough for my lungs, let alone the two Shaedes in the front seats. I was so fucking on edge that my brain refused to focus on a single thought and I watched out the window at the cars on the streets, the pedestrians walking in herds on the crowded sidewalks, and the buildings that towered above us the closer into downtown we got. Anything to keep my mind off of the emotions that built as swirled within me like a roiling summer storm.

The world around me froze. Literally. As though the entire city of Seattle had been placed in a state of suspended animation. People, cars, even my driver and his buddy might as well have been statues, frozen in mid-action.

“Hello, Darian.”

My heart dropped to the soles of my fucking feet at the sound of Merrick’s voice. He sat beside me in the backseat as though he belonged there, his pristine three-piece suit perfectly pressed and not a thread out of place.

“Ty’s waiting for me,” I said. Not that I thought the warning would do me a damned bit of good.

“That he is,” Merrick agreed.

It worried me more that Merrick was here with me now and not the mysterious
Délash
that seemed to have followed my every move. At least that big, black cloud of doom was a threat I could understand. If it was hovering over me now, I knew I could kiss my ass goodbye and reconcile myself with that. Merrick’s presence was a variable I couldn’t account for. I had no idea what his play would be so I couldn’t even form a plan of attack.

“I’m truly sorry that it’s come to this, Darian,” he said so conversationally that it almost lulled me into thinking he wasn’t here to fuck my entire life over. “I have great love for Tyler. That’s my weakness, I suppose.”

What did that even mean? Panic welled hot and thick in my throat and my hands began to quake. “Can’t you just let us love each other?” I’d been through too much shit today to be anything but supplicating. “Why is it so wrong?”

“It’s not wrong.” The sadness in his voice cut through me. “Love is both selfless and selfish, I’m afraid. Tyler gave you the ultimate gift, Darian, and not even I can take that from you.”

I reached for my finger and traced the outline of the bear carved into the silver. “He’s not dangerous,” I said. “You have to know that.”

“I do,” he agreed. “But together, the two of you could be quite dangerous indeed. I can’t sit by and do nothing. Despite the fact that I should have allowed the Synod to banish him from this plane, I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands. I’ll protect the both of you. From each other.”

I was told that if I didn’t obey the rules, our bond would be severed by the Synod. That they’d wipe all trace of me from your memory
.

“No.” The realization of what Merrick was about to do caused the bile to rise to my throat. “
Please
.” My breath sped in my chest and my heart beat a furious rhythm against my ribcage. “Don’t do this. I’m begging you. Don’t take him away from me.”
Please.
I sent a prayer out to anyone that might be listening
. God, please not this. Anything but this!

I reached for the door handle, prepared to bolt. All I needed was a few feet of distance from Merrick and I’d be safe enough to wish myself to Ty’s apartment. We could run from there. As far fucking away as we could possibly get. As I lunged for the door, Merrick leaned close to my ear and whispered,
Or’del, umz zeydeld
.

“You won’t even miss him, Darian.”

I blinked at the man sitting beside me. “Miss who?”

“Exactly.”

#

I stared up at the crumbled façade of my building. Weird, I couldn’t remember the drive over here. It showed the shit-storm of a week I’d had that I couldn’t recall the drive from Xander’s house to my once-pristine apartment. I guess I should’ve been glad that I hadn’t been home when the gas main decided to explode. Supernatural healing or not, I doubt I would’ve walked away from the experience.  

Being homeless wasn’t ideal, and finding a new place as good as this one was going to be tough. At least I had something to occupy my time. Despite my sadness, it still burned that Xander hadn’t asked me to help him put his house in order, but I supposed I could hold down the fort until he, Raif, and Asher decided to come home. I paused mid-step, a box of clothes clutched in my arms. Why in the hell hadn’t they asked me to come along? I searched my memory for a conversation, anything, and came up blank. And the more I thought about it, the harder my head began to pound. Jesus. I really was coming off a bad week. Or a really hardcore bender. Heh. Either way, I think I needed a nap, a bourbon straight up, or both.

“Can I take that for you, Darian?”

I looked up to find Xander’s driver standing in front of me, arms outstretched. I couldn’t think of his name to save my life. Good lord, it’s like I’d had a full-frontal lobotomy in the past few hours or some shit. “Yeah, thanks.” I held out the box and he took it from me.

“Is there anything else?”

“One more small box, but I’ll grab it.”

He put the box in the trunk with a few others. “I don’t mind.”

“I’ve got it. Besides, I should probably give the place a last once-over before we go. Make sure there isn’t anything I’ve forgotten.”

“Want me to come with you?” Jesus, what in the hell was this guy’s name? It was driving me batty. “You’re not supposed to be without an escort. Raif was quiet specific.”

What did everyone think I needed protection from? I was pretty damned good at taking care of myself. Hell, before Raif and Xander had come along, I’d been relying on no one but myself. The dull ache at the front of my head pounded a little harder and I reached up to massage my temples. “Raif worries too much,” I said through the discomfort. I refused to admit that I couldn’t be happier for his concern no matter how misplaced. “I’ll be out in a sec. Keep the engine running.”

Without giving him a chance to argue, I turned and headed back into my building. Since the elevator was shot, I left my corporeal form behind and caught a wind current to the second story. The place looked like a set from a disaster movie. Thousands of dollars’ worth of Xander’s fancy decorating blown to bits. My chest tightened at the sight. This place had been my home for so long, the thought of having to leave was like leaving a limb behind. I skirted the section of floor that had begun to sink as I took one last look around the place that was marked off with yellow caution tape. I’d taken all of my clothes that I could salvage. Emptied out the bathroom. Gathered up my weapons: my old saber, some throwing knives, and a couple of daggers that weren’t half as useful as the pair Xander had given me. All of my dishes and the cupboards they’d been in were shot. My pantry had been obliterated as well though I’d managed to salvage one last box of Peanut Butter Cheerios. I didn’t think you could find that variety in many stores anymore. Those suckers were like gold.

As I took one last lap, I couldn’t help but think that I’d forgotten something. That I’d hidden something here that I needed. The pounding in my skull persisted and I swore under my breath. Supernatural creatures weren’t supposed to have headaches. At least, not ones that lasted for more than a minute or two. I supposed that the niggling worry at the back of my mind was leftover stress from my morning with Xander, Raif, and Asher. My emotions were still raw and simmered just below the surface.

Maybe a little downtime wouldn’t hurt.

I walked toward the kitchen. Not sure why, I’d already grabbed everything I could from there. The flat of my palm wandered across the brick wall and I paused where it looked like a few of the bricks had come loose. Weird. This part of the building hadn’t really been damaged much in the explosion. But the mortar around the masonry was gone and it looked as though the bricks could be shimmied free. My brow furrowed as another pulsating round of pain ricocheted inside my cranium.

God fucking damn it that hurt. What was wrong with me?

I turned from the brick wall and the pain abated slightly. I gave my head a gentle shake, as though it would dislodge whatever was giving me grief. No such luck. The stress of the past week had obviously gotten to me. I just needed to get settled in at Xander’s. I’d promised him that I’d take care of Anya and baby Dimitri for him. And given my and Anya’s antagonistic relationship, I didn’t think she’d be the easiest person to take care of in Xander’s absence. I supposed that was too damned bad, though. I was going to prove to Xander that he could entrust his most valuable possessions in my care. And by doing so, I’d ensure my spot on the king’s payroll for years to come.

A girl’s gotta make a living, right?

I gave my once pristine apartment one last glance as I scooped up the last cardboard box. With a sigh, I stepped into the light and only regained my corporeal form as my booted feet hit the sidewalk.

A strange energy signature brushed against my senses. I looked up to see a man striding down the sidewalk toward me, his expression pinched. Fae? No. I’d never felt power like this before. It hit me in almost pleasant waves, like a full-body massage. It was an amazing sensation even if the punch it packed put me on high alert. I tried to focus my gaze on the sidewalk and not the supernatural anomaly barreling toward me. The daggers hummed in their sheaths at my sides, and I resisted the urge to drop the box in my arms and reach for them. No use freaking out before I had a reason too…

Only a few feet separated us now and his eyes met mine. My breath caught in my chest as our gazes locked. I’d never seen such gorgeous hazel eyes in my entire existence. And the body they were attached to wasn’t so bad, either.
Wow
. He looked almost pained as he approached me, and the urgency of his expression caused my own heart to pick up its pace in my chest. An unfamiliar shock of cold raced up my arm and my step faltered. I forced myself to ignore him. A look of stark realization crested over his beautiful face and his expression fell. A sense of sorrow welled in my chest. Good lord, my emotional compass was seriously off kilter today. As we passed one another, that same strange chill snaked around my arm and the box I carried fell from my grasp. Xander’s driver rushed forward and scooped it up from the sidewalk before I could do it.

“I’ve got this Darian. Are you ready to go?”

I turned and watched as my mysterious passerby continued down the sidewalk. He paused, and turned back to face me. I stood rooted to my spot on the sidewalk and simply stared. His full lips quirked in a sad smile, the expression so knowing that it sent a wave of anxiety crashing over me. A year passed in that moment. The world melted away until there was only the two of us.

“Darian? You okay?”

The voice of Xander’s driver—damn it, I needed to be better with names—broke the spell and I gave my head a shake as I turned to face him.

“I’m fine,” I said with a nervous laugh. “Let’s get out of here.” I turned back to get a glimpse of my mystery man, but in the space of a couple of seconds he’d vanished. As though he’d poofed into thin air or some shit.

Creepy.

I paused with the car door open as I took one last look up and down the sidewalk and then again at the burned and broken façade of my building. I let out a sigh that did nothing for the tension that pulled my shoulders taut before I climbed into the backseat. After I buckled my seatbelt, I massaged my left arm. Remnants of that strange zing of cold tingled on my skin. I reached out and twisted the ring on my left thumb before tracing the strange engraving with the pad of one finger. I couldn’t remember where I’d gotten it, but I’d always loved this ring. It was beautiful in its simplicity. I never took it off. The only piece of jewelry I wore.

As the driver pulled out onto the street, I cradled my still throbbing head in my hands. I couldn’t quell the feeling that I’d left something behind at my apartment. Missed some detail or more to the point, forgotten it. Damn it, I hoped that when I felt better and had a chance to settle into life at Xander’s house I’d remember what it was. Because I suspected whatever I’d missed was something important.

Something I couldn’t live without.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thanks so much to everyone at NYLA including my amazing agent, Natanya Wheeler, and my fab beta readers, Chelea Mueller, Windy Aphayrath, and Meredith Moore. The biggest thanks of all goes out to my readers, though, whose enthusiasm and dedication to series are why I can’t let Darian’s story end until it’s truly over. Props to my family as always for putting up with my love affair with my computer. Any and all mistakes are my own. I’ve been known to make more than a few in my time.