by Lisa Daniels
Each assassin had their own set of skills and abilities. Beyond that, over time they had come to have their own specializations, mostly because two were nearly immortal and one kept his memories after reincarnation. With about a third of their numbers having served for millennia, it made sense for each of them to take their own focus over time.
Darius had taken an interesting route of always figuring out where he was needed most. Caspian was not aware that Darius was constantly reincarnated, so he had not questioned the significant personality shift between the assassin’s previous life and the current one, but Orion knew. As he worked as Darius’s mentor (in name only, as Darius aged into the role of assassin), Orion had constantly sought to figure out why he had given up the gregarious, flirty personality for something so serious, and it had taken nearly a couple hundred years to find the answer—Darius had fallen in love with one of the druids and wanted to stay near her. This had made Orion’s life considerably more difficult because Darius was the only assassin with similar abilities, but he was pulling himself out of the mission work. For a long time, Orion had taken the opportunity to spend more time looking for signs of something he knew was coming, and only rarely did he go home to see how things were progressing. After all, Darius was there to take care of the druids while he worked up the courage to confess his love.
It was only recently that Orion realized who the target of Darius’s affection was, and it finally looked like he was going to make his move. This realization had only happened because of changes that had occurred within the last 100 years.
On one of his trips home, Orion had learned of a plan to finally get help from other shifters in the fight against the Unwashed. Up to that point, only the assassins had been actively working against the human group out to destroy all magic users. Upon learning of Darius’s plan, Orion had agreed to help train a couple of young jaguar shifters who had been expelled from their packs because of the transgressions of their parents. He had taken a particular interest in Draven, slowly tempering the young cub’s cold analytics so that he would think more about how others felt. Caspian had taken a similar interest in Maverick, though he had been the primary mentor for both cubs. Given Draven’s personality, Orion would often check in to make sure Draven wasn’t forgotten, because the cub preferred sitting alone analyzing instead of interacting. Orion often regretted not taking him on as a mentee because he felt that the cub needed a different approach than what the very outgoing Caspian could manage. Caspian was no fool, but his teaching methods were not for everyone, and whenever Orion watched lessons, he saw that Draven was reaching entirely different conclusions than the ones Caspian wanted. Caspian didn’t realize it because Draven kept things to himself.
Feeling like he had failed Draven, Orion had begun to draw into himself a little more every passing year. As a more introspective assassin than the others, he was prone to feeling guilt when things did not turn out the way he thought they should.
Then Ignacio had come along, a young and incredibly skilled panther cub who could do things that no assassin should have been able to do at 20 years old. Trying to avoid further guilt, Orion had taken over his training once it became clear that Ignacio would be a powerful addition to the assassins. It wasn’t a surprise that Caspian had also taken a marked interest in the young man, and Ignacio had completed his training in record time. For his first mission, the young assassin was sent a long way from home to assess a seer whose reputation was already familiar to Caspian and Orion. The only surprise about the mission was that Ignacio had elected to stay close to her for much longer than was necessary, as he had confessed when he returned. He had been studying far more than just her, and had assassinated others as he found appropriate. The only thing that the young assassin had not explained was why he had suddenly returned home with no warning, but neither Caspian nor Orion pressed him about his schedule. Ignacio had already proven that he was more than fit for the tasks—it was even clear what his role would eventually be.
The years had gone by, things getting progressively worse. Alarmingly so. Orion watched as the world seemed to crumble in a way that was unlike any other point in history. However, he could not feel entirely unhappy about it. The worse things got for the world, the greater the odds that she would appear.
He had traveled the world as things fell apart, looking for the signs. Falstone attracted his attention, and when Orion arrived, it had caved in on itself. Just outside of the city he had found two guardians and a mystic fleeing from the scene. One of them he knew from personal experience—the tall, thin form topped with the stark white hair made it obvious that one of the guardians was Anders. The other Orion knew based on his own observations within the mystic kingdom. Hector was a unique case, and there were many people in Marlyon who were interested in keeping an eye on him. But Orion was the only one who had observed the path of the young guardian first-hand. The woman in Anders’s arms was startlingly beautiful, and Orion knew her by her reputation. A quick look at the trio, and the assassin had a fair idea of what had happened. The city was collapsed, and the magic it emanated let him know that one of the Unwashed hearts, made of magic users, had been destroyed. Alexis, a mystic, had clearly been a part of it until recently. As a result of her time in the heart, she was unconscious, almost half dead. It was clear that Anders had tried to use his bizarre combination of magical abilities to help her, but his healing abilities were limited.
It was one of the few times where Orion knew that he was in the company of friends who just happened to be white tiger shifters, even if they didn’t know it themselves.
“Good day, gentlemen.” He smiled at them and motioned for Anders to hand over Alexis.
Anders pulled her away. “No, I will not let you take her.” His voice was more of a growl than words.
Orion froze. “Ah, yes. I assure you that my plan is not to take her from you. The smell coming off of you is more than enough to make it obvious how you feel. However, time is short, and you are hardly in the position to fight me, even with Hector here to help.”
The guardians exchanged a look before Hector spoke, “You don’t think we can take you?”
Orion laughed, “Even if his ribs weren’t broken, his skull unfractured, and your body was recovered from everything you have done lately, you could not take me. However, I am not here to cause you problems, but to see you off safely.”
Anders glared at him. “It is obvious you are an assassin. Do you really think I am about to hand her over, knowing what you are?”
Orion knew that his time was limited, but pressing the tigers in their current state was obviously a bad idea. Both could shift away from a location, so the fact that they were traveling on foot—as humans, no less—let Orion know how dire their situation was. They had clearly been through a lot, and Orion’s abilities were known only to a small number of people, certainly not strangers. Unwilling to give too much away, he gave them an understanding smile. “Death magic isn’t just ensuring death. There are times when it means… dissuading death.”
Hector gave him a disbelieving look. “Life magic is the realm of druids, not assassins.”
Orion smirked, “You would certainly know more about that than most people who live outside of Marlyon, wouldn’t you, Hector? Your lineage gives you some insights that few outsiders are privy to.” The assassin noticed a look flicker across Anders’s face before obvious understanding set in. “Unfortunately, what you know about an assassin’s ability is like the rest of the world’s understanding. You are clueless.”
Anders sighed and limped forward, fully aware that they had no options. The assassin in front of them could kill them all easily in their current state, and there would be little they could do. If the assassin was offering help, Anders’s only option was to trust him.
From the way the guardian moved, Orion knew that Anders should not still be able to stand—that was how important this woman was to him. And Anders was choosing to hand her over to an assassin.
Orion q
uickly moved forward and took Alexis from his arms, giving the guardian a small nod of appreciation for his trust. Almost immediately, Anders crumpled to the ground. Hector reacted to his companion, his concern for Anders apparent, but Orion knew that Hector had already used up whatever healing magic he had. While the young guardian was distracted trying to help the much older one, Orion focused on Alexis. He reached into her mind and found her hiding in the recesses.
“Now, this is not the Alexis I have heard of. The beauty is unbelievable, but you look almost broken.”
Her mental image of herself looked up, and her eyes widened as she saw Orion before she seemed resigned to her fortune. “I had hoped to hide long enough for him to find me. But I guess if you are here, it is all over for me. I don’t know which one you are, but could I persuade you to deliver a message to Anders?” Her eyes were pleading. “Please?”
Orion shook his head and smiled, “You can tell him yourself. I am not here to sever your connection, but to pull you back. Currently your mind and body are separated. I’m just helping you find your way back.”
She looked at Orion as he stretched out his hand. Alexis hesitated for a brief moment. “I was nearly killed by Ignacio not that long ago, and Caspian kept me on my toes. But I do not get the same feeling from you as I got from them.”
“That’s because I am one of a kind.” He smiled gently at her.
Alexis let out a little laugh then stretched out her hand. “Something about you reminds me… of the father I always dreamed of having.”
He beamed down at her as he leaned over to help her. “I tend to have that effect on people.”
As soon as she touched him, Orion returned her mind to her body and he used a little of his healing magic to repair the worst damage to her body. Organs were mended and most of her bones reset, but he could not entirely repair her because he could feel the humans in the city. Knowing he could not give too much to any one person, he knew that he would need to leave soon. Less than 10 seconds had passed since he had taken her from Anders when Orion spoke to Hector. “Here, Hector, I will leave her to you. Let me see what I can do to help Anders.”
Hector gave him a confused look, but stood up and took Alexis from his arms. Stooping beside Anders, Orion smiled, “You have nearly as much damage as your love. It’s amazing you made it out alive.” With a touch, he mended the worst of Anders’s wounds, just enough so that the white tiger shifter would be able to get to safety with greater ease.
Without a word, Orion helped him to his feet. The initial resistance Anders thought would be necessary fell away as he realized his physical state wasn’t as bad. Standing up, he furrowed his brow. “Who are you?”
Orion held up a hand, drawing a symbol in the air as he said, “I will tell you if we meet again.”
Anders wasn’t sure what to say, but Hector stepped forward. “You don’t think you are going to see us again.”
“Now that I know how things turned out between you and Freya, there isn’t much reason for me to visit your city anymore. Oh, and I would appreciate it if you didn’t mention me when you recount your heroic escape.”
Anders finally found his voice, “What are you doing here? It seems like a strange coincidence.”
Orion laughed, “Of course it isn’t a coincidence. I’m looking for Phoenix.”
The guardians shared a look, then Hector asked, “I thought she was in Marlyon.”
Orion’s shock at someone actually knowing who he meant was quickly masked as he shook his head. “She isn’t always around, but the baby is safe with a different druid. Thank you for sending her to us. I know it wasn’t the easiest move.”
Hector tilted his head to the side, “I thought that druids rarely left home.”
“Phoenix is one of the few special cases.”
“What—”
Before the guardians could keep questioning him, Orion pointed to Alexis, “You need to get her to safety. My protection will get you back to Anders’s home as long as you don’t waste time. Then you can go home. Or back to Solona, whichever way you want to look at it. Just know that the baby is safe so you can minimize her anger when she wakes.” As if on cue, Alexis started to stir, the assassin’s voice strangely familiar in her hazy mind.
Without another word, Orion raised a finger to his forehead and gave them a wink. Turning on his heel, the assassin strode toward the collapsed city. His skills were needed in the city to help the humans and kill the Unwashed. In the back of his mind, he was hopeful that his patience would be rewarded this time. The pull was getting much stronger, so it was only a matter of time. The urgency meant that every disaster brought him a bit of hope, hope that made him feel incredibly guilty.
He had taken several trips to Anilin where the mort statera Iris had revealed her powers. It seemed like the most probable place for Phoenix’s return, because when Orion focused, he could feel a pull there. The place needed him to be there. There had been no one to save or kill, so he knew that he would be needed for something else. Then champion Legend had shown up with a strange seer with capabilities well beyond what she should have had. Orion immediately became protective of Legend only to have the champion threaten him. Instead of trying to fight the prophecy of his death, Legend’s last wish was to charge Orion with getting the seer far away from Anilin. There was no chance that Legend knew about Orion, but the seer did, and it made the assassin’s skin crawl. Fighting back his horror at the lives the seer carried, Orion agreed to take her away as Legend made his last stand.
It had been one of the most bizarre experiences Orion had in his very lengthy life. Torn between saving Legend and fulfilling a promise, Orion had started away with the seer. But neither man had taken into account that she was far more powerful than she should have been; her magic was not only unpredictable, but she was able to do things that no seer should have been able to do. Orion immediately recognized that the seer had somehow absorbed druid abilities when she tore her own hole in time and space to stay with Legend. Orion had jumped through time to protect her from the rips she had created and to keep the Unwashed from taking control of her. To his surprise, the seer had tried to sacrifice herself to save Legend. He put aside the new knowledge that the Unwashed had pumped lives into her and worked to ensure Precious survived.
As Orion fought to kill the Unwashed and anchor both Legend and Precious, he had felt the presence of Kendra. She had told him the time was not right, but that it was close to when Phoenix would rise. She had even laughed at Orion for all of his doubts and insecurities because she had never seen them while she was alive. It had been a gentle reminder to be as kind to himself as he was to others, and it had helped Orion as things spiraled out of control. In the end, Kendra had promised to convince Precious to stay in the realm of the living, and in return, Orion had to promise he would finally follow his own heart instead of duty.
His discussion with Kendra had taken less than a moment, and during that time he had finished anchoring Legend and brought him back from death while wiping out the Unwashed. It had been a hard sell because Legend did not want to live without Precious. It was entirely uncharacteristic of the champion, but Orion had persuaded him to return. He then stepped back and watched as Legend held Precious in his arms. Focusing on the other world, Orion had helped guide Precious back to her body. When she woke, all Precious remembered was her discussion with Kendra. Taking them somewhere safe, Orion refused any reward from Legend, the only person who knew just how much of a role the assassin had played that day.
“It kind of makes me sad to think that assassins have avoided me this whole time.”
Orion had cocked his head to the side. “That is definitely not something most people say.”
“Well, if they are all like you, I have lost out on some very good friends over the course of my long life by you guys trying to extend my life.”
Orion had laughed, “I can put your mind at rest on that score. No other assassin is like me, though I believe you have lost out on some very
good friends. But now that the prophecy has come to pass, I think you will find we are less likely to avoid you.”
“I never fully understood why you avoided me. Is your magic so strong that you can make prophecies happen?”
“That’s actually not too far off. For most assassins there is an aura of death, and we didn’t want to tempt fate. You have been one of our best allies for far too long for us to risk it.”
“I still think it was unfortunate. You assassins are so guarded that you have become almost mythical. Though I suspect that is a desired effect more than an accidental consequence.”
Orion sat back and nodded, a sly smile on his face, “You may have something there.”
“I am ashamed to say that before Anilin I had never even heard of you. Was that also by design? Because if I had to guess—and it is pure speculation—I dare say that assassins shouldn’t be able to keep people from dying or from entering the next realm.”
Orion shrugged, not wanting to say any more than was necessary.
Legend leaned forward, “I know that I was gone. While Precious gave her life for me, I was waiting for her on the other side and did not intend to return. Next thing I know, you are gently persuading me to come back, promising that she would be alright. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but assassins are meant to guide people into death, not keep them from it.”