by Shana Vernon
I tipped my head to the side, stunned. “He told me you were his last contract, not his friend,” I said, suspicion lacing my tone.
Maximus didn’t seem all that surprised by my comment. “I am sure it was easier than trying to explain who I was before he had to leave.”
I wasn’t convinced. “Papa didn’t mention anything about trusting you to protect me.” I scoffed before continuing, “I don’t need protection.” To emphasize that fact, I jammed my elbow into his stomach and broke out of his hold, twisted, and raised my stake toward his face.
“Come any closer vampire, and I will fucking end you.” That seemed to excite him rather than make him wary of me.
What is wrong with this guy?
He took a step closer, the iron tip pressed against his throat.
“Solnyshka, I could never hurt you. Your father and I have had an understanding for years. We met twenty-five years ago after one of his first contracts. I saved his life and we have been working together ever since. Not everything is what it appears to be, Solnyshka. I am not the sordid criminal the public would have you believe.” He took a breath and removed his jacket, resting it on the armchair behind his desk, the muscles on his arms much more apparent without the jacket obscuring them from view.
“I need to keep up this facade to maintain my leadership of the Bratva. There are members who are untrustworthy and cannot be allowed to contradict my authority. Your father has helped me take down the worst of them from the inside. This was all done without the knowledge of the Guild. They would not agree with our methods.” He lightly pressed my dagger away from his throat before continuing.
He turned around and grabbed a duffel bag off his desk. “Come on Lenna, we need to go. Your father expects me to bring you somewhere safe.” I jerked away from him and took a few steps back to block the exit.
“How do I know you don’t have my father somewhere or that you haven’t already drained him yourself? How do I know you are even telling the truth?
He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Your father told me to tell you that he misses his little hawk and he hopes to see you soon.”
My heart skipped a beat at hearing the nickname Papa gave me as a child. That was all it took for me to know he was telling the truth. No matter how much someone tortured Papa, he would never reveal that to anyone. I walked over to the nearest chair and slumped into it.
“I am not going anywhere. He needs me,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
“And he needs you to live and be safe,” he snorted through his thin, straight nose.
“I don’t need your permission, Maximus. I am going to enter the Guild and find out what happened to him. So you can either be an ally to me or get the hell out of my way.”
“Lenna, your father didn’t keep you hidden from the Guild your entire life for no reason! You know they will kill you if they found out he broke the rules and had a child,” he said, exasperated.
He had a point. Papa hid my existence from the Guild because their most sacred rule was not to procreate. They didn’t want children with special abilities running around. The unique thing about the Guild assassins was the special abilities bestowed during initiation, by consuming the plant called Donum Vitae, which loosely translated, means “Gift of life.”
Most people who became assassins did not really consider having children, so it wasn’t a common issue. They already had to deal with vampires, who were hard enough as it was to kill. They didn’t want to deal with rogue humans with special abilities creating problems.
“I can easily protect myself from them if they figure out who I am,” I said with false confidence. Truth was, I had no idea how they checked for gifts, so it was possible they would discover what I was immediately.
Maximus grinned, the slight cleft in his chin prominent. “Your invisibility is just as strong as your father’s, that is true. But it doesn’t last forever.”
He knows even more than I thought.
“I can heal myself from any injury they could give me, and worst-case scenario, I can hawk out and escape.”
He rolled his eyes. “And then alert them all whose daughter you are.”
My invisibility and shapeshifting abilities were passed down from Papa, who also turned into a hawk. In the eyes of the Guild, Papa was the only hawk shifter in existence. I didn’t know where my healing ability came from, but I assumed it was passed down from my mother.
Papa absolutely refused to tell me who she was, no matter how many times I pestered him about it. The only thing he ever said was that she died giving birth to me.
My fists clenched and I spoke through pursed lips, “I’m not blind to the risks here, but nothing matters to me more than Papa. I am going to enter the Guild and I am going to find him.”
His lips lifted at the corners. “Solnyshka, I promised your father I would always protect you. That includes your interests, so if you want to go into the Guild to find him I will endeavor to do whatever it takes to help you.”
I blinked at him, surprised when his voice rang with sincerity. He really meant what he said, which made me immediately suspicious.
“Why are you so loyal to my father?” I asked, my voice sharp.
“Let’s just say we have saved each other's lives too many times to count and now that protection goes to you as well.”
I thought about it for a moment. Having a powerful vampire on my side, one who is also the head of the Bratva, would be an extremely valuable asset. He knew Papa’s nickname for me, so he had to be close enough for my father to trust him explicitly. I needed to decide if I could place that same level of trust in the vamp in front of me. He already knew who I was and my intention of entering the Guild, so my options were to either kill him now or put my faith in Papa that he wouldn’t have trusted someone without reason. I was already in over my head and I’d barely started.
“Okay, you can help me,” I said hesitantly.
His head fell back as he chortled. “I am glad I have your permission, Solnyshka.”
“Why do you keep calling me that?” I asked, my voice sharp.
He leaned against his desk and crossed one foot in front of the other. “It means little sun or sunshine in Russian.”
“I know what it means, I asked why you call me that,” I said, my voice still quite terse.
He lowered his hand toward my head and pulled off my auburn wig to expose my honey blonde locks. He ran his hands through my hair and smiled down at me.
“Because you are like sunshine.”
Heat crept up my body and the room suddenly felt too small. “Uh, thanks.” I readjusted my wig and stood up. “I am going to prepare to enter the Guild, but if you find any details about my father before next week, let me know at this number.” I wrote a number to a burner phone on the notepad on his desk and walked toward the door.
“Just a minute, I have something for you,” his smooth voice rang from behind me. I turned to watch as he circled around his desk and unlocked a drawer, pulling out a stack of photos. He came back around the desk and held out the stack for me to take. “I had to compel you to forget all of our meetings before this one, Solnyshka. I am sorry for that, but hopefully, these will help you understand better.”
I took the stack, not willing to look through them yet, and turned back toward the door with Maximus in tow, uncomfortable with the thought of him messing with my memories.
“I won’t be able to protect you when you enter the Guild, but I can help you however you need from the outside. Your father would kill me for allowing you to enter the Guild to go after him, so please try to be careful and use me as a resource whenever you need.”
I scoffed when he said ‘allow’, but let it slide as we reached the elevator.
He called the elevator and waited while I selected the button to return to the main floor.
“It was a pleasure to see you, Lenna, I hope it will happen again soon,” Maximus said as the elevator doors closed, shutting him out of view.
CHAPTER TWO
There wasn’t that much to prepare. I always had everything ready in case I needed to disappear at a moment's notice, though this time I wasn’t running away. I was headed directly into the lion’s den.
We lived in a modernized stone cottage, which was reinforced with every known security system imaginable. Though, you'd never know that just by looking at it. The small, brownstone structure stood on a grassy hill, overlooking a forest on the outskirts of Boston.
I had been setting up permanent fortifications on our home for the last few days. Everything important or personal went into the secure storage underneath the property and all the regular household items were left in the general living spaces. I was about to close the door to the vault when I noticed an envelope on the desk in the corner.
I’ve never seen that before.
I walked over to it and saw my name on the front in Papa’s handwriting. I ripped it open and pulled out the letter.
My dearest daughter, I am truly sorry that I am not there to tell you everything in person. If you are reading this, it means my mission did not go well and the Guild discovered my secret. I have been working tirelessly toward uncovering the key players who are using the Guild for their own gain. I finally discovered proof to show that Killian Abbott is falsifying evidence against innocent people and Vampires that outsiders want dead. He has been receiving payments into an offshore account after specific hits are completed, and I am so close to figuring out who is paying him, but I think he realized what I have been up to. Please, my beautiful little hawk, do not come after me. You have the chance to go live your life. Be anyone you wish to be. I will not be a liability for you. Go meet someone, fall in love, create a family. Be happy. That is what I want for you and I am so sorry I have not been able to give you that so far. Instead, I gave you endless hours of defensive and weapons training and learning how to blend in. I taught you how to be an assassin instead of giving you a childhood, but at least you have the necessary tools to always be safe. Find Maximus Chernov, he will help protect you and set you up with anything you need. He is a fiercely loyal friend and will be there for you no matter what. Know that I love you so much and I will see you again in the next life.
I couldn’t stop the tears that poured down my face at his words. I couldn’t believe he assumed I would leave him there to die and skip off into the sunset with Maximus.
Absolutely not.
I attempted to settle the trembling of my lips as I brushed the tears off my cheeks. Papa trained me to be an assassin and that was exactly what I was about to become. I was going to enter the Guild, find out what happened to Papa, and rescue him.
My phone beeped and I looked down to see a text from an unknown number.
How are you today, Solnyshka?
I grinned at the nickname.
Fine. Preparing. Did you hear anything?
No, but that isn’t surprising. Can I be of assistance?
You still have someplace for me to lay low after everything is done?.
Of course, anything for you, Solnyshka. Your wish is my command.
I actually laughed at that. How cheesy. I put my phone in my pocket and exited the vault, locking it behind me.
Completely invisible to everyone in my vicinity, I navigated the long, winding Boston streets, the smokey smell of a BBQ heavy in the summer air. Legend said that the Boston roads were paved from old cow paths, which is why they were so nonsensical and crooked.
I could already feel the strain of using my invisibility in the wariness of my muscles as I followed a tall, broad-shouldered man for the second day in a row. Just like the day before, I tailed him to a cafe, which sat across the street from an office building. The strong scent of coffee hit my nose as I entered the cafe. It was a good thing I needed to drink coffee so often, since I kept finding myself in cafes. I made sure to give all people a wide berth so as not to bump into anyone accidentally.
In order to enter the Guild without an invitation, you are required to kidnap and bring a member to the front door, bound and blindfolded.
The man I had been following had left the Guild both days, so I was reasonably sure he was a Guild member. He had been watching the same office building from inside the cafe. Just like yesterday, he exited the cafe when a middle-aged woman in a skirt and jacket left the building and headed down the street.
I could feel that I had maybe a minute or two before my invisibility wore off, so I ducked into the bathroom and went into a stall just as the coolness of my invisibility dissipated. My ginger wig and lime green dress were visible to the world when I exited the stall and hurried up to the register to order a large coffee to reinforce my depleted energy levels.
I chugged the drink and rushed back outside to catch up with my mark. I praised the powers that be when I found him skulking down the street. I shadowed him at a safe distance as he took a left on the same route as the day before.
What an idiot. He must have been a recent graduate, if he didn’t know that he should take different paths to avoid tails.
I watched as he took a right down an alleyway and proceeded in the direction of my stashed car.
I kept my footsteps silent as I crept up behind him, lifting the butt of my gun to whack him over the head. He turned around at the last moment and threw his arm up, blocking my move.
“What the fuck!” he shouted.
With my heart beating only slightly faster than usual, I quickly holstered my weapon and advanced forward.
He blocked my next three jabs, pushed away my roundhouse, and shoved me up against the wall, one hand closed around my throat.
He leaned close and spoke into my ear, his hot breath cascading over my neck. “You picked the wrong guy to fuck wi—”
I pivoted, palmed his hand off my throat and elbowed him in the face.
His nose gushed blood and as he bent forward, I took the momentary advantage and kneed him in the forehead. He dropped to the floor, out cold.
I peered down at him with my lips pursed.
How did this guy pass training?
I grabbed the equipment I had stored in my trunk and got to work securing and blindfolding him. Once I was satisfied, I yanked him off the ground by the torso, my muscles screaming with the effort.
His feet dragged along the street, and I deposited him in the back of my car. Wiping the sweat off my brow I drove back toward the Guild.
A sudden onset of dread came over me. This was it. I was about to enter the Guild and leave my disguises behind for the first time in my life.
The only thing I had kept was a single brown contact lens, covering my one blue eye. I didn’t want anyone noticing similarities between me and Papa. We shared the condition called heterochromia, which meant we each had one blue eye and one brown eye.
Nobody could discover who I was.
I pulled over to the side of the road and shot off a quick text message to update Maximus, a heavy feeling in my stomach.
Got my guy, going in now, wish me luck.
You don’t need luck, Solnyshka.
I was about to respond when another text came through.
Let me know if you need anything.
Warmth entered my body, momentarily driving away the heaviness low in my gut.
I replied my thanks and opened the phone to pull out the sim, cracking it in half. I did the same to the phone for good measure, before throwing it out the window. I drove in silence for the next few minutes, trying to clear my mind, then parked and opened my trunk.
I glanced up at the compound stretched in front of me.
It was a massive stone structure, overgrown ivy slithering up the sides, giving it a slightly haunted look even during the daytime. The property had groupings of trees off to the side of the building, throwing shade over half the lawn.
I hauled the unconscious body down the winding stone path leading up to the entrance that had perfectly mowed fields situated on either side. I deposited him at the entrance to the Guild before banging my f
ist on the door, my hands shaking from the effort of dragging a fully grown man around.
Why couldn’t one of my gifts be super-strength?
“I am here for initiation and here is my payment. Open the doors!” I yelled. I tried not to feel nervous, but I couldn’t help my foot from tapping on the pavement while I waited for someone to answer the door.
After all of the stories Papa told me about the Guild, I was about to join their ranks. A new feeling of dread washed over my body while I thought of Papa’s letter and what the possibilities were. If they discovered who I was, that would be it for me. They would kill me without a moment's hesitation.
I had no idea how the initiation would impact me. If it showed existing abilities, my mission would end before it even started. Before I had any more time to internally panic, the door opened to reveal a black-haired man with beady, soulless eyes.
“Who are you?”
“Lenna Bishop,” I said, using a fake last name. He stared at me for a moment before he continued.
“We have already accepted the maximum required initiates for this quarter. Come back next season.” He turned and started to close the door in my face without another word.
I leapt forward and grabbed the handle.
“Wait a minute, I brought you the required payment. According to the law, you must allow me entrance.” I wasn’t entirely sure that was true, but I found I could usually get away with a lot as long as I had confidence.
He sent me an inquiring gaze before smirking and opening the door the rest of the way.
“Your name is Lenna Bishop?”
I inclined my head.
The man gestured to someone behind the door and a moment later, another face appeared. “Sanders, go do a background check on Ms. Lenna Bishop.”
The beady-eyed man turned to me.
“We are about to begin the initiation with the rest of the recruits.” He beckoned me forward with a wave of his hand and began walking through the foyer.