An Assassin's Deception

by A. K. Koonce

  I’ve never said it to anyone before, not a mother, not a father. Not one single person. And It’s never been more true.

  “We’re three minutes behind that schedule that you were so adamant about me putting into place for us,” Tylin whispers into my ear, pulling the rug out from my sappy emotions in an instant. Jameson looks up at him from over my shoulders and the biggest smile takes over his face. It’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him.

  Three minutes well spent, I think.

  My throat clears as I pull away from Jameson and his sweet words.

  It almost makes up for this slutty team uniform he put me in.

  Almost.

  Silence falls back into place as I stare down at the rooftop of the Lifeless League. Spindling peaks surround us on all sides. The dark crumbling shingles hide us fairly well from view. We’re at the back, on the only flat surface the enormous estate has. But we’re also directly in the center. My fingers still feel numb from climbing our way up here.

  We’re finally here. Ready to face our demons head on.

  A spike of adrenaline claws through me.

  “Ready?” Tylin’s fingers skim the inside of my palm so lightly I feel that small touch everywhere.

  “Yeah.” I nod. Focusing my gaze down, I grab hold of the foreign energy that’s swirling inside myself. And then I release the power that I stole from Vale.

  Strings of light make up my world the moment his power slips into place. A pure and innocent shade of gold surrounds Allison as she stands just a few feet away from. I look up at them when I see Jameson and Scarlett with identical colors of cobalt blue shading their forms and stretching between them. Sparking in flashes of amber is the golden color that connects them as family. It outlines them against the inky night sky. I blink at all the colors hazing my vision.

  I don’t have a clue how this assassin functions in day to day life with all this color disrupting his line of sight. It’s… beautiful. Beautiful but inconvenient.

  Once my eyes adjust to the mysterious lights, I look back down. It takes me several moments to capture anything of abnormal details. I can’t see into the building, I can’t see through walls it seems, but I can see that defining color.

  And I know it’s him.

  Down, all the way down on the east wing, is a faint shade of neon green, the thin cord spanning from me to it. It’s hard to get a shape from the burning flare of color but it’s there. Unmoving. Waiting.

  My gaze lingers there, my heartbeat slamming hard through my chest as I just stare at the man I’ve already fought in the past. He’s harmed one of us once already. It’s more than that though. An uneasy feeling spreads through me just from thinking about him.

  It’s his eerie words he always says about my mother haunts me just as much as his destructive powers.

  For a moment I just stare, my eyes held on his burning color for several seconds.

  “He’s there, isn’t he?” Tylin’s voice is low, gravelly, vengeful.

  My attention lifts until my gaze rests on that slashing scar that shadows Jameson’s face. Mason follows my gaze and then Rory and then Allison and then they’re all looking at him. An unphased appearance of decades of cockiness tilts Jameson’s lips up into an arrogant smirk.

  “Mouse, Allison, you know what to do out here. Let’s start plan A.”

  Mason arches a dark brow at his friend. “There’s only one plan, Jay.”

  “Shit, we better not fuck it up then.” His shoulders rise and fall as he loosens them quickly, his head tilts this way and that with a cracking sound accompanying his movements. Jameson even bounces on the balls of his feet a few times like a boxer preparing for his victory.

  And then his palm slams down against the cold concrete. A thunderous sound of power rumbles through the structure beneath my feet. Whipping lines of electric blue strikes across the back of his knuckles and just as the flash of power lashes along his skin, the street lamps below flicker out.

  If the lights were on inside before, they’re not now. Darkness settles over us in heavy pressing hues. Not even the few stars and the full moon above give light on the seven assassins plotting their revenge on the man who now knows we’re coming. I can barely see Jameson kneeling at my feet.

  His shadowed features and sexy smirk tilt up to me, throwing my nerves into a stampede of fight or flight as he whispers one simple word.

  “Ready?”

  Twenty-Nine

  Stupid Moves

  Five deadly assassin’s stride down the halls of the place they once called home. It’s odd for me to think about. It’s weird to pass by my own room and not look back at it as we creep along the shadows of the second floor.

  As back up, Mason stays with Allison on the rooftop while Tylin, Rory, Jameson, and Scarlet follow me as I stalk toward the light that is Derek.

  Scarlet’s steps are so quiet it’s like she’s gliding through life right now. Not that it’s much different from her normal gracefulness, really. Tylin’s posture is rigid, full of tense cautiousness, and I wonder what it’s like to be him right now. As our unofficial leader, I know he feels like our lives are in his hands. The responsibility behind that must feel daunting. Especially when his power is… slightly useless tonight. Not that I would ever in a hundred years tell him that, but his mind trick abilities are only helpful if the person is relaxed and distracted. Or if he has a lot of time to hack in their thoughts. He and I both know that Derek is neither of the first two now that Jameson has announced our arrival. And there won’t be enough time to hack. Not with Derek on the defense. And he knows we’re here. He’s been waiting.

  He practically invited us himself.

  Hell, maybe he did. My mind flicks to Vale, and how I don’t know which side of the line he resides behind.

  This whole evening could go terribly wrong. But it’s for the best. We want to blind Derek.

  Just as he did Jameson.

  That thread of connection between me and Derek snaps and sizzles as the green color that dictates him as my enemy intensifies. Sparks of amber fly off of it the closer we get, and I follow it, letting it lead us right to him as we walk farther down the east wing hallway.

  A balcony overlooks the far end of the property. It was my original guess of where he would be, but the double doors at the end of the hall are closed and dark. The gleaming color shining between us isn’t emitting from the balcony but takes a sharp left instead.

  The library.

  Sweat coats my palm as I press it slowly to the center of the old wooden door. My fingers settle against the solid structure one by one and a deep, tense breath fills my lungs. I can’t help but to gaze over at Tylin, Rory, and Jameson who flank me on all sides. First one, then the other, and the other, until I’m stuck staring at the most beautiful blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Jameson shoots me a wink, but there’s determination and vengeance in the depths of those same beautiful eyes.

  I feel their powers swirling through me, having siphoned from each one of them an hour ago before we even left the house.

  And my heart freezes in my chest from the idea of any of them being hurt. Even Scarlet. I’ve never had a friend like her before. Each of the people standing around me is important to me.

  And I can’t let them get hurt.

  Not when I can weaken Derek. Give us a chance to take this bastard down.

  To destroy the League.

  Tylin lifts his hand and the pads of his fingertips trace down my temple and tuck a stray piece of hair behind my ear. The move is so sweet, and the smile that graces his lips is confident. He’s never looked at me this way before. As if he’s memorizing my face, the very curves and facets of my features.

  It’s a stupid move, what I do next, but I don’t stop to think about the consequences.

  Pushing up on my tip toes, I lean into the hard definition of Tylin’s chest, placing my hands on the smooth fabric of his shirt that conceals the ridges of his abdomen beneath. And I graze my lips ever so lightly over his. And in return
, I memorize every moment and every movement of the sweet kiss we share. The taste of him. The fullness of his bottom lip as I nip it and pull away.

  His eyes are wide as I step back, and I know that he’s barely registered the kiss, let alone what I’m about to do next. With a pull of energy, I release it, stealing away his responsibility as I make it my own.

  I start the clock.

  I’m not trying to save the day here, I just want to keep them safe. If I can just set them up, catch Derek off guard, then I know everything will go so much easier.

  The door shoves open without a sound. My steps are brisk against the old floorboards as I fly past the dozens of tables and chairs that are shadowed within the room. Beyond rows and rows of towering bookcases looms a bright light at the end of the magical thread I’m following to my target. My mark. My final assassination.

  Forty seconds left.

  My pace quickens the closer I get to the back corner of the monstrosity that is this enormous fucking library. Clearly, I underestimated just how many books and shelves this place stores.

  The stealth we were clinging to in the halls is nowhere to be seen as I sprint. Running as fast as my feet will carry me, my boots thudding heavily against the hardwood floor. I count down these sixty seconds like my life depends on it.

  Because it does. And so does everyone elses.

  Thirty seconds.

  A shaking breath hits my lungs as I round the final bookcase. My nails dig into the wood as I swing myself around the shelf of books. Every dark shadow leaps out at me as my eyes widen, frantically searching the space. My footfalls falter against the flooring. Heaving breaths tumble from my lips.

  The room is empty. And the thread? It continues past the brick wall.

  “Fuck!” Was this a trick? The thread led straight through the fucking doorway to the Library. I don’t understand.

  How could Derek manipulate Vale’s ability to see what resides within someone? The connections between us all?

  “What the fuck?” It’s an empty question that reverberates around the cavernous space. The seconds are fading too quickly as I scramble for what to do next.

  And then a man walks through the brick wall. Derek’s image is feeble, ghostlike, as he smirks at me from just feet away. He never fully turns to a solid form as he paces in front of me like a canary taunting the cat.

  Whatever power he has, he’s immune to my time manipulation in this holographic form he holds.

  “I’ll admit, you are a bit more impressive than I expected tonight.” His index finger points heavenward. “Cutting the power, top notch move for a novice assassin, indeed. Was that you or that pretty boy’s doing?” He glances behind me before sharply turning his attention back to me with a gleam in his eye.

  Because I came alone.

  “How’s his face healing, by the way?” An overly concerned look coats his features in a taunting way.

  And then he makes a mistake. A big, fucking mistake.

  He underestimates me.

  Thirty

  Star Wars Moment

  In the blink of an eye, his body solidifies into a living, breathing version of himself. And I don’t know whether it’s the fact that his holographic self can’t sense my power or that he’s simply not afraid of me, but as soon as his body goes solid, I attack.

  Ten seconds. It’s all I have.

  And I throw everything I have at him.

  Jameson’s electricity bolts from my palms in brilliant blue sizzling streaks of power that wrap around Derek, knocking the man off his feet. His body slams into the hardwood floor with a satisfying thud, and I watch as he constricts, writhing under the power I’ve unleashed.

  Keeping one hand channeling Jameson’s power, I reach for Rory’s. I’ve never controlled three powers at once before. I don’t know if my abilities can sustain the attack I’m leveling, but I only have five seconds left with nothing to lose.

  Rory’s destruction storms within me, and I pull a small amount forward, holding back the hurricane that threatens to escape if I’m not careful. I tilt my head as I focus, and Derek lifts straight into the air. Higher. Higher still.

  And then I drop him. The crack of his fall is all I hear as my struggling grasp on time reluctantly releases.

  And for one long moment, nothing happens.

  The pounding sound of boots running through the library echoes behind me, but my eyes are trained on Derek.

  And the goddamn rise and fall of his chest. He coughs once and then he’s suddenly standing. An evil, maniacal laugh cuts through our little section of the library.

  “Like I said.” His gaze falls heavily onto me. “Very impressive.

  And then he’s addressing someone behind me as my hands clench into tight fists. I turn, ever so slightly, to see four very pissed off assassin’s gracing my back.

  “You’re a very brave man for rushing in here so valiantly,” Derek speaks to Tylin as he begins to pace, one slow footstep at a time, in front of our group of deadly assassins. “Especially for a man who never truly learned how to use his powers, Mr. Valderban. You can’t even touch me right now, and even if you could, it wouldn't be a fair fight. Not for you, anyway.” Derek tsks, and I can feel waves of hatred rolling off of Tylin as our enemy turns his attention back to me.

  “Why did you want us here?” Tylin demands, but his question deters the hard stare Derek is pinning against me.

  No one moves and no one makes a move while we wait for Derek’s reply and follow Tylin’s lead.

  And for once, I’m happy to hand him back the reins of this little shindig.

  But Derek only smirks cynically at our group. I feel the energy I’ve collected from all the different assassin’s I siphoned from heat my veins. The weight of the power I hold presses against my fingertips, tingling my palms as it begs for release.

  A tremor shakes through the room. The faint feel of a wave of power trembles the books on their shelves.

  Possibly an earthquake.

  Possibly a six foot five assassin with too much pent-up and growing aggression.

  It could be either.

  Either way, the power display is enough to cause Derek to answer. “Because you have something I worked decades to create.” Those calculating eyes narrow on me.

  A knowing feeling crawls down the back of my neck, making the fine hairs raise until I feel his eerie words scrape against the bones of my spine.

  One second I’m standing, and the next the jarring feel of his body colliding with mine has me slamming into the ground painfully. My shoulder hits against a bookcase. The tall tower of books teeters above me as Derek pins me to the floor. All I can focus on is the waving way the bookshelf is drifting to and fro.

  Everything happens so fast after that. In a matter of seconds, encyclopedias slide. They drift toward the edge of the shelf and balance there. Unsteadily, they taunt me from several feet above. Then they rain down on us in a hailstorm of thudding sounds. The books beat against the ground around us one by one, but surprisingly not one hits my body. At first, I believe it’s because Derek took the brunt of the books, but then I catch Rory out of the corner of my eye. His complete focus is on controlling where the books fall so that I’m not injured. As he casts them away from my body, his attention is diverted, and he doesn’t see the tower of the bookcase until it comes crashing down. I yell for Tylin, but the shelves slice down against my fearless leader, taking him to his knees before burying him in a crumpled mess of splintered wood and dust.

  I can’t see him.

  Rage consumes every beat of my heart.

  My elbow jars across Derek’s nose with a perfect cracking sound. But the spew of blood isn’t enough. Slick crimson gushes from his nose, down his throat, and against my skin, but my fist continues to strike blow after blow into his bloody face.

  A strangled and piercing cry of pain rips out of his lips and it halts my attack. It’s such a deep sound of agony that I know instantly that it isn’t something physical.

 
; I’m good, but I’m not that good.

  Long red hair waves into view as Scarlet lowers herself down at my side. Her alluring gaze is held on Derek. The delicate fingers of her left-hand strum against the air. It’s a poised symphony of movement that her fingers play out in the most calming way as her powerful energy slinks through the room in suffocatingly dark ribbons.

  My throat goes dry as I watch her torment his mind. He flinches away from me until he shoves himself back from us altogether.

  “An illusionist.” There’s no mistaking the awe in his tone, and then the disgusting smirk on his face. “I was unaware we had any living left with such power.” He reaches for her, but a growl rumbles from Jameson’s chest as he lunges forward and pulls his sister out of our enemies reach.

  Another tremble of destructive power shakes the room as I sit up, trying to right myself. It’s so strong, the old crystals of the chandeliers overhead clatter anxiously together.

  At the feel of that power, I pull at it, redirecting it to lift the bookcase up and off of Tylin who crawls out with a groan. He stands slowly with a wince and I follow him up.

  My shoulder throbs, but I choose to ignore the pain.

  “My father used to say that the world is never as terrible as the things within our own minds.” There’s no emotion to Scarlet's words. It makes them sound more sinister than I’ve ever heard her. “He was talking about self-doubt, but he never knew just how right he was.” Another tic of her fingers causes another gasp of pain to tear from Derek’s lips as he remains blinded by the terrible images Scar weaves into his altered reality. “You hurt my brother. I don’t even know your name.” Her red lips tip downward and her face hardens as she moves another step closer to where Derek’s huddled against the floor. A pathetic whimper slips from his lips as she comes nearer still. “You’ll be just another nameless man on my hit list, I promise you.”

  Just as her wrist arches back, prepared to deliver another blow of dark and demonic images that I hope I never see, his hand twitches as well. His fingers shake, but I see the small gesture as clear as day.