Darkest Night: Mercenaries and Magic: A scorching enemies to lovers romance

by Alessa Thorn

  "You don't look like much of a goddess of war," Bärchen replied.

  Athena only rolled her shoulders, the wolf coming back into her gaze. A buzzer went off, and Kon's whole body tensed.

  Bärchen was quick, throwing a series of rapid strikes at Athena. She ducked and wove, letting Bärchen lead her around the ring.

  Athena threw a high punch, distracting the other woman from the boot Athena kicked out with. Bärchen shifted so the blow connected with her thigh instead of her knee and missed, Athena's left hook smashing into her ribs.

  The crowd went crazy. Kon tore his eyes away from the fight to Ryker above. He had a fresh cigarette in his hand, and unlike the previous fight, this one he was paying attention to. It would be hard for any straight man to look away from Athena in that tight lace corset, her beautiful breasts bouncing with every punch thrown.

  Fuck. Kon was going to truly enjoy ripping it off her once he got her back to a hotel room. Or the car.

  The crowd cheered, and Kon's eyes went back to the fight in time to see Athena wiping blood from her nose. She looked down at it and let out a loud laugh that turned into an eerie wolf howl that rattled around the warehouse.

  It made all the hairs on Kon's body stand on end and senses prickle like they did when magic was in the air.

  Bärchen had her bloody fists up, but she didn't look nearly as confident as she had when she stepped into the ring.

  Athena's face had shifted like the blow had knocked all the civility to the back, and the bloody girl from the woods had come out. Kon stepped forward, unable to help himself, drawn to that primal side of her like he always was.

  Bärchen lunged forward, but Athena didn't dance back. She shifted forward, catching Bärchen's arm between her forearm and bicep in a tight grip and tugged. Knocked off balance, Bärchen stumbled, and Athena drove her fist into her ear and temple in brutal, quick blows.

  Bärchen threw up and then screamed as Athena, still gripping her arm, snapped her wrist. Athena dropped her. Bärchen went backward, somehow managing to remain upright.

  Bärchen's good hand dipped to her boot and Kon caught a glimpse of a slim knife before she went for Athena, swiping wildly. Athena let her get one cut in on her bicep before she disarmed her and danced out of reach.

  Athena didn't even look at the blade, just tossed it once up in the air and caught it like she had with the khanjar.

  Kon stopped breathing.

  Athena went for Bärchen, all humanity gone from her face as she attacked like the feral creature she was. She moved so fast, like she had in the cistern, slicing Bärchen's thighs, her stomach, breasts, and flailing arms as she tried to cover her face. She collapsed on her knees, blooding pouring from her.

  Athena didn't hesitate, just grabbed Bärchen's shorn hair, ripped her head back, and stabbed down between her collarbone and shoulder. Athena shoved her away. Bärchen was dead before she hit the filthy floor. Athena threw her head back and howled again.

  The crowd lost it. They were screaming and shouting in equal parts applause and disbelief. Kon tried to shove his way towards the ring. He had to get her out of there.

  "Ryker!" Athena shouted, pointing the small, bloody dagger up at him. "I want you to buy me a fucking drink."

  Kon looked up as Ryker lifted his glass in salute to her. Athena grinned wide before wiping a bloody hand over her mouth. The guard outside the pen looked like he was debating on whether or not to let her out. One snarl from Athena had the door swinging open, and she stepped out. She saw Kon coming through the crowd, and her smile was back, wild and reckless.

  As soon as he was close enough, she grabbed the lapels of his jacket with her bloody hands and pulled him into an electric kiss. He could taste blood on her tongue, feel her rapid pulse and feral energy vibrating through her whole body.

  "God, I want to fuck you so bad right now," she said breathlessly.

  "Focus, güzelim, we can play later. We need to go and have that drink with Ryker first," Kon said, his hands clasping her corseted waist.

  Athena's eyes seemed to refocus on him, and she let him go. "Y-Yes, I'll just grab my shirt." She stepped away, looking a little confused like she wasn't sure where she was.

  That's troubling. Kon didn't have the luxury to wonder about it just then.

  Athena reappeared five minutes later, the straps on her hands gone, blood washed from her skin, and a t-shirt back on.

  "Please tell me you kept the corset," Kon said, trying to lighten the mood.

  Athena's frown eased, and she gave him a saucy grin. "I've been wearing it this whole time."

  "Were you planning on seducing someone tonight?" Kon asked as they began to make their way towards the iron stairs leading to Ryker's balcony. Athena took the lead, and Kon moved in behind her to watch her back for anyone keen on getting revenge for killing their prize fighter.

  "Hmm, well, this does seem like a good place to pick up. What do you think?" she asked over her shoulder.

  Kon's hand went to her hip and squeezed. "I think that if any man tries to approach you, I'm going to feed him his spleen."

  Athena raised a brow. "Konstantius, are you getting possessive of little old me?"

  "Not 'getting.' Am." Kon tugged her closer, so her ass pressed up against him. His mouth went to her ear and licked the shell of it. "You're fucking mine, Athena Edgeworth, and when we get out of this fucking slaughterhouse, I'm going to prove it."

  Athena reached one hand behind her and gave his ass a tight squeeze. "Then we had best get this over with."

  17

  When they reached the stairs, there was already a bodyguard waiting to escort them up to Ryker. Kon let Athena take the lead, swinging her fine ass with all the swagger of a winner.

  "What would you like to drink, Frau Edgeworth?" Ryker asked. Kon stiffened, debating whether to pull a gun or not. Ryker only smiled and patted at the seat beside him.

  "I would love a vodka with no ice. Your bear cub made me thirsty," Athena said, sitting down. One of the guards poured her half a glass and passed it to her.

  "Danke schön." Athena tapped her glass against Ryker's beer and downed it in one gulp.

  "I never thought I'd see the day when one of the famous Edgeworths would enter my pen," Ryker began, watching Athena with calculating eyes. "You know there's a big bounty out on you, Liebling."

  "I'm sure there's one out on you too," Athena replied with her wolfy smile.

  “Altun Buruk sent us,” Kon said. He wasn't going to sit down and drink and dance about. He wanted information, and then he needed to get the fuck out. Kon was at his limit for being stuck underground with no way out.

  "And how is the lovely Altun?"

  "In the mood to do business," Athena said before Kon could. She leaned forward, one of her hands going to Ryker's thigh. "I want to ask you some questions about Liddell."

  "Liebling, you are very beautiful, but if you know about Liddell, you will know I won't live long if I tell you anything," Ryker replied. His smile slipped. Looking down, he saw the blade Athena was pressing into his thigh.

  "You're going to die a lot quicker if you don't tell me," she said sweetly. "I'd like us to be friends like we are friends with Altun. You should really hear the Basty and I out. We are going to be generous with Altun once all this is done, and we could be with you too."

  "You really are as crazy as the rumors say. At least I know the Basty can be reasoned with." Ryker's gaze snapped to him. "You need to learn to control your woman."

  Kon smiled. "No, I don't. She's magnificent."

  Ryker took out another of his cigarettes and lit it. "You went to considerable effort to get to me tonight, so that has earned you one question and one only."

  "Where is Liddell?" Athena demanded.

  Ryker blew out some silvery smoke. "The last time I saw Liddell, he was at the Amun-Ra House in Edinburgh. He was having fun breaking his toys as he is prone to do." Ryker waved his guard closer. "Heinrich will see you out. Out of courtesy, I'll give you
a head start before I release my dogs on you."

  "Do it, and I'll give them the same treatment I gave your bear cub," Athena replied, getting to her feet.

  "Be careful hunting on a full moon, Liebling. It's when predators are strongest," Ryker called in a cryptic farewell.

  Both Kon and Athena looked back at him with almost identical feral expressions. Athena finger waved at him. "We know."

  Despite their threats, Kon and Athena didn't linger. Heinrich took them to the doorman, who locked the door right behind them.

  "Don't look back, just keep going," Kon whispered, taking the last flight of stairs up to the main work area on the ground level. His hand drifted inside his coat to his Glock. "Get the key fob ready."

  Athena reached into her back pocket and pulled it out. "There are three men following us."

  "Another two coming out of the corner office on your left. Focus on the exit. The lights are about to go out."

  "What—" Athena began. The men from the office raised their guns, tiny red dots appearing on them.

  Kon gripped his gun tight with one hand while making a series of small gestures with the other. The air charged hot like an electrical storm, and Kon released the spell. The fluorescent lights above them exploded, popping loudly and showering them with glass.

  Kon grabbed Athena by the back of the jacket to avoid losing her and fired some rounds at the shouting guards to confuse them more. They pushed out of the exit door and into the parking lot. All the car alarms were going off, their lights flashing.

  Athena pressed the fob and jumped into the driver's side. A bullet struck the side mirror, and Kon whirled, firing at the man on the roof of the building.

  "Get the fuck in!" Athena shouted, the car roaring to life. Kon shot at the men trying to come out the exit before leaping into the passenger seat.

  Athena tore out of the lot, clipping a guard trying to pull the gate shut on them.

  "Are you hurt?" she demanded. Kon opened the glove box and pulled out a fresh clip, reloaded, and looked behind him.

  "No, I'm fine. They had shitty aim."

  "Or they were confused as fuck as to why all their electricity blew. What the fuck was that, Kon?" Athena demanded.

  "Magic, what do you think?" Kon said.

  Headlights appeared in the distance behind them, but they were far enough that Athena lost them as soon as she hit the B4 motorway.

  "Take us to your hotel. I'm not leaving you alone tonight. If we are compromised, I want us to be together," Kon said.

  "What about your stuff?"

  "It's in the back. I didn't unpack it when I checked in," he replied.

  They dumped the car at the parking garage of the town hall. Kon took his bag from the trunk and the stash of money, passport, and guns from the spare tire well.

  "Do I have any obvious blood anywhere? I don't want any people looking too closely," Athena asked.

  "I think they will be too distracted by your war paint," Kon replied, zipping up his overnight bag.

  "If anyone asks, I'll just say I'm going to a Viking party."

  "You certainly looked like a berserker tonight," Kon commented. They avoided the restaurant-lined canals and nightlife, keeping their heads down and pace quick. They both scanned around them for any sign of Ryker's men. Kon hoped their distraction was enough to slow them down, but they needed to get off the streets.

  "This is me," Athena said, pointing to a hotel sign. She took his hand. "Try and look like you're about to get lucky, not murder everyone."

  "Am I about to get lucky?" Kon asked.

  Athena laughed drunkenly as they crossed the foyer, and she pulled him into the nearest elevator. Three stories up, they got out, and Athena took out her key card.

  "Let me go first," Kon said, hand drifting to the inside of his jacket. The halls had cameras, so he waited until he was inside before pulling his gun free. Nothing looked out of place. He scanned the bathroom and the small balcony. Athena closed the door behind them and opened the wardrobe.

  "We are good for now," she said.

  Kon put his bag and gun on the table. He managed to turn just in time to catch Athena. She half climbed up him as she devoured his mouth in a searing, desperate kiss.

  She pulled back, breathing ragged against his mouth. "Tell me about magic."

  18

  Athena's adrenaline from the fight was wearing off, and the few blows that she had caught were starting to ache.

  Kon lifted her hand that was streaked in crimson. "You're bleeding."

  "Shit, it must be the scratch the bear cub got on my bicep," Athena complained. She stepped out of Kon's embrace, and he helped her take off her jacket. Sure enough, her entire arm was covered in blood.

  "Let's get you into the shower so we can assess the damage," Kon said.

  "I need to message Iz and Silas first. It looks worse than what it is." Athena dug her phone out of her pocket and opened her chat with Izabella: Ryker's visit went shit. We are okay. Need a way out of Hamburg that's not on commercial lines.

  "I'll find us another car and drive us back to Istanbul if I have to," Kon said, reading over her shoulder.

  "Iz will sort it out." Athena tossed the phone onto the nightstand and kicked off her boots. She stopped at the bathroom door. "Are you coming?"

  Kon slowly took off his jacket. "Aren't you worried about Ryker's men finding us in a compromising position?"

  "No. I think he sent guys after us in case Liddell finds out we went to see him. Besides, I used a brand-new alias for this room. He would have to possess some amazing resources to track us down tonight," Athena replied, walking into the bathroom and unbuttoning her jeans.

  "I wouldn't want you to faint from blood loss and face plant on the tiles," Kon said, coming in. His shirt was already open, showing off muscle and tattooed skin. God, it wasn't natural that one man was so hot.

  Athena dragged her eyes away and pulled off her shirt, revealing that the lace corset she was wearing was actually a one-piece bodysuit. Kon made a strange choking sound in the back of his throat.

  "Are you sure this lingerie wasn't for me?" he asked, running a hand over her ass.

  "That would be telling. Help me undo the back, will you?" Athena turned on the hot water. Kon's fingers tugged at the laces, pulling them free. "It would've been a lot sexier if I wasn't covered in sweat and blood."

  Kon's lips pressed to the back of her neck. "I don't know about that."

  "Stop distracting me so you don't tell me about magic," Athena said without conviction. She loved Kon distracting her. He tugged the lingerie down, and she stepped out of it and under the stream. Her arm stung when the water hit it. She carefully washed the blood away.

  "That's deeper than a simple scratch," Kon said, stepping into the shower.

  "I have a first aid kit in my bag. You can play doctor when I'm clean and not smelling like a fighting pit."

  Kon squeezed some of the hotel body gel into his hand and began to wash her back. Athena's eyes fluttered closed. She never thought that she would enjoy a man washing her, but here she was. It was probably because it was Kon.

  The Basty of Istanbul had seen her darkest side that night and hadn't walked away. He had not only stayed but faced her dark side straight on and kissed her.

  "Do you always go to a different place when you fight?" he asked curiously.

  Athena swallowed hard. "Not always. Sometimes it's like a trigger goes off in my brain, like the day on the roof when I cut up your bag. It's like my emotions turn off."

  Kon hummed and undid her braid, shampooing it gently without saying anything.

  "Are you freaked out?" Athena asked when she couldn't handle the silence or the anticipation anymore.

  "No," Kon said, his arms going around her. "We are what we are, Athena. I wouldn't want you if you weren't a wolf."

  Athena's heart spasmed, and she put her hands over his. She didn't know why his words made her feel so vulnerable and raw. She needed to change the subject, so she
didn't feel like she was drowning.

  "Tell me about the magic in the warehouse, Kon."

  "There's not much to tell. It's one of the only things I know how to do," he admitted. Athena turned in his arms and began to wash him to return the favor.

  "My parents were practitioners, but I didn't get to learn a lot before they died. The way they explained it to me was that magic is manipulating energy. The human body generates a lot of energy. Everyone calls it something different like prana or life-force or chi. Other people call it mana. Being able to draw on it, manipulate it, and cause an effect is magic. Does that make sense?"

  "Kind of? Keep going," Athena encouraged.

  "A magician is a master of the elements around them because everything carries some kind of vibration or power. Magicians use what energy is available to them, like pulling the life out of a plant or taking their own. It's dangerous to do it if you don't understand that everything needs to be balanced. Manipulating the natural world has a cost."

  "All magic comes with a price," Athena murmured.

  "Yes, exactly. Because of that one child's trick tonight, I feel like I need to eat a horse to restore the energy that was used." Kon got a strange, open look on his face. "I remember teaching myself how to manipulate the lights as a kid so I could turn them on and off to read at night when my parents were in bed."

  "Your parents didn't teach you any spells?"

  Kon shook his head. "Not exactly. They believed that everyone accesses magic differently, and while they taught me about balance, they wanted me to learn my own way to use it. I created the light spell because I wanted to use it without getting out of bed."

  "Have you kept teaching yourself all this time?" Athena asked.

  "No. I wasn't sure if magic was the way Liddell had tracked down my parents. If he sensed them manipulating the energy or something and found them that way. I don't know if it's true or not, but I never wanted to risk it."

  Athena's eyebrows furrowed. "But you risked it tonight."

  "I needed the distraction, and also, I no longer care about Liddell finding me. He knew I had some ability because I could read objects if they were fake or legitimate. He just didn't know whose child I was," Kon said, leaning his back against the tiles. "I had the extra energy to burn because I was worried. Emotions create energy too, enough that you can draw on them to create magic."