Assassin's Mask

by Everly Frost

  When I used my feather to heal Slade, I made it impossible for myself to ever kill him. William had begged me not to take that risk, but Slade’s life was at stake. It means that Slade has more power over me than bonding would normally give him.

  I sigh into the sudden silence.

  There’s so much I need to tell William and Tansy about the Clave and the verdan, but I can’t speak freely in front of Vlad. I need to tell them that I have everything to reveal the weapon that Mom was protecting. I thought I needed to do it alone but now… knowing how worried they were for my safety—even Tansy—makes me realize I don’t want to.

  My relationship with Tansy is still fragile but I know she won’t do anything to jeopardize anyone’s safety. And William… he was the first man to step into the role of father to me. I might not remember it because I was so young, but photos in Mom’s old room tell me she trusted him more than anyone else.

  I’m tired of being on my own, of only trusting myself.

  I have to take a leap of faith. I have to trust them.

  But first I have to honor my promise to Vlad by taking him to the Realm. Then I’ll be free to come back here and release the Clave.

  “Everyone thinks I’m dead.” A grin grows on my face as I remove my jacket, exposing my tattoo. “I think it’s time for me to take a walk through the streets of Boston.”

  Chapter Five

  Before I leave the bookshop, I relocate my backpack and sword to the room where Mom and I stayed when I was little. William calls it my room now. I hug him and decide not to argue.

  Inside my room, I run my hand across Mom’s picture where it rests on top of the chest of drawers, sensing the weight of everything she did. I still don’t understand why she chose to help the former mob boss, Patrick Ryan, to rise to power and remain king of the underground for so many years, but I’m beginning to understand the weight of responsibility she must have felt about it.

  I wish I’d brought Mom’s ledger back with me. It belongs here. I’ll have to retrieve it as soon as I can.

  When I return to the kitchen, I find Tansy reciting a spell at the same time as she holds a mug of water. I’m surprised she isn’t reading from a piece of paper. Tansy was injured as a child when her aunt tried to steal her powers. Mom killed her aunt but not in time to prevent the damage that was done to Tansy’s brain. She can’t hold spells in her head like other witches. Instead, she has to read spells aloud.

  Vlad leans against the table opposite her, nodding as she sounds out each word. The water in the mug begins to boil and Tansy lets out a laugh. “I didn’t think that would work.”

  Vlad grins, his focus entirely on Tansy, his gray eyes warm. “It should help if you think in pictures, not in words.”

  Tansy’s face lights up. “It does! Thank you.”

  I study them both as William draws me aside. He whispers, “Who is Vlad? Really?”

  I smile. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because somehow he got Tansy to tell him about the problem with her power and he gave her tips about how to overcome it. Is he really human?”

  Despite the humor in William’s eyes, it’s a serious question. As a human, William can’t sense a magical being’s aura like assassins and other magical beings can.

  I say, “Vlad has no aura.” As a Valkyrie, I’m the only non-human that doesn’t have an aura. The Keres would be the same if they weren’t extinct. It’s one of the reasons Valkyrie are so dangerous. Nobody can detect my power, except another Valkyrie.

  William smiles. “Then I guess Vlad must be human.”

  Vlad finally casts me an arrogant grin, the glow around his chunky black ring telling me that he’s using his assassin’s magic to listen to everything William and I are saying.

  He gives Tansy a polite bow when she thanks him again. For a second, I think she’s going to hug him but she appears to reconsider after a quick assessment of his giant arms and general ferociousness.

  Vlad says, “It was a pleasure, Solnyshka.”

  She tilts her head, a curious frown growing across her delicate forehead. “What does that mean?”

  He smiles again. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

  She purses her lips in a line that says she doesn’t believe him. “I don’t think that’s what it means.”

  “You’re right. It isn’t.”

  He seems very happy to infuriate her. Her frown deepens to a scowl as he lumbers down the stairs without waiting for me. I note that he has left his backpack on the floor against the kitchen wall. It means a lot to me that Vlad trusts my friends.

  William says, “We will keep everything safe until you return.”

  I take a deep breath. “I’ll be back soon.”

  I hope.

  I hold my head high as we stride along Shawmut Avenue. It’s freezing in Boston now that winter has set in. Vlad keeps his coat on but I prefer to ensure that my tattoo is visible so I’m easily recognizable. Vlad looks at me as if I’m nuts but he doesn’t voice his thoughts as we pass cafes and shops inside which patrons huddle over warm drinks.

  We’ve picked up a number of followers, only one of them from the Legion. The others, I don’t recognize. The non-Legion pursuers back off as we approach the Boston Common where the Realm is hidden. The fact that they are leaving at this point confirms that they are Lady Tirelli’s people.

  That’s right. Run back to your Mistress and tell her that the games stop now.

  Only the Legion observer follows us all the way, keeping at a safe distance from us. I glare right at him so he can be in no doubt that I’ve spotted him. It’s too soon for any new Novices to be admitted to the Legion so I can only assume the guy tailing us is a Superior. Not all assassins are as good as Vlad, Cain, and Slade at concealing their presence.

  A knot grows in my stomach the closer we get to the Realm. My heart rate speeds up and my breathing increases. I convince myself it’s because of our quick pace. But with every step, I’m forced to acknowledge that my emotions are going haywire about seeing Slade again.

  I try to shut down everything that I feel right now… fear… anticipation… awful, horrible hope… but mostly fear. The mask across Slade’s emotions when he last looked at me is eating at me like acid. Vlad called me a machine. That’s what I have to become if I’m going to get through seeing Slade again.

  I lead Vlad to the tall memorial plaque that I need to place my palm on to give me access to the Realm. Vlad has to take my arm if he wants to follow me inside. My open palm hovers over the memorial. “You know there’s a chance my permission to access the Realm has been revoked.”

  He contemplates me for a long moment as if he sees through my lame excuse for trying to back out. Then he carefully takes my hand in his. His palm is rough, calloused, but strong and comforting. “You didn’t tell me what happened between you and Slade before the night you disturbed my sleep.”

  “You mean the night you trespassed in my room.”

  He holds my gaze. “Don’t avoid the question, Hunter.”

  “You didn’t ask one.”

  He laughs suddenly, the low, rumbling vibration extending all the way to our clasped hands. It’s contagious, lifting my heart just enough that I can breathe again.

  He says, “I get it. There are some things you can’t talk about. But I made a promise to you that everything will be okay. I will make good on that promise today, Hunter. I need you to trust me on that.”

  “I’m still not sure how you’re going to do that. But… okay.”

  I lift the hand that he holds, twist it so that my palm is clear but his remains a comforting pressure against the back of it.

  I press against the memorial.

  The Realm materializes, the door and wall becoming visible to me. I can tell it’s visible to Vlad as soon as his focus shifts from the distant trees to the door in front of us. He won’t be able to follow me through if I break the contact between our bodies, so I grip his hand firmly as I push open the door and we step inside.


  The moment we pass through the entrance, an alarm blares above our heads, breaking the calm as soon as our feet hit the pebbled pathway.

  My eyes widen. We’ve definitely triggered something.

  Assassins run from all directions but only a few of them are fully armed. The rest look like they grabbed whatever they had on hand, including my favorite weapon—a steak knife.

  Vlad and I stand very still and raise our hands at our sides while the assassins form a defensive ring around us, their guns and daggers ready. We aren’t armed but we’re both wearing our assassin’s rings. Everyone in this place knows I don’t need a weapon to do a lot of damage.

  Their expressions range from shock to fear. They can’t seem to stop looking between me and Vlad.

  Vlad meets my eyes briefly, flicking me an apologetic glance followed by a slight shrug. I’m not completely sure why he’s trying to silently apologize right now.

  One of the Legion assassins shouts, “Step away from him, Hunter!”

  The man who shouted is one of the older assassins, not somebody I ever talked with much, if at all. I frown at the way he and the others point their weapons… not at me… but at Vlad.

  Just then, someone pushes through the protective ring.

  Rowan Robertson barrels his way through but pulls up sharp, his face draining. He was a Novice with me. He tried to kill me after Gareth attempted to trick him. By stopping him, I saved his life and after that, we became wary allies. His expression is far from the arrogant guy I met on my first day in the Realm.

  He exhales into the sudden tension, shock and relief at war in his expression. “Slade was telling the truth.”

  I remain very calm. “You thought I was dead.”

  Slade would have insisted that he left me alive. But, as I feared, it looks like many of the assassins didn’t believe him.

  Rowan assesses me from head to toe in the same way he used to check that I was okay, taking in my bare arms, my tattoo, my hair cast across one shoulder, finally lingering on my assassin’s ring.

  Then his focus lands on Vlad.

  Rowan’s eyes widen. His tone takes on a deep warning, his shoulders angling toward me in a protective gesture, his fist clenching around the dagger he’s clutching.

  He speaks very carefully, a dangerously low tone. “Hunter? What are you doing with him?”

  I cast a quick glance at Vlad who remains silent, but grim beside me. Vlad promised me that he would make my problems go away. I sincerely hope his plan isn’t to overshadow my sins with his own.

  My stomach sinks rapidly. I murmur to the side, “Vlad? What is going on?”

  Vlad takes a step toward the assassins.

  That single movement has an effect like breaking glass. Each of the men, including Rowan, jumps backward, defensive, muscles bunched. Weapons extend and triggers are ready. The tension rises. All it will take is a spark and this situation will explode.

  What the hell did Vlad do?

  He murmurs to me, “I’m sorry, Hunter. I may not have been completely truthful about who I am.”

  I lick my suddenly dry lips, hoping I won’t have to step between him and a bullet. “Vlad?”

  He turns his attention to the assassins and raises his voice in an authoritative command. “I am Alexei Vladimir Mason, newly appointed Master of the Dominion. You will take me to the Legion Master.”

  Chapter Six

  My stomach falls beyond my feet.

  I should have seen it. The way Vlad navigated through Dominion territory. The way the men at the airstrip practically bowed to him (because now that I think about it, that’s what they were about to do before Vlad stopped them). The way he used a respectful tone when he talked about the Dominion and his comment about the Heir Apparent wanting to form an alliance with me. He wanted to form an alliance with me.

  Not to mention… he offered me a favor and indicated that it was a big deal.

  A Master offering a favor to an assassin in a different Faction?

  Yep. That is a pretty big deal.

  I file away the knowledge that I haven’t asked him for that favor yet. Although I’m not sure I ever will. Favors tend to backfire even with the best intentions.

  The barrier of assassins parts and Rowan gestures us forward with a stern expression. I stride alongside Vlad as we follow quietly where Rowan leads. I try to ignore the assassins who reform a guard on either side of us and the weapons they hold ready to use if Vlad so much as twitches in the wrong direction.

  He walks tall and strong beside me, a big, brute of a man with a nose that I now know has been in too many fights. I didn’t learn much about Alexei Mason during my training in the Legion, but I did hear that he trained as a boxer. Also that he kills with his hands just like he told me. The way he subdued the draugr confirmed how strong he is.

  But what the whispers didn’t say is that he’s quiet. Calm. Resolute. And very, very blunt. He also likes a good night’s sleep, without which he becomes a grumpy bear.

  I’m surprised to realize that I won’t have any hesitation protecting him if someone flies off the handle. Vlad had every opportunity to harm me and didn’t. He told me it was a matter of life and death that he speaks with Slade and Cain together. I know a lie when I hear one and Vlad wasn’t lying about that.

  Technically, he didn’t lie about his name either.

  I actually have to admire the way he managed to tell me the truth at nearly every turn. He just left some really important parts out.

  He casts me a guarded glance as we arrive at the Cathedral. I wasn’t sure if Rowan would take us to the administration building but it seems that Slade is currently located here. If Briar is right, then Cain and the Guardian are located in this building, too.

  I allow a small smile to cross my lips in response to the question in Vlad’s eyes. I’m not going to judge him for having secrets. “Master, huh?”

  He inclines his shaved head. He sighs but it sounds relieved. “It was difficult keeping that from you.”

  I grin but I feel no humor. “I let you in here, which makes me a traitor. You’d better have a plan, because I’m in deep trouble right now.”

  He gives me a serious nod. “Unfortunately, we all are. That’s why I’m here.”

  Two figures peel themselves off the Cathedral wall as we arrive at the door. Lutz Logan casts an arrogant glance in my direction and Brandon Baker assesses me with his steely-eyes. It’s difficult to read their expressions but there’s an edge of tension in the set of their shoulders. They have a quick, silent exchange with Rowan that I can’t interpret.

  Rowan says, “Wait here while Slade decides whether to remove the protective barriers that are in place against the Dominion Master.”

  Now that I’m a Superior, I have the right to enter and leave the Cathedral as I please. But the same does not apply to Vlad. The protective spells around the Cathedral will annihilate him if he tries to enter without permission.

  We wait, holding our breath for Slade to decide whether he will see Vlad. I’m not sure if he will. The protective spells are designed to thwart an assassination attempt on the Master’s life. The Cathedral is the only place where Slade can sleep safely. He once told me he didn’t want to be the Master and end up a sad, old man, living alone for the rest of his life.

  I told him he wouldn’t.

  So much of what we said to each other was wiped out the moment I revealed my wings to him. The moment I told him I gave him my feather and made him… not so human anymore.

  As soon as a guard appears from within the Cathedral and gives Rowan the go-ahead, he spins to us. “It’s safe to pass through the barrier, but I don’t know how safe you’ll be once Slade sees you. He’s different now, Hunter.”

  The warning in his voice is compounded by the tension in his posture. He’s worried. Despite their stern expressions, so are Lutz and Brandon. They were never friends with Slade but they weren’t his enemy like Gareth was. Brandon even told me he would follow Slade if Slade became the Master.
But now… they look like they’re itching to get me the hell out of here.

  A shiver runs down my spine, but I step forward into the entrance room with Vlad. All of the other assassins remain outside while Lutz and Brandon fall in behind Vlad and Rowan directs us toward the dining hall.

  Rowan keeps his voice low. “When Slade came back without you, he said you decided not to return to the Realm. We didn’t believe him. You fought hard to be here. You wouldn’t just walk away.”

  I had walked away, but not without a lot of pain.

  I ask, “What happened?”

  “The Guardian named him Master and they put Gareth in a cell under the Cathedral. But Slade was… more brutal than normal.”

  I’m startled to hear Slade described as ‘brutal.’ When we were training, he always kept his strength hidden. He blended in, never revealing his true skill or the extent of his ability to use assassin’s magic.

  Rowan says, “Then we heard that he killed you. All hell broke loose.”

  I dart a surprised look at him while Vlad remains silent beside me. Every now and then Vlad flicks me a quick assessing glance. He’s already taken in every aspect of our surroundings from the high ceilings to the ornate paintings to the absence of any exit other than the door we entered through.

  Carefully, I ask, “What sort of hell?”

  It’s cold inside the Cathedral. Somehow even colder than outside. I sense the violence seeping through the air around me. It’s icy but awfully familiar… Slade’s power. I recognize it without thinking.

  What happened here?

  My steps slow but I force myself to keep moving. The door to the dining hall is a few paces away and I sense that Slade is inside.

  You are a machine, Hunter. You have no emotions. Just put one foot in front of the other.

  Lutz speaks up behind me, “Ridley lost it.”

  I miss a step. “What?”

  “When he heard that Slade killed you, Ridley went after Slade. In a bad way. We had to put Ridley in a cell to stop him breaking the Assassin’s Code and killing his own Master. He’s underneath the Cathedral in a cell beside Gareth’s.”