The Assassin

by Trudie Collins

  “Hello to you too sis,” he said, taking a seat at the table. “I would love some breakfast, thank you for offering.”

  “What do you want?” she asked him as she poured coffee into a mug and passed it to him.

  “What makes you think I want something?” he asked.

  “I know you. You only ever come here when you want something. What is it this time?”

  He took a sip of coffee and winced at the bitterness. She had neglected to put in any sugar. He assumed it was on purpose. “A group of people may be coming to the village today. I want you to seduce one of them and bring him back here.”

  “Any particular one?”

  “Yes, I will point him out should they arrive. They may bypass this village altogether. I know I would. Where is the sugar?”

  Ignoring the insult he had paid to her home, she passed him a bowl with a white substance in it. He place three heaped spoonfuls into his mug and took another mouthful, which he immediately spat out. “That is salt not sugar,” he said, glaring at his sister.

  “Is it?” she asked indifferently. “Back to business. What do you plan to do with him if I bring him back to my house?”

  “Kill him of course.” His tone suggested the answer was obvious. “I am an assassin after all.”

  Ignoring his sarcasm, the woman continued. “And how are you going to make it worth my while?”

  “With gold,” her brother replied. He named a sum and she whistled.

  “In that case, dear brother, we have a deal.”

  “Do we continue on or take the road to the village?” Patrick asked Tor as they approached an intersection. Tor glanced towards Ellen, who had overheard the question.

  “We need to restock on a number of things,” she informed him, “so it might be a good idea to try and purchase them from there if we can.” She smiled. “Besides, the women would appreciate a bath and the chance to sleep in a bed for a while, if we can spare the time.”

  “A few hours delay will cause Grimmel no harm,” Nosmas confirmed.

  “Then we go to the village,” Tor instructed.

  The settlement was not large, consisting of one main road with half a dozen smaller streets leading off it. It offered only one inn and it was to this Patrick led them. The road went straight past the house of the assassin’s sister and they were both watching out of one of the windows as the visitors rode by.

  “I do believe my luck is finally changing,” Nizari exclaimed when he saw them.

  “These are the people you were hoping would pass through?” she asked him. Thinking her question irrelevant, he ignored her and continued to stare out into the street, so she went on. “Which one do you want to kill?”

  “All of them,” he informed her, “but the one I want to start with is the man leading them.”

  At that moment, Patrick turned to speak to Ellen so Nizari’s sister was treated to a good view of his face. She also took in his figure and immaculate clothing and was more than impressed. “I think I may do this one for free,” she said. “As long as I get to have a little fun before you kill him.”

  “First get him here, then I will think about it,” Nizari told her. “Now go and get changed. He will not look at you twice dressed like that.” He knew his statement was probably not true, as she looked stunning no matter what she wore, but he did not want to take any chances.

  Taking no offence, and knowing that none was intended, the woman did as instructed, returning a surprisingly short time later wearing a tighter, more revealing dress and her hair was tied up above her head, with small curls falling tantalisingly down the side of her face. Nizari whistled in appreciation. “You really do scrub up well,” he told her. It was the closest he had ever come to giving her a compliment and she blushed.

  “Good luck,” he said as he opened the door for her to depart. From the window, he watched her walk over to the inn and go inside.

  All eyes turned towards her as she entered. Tor was still trying to arrange rooms and bathing facilities so everyone was present to witness her entrance.

  “That is one fine looking woman,” Seth observed. Nosmas, Patrick and Tor murmured their agreement. Even Brin found himself staring, then cast a guilty glance towards Sam.

  “There is nothing wrong with looking,” she whispered in his ear, “as long as it is only me that you are touching.”

  He smiled at her seductively. “I plan on doing that very soon.”

  The inn was not very large, but was almost empty so they were able to hire enough rooms for them all without any of the couples having to share with others.

  “I am going to the bathhouse,” Ellen informed Patrick.

  “I plan on having a mug of ale then heading off with Tor to purchase some supplies. Is there anything you need?” Ellen gave him a list of various herbs, which he promptly handed to Tor, then kissed him on the cheek.

  “Have fun. See you later,” she told him before leading the other ladies to the rear of the inn where the bathing house was located. Even River joined them, after Nosmas promised to make sure Grimmel was safely secure in one of the beds before he went out with Tor and Patrick.

  As soon as the ladies had departed, Nizari’s sister walked over. “Hello,” she said, her voice soft and seductive. “I am Isma. Welcome to my village. We do not get many visitors. If there is anything I can do to make your stay more welcome, please let me know.”

  The perfume she was wearing was intoxicating and Tor found himself unable to drag his gaze away from her deep blue eyes. Her skin was pale, emphasising the redness of her lips. She had the perfect figure and swayed her hips as she walked. Nosmas, Patrick and Seth were also staring at her and Nosmas could not stop himself asking her to join them. She sat on the bench, squeezing herself between the wizard and Patrick, making sure she caressed Patrick’s back as she seated herself. A small chill of excitement ran up his spine as he felt her fingertips touching him.

  Only Brin seemed immune to her. She reminded him too much of Illen and he made his excuses and left. He went to the bathhouse and knocked on the door. “Are you descent,” he called out.

  “Not yet,” someone shouted back. He waited patiently until the voice called, “Come in,” then opened the door. The room was full of steam and it took him a moment to see that the women were soaking in individual baths. Large sheets had been hung from the ceiling to provide them with some privacy, but he still kept his eyes on the floor as he made his way over to where Sam was calling out to him.

  “Why are you here?” she asked as she handed him a wash cloth and he began to rub it down her back. Her question was filled with curiosity not accusation.

  “That woman came over to our table and was invited to join us so I made myself scarce,” he told her. He did not need to explain why; Sam knew him well enough to work it out for herself.

  “Is she going to cause any trouble?” Sam asked, keeping her voice low so the other ladies could not overhear.

  “I do not think so,” he told her reassuringly. “She seems to have her sights set on Patrick.” He sounded almost amused.

  “No surprise there. I am sure he will behave.” As she spoke, Brin’s hands moved upwards and he started to massage her neck. She moaned in pleasure and all thoughts of the woman fled from her mind.

  “I should go,” he said, leaning in to kiss her. She put her arms around him and pulled him into the water. He could easily have kept his balance, but did not even try. “I am soaked through,” he complained.

  Sam could not keep the grin from her face. “Maybe we should remove these wet things,” she said as she began to undo his tunic.

  “You are incorrigible,” he replied before pulling the tunic over his head, revealing his bare chest.

  “It’s your fault,” she accused. “You bring out the worst in me.”

  “I thought I brought out the best in you,” he told her, then kissed her again before removing the rest of his clothes and sinking down into the warm water. The tub was not large, but was big enoug
h for them to relax in each other’s arms.

  Tor downed the last of his ale, then stood up. “Please accept my apologies,” he said to Isma, “but we must depart. We have things we need to buy before getting some well-earned rest.”

  Seth and Nosmas also stood. “Are you coming?” the younger man asked Patrick, who had remained seated.

  “No,” he replied. “Unless I am needed, I think I will go straight to bed.” Isma was turning him on more than he cared to admit and he wanted to have Ellen in his arms as soon as he could.

  “We will see you later then,” Tor told him and the three men left the inn. Isma could not keep the smile from her face as she watched their departing backs.

  “So are we going to your bed or mine?” she asked, turning her attention back to Patrick.

  “I am going to my bed,” he informed her. “You will not be joining me.”

  “Are you really sure about that?” she said in a soft voice, stroking his arm gently as she spoke. “My house is empty. Think of the fun we can have.”

  The urge to taste her lips overwhelmed him, but somehow he managed to remove her hand from his arm and kiss the back of it. “You are exquisite,” he told her. “But my mind, body and soul belong to someone else.” He did not see the look of fury that crossed her face as he turned his back on her and walked away. She had never been turned down before and did not like the feeling of rejection it left her with.

  “You will live to regret that,” she said to herself. “But not for long.” Ignoring the stares she was receiving from the inn’s other customers, she flounced out of the room and returned to her house to give her brother the bad news.

  “How could you possibly have failed?” Nizari yelled at her as soon as she had finished speaking. “That man has bedded more women than he has had hot dinners, if the rumours are to be believed. What did you do wrong?”

  “Do not blame me,” she yelled back at him. “You neglected to mention he is in love with the red head. No other woman stands a chance with him while she is around.”

  “Alright,” he replied in a quieter voice. “Calm down. I guess I will have to find another way of separating him from the others. And when I do, his death will be slow and very painful.”

  “Promise me something brother,” she requested. She was still angry at Patrick for refusing to go home with her and wanted revenge. “Let me be there when you kill him.”

  Nizari smiled at his sister. “I will even let you help if you wish.”

  By the time Brin and Sam got out of the bath tub, the other ladies had retired to their rooms. Ellen had put a spell on the tubs to keep the water warm and they had both fallen asleep. Seth, Tor and Nosmas had just returned from their shopping expedition and were enjoying one last mug of ale before retiring to their beds.

  “Where is Patrick?” Sam asked as they joined them at their table.

  “He said he was going straight to bed,” Tor told her. “Though I am not sure it was sleep that was on his mind.”

  “Well he would not have been up to much else,” Brin said. “He probably fell asleep before Ellen finally made it out of the bath and back to their room.”

  “How do you know how long Ellen was in the bath?” Seth asked. Brin refused to answer, but Sam’s blush told him all he needed to know. Brin took her away before she could say anything. The other three soon followed them as tiredness crept in and the need for a warm bed outweighed the desire for another drink.

  Quartilla was awake in bed when Nosmas entered the room. She pulled back the covers, revealing her naked body. Nosmas sighed, took the blanket out of her hand and covered her up. He then found her nightgown and handed it to her.

  “You know I cannot touch you,” he told her regretfully. “Put that on or I will have to find another room to sleep in.”

  Pouting, Quartilla slipped the garment over her head. Once she was descent, Nosmas removed his own clothing, keeping his underclothes on, and slipped under the covers beside her. “When we are married, you can be naked in my presence as much as you like. Until then, please keep your clothes on. It is hard enough for me as it is without you flaunting yourself in front of me.”

  “I will try,” she said, but her words did not sound sincere. She kissed him lightly on the lips then settled down in his arms. Soon they were both asleep.

  Evening had well and truly set in by the time anyone awoke and Hawk was in the taproom waiting for them. Sam and Brin were the first ones to surface and they found him sitting with a lady, chatting like old friends. Her back was to them, but they both still recognised her.

  “We have already met Isma,” Brin said when Hawk started to introduce them.

  “Something I should know?” Hawk asked, hearing the hostility in the elf’s voice.

  “No,” Sam told him. “She just reminds him too much of someone he used to know.”

  “I see,” Hawk said, realising who she was referring to.

  Sam ordered some coffee and she and Brin drank it while waiting for their companions to make it down. Isma stayed at their table, sipping a glass of wine and talking with Hawk while obviously waiting for someone. The others drifted in slowly and food was ordered. Isma was asked to join them and she willingly accepted, much to Brin’s disgust. The table had become quite crowded, so he and Sam were able to relocate to a nearby table without causing offence.

  Soon everyone had arrived except for River, Grimmel, Patrick and Ellen. When Patrick walked into the room alone, Isma could not keep the smile from her face. She walked up to him, making him stop before he reached the table. He was dressed in figure hugging trousers and a black silk shirt and looked magnificent. Unable to resist, she ran her fingers down his chest.

  “How nice to see you again,” she said, licking her lips seductively.

  “Good evening,” he replied politely as he removed her hands from his body and firmly placed them by her sides. Gently moving her out of his way, he pushed past her and joined Sam and Brin at their table.

  “Something going on?” Brin asked as Patrick poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot.

  “No. She is just being a little too overfriendly for my liking,” Patrick replied.

  Sam laughed. “The word ‘overfriendly’ never used to be in your vocabulary,” she observed.

  “True,” Patrick agreed. “But that was before I fell in love.”

  A few moments later, the lady he had been talking about entered the room. Isma spotted her before Patrick and made a bee line for him. Sitting on the bench next to him, she kissed him on the lips. She withdrew before he could push her away.

  “Thank you for earlier,” she said, just loud enough for those seated nearby to hear. She turned around and saw Ellen looking at her. “Is he always that good in bed?” she asked. “Or was it just with me?”

  Sam choked on her coffee as Ria, Quartilla and Dal stared at Patrick with undisguised revulsion. Ellen looked from Patrick to Isma, then back again before turning around and walking out of the room.

  “Ellen wait,” he called after her, pushing Isma away from him as he tried to stand up to follow her, but she was out of earshot before he managed to manoeuvre around the table. As he stared at the empty doorway, a feeling of dread took hold of him, starting in his chest working its way down until it settled in his stomach.

  “How could you?” Ria asked him, her eyes burning with fury at the assumed betrayal of her friend.

  “You make me sick,” Dal spat at him.

  “Patrick,” Tor said, doing his best to keep the rage he was feeling locked within him. “What have you done?”

  “Nothing,” Patrick said. The word was said with so much pain Sam could not help believing him. Then he turned around and glared at Isma, who was smiling smugly.

  “You lying bitch,” he yelled, stepping forward and grabbing her neck in his hands. He pushed her back against the wall of the inn and began to choke the life out of her.

  “Patrick,” Nosmas said in warning. “That is not a good idea.”

&n
bsp; Patrick ignored him. He leaned in close so he was able to whisper in her ear. “You had better start praying that I can convince Ellen that I have not cheated on her because if I have lost her I am going to make you suffer in ways you cannot even imagine.”

  He released his grip and let her fall to the floor, where she lay shaking, too terrified to move. Without another word, he turned around and walked out of the room, heading in the same direction he had seen Ellen go.

  Chapter 15

  Patrick knocked on the door to the room he had been sharing with Ellen, unsure if she would answer or not. “Come in,” she called, sounding worryingly normal.

  When he reached out his hand to push the handle down, he realised it was shaking. The thought of losing Ellen terrified him and part of him wanted to run away instead of face her. For the first time in his life, he regretted the reputation he had made for himself. He had spent most of his seven hundred years seducing then discarding women. He didn’t stand a chance of convincing Ellen he had not had sex with an incredibly beautiful woman who had thrown herself at him. He almost turned and walked away, but the thought that this might hurt Ellen even more than he already had stopped him. He felt physically sick.

  Bracing himself, he pushed the door open and slowly walked inside. Ellen had her back to him and appeared to be packing her bag. “Nothing happened. I swear on my life. She made a move on me and I turned her down. I came straight up to this room to wait for you.” His voice was breaking as he spoke and his eyes began to sting as tears threatened to form.

  Ellen turned around to look at him. She appeared perfectly calm. “I know,” she said. “I trust you.”

  “Thank the heavens,” he cried out and rushed forward, taking her in his arms and hugging her so tight she could hardly breathe. “I lost you once, I do not think I could survive losing you again,” he sobbed into her neck.

  “That is never going to happen,” she assured him, stroking his hair like a mother comforting a child.

  They stayed holding each other, neither moving, not making a sound, until Patrick had stopped shaking. Then he released her, sat on the bed and put his head in his hands. Ellen watched him, but said nothing.