Crave the Darkness: A Shaede Assassin Novel

by amanda bonilla

  What I wouldn’t give to have my headset right about now. I needed to talk to my team. To coordinate with Raif. Goddamn it. But I didn’t have time to contemplate what I needed. This was going to have to be a solo mission. No wishing, no backup. One on one. Me and Kade. Nothing I wasn’t used to. I tuned everything out as I crept closer: Anya’s pleading, Kade’s snarky comebacks, and the apparent mobilization of security as they focused their efforts from one bad situation to another. I could use the distraction, though. Kade would be expecting an assault from the PNT troops. And while he was busy with them, I’d run my dagger through the bastard’s heart. Perfect.

  Right on cue, a team of six PNT soldiers converged on Kade. I recognized their leader, a Fae named Adare, calm and cool as ever with weapons drawn and a look of grim determination on his face. I didn’t think Kade would go down without a fight, but the bastard just stood there, all smug and self-satisfied. Carefully, Adare’s group surrounded Kade; he still had a dagger pressed to Dimitri’s throat after all. Adare squared his shoulders and approached the demon with careful steps.

  “I don’t know who you are, or what your business is, but if you try to settle it here, you’re as good as dead.” His moss-green eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. “You’re surrounded, and the building is warded.”

  Kade flashed Adare an amused smile. “Warded?” His incredulous tone bordered on melodramatic. “Fuck your Fae magic. This man’s wife owes me a debt. And I don’t give a shit about your wards.”

  Adare looked ready to throttle Kade. I didn’t think anyone openly defied him. And tonight, Kade was all about putting on a show. I wanted to kick myself. I should have known he’d want an audience. He’d harried Anya at every turn, but when it came to the big showdown, he wanted as many people as possible to see what he was capable of. Asshole.

  While Kade and Adare squared off, I used the opportunity to make my move. I’d catch him unaware, tackle Dimitri, and get him out of the reach of Kade’s blade. Then, I’d bring the hurt. At least, that was my plan. My ball gown had become a royal pain in the ass, and I’d be lucky to accomplish the maneuver without flashing my boobs to the entire supernatural community. Fucking strapless piece of shit. I ducked behind a group of Fae females who watched the scene unfolding before them with an almost perverse interest that I found a little on the sadistic side. Dimitri’s life hung in the balance and they looked on as if they were watching some kind of reality TV show. So I took a certain amount of grim satisfaction when I burst through their group, sending them careening in different directions.

  Using the marble floor for as much traction as my bare feet would allow, I charged Kade while he continued to bait Adare into action. I sprinted toward them, dodging through and around the spectators who apparently couldn’t be bothered to intervene and help Dimitri. I broke through the barrier of onlookers, prepared to dive for Anya’s husband. A powerful energy washed over me, thick and snaking through the air like a chill breeze, causing the tiny hairs on my arms to stand on end. I’d felt it before. I recognized it. Shit.

  My shoulder slammed into the invisible barrier protecting Kade and Dimitri, and if I were to guess, it enclosed them in a sort of magical bubble. Tyler had cast a similar barrier of protection over me once. Now I knew with certainty why Kade’s energy had felt so familiar. It was Jinn magic that clung to him. He’s killing her, Ty had said to me a few nights ago in my apartment. I’d suspected, but this new development confirmed it: Kade had obviously been siphoning Adira’s power. Ho-ly shit. This was much worse than Kade simply using Adira for wishes and protection. Much worse.

  “Hey, Trouble,” Kade said with amusement. He looked me up and down before his gaze settled on the dagger clenched in my hand. “Nice dress.”

  I pulled my arm back and slammed my fist into the barrier. Pain radiated from my wrist up to my shoulder, and I almost dropped the dagger as my limb went practically numb. “Darian!” Adare barked, his gaze sparking with animosity. “This is a PNT matter. Stand down.”

  “Wrong, Adare.” I didn’t take my eyes off of Kade, who seemed to be getting off on the whole scene. “This is my business. Not yours. Now lift the goddamned wards so I can kill this motherfucker.”

  I honestly had no idea if lifting the wards would help. Jinn magic was stronger than anything in the supernatural world, but there had to be someone here who could at least weaken the barrier. Tyler could, for sure, but thanks to those lovely Jinn rules, he was forbidden from interfering with the bonds of others. Adare gave me a look, not exactly trustworthy, but like he hadn’t really thought about having the wards lifted. He whispered an order to a Fae colleague beside him who took off like a shot through the crowd of onlookers.

  “Your wife threw your life away, Dimitri,” Kade mused. He choked up on the dagger’s hilt, pressing the sharp blade into Dimitri’s skin. Blood dripped from the cut, running in a rivulet down his neck. I expected something defiant, a struggle, or threats and curses at least, but Dimitri remained silent. Proud. There was more defiance in his silence than words could express. My heart leapt into my throat as I realized what he already knew: his time had run out.

  “Kade!” Anya’s voice broke from her chest in a shrill near-scream. She cried in earnest, tears streaming down her face. Her words came frantic, a stream of sound that I couldn’t understand as she abandoned English for her native Russian. But her tone could not be mistaken. She was frantic, begging for her husband’s life, and if I had to guess, she was trying to strike a bargain. Hell, I bet she promised him the world and then some.

  I looked around, my pulse rushing in my ears, for any sign of Adare’s soldiers. How the fuck long did it take to lift the goddamned wards, anyway? Kade graced Anya with a cold, evil smile and she dropped to her knees, sobbing. Oh my god. Ohmygodohmygodohmygod. No!

  Kade’s eyes locked on hers, his face a mask of serenity as he slit Dimitri’s throat. Anya screamed, the sound so devastating that it tore my heart to shreds. I slammed my body into the invisible barrier, stabbed at it with the silver dagger again and again. Bodies joined mine: Xander and Raif, fighting like hell to break through the magic that kept us out. Dimitri stared at his wife as he bled out, his brows drawn as he took her in one last time. “No!” I screamed, joining Anya’s mournful wails. “Goddamn you, Kade! Dimitri, hold on! We’re coming! Hold on!”

  Dimitri struggled to speak, and what issued from his mouth was a sickening gurgle deep in his throat, followed by a quick string of Russian. As the life slowly drained out of him, he kept his eyes locked on Anya, his expression so full of love and emotion that it stole my breath. I ached for Anya, shared in her sorrow as Dimitri’s expression went blank. His soft brown eyes became empty, void of life, and as Kade released him, he toppled face-first to the floor.

  “I’m feeling generous, so I’ll give you forty-eight hours this time, Anya,” Kade warned. His angelic expression melted away, revealing nothing but calculating menace. “If you don’t give me what I want in two days’ time, you’ll join your husband. And I guarantee your journey to the afterlife won’t be nearly as pleasant as his. You aren’t safe anywhere and you know it. I’ll come for you. Don’t disappoint me again.”

  Anya screamed at Kade, a string of profanities and curses that should have killed him right on the spot. He looked my way and flashed a superior smirk before his form shimmered and disappeared. With his disappearance, the barrier that protected him vanished. Anya scrambled to her husband’s side, gathering him up in her arms. With the wards in place, Dimitri had become easy prey for Kade. No amount of supernatural healing could save him now. Blood pooled on the polished marble floor and soaked through Anya’s gown. She held Dimitri close to her, rocking back and forth as sobs wracked her body.

  Xander rushed to Anya, going to his knees. Raif joined them, shifting Dimitri’s body away from Anya, and she threw herself into Xander’s embrace. He shushed her as he rocked her in his arms, passing his hand along her hairline and whispering words of comfort in her ear. He loo
ked back at me, the sorrowful expression on his regal face tearing at my own composure. I failed. I let Kade get to Dimitri. All she’d asked of me was that I keep him safe, and I failed her.

  Another startled gasp and the murmur of excited voices made its way to me from the back of the ballroom. Not wasting any time, I pushed my way through the throngs of useless onlookers to the source of the commotion. In the center of the group, Adira lay on the floor, unconscious. Tyler was there as well, scooping her up into his arms. His eyes met mine, his face hard and his mouth a grim line. “She’s alive,” he said, “but barely. Kade’s draining everything from her. If he takes from her again, she’ll die.”

  Jesus Christ. Could this get any worse? On second thought, I didn’t think I actually wanted that question answered. I knew it could be a whole hell of a lot worse. I stormed for the exit, bare feet slapping on the marble floor. The members of my team rushed through the entrance, crossing the foyer to the ballroom. They stopped when they saw me, their faces grim.

  “I don’t know how he got in,” Louella said, as if apologizing. “We had every entrance covered, and—”

  “I know.” There was no point in hashing out what happened. It happened. Dimitri was dead, Adira was dying, and no amount of replay would change those facts. “He got past us. It’s no one’s fault. Right now, Louella, I want you, Julian, and Myles to escort the king, Raif, and Anya back to his house. I don’t want you guys more than a few feet away from her at all times.” I paused, thinking of Anya’s grief and despair, and amended my order. “Louella, Anya’s going to need a certain amount of . . . space. Don’t crowd her. Watch her, but don’t be obvious about it. Understand?”

  She gave a solemn nod, and I swear, tears glistened in the young Shaede’s eyes. “We’ve got her covered.”

  “Ash, you and Liam go with Tyler. I know he’ll try to send you away, but don’t you dare leave.” I eyed Asher as I spoke. “Be as invisible as you can.” Which I knew was pretty damn invisible. “If you see, hear, or even feel any hint of Kade lurking around, call me ASAP.”

  “Where are you going?” Asher asked with suspicion.

  “I’m going to make sure Levi has this meeting set up with his ex. We’ve got forty-eight hours to put Kade down. Keep an eye on Tyler,” I told them as I headed for the exit. “I’ll send someone to relieve you by noon.”

  I could tell that Asher wanted to ask me something else, but I didn’t give him the chance. Silky shadows flowed over my skin, and I joined their company as I burst through the heavy glass doors and out into the night. Kade had put an expiration date on Anya’s—and her unborn child’s—life. No way in hell was I going to fail her a second time.

  Chapter 28

  I refused to leave The Pit until Levi confirmed my appointment with his ex, Pamela. But now we had a plan in place. Levi instructed me to come alone, thirty hours from now, to where her coven met in Pioneer Square, an old abandoned retail space that the coven had had reclassified as a religious sanctuary. I tried to argue that my time frame didn’t allow for thirty hours of waiting, but Levi countered that Pamela would need the moon to be in a certain phase, at the perfect position to draw on etheric energy—whatever that was—and so forth. He instructed me to get as much detailed information from Anya as I could about Kade, his pregnant female who’d died, and anything else she thought might be pertinent. This would be no time for secrets, and though I knew that Anya deserved to be left alone so she could grieve for her husband, her life was on the line and I had to act. Now.

  By the time I trudged through Xander’s front door, the sun was about to rise. Stifling—much too warm—the gray hour of dawn brushed against my senses like someone was trying to roll me up in a wool blanket. I wanted to shut myself up in my room and pray that when I woke, all of this would just be a nightmare. The soft sound of Anya’s sobs filtered down from the second story of Xander’s mansion, echoing into eerie silence like the wails of a haunting spirit. As I took the stairs, my bare feet weighed me down as if made of lead. I could barely boast the people skills of a Rottweiler, so I wasn’t quite sure how to act or what to say when I finally got to her apartment suite.

  Louella, Julian, and Myles stood watch outside of Anya’s door, just like I’d asked. I breathed a sigh of relief, glad that I could count on them to follow orders. I tried not to think about Asher and the fact that he defied me every opportunity he got. I could only hope that he’d done as I asked and escorted Tyler and Adira back to his apartment. Right now, they needed protection just as much as Anya did. “How is she?” I asked in a hushed tone as I approached the group.

  “The king is with her now,” Louella said quietly. “She’s been inconsolable, and he seems to be the only one who can calm her.”

  Xander said that he loved Anya like a sister. Aside from Dimitri, I’d never seen Anya being social with any other members of Xander’s staff. In fact, I’d never really seen her be social with anyone. Just one more personality trait that we shared. What I was about to do wasn’t going to be fun. “Stay out here,” I said. “Julian, check in with Liam and get an update on the situation at Tyler’s for me.”

  “Can do,” he said as I pushed open Anya’s door.

  The room was completely dark. Despite the fact that the sun was just about to crest the horizon, the heavy drapes had been drawn to prevent any light from seeping in. Anya sat on the couch, curled into a ball, resting her head on Xander’s chest. He absently passed his hand down the length of her unbound hair as he murmured in her ear. His rich voice accented the cadence of the words he spoke to her in Russian. And though I couldn’t understand a word of it, I got the gist of his comforting tone all the same.

  My heart lurched in my chest at Xander’s compassion. He seemed so much more real to me in this moment. Not just the king: haughty, entitled, gorgeous to a fault and arrogant enough to brag about it. Now he seemed so selfless, softer somehow. His voice infused me with calm and I wondered if it had the same effect on Anya. “Anya . . .” My own voice broke, the total opposite of calm. Palms slick with sweat, I wiped them on the ball gown and twisted the ring on my thumb nervously. A chill raced up my arm as if the ring were somehow angry with me. Did it perhaps echo Tyler’s emotions?

  “All I asked is that you protect him.” Her sorrowful words were muffled by Xander’s shirt. “While you played my king and that bastard Jinn against one another, Kade slipped in without notice! You killed him, Darian! You let Dimitri die!” She choked on the words that were followed by more of the wracking sobs that made my gut knot up.

  Xander’s gaze met mine, glowing like warm embers in the dark room. He didn’t have to use words to express what he was trying to say; I could read it on his face: She doesn’t mean that. She’s consumed with grief. She’s lashing out. Forgive her. “You’re right, Anya. This is my fault.”

  Xander’s eyes widened a fraction of an inch, but otherwise he didn’t react to my statement. Of course, he’d tell me later not to blame myself, that none of this was my fault, blah, blah, blah. But I’d never stop feeling guilty, or considering myself responsible for what had happened tonight. “Xander, do you think Anya and I could have a few minutes alone?” I asked, knowing that I had a snowball’s chance in hell of getting her to open up to me. “I need to talk to her privately.”

  He gave me a look like he really, really didn’t think that was a good idea. Anya pulled away, assessing me with a slightly less contemptuous look than I expected. “I have nothing to say to you.”

  “Anya . . .” Jesus, how to proceed? “You heard Kade. Forty-eight hours. It’s time to end this. Let me help you.” I paused, glanced down at her bloodstained dress. “Let me help your child. Dimitri’s child. Please.”

  “Five minutes.” She sniffed. “And no more.”

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Xander looked at Anya, but I knew the question was directed at me. “You’re overwrought . . .”

  “I want to talk to her,” she said. “But”—she reached out and grabbed on to Xande
r’s shirtsleeve—“will you come back when she leaves?”

  Xander brought Anya’s hand to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles. “Of course. I’ll be right outside the door if you need me.”

  As he walked past me, Xander reached out and took my hand in his. He didn’t stop, just let my fingers brush through his palm as he walked. I turned my head, watching from the corner of my eye as he left the room. The High King was many things, but heartless, he wasn’t.

  “The death rites will be performed tomorrow at midnight,” Anya said through another round of tears. She sniffed and cleared her throat as if steeling herself against emotion in my presence. When she spoke again, she was the stone-cold bitch from our first meeting. “I won’t be able to participate,” she said, flatly. “Because of my pregnancy, I am prevented from sending my husband’s soul to the afterlife.”

  I’d never been to a Shaede funeral, and I couldn’t help but wonder what had been done with Azriel’s body and soul after I’d killed him. “Why?” I probably shouldn’t have pushed her, but I wanted to know. “What’s going to prevent you?”

  “My pregnancy prevents me from joining with the shadows.” Anya gave a sad laugh. “I must remain corporeal until the child is born.”

  I put two and two together, deducing that the death rites revolved around leaving the physical body behind. Probably metaphorical for something. It made me hate myself even more for failing to keep Dimitri alive. “I failed him,” I said, coming to stand beside her. “I let you down, and I’ll never forgive myself for what happened tonight. Nothing I can do will make amends, I know. But I’m going to protect you no matter what. I just—I need your help.”

  “What? Too weak and foolish to do the job on your own, Darian?” Tears glistened in Anya’s violet eyes but didn’t spill over her lashes. “I always knew that bringing you into our fold would be our undoing. If only my king had listened to me.”