An Assassin's Redemption: A New Adult Urban Fantasy Romance Novel

by Tanya Kennedy

  “Can we really trust the Tribunal? With this?” Brendan cocked an eyebrow.

  Cade’s face brightened in an evil grin. “Who says they have to know? Seems to me Brendan has been on the radar pretty strong of late; I’m getting a bit worried for him.”

  Trey nodded toward the younger man. “That’s not a bad idea. No one has to know you won’t be hidden alone.”

  “Wait, why me?”

  Cade got to his feet and pushed Brendan back against the cabinets. “Because you are the one who has been out front, the one who is the most known.” Each statement was accompanied by a finger jab to the chest.

  Trey joined Cade in front of Brendan. “Whenever Darius has something dangerous that needs done, it’s you he goes to.”

  Brendan held his hands out. “You two really expect me to hide in a house at a time like this?”

  “No.” Trey grabbed Eylsa’s hand and pulled her up in front of him. “We expect you to stay there and protect Eylsa. You wouldn’t leave her alone, would you?”

  She glared at him over her shoulder as he squeezed her arms. Brendan wrapped his hands around his forehead. “Okay, so it’s me. We need to get some things together if we are going to do this. Obviously, you two will be my contacts. We’ll need supplies in case we run into any trouble. She’s going to need some clothes, I’ll need to pack…”

  * * *

  Eylsa stared after the three men as they wandered off to make plans. When they were gone, she opened a folder on the table and ran her finger along the picture staring back at her. She listened to hear them talking in the living room, then she turned the pages of the file. This time she paused on another picture, a tattoo of a burning dragon skull. A quick glance into the living room told her they were still occupied, and she made her way to the attic and scanned the floor. Rolled against a discarded carpet was her lost homing device; she snatched it up before returning to her room.

  She gathered her bag from the back of a chair and dropped it onto the bed as she pulled out some paper and a pencil. Satisfied with her missive, she folded the note and left it atop the pillow. Bag clutched to her chest, she took one last look around and pressed her homing device.

  chapter 5

  Brendan straightened his tie in the mirror, a grimace crossing his face at the stiff formality of his clothes. Some fool prince gets engaged and suddenly the whole Tribunal is on call.

  “Aren’t you ready yet? The prince is getting married, not you!”

  He allowed his irritation to show as he made his way down the stairs. Trey nodded his approval from across the room as a tall, severe woman stepped in front of him.

  “It’s about time. I do hope you two can remember your manners tonight. Just because we’re on security detail doesn’t mean that we are not to give a good impression. The Tribunal is counting on us to encourage good relations with the Lithian royalty.” She spread her glare to include Trey in it. “I’m sure I don’t have to remind you.”

  Trey’s smile crept across his face. “I will be a perfect angel. No need to worry, Arna.”

  Her eyes narrowed but she turned to lead the group out anyway. Trey fell in at Brendan’s side as he passed. “Keep holding your breath. One day she will like us.”

  “I’ve been holding my breath for three years now. That woman is a dragon.” Brendan glared at Arna’s back as they entered a large ballroom packed with men and women in such bright hues that his head hurt. “At least we shouldn’t have a problem avoiding her tonight at any rate.”

  They melted into the crowd and worked their way toward the edges of the room, eyes constantly scanning for any potential problems. Brendan could pick out the royal guards easy enough with their stiff livery and sour expressions. Arna probably loved them. The woman herself beamed as she took up her position next to the Lithian king and his heir. They both did a fair job of ignoring her completely.

  Brendan shook his head as he scanned the crowd. Several people eyed them questioningly but none approached. It would probably violate some unspoken snobbery rule they had to be seen talking with commoners.

  His breath caught as his eyes fell on a woman across the room. A sparkling crystal-encrusted gown flowed along her sleek curves as she floated among a mass of her guards, each hawk-eyed and rough looking. Her own blue eyes didn’t miss a detail as they swept the room. Sharp eyes. Assassin’s eyes. Eylsa.

  Brendan elbowed Trey and nodded toward her. “You can tell me I’m crazy, because I really hope I am.”

  “It can’t be.”

  Their jaws dropped in unison as the Lithian prince made his way toward Eylsa and wrapped her in his arms before he guided her back toward his father.

  Trey grabbed Brendan’s arm and made his way out into an empty hall. “We have to do something.”

  “Like what? The second she sees us, she’ll know what we’re up to. There’s no telling what she might do.”

  Trey ran a hand through his hair. “So we approach the king. He’s not going to want his son marrying an assassin; he’ll listen to us.”

  “Maybe.”

  They jumped as a door slammed behind them. “What are you doing out here? No one is to wander the castle, you are all confined to the ballroom.” The guard glowered. “I want your names immediately.”

  Brendan put out his hands defensively. “We’re sorry, but this is not what you are thinking. We are part of the guard sent over by the Tribunal—”

  “I know who you are, and the Tribunal guards are all confined to the ballroom. The agreement was quite specific.” The guard’s anger burned up into his voice.

  “Johndy, there is no need for such harsh treatment.” Eylsa stepped from a nearby doorway, her long skirt swaying as she walked. “I will vouch for them. You may leave us.”

  The guard bowed and retreated. Eylsa’s eyes flashed at them as he did so. When he was gone, she motioned them to follow her. Her hand slipped behind a tapestry and released a trigger, revealing a passage she disappeared into.

  Brendan took a deep breath as he glanced at the darkened opening apprehensively before following her, Trey close at his heels.

  Eylsa’s eyes still burned at them when they came upon her in a dimly lit nook. “Are you completely stupid? He could have killed you.”

  Brendan felt his ire rise in the face of her reprimand. “Is this what you’ve been up to since you disappeared that night? Working your way into the prince’s bed? Do you get extra for crushing his heart as well as killing him?”

  She scoffed. “You don’t understand. Just leave it alone. You won’t like any answers you find.”

  Brendan crossed his arms. “You know well enough that we can’t and won’t. We are not going to sit idly by while you kill the leader of a major power.”

  She dropped her head and turned her back to them. “Neither the prince nor the king are to be harmed. You have my word on that.”

  “So, what, you hold them hostage and use them like puppets?”

  “I cannot tell you what is going on.”

  Trey grabbed her arm and spun her around to face them. He stepped back at the strength of emotion flooding her eyes. “That’s not good enough. Either tell us what’s going on or we’ll have no choice but to go to King Mavrin and tell him the truth.”

  “I can’t let you do that.”

  Brendan rested a hand against the wall as he leaned over her so he could stare into her eyes. “And just what are you going to do to stop us?”

  “I told you, you don’t know what you’re getting into.”

  “You could always tell us.”

  She moved him back with a finger and self-consciously smoothed her gown. “You will not survive telling him, that much I’ll promise you.”

  Trey flexed his hand. “Are you threatening us?”

  Her eyes flashed in a violent rage. “Threatening you? If it wasn’t for the uncontrollable impotence with which you people seem to infect me, I could have saved myself three years of retraining. As it is, I am still not trusted to work by myself
. Do you know what happens to an assassin that refuses their mark? I am lucky to have my life.”

  Brendan squeezed her shoulder. “Then why did you go back? We could have hidden you, kept you safe. You could have had your freedom, a life without someone pulling your strings.”

  She coughed a harsh laugh. “And do what? What would you have me do? Send me to your prison to wait for someone to find me? Dress me up and try to keep passing me off as family? ‘This is Eylsa, she’s harmless; just don’t hand her anything sharp!’”

  Their jaws moved as they tried and failed to produce a rebuttal.

  “You are fools if you think I could fit into your world,” she went on. “No amount of frillary can change what I am.”

  Brendan fingered the crystal beading of her gown. “Then what is this?”

  “You’re not going to leave, are you?”

  Trey hitched his shoulders. “Sorry, we can’t do that.”

  “You leave me no choice.” She stepped around them and swept back toward the hall. When she stumbled through the hidden doorway, she hiked her skirts and took off running.

  Brendan started after her. “What is she doing?”

  Trey laughed, following. “You’re asking me?”

  From a distance, they heard her yell, “Help, guards!”

  Uniformed men flooded around her as she slid to a halt with a dramatic pant, her face a perfect mask of helpless fear. She pointed at them, her back straightening in false bravado. “I found them wandering the halls. They threatened to hurt me!”

  Brendan closed his eyes. “This is bad.”

  Guards surrounded them as their leader comforted the visibly shaken woman. His eyes were alight with protective anger. “You are with the Tribunal, aren’t you? What right do you have to threaten our future queen?”

  “We didn’t do anything.”

  Her shoulders shook with fake sobs as she nestled herself deeper into the guard’s arms. “This is unacceptable! The Tribunal will hear of this, mark my words. Get them out of my sight.”

  * * *

  She watched them from over the guard’s shoulder as they were led away. “Thank you, Gregor.”

  “Of course, Eylsa,” Gregor said. “Let’s get you back to your party.”

  She smiled as he slid an arm around her waist and handed her a kerchief.

  “That was impressive,” he went on. “Hell, I almost believed you were frightened.”

  She dabbed her damp cheeks. “It doesn’t take much to fake fear. Most men already assume women weak; I just play on their prejudices.”

  He laughed. “Is it any wonder you are so expensive?”

  He dropped into a bow as he held open a door for her. She paused before she stepped through. “There is no reason Mavrin needs to know any of this.”

  “I will make sure the men do not talk.”

  She smiled as she straightened her back and melted into the crowd of milling people.

  * * *

  “What could you possibly have been thinking?” Arna’s face was red as she puffed up and down the room in front of them. “Do you delight in endangering international cooperation? I should have known better than to think the two of you capable of handling something this important!” She planted her hands on her hips. “What could possibly have possessed you to threaten the prince’s fiancée?”

  Brendan seethed as he stared up at her. “We didn’t threaten anyone. This is all just a big misunderstanding.”

  “Misunderstanding! The woman was visibly shaken! Completely distraught. How could that be a misunderstanding?”

  Trey shook his head. “It was an act. She wasn’t threatened by us, wouldn’t have been worried had we threatened her.”

  “Oh, you know this do you? Such an expert you are on Lithian nobility that you can know what would worry them? That poor gentle girl, how could you raise your voices to her?”

  “We didn’t raise our voices to anyone!”

  She crossed her arms and leaned back from them. “You are both hereby on probation.”

  “What?!”

  “You can’t do that!”

  “Watch me. You two are on thin ice. You slip up one more time and it will be your jobs.” She pointed at the door. “Get out of my sight.”

  Brendan slammed the door as he stormed out. “She better pray I don’t get my hands on her.”

  Trey laughed. “Eylsa or Arna?”

  Brendan threw up his hands. “Take your pick!”

  “You boys seem to have trouble staying on Arna’s good side.” Darius pulled a door shut behind him as he stepped into the hall from a nearby office.

  Brendan straightened his shirt with a rough jerk. “Well, this time we had help.”

  Darius cocked his head but it was Trey who answered. “We had a reunion at the party. The prince’s new fiancée is an old friend who was none too happy to see us.”

  “Old friend?”

  “Eylsa.”

  “Oh.” Darius’ voice was emotionless.

  Trey studied the older man’s face. “You don’t seem too surprised.”

  “I expected her to resurface sooner or later.”

  Brendan waved his hand along the hallway. “We can’t let her just marry into the Lithian royal family. What are we going to do about it?”

  “What did she say to you?”

  Trey stopped. “She kept telling us to leave. Said we didn’t know what we were getting into.”

  “Didn’t want us to talk to her marks either. Said she wouldn’t allow it.” Brendan shook his head.

  “Interesting.”

  Brendan stared at him incredulously. “Interesting? She threatened to kill us and you say ‘interesting.’”

  “She never really threatened us,” Trey added. “It was more like she was warning us.”

  Darius said, “It is likely that if you went to the prince or king, her ‘master’ would have had you killed. Seems to me like she saved your lives.”

  Brendan rubbed his temples as he tried to ease the tension building there. “Why is it every time she creeps out of the woodworks, I get a headache?”

  “But she still had us arrested. Wouldn’t her master have learned about it?”

  “Not necessarily. The men who arrested you were royal guards; two nosy men are not really something you bother your king about and are not exciting enough to tell anyone about. Might just get swept under the rug as it were.”

  “So what are we going to do?”

  Darius glanced around them before heading off down the hall. “We must proceed carefully, gentlemen. If we go on the conclusion that she was trying to save you, we must assume that approaching her will endanger your lives.”

  “And if we go on the conclusion that she was threatening us?”

  Trey shook his head. “You know she wasn’t. She as much as said she can’t bring herself to hurt us.”

  “Can we really believe her?” Brendan blinked back his suspicion.

  “I don’t think she was lying.”

  “So that leaves us where? We just let her marry into the ruling party of Lithia?”

  Darius rubbed his chin. “I’ll have to catch up with you boys later. Try and keep your heads down until I get back, will you?”

  With a press of his homing device he was gone, leaving Brendan and Trey to stare at the empty space before them.

  “Now what?”

  Trey gave his tie a tug. “I say we get home and get out of these stuffy suits.”

  Brendan jerked his tie loose and tore it from his neck. “Insufferable woman!”

  Trey smiled. “Eylsa or Arna?”

  “Take your pick!”

  * * *

  Brendan growled as he stared at the piece of paper mocking him from the table. He must be losing his mind. He crumbled the note in his fist and ran to his fireplace but his hand froze over the flames. Slowly he pulled his hand back and cradled the note to his chest as he closed his eyes. “Fool.”

  “Talking to yourself?”

  He didn’
t turn, just kept his back to her. “You always asked so many questions, so I will ask one of you. What keeps us from turning you in? Just sending you to prison and being done with it?”

  He heard her approach but kept his stance. “Seems we bring out uncharacteristic habits in each other. I found myself worrying that something might have happened to you, so I had to come be sure.”

  “You had us arrested.” The flat tone did little to cover the anger.

  “You’d rather I let you die?”

  “Doesn’t seem to me that you should care.”

  “Doesn’t seem to me that I should either. Strange it is.”

  His chest shook with a laugh. “Strange.”

  “Your friend Trey, he is well also?”

  “Fine.”

  “Please leave it alone. I can’t protect you in this.” Her voice was veined with uncharacteristic emotion.

  “There’s that caring again.”

  “Seems to be getting worse.” Curiosity twisted her tone. “I had hoped that avoiding you for so long would have cured me of this insanity. I have the terrible fear that it might be getting worse, though.”

  “Must be awful for you.” The sarcasm nearly choked him.

  “It has caused some issues, I’ll admit that.”

  He shook his head as he faced the fire. “We have to try you know. Whatever it might do to us, we can’t just stand by.”

  “I know. They will not be harmed.” Her fingers curled around his arm. “Please, Brendan.”

  He turned to face her and was shocked at the sentiment in her eyes. “Tell me what is going on. Tell me.” He cupped her cheek in his hand and let his fingers trail along her smooth skin. “Let us help you.”

  She took a step back from him, her face stolid. “There is no help for me.”

  He stared after her as she turned and left, a silent shadow passing out of his house. He smoothed the letter out and stared at the writing that had nearly faded away with time. “Thanks.”

  “Fool.”

  * * *

  Darius leafed through the frustratingly incomplete open book before him. It was strange how little information there was on people as well known as royalty.

  Cade set a cup next to him. “Didn’t think you for one to be interested in celebrities.”