by Vella Day
“Is it because you need me to protect your family?”
Zulema punched him in the arm. “Don’t be silly. I do need you for that, but after last night, I can tell you have other uses.”
Bevon laughed and then turned back to Camden. “We’ll be upstairs.”
“This shouldn’t take too long. Be up shortly.”
Once they were seated, she had to make sure he understood that she’d need her crossbow in order to do the pretend deed.
“Where is it?”
“In my suitcase that is at the hotel. It folds up.”
“How about we get it? You can go in, claim your suitcase, while I’ll be right next to you—cloaked, of course.”
“I like that idea. Since Camden has the medallion, the Zon will think I’m still here, assuming they are tracking me.”
“I agree.”
Because Camden needed some time to investigate the piece of jewelry, they teleported to the hotel where she had checked out. They were able to return quickly.
“Let’s see this instrument of death,” he said once they were back at Camden’s house.
She pulled it out of her suitcase and assembled it. “I’m thinking we should change the tip to maybe rubber?”
“I like that idea, especially if I wear any kind of protective vest. I don’t want the arrow to bounce off it.”
“That would be bad, if the Zon are watching.”
Before they could outline the plan further, Camden came upstairs. “I have to say I am impressed with the technology of this thing.”
“It came from my home world,” Bevon said.
“That explains a lot, but yes, there is a tracking device. See this small button here?” He pointed to it.
They both leaned close. “Yes,” she said.
“That deactivates the device.”
Bevon slipped it out of Camden’s hand. “Thank you. We’ll have to discuss if it’s wise to shut it off or not. And, can we trouble you for something else?”
“Name it.”
“Can you replace the metal tip on this arrow with a rubber one?”
Camden studied it. “This is fine workmanship, but sure. You want it to be a suction cup type of device?”
Bevon looked over at Zulema. “That would work.”
Camden touched his forefinger to his forehead. “Be right back.”
It was only a few minutes before he returned. “What do you think?” He twirled the arrow around.
“Perfect,” she said. “One more thing. The person who gave it to me claimed I could contact him with this device. Do you know how?” Zulema had been able to receive Valoric’s message, but she didn’t know if sending was possible using that same button.
“Yes. I didn’t do it, but I believe if you press these two gems simultaneously, it should work.”
Only then did she recall something like that in the dossier. “Should I need to contact him, I’ll give it a try.”
Bevon stood. “Camden, I’m going to put a protection aura around your house to keep out people you don’t want here. The Zon might be tracking Zulema to your house as we speak. They would demand to know why Zulema was here.”
Camden shrugged. “If needed, I can tell them that she wanted a sleeker arrow, one with a tip laced with treniam.”
“You are a genius,” she said. “That is smart, especially since I couldn’t be sure whether I could get close enough to Bevon to drag the poisonous plant down his arm or not. He could be wearing a long-sleeved shirt. If the arrow tip had been hollowed out and filled with a liquid form of the poison, it would kill him quicker.”
Camden smiled. “Exactly. Just make certain you don’t really do it.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t have any treniam,” she assured him.
Camden faced her. “I hope you and Bevon take down this group. If you need any help, you know the my family is here for you.”
She shook his hand. “Much appreciated.”
Together, she and Bevon teleported back to his cabin. At this hour she didn’t expect to see Fay in his home, but there she was.
“Ah, the bracelets,” Bevon said with a lot of excitement.
Zulema looked up at him. “What are they for?”
His sister stepped closer. “Not being able to communicate telepathically can be a problem at times. By both of you wearing these, you can.” She showed Zulema how it worked.
“Can I try it?” This was amazing. It was almost as if she lived in a different time and place.
“Of course.”
Zulema had never been able to telepath with anyone, and her pulse soared at the idea. She placed the stone on the bracelet over her heart. “Can you hear me, Bevon?” she asked in her mind, hoping this was how it was done.
“I can.” He smiled.
Zulema faced Fay. “That is fantastic. Thank you.”
“I want everything to go as planned.”
“Me, too.”
“Just know that this is a locator bracelet too,” he said.
“That gives me some peace knowing if the Zon take me, you’ll be able to find me.”
“I will.”
Once his sister disappeared, Zulema faced Bevon. “Thank you again. Being able to talk to you with my mind is incredible.”
“Perhaps you’d like to celebrate. It will be my last day on Tarradon for a while.” Bevon cupped her face and kissed her.
Even with all that had happened, a rush of lust filled every cell in her body. Zulema pressed her body against his and deepened the kiss. The logical side of her mind should be questioning this, but the emotional side refused. She wanted Bevon, plain and simple.
He broke the kiss and leaned back. “Then may I?” he asked.
She wasn’t sure what he was referring to, but she was game with whatever he wanted to do. Knowing that this house was sheltered from all Zon allowed her to let go and relax.
“Of course.” She raised her eyebrows.
He swept a hand down her body and then down his. What happened to her clothes she didn’t know, but who was she to question the magic of the Fey?
After their intense and wonderful lovemaking session, Zulema awoke snuggled in Bevon’s arms, not wanting this day to end. He looked so cute with his dirty blond hair tangled, and the scruff on his face fuller.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yes and no. I know we have to do this, but I have a sense something bad is going to happen.”
He ran a knuckle down her cheek. “Nothing will happen. I have it under control.” He leaned over and kissed her but didn’t deepen the kiss like she wanted. “If I get started, I won’t be able to stop.”
“I get it. How long do you think you’ll have to be in hiding on Feyrion?” she asked.
He lifted a shoulder. “Hard to say. I’m not counting on the Zon being reliable with their promise to return your sister and your friend.”
Injustice roiled inside of her. “Then I’ll save them myself.”
Bevon clasped her hand. “Not alone. Ask Kenton, Tory, or anyone in her family to help. But here’s the problem. Even if you bring them to the cabin where they will be safe, who is to say Derrick won’t capture someone else?”
“I got the sense that he just wants justice for his mate’s death.”
“I hope you are right. Once the coast is clear, you can go to Feyrion, and together we can find the real killer.”
“And then what? Contact Valoric and prance this person in front of him? Who’s to say he’ll believe that this new person is the real killer? He’ll know you’re a liar once you’ve pretended to be dead.”
He tapped his head. “I can say I died, but that being immortal, I awoke.”
“Seriously? He won’t believe it. That will make me an accomplice in this farce.”
“Okay, I’ll go with my other plan.”
“What would that be?” Bevon could be frustrating in his carefree attitude.
“Let’s take one step at a time. You pretend to kill me. As I am dying, I will
enlist the help of my sisters to take my supposedly dead body back to Feyrion for a proper royal burial.”
“It’s possible the Zon will contact Kenton and maybe Tory to find out if you really died.”
“True. It would look like something is awry if Kenton and his mate don’t return home. I’ll take care of that, but in the meantime, you will go back to your house after I’ve died. Your mission will have been accomplished. Once you believe I’m dead, you should leave.”
That made sense. “I imagine Derrick will contact me at some point. The only way he’ll know if this was a ruse would be if he has someone inside your family to tell him that you are alive and well.”
Bevon’s eyes widened. “Shit. Didn’t you say that Tristan was the one who told Derrick that I killed my cousin?”
“Yes.”
He nodded. “I’ll have to make sure that Tristan is kept at a distance—at least for a little while.”
That was a curious comment. “What are you thinking?”
He tapped her nose. “I have an idea that involves magic.” He said the last word with flair.
Since Bevon didn’t seem to be all that forthcoming with his plan, she thought it best to get this terrible event out of the way. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
They’d discussed the events that would lead up to his death, and Zulema thought the plan a sound one. She slipped out of bed and picked up her clothes.
“Would you like a different outfit?” he asked. “That doesn’t look like what an assassin would wear.”
“That is sweet of you, but I hardly think walking out of the house in camouflage makes sense. We need this to look like an ordinary day.”
“You’re right.”
She donned the clothes she had on this morning—ones he’d created. They were amazingly comfortable. “Do you have to worry about my size when you make these?”
“No. The clothes conform to your body shape.”
Zulema didn’t think she’d ever get used to those kinds of abilities. They decided that she’d leave her crossbow in his house until she needed it. In theory, Bevon would be so smitten with her that he wouldn’t know she had brought it with her in the first place. Farfetched perhaps, but she thought Valoric wouldn’t care as long as Bevon died.
Bevon opened his hand to reveal a palmful of green leaves. “This is the closest plant to treniam. I doubt anyone other than a Fey could tell it wasn’t the real deal.”
She took it from him and placed it in her pocket. Zulema inhaled, ready for probably the biggest assignment of her life.
They wanted the Zon to think that Zulema had seduced him so that she would be close enough to rub the treniam on his arm. Good thing he was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt, or their plan would be more difficult. Using another bit of magic, he’d disguised the metal chest protector under his shirt.
“Where should we do this?” she asked.
“Let’s take a romantic stroll toward the eternal flame. We’ll stop, and then you’ll do your nasty deed.”
Even though this wasn’t real, her heart fluttered. Zulema found it hard to believe that the Zon was near to watch the big event, but she couldn’t chance they weren’t. It wasn’t as if she’d told Derrick when the mission would take place. Yes, she was carrying the medallion, hoping it led the Zon to their location, but they wouldn’t know the timing.
They walked out the front door, something she didn’t recall them doing before. Usually, they teleported. Acting like non-magical humans almost seemed strange.
Once on the path, she squeezed his hand, let go, and pressed the jewel on the bracelet to her heart. “If I don’t do this now, I will lose my courage.”
He stopped and turned her to face him. “I’m ready.”
Bevon leaned over and kissed her. While they’d planned this, she sensed he was trying to calm her. Zulema pulled the plant from her pocket and dragged it down his arm. As if a hundred cameras were watching, Bevon moaned, staggered backward, and dropped to the ground.
“You bitch,” he called out.
Even though he was acting, his words stung. Pushing aside her feelings, Zulema laughed. “That’s for killing your cousin.”
“I didn’t kill Tamarella.”
“That’s not what I heard.” This whole play acting made her sick.
Because Bevon would be contacting his sisters soon, Zulema teleported back to his cabin, grabbed her rubber-tipped crossbow, and returned to exact the fatal blow. “Just in case you manage to survive, I want to finish this.”
Standing a few feet from him, she loaded her bow, aimed for his heart, and shot. Bevon grabbed the arrow and screamed in apparent pain. The packet of red dye between his shirt and breast plate broke as planned. She knelt down, felt for a pulse, and pretended as if she didn’t find one. “Good riddance, Fey.”
They expected someone might check out her claim that he was dead, so Zulema planned to stay around for another minute. Because his sisters would be showing up shortly, she teleported behind a tree to keep watch. Once they came, Zulema would head back to her house and await Derrick Valoric’s response. If his two sisters remained away, Zulema would do a pretend second check on the body and then leave.
Just when Zulema was about to do her last check, a man wearing a hoodie emerged from the woods with a crossbow in his hand. What the hell? He rushed over to Bevon, looked around probably to make sure no one would come to Bevon’s rescue, and then kicked him hard enough to roll him onto his stomach. Every cell in Zulema’s body shot to high alert. She raised her bow, unsure of whether to kill this man. Her only hesitation was that the Zon might be watching her. If they expected this new assassin to contact headquarters, and he didn’t, more of her friends and family might be in jeopardy.
Bevon was immortal she reminded herself, even though he was now face down, not making a sound or moving.
Zulema touched the communication bracelet to her chest. “The man plans to kill you. What should I do?” she telepathed.
“Nothing. Go now,” came his response.
Hearing his voice in her head sent a trickle of relief through her. With Bevon lying motionless, the second assassin lifted his bow and shot Bevon in the back where his metal plate did not cover him. The surprise and pain must have been intense, yet he made no sound. Why hadn’t he teleported out of there? Or better yet, why hadn’t his sisters or brother come to his rescue? Stubborn man.
As much as Zulema wanted to see what would happen next, it was best if she left.
Chapter Fifteen
Bevon clamped down on his jaw in order to endure the pain without making a sound. Slowing his heart rate to appear dead was not an easy task, but he forced his body to calm. While he might not die from the wound—unless the arrow tip was covered in treniam—the pain was nonetheless intense.
“Where are you, sisters?”
“We’re coming.”
Footsteps of someone running away sounded. The next thing he knew, Bevon was on his bed in the cabin instead of on Feyrion like he was supposed to be.
“Hold still,” Fay said.
She pulled out the arrow from his back, and the strong ache caused him to black out. When he roused, both of his sisters were holding hands and sitting at the foot of his bed.
“How do you feel?” Meena asked.
“Like I was shot with an arrow. Who the hell was that guy?” he asked.
“You tell us,” Fay said. “We waited for you to give the all clear before we came out. By the time you called us, someone had shot you. We found Zulema’s harmless arrow broken off underneath you, but someone else had been there.”
“It wasn’t Zulema. She did what she was supposed to do. She saw him and warned me.”
“We need to speak with her then,” Fay said.
“The blood packet you placed on your chest made the injury look very real. I’m surprised the person thought the need to kill a dead person,” Meena added.
“I was wondering the same thing. And how did Valoric know when
the attack would take place?” There was no way Zulema had colluded with that man. She was Bevon’s mate!
He tried to sit up, but Fay pressed on his shoulder. “Rest.”
He waved her off. “I’ll heal. Where is Zulema?”
“I’m guessing she is at home. Wasn’t that the plan?”
“Yes.” He tapped his bracelet. “Zulema,” he telepathed. “Even though you saw that person shoot me in the back, I’m okay. Can you leave the medallion at your house and come to the cabin now?” He didn’t need that vindictive ass to follow her here. “I need to know what you saw.” It took all of his strength to ask that much.
When she didn’t answer, worry crept into his soul. Valoric wouldn’t have punished her for fulfilling her mission unless he believed she’d faked it. Assuming the second assassin was sent by Valoric as insurance, he could never know if Zulema’s first arrow killed him or not.
Footsteps sounded as Zulema ran into the bedroom, and a calm shot through his veins. She sat on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on his arm. “Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“I wanted to kill the man who shot you. I wished you hadn’t insisted that I leave.”
“He could have killed you next. I’m betting this guy was there to make sure that I died, though how Valoric knew today was the day, I don’t know.”
Her pretty little mouth pinched. “Neither do I, but how dare Derrick think I didn’t have the guts to kill you.”
Bevon appreciated her attitude. “Right now, we have more important things to worry about.”
“Like having a funeral in Feyrion?”
“Yes,” he said. “But first, tell me what you saw.”
Zulema explained about the man with the hood. “I couldn’t see his face.”
“How tall was he?”
She hesitated. “That’s hard to say. He was hunched over you, but if I had to guess, I’d say a few inches taller than you.”
Bevon sucked in a breath, sending a sharp pain to his back. Damn it. “That doesn’t eliminate Derrick as the assassin, but I imagine he’d send one of the Zon to do his dirty work.”
“I agree. Derrick seems too arrogant to get his hands dirty, but why not send this man in the first place? If he didn’t trust me to do the job, why bother with me?”