My Immortal Assassin

by Carolyn Jewel

  “No, darling. No. This is sheer coincidence. His father… Well. As you know. The worst has happened to him.”

  Emily seemed to know what that meant because she lifted a hand to stop Christophe from saying anything further. She faced the mage and said softly. “You let this woman near him? Christophe, what on earth were you thinking? She’s mentally unstable.”

  “My love.”

  Emily crouched down as best she could in her condition and addressed Ian. “Hello there, sweetie. I’m Erin. I am so very happy you’ve come to live with us.”

  The boy’s hand around the pen turned white. He looked at Christophe with wide, frightened eyes and then he said, “He’s here.”

  “Who’s here?” Emily asked him in a soft voice. “Who are you talking about?”

  Gray saw the moment her sister felt the free kin. Her eyes flickered, and she straightened as quickly as she could. Then Gray felt it, too. Her other magic prickled through her.

  Christophe whirled to the door. His body glowed with the magic he was pulling. After a moment, he grabbed Gray by the arms hard enough to pull her off her feet. His fingers dug into her upper arms. “If you are responsible for this intrusion, demon bitch, I will kill you, that is my promise.”

  “Christophe,” Emily said. Ian looked between the three of them, eyes far too serious for a child his age. “Stop it. You’re scaring the boy.”

  Gray stared into Christophe’s face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Liar.”

  She laughed at him. True enough, she didn’t know who, specifically, was responsible. Durian was unlikely to have come here by himself, and in any event, she didn’t have enough of that kind of magic to distinguish numbers or individuals. “You know I can’t lie to you anymore.”

  Emily frowned again, but she focused on her husband.

  The mage pushed Gray hard enough that she stumbled against the bed. She had to slap a hand to the wall to keep her balance. He strode to the door. He glanced down the hallway then turned back to her. His magic burned hot.

  “What’s going on?” Emily asked. Her voice trembled. “Christophe?”

  “You will not leave this room, Anna Grayson Spencer. Erin, stay here until I have this under control. Please, my love. I could not bear it if anything happened to you.” He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. Then he pointed at Gray. “You. Protect her and the boy with your life.”

  The tracings under her skin moved sluggishly as Christophe’s compulsion took hold. She wanted to kill him. More than anything in the world, she wished she could follow him out of this room and plunge a knife into his heart.

  “Christophe?”

  “Later, Erin. My love. There is no time. We are under attack.”

  Emily paled. “Who?”

  Christophe gave Gray a final command. “If any fiend not mine comes in this room, kill it. Understood? If you have to die yourself, kill it.”

  She nodded. Fighting the compulsion did no good, though she tried. The order settled into her very bones. She knew if Durian stepped foot in this room, she’d have to kill him. Or die trying.

  As soon as Christophe was gone, Emily scooped Ian into her arms. The boy was sobbing, and she held him close, doing her best to soothe him. Her arms shook, though. “Maybe you should sit down, Emmy.”

  Her sister nodded and sank onto the edge of the bed. “You called me Emmy again.”

  “Sorry. I meant Erin.”

  “No you didn’t.”

  She shrugged. “You’ll always be Emmy to me. Even if you never remember who you are.” Her mouth trembled and she had to work to get herself under control. “I’m so sorry this happened to you. I can tell you love him. Christophe.”

  “Yes. I suppose I do.”

  Gray stood there, watching her sister while she tried to sense something, anything about what was going on. All she heard was Christophe barking orders from somewhere in the house. She felt the other magehelds, her sister’s magic, Christophe’s and faintly, magic she knew belonged to free kin. Durian had come for her.

  “Your husband said his name was Aguirre. But Christophe called you Anna Grayson Spencer.”

  “That’s my name.”

  Emily frowned until she winced as if her head hurt. “My maiden name is Spencer.”

  “Coincidence, I guess.”

  “Is it?” Emily stroked Ian’s hair. “I know what my husband is, Anna.”

  “And you know what I am.”

  “You weren’t mageheld before.”

  “No.”

  “When did that happen?”

  Gray shook her head. “I can’t tell you.”

  “Who’s attacking us? And why?”

  “He’s an assassin, and he’s going to take me home with him and return Ian to his parents, if they’re still alive. If we can, we’ll take you with us. If you want to come.”

  “You mean the man who was with you before, right? Andres Aguirre?” Gray nodded. “Ah,” Emily said. Her mouth thinned. “And he’s ordered you to kill the man you love?”

  Her heart was in her mouth but somehow, she managed to croak out, “Yes.”

  Downstairs, something screamed. Heart pounding in her chest, Gray mastered her fear. “You need to take cover, Emily. This could get ugly fast.”

  “I’m sorry.” She shook her head tightly. “My name isn’t Emily.”

  “Sorry. But that’s who you used to be.” Every window in the house rattled. With a ping, the barred window in the room cracked from top corner to bottom.

  Durian had come after her.

  And she was going to have to kill him.

  CHAPTER 35

  He wanted maximum effect when they went after Gray. Though it would be preferable to kill Christophe, he was sanguine about his chances since he’d have to first get through the mage’s defenses and bodyguards. While he did that, he wanted Christophe’s magehelds busy fighting. Gray, when he got to her, needed to be off balance. According to Xia, an instant was all he needed. What he wanted was a personal campaign of shock and awe. So far so good.

  Surreal as it was, Leonidas was at Durian’s side, accompanying him to rescue one of the kin. The mage had made some kind of deal with Nikodemus that had resulted, unless he was mistaken, in the mage having sworn fealty to the warlord. Xia and Alexandrine were right behind them, taking the stairs two at a time. Severing Gray was Durian’s primary goal. The longer she was Christophe’s mageheld, the greater the risk.

  He could hear Iskander continuing the disruption they needed to engage Christophe and distract him from his newest mageheld. Even with Iskander being a take-no-prisoners sort, Durian knew the other fiend would try not to kill the magehelds. Not when their freedom was so near at hand.

  Kynan and Maddy were here, too. The warlord’s job was to make sure Maddy was free to disable as many of Christophe’s wards and protections as possible. Durian wasn’t certain of the wisdom of that pairing, but so far they were doing exactly what was needed. He didn’t have time to worry about anything else. Maddy and Kynan would have to cope on their own.

  Durian had no trouble finding the room where Gray was being held. His bond with her led him unerringly to her. She wasn’t alone, though, and that was a complication. The boy was there, too. And a witch. He stopped in front of the door to the room where she was being held. “Leonidas?”

  The mage stepped forward, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He put a palm to the door and all the kin there, himself, Xia and, to some extent, Alexandrine flinched when he drew on his magic. Leonidas stood back. “No traps.”

  “Gray,” he called. “Get away from the door.”

  He looked around him. “Ready?”

  “Go.” Xia’s eyes were neon blue.

  Durian kicked open the door. Anything to keep Gray on the edge until he had everything in place for the others. It felt good to destroy anything related to the mage. The general noise from downstairs, a great deal of shouting and screaming, covered the sound of the door shattering
around the knob.

  “I think you killed it,” Xia said.

  Gray was on the other side, crouched in the middle of the room. She was pale and shaking. Every instinct he possessed urged him to go to Gray, to find a way to take away the strain so evident in her eyes. But he couldn’t. Not yet. Even if it killed him not to. There was no telling what Christophe might have done to her, or how, or what orders she may have been given, though he could guess.

  If Christophe were here, he’d break his goddamned neck for this and damn the consequences, too. “Are you all right?” he asked.

  She wasn’t alone. Gray’s sister, Emily, stood at the back of the room, holding a young boy and watching the door with suspicious, frightened eyes. She wasn’t attacking, and that was a good thing. Neither could she be trusted.

  “No.” Her voice sounded strained. Knowing her, she had enough magic on hand to kill him. She knew him better than anyone. She knew his weaknesses and she would know, must know, that he would not willingly kill her. The markings on her arm and temple glowed. He didn’t doubt that if he got close enough, she would try to kill him. No wonder she was shaking. She was doing everything possible to keep from attacking.

  “Only a little longer,” he said.

  “Durian.” Gray held up a hand. She looked like she’d been crying or maybe trying hard not to cry. “Don’t come in here.”

  “I won’t.” He stayed on the other side of the threshold but made sure he stood sideways. He gestured to Leonidas who came to the door but judiciously stopped at the threshold.

  “What were Christophe’s orders to you?” the mage asked Gray.

  “Don’t leave the room.” She scrubbed her hand through her hair and left it sticking up in six different directions. The dark roots were more prominent than ever. “Kill any fiend who comes in who isn’t his mageheld. Protect Emily and Ian with my life.”

  “You are still restricted from killing the magekind?”

  She nodded. “As long as you don’t harm them.”

  “Excellent.”

  “What’s going on here?” Emily asked. She kept her arms tight around the boy.

  “They’re here to help us,” Gray said. “I know Leonidas.” She pointed. “Who are they?”

  “Xia. And Alexandrine. I told you about them. They’ll sever you when it’s safe.”

  Gray nodded. “What’s Leonidas doing here?”

  “Whatever I can to help.”

  Durian thought it wise not to mention that the mage had sworn fealty to Nikodemus. Leonidas himself seemed to think so since he didn’t mention it either. The mage walked into the room and there was a moment in which they all held their breath. She slowly straightened from her fighting stance. Leonidas bowed toward Gray’s sister. “Mrs. dit Menart, I presume?”

  Emily nodded. “What’s going on? Mr. Aguirre?”

  Durian nodded. “I’m here for Gray.”

  “I am Leonidas.” The mage took a step closer. “Are you aware, Mrs. dit Menart, that the boy you hold has been stolen from his parents?”

  “No,” she whispered. She shook her head even as she cradled the back of Ian’s head with one hand. “That can’t be true. Christophe wouldn’t do that.”

  Leonidas lifted a hand and made a graceful gesture in front of his chest. Durian couldn’t see his face, but Gray and Emily’s attention was riveted on him. “You have been tampered with.”

  Gray said, “Can you help my sister remember?”

  “If it’s possible, I will. But first, you.” The mage put his hands on Gray’s upper chest. The air grew slowly colder until there was a fine mist hovering over them. Gray started shaking.

  Durian cursed, vilely. He didn’t dare go in yet. “Xia? Can he sever her?”

  Xia looked at him. “I don’t know. I thought you knew.”

  “What are you doing to her?” Durian said, his voice rising to a roar.

  The mist overhead thickened, and with a low cry of triumph, Leonidas threw his hands in the air. Gray took a step back, her hands on her chest where Leonidas had been touching her. Durian felt her magic burst into life, not as kin but as magekind. She swallowed hard. Her eyes were jittering and there were beads of sweat above her lip and along her temples. “Jesus. What the hell did you do?”

  “Congratulations,” Leonidas said. “You’re now a full fledged witch.” He turned to the doorway and met Durian’s furious gaze. “It’s only fair, Assassin. Now, I suggest you get her severed from Christophe before it’s too late.”

  From downstairs, Kynan shouted, “Time to get it rolling, Big Dog!”

  Durian crooked his fingers at Gray. “Come.”

  Gray shook her head and glanced back to where her sister and the boy were pressed against the wall. Her mouth was tense and the muscles of her upper body moved too stiffly. “I can’t.”

  “Just to the doorway. No farther. We aren’t leaving here without Ian and your sister—” He darted a glance at Emily. “If she wants to come. I promise you that.”

  Gray approached the door up to the point where Christophe’s compulsion to remain in the room got its hook deep into her. Leonidas backed up. Gray started quivering and had to take a step back until the reaction faded. “I can’t come any closer.”

  “What’s happening?” Emily asked.

  “That’s close enough,” Xia told her. “Just stay where you are.”

  “They will sever her from Christophe. So that she is no longer his mageheld.”

  Durian locked eyes with Gray, and she said, “I hate this, Durian.”

  He looked over his shoulder at the other two. “Xia?”

  Alexandrine touched Xia’s shoulder and for an instant Durian was sure he saw her eyes flash the same neon blue as Xia’s. Considering his size, Xia moved fast. He slid up to the doorway and Durian didn’t even feel the magic. He saw and felt the results, though. From personal experience, he had a good idea of what Gray was feeling and that it wasn’t pleasant. She gasped and staggered back a step, catching herself with a hand to the broken edge of the door.

  At the same time, he felt their magic twin again, full on. He felt her other magic, too, as strong as any mage he’d encountered. Durian strode into the room and crouched beside her.

  “Shit,” Gray said. She bent over, sucking in air. She reached out with one hand and grabbed his wrist, holding on tight.

  “Thank you, Xia,” he said.

  “No problem, Assassin,” Xia said.

  “Now!” Alexandrine shouted from the hallway. “We need to get out now.”

  Gray stood up. Still holding Durian’s wrist, she addressed her sister, “The boy needs to go back to his family. Will you come with us?” Her voice got thick. “Please, Emmy?”

  “He’s my husband.”

  “He’s a liar who took away what you are.”

  Durian took out the photo he’d taken from the Piedmont apartment, doing his best to straighten out the creases. The photo was of Gray in a white tutu and pointe shoes, full stage makeup outlining her eyes, her dark hair slicked back into a bun. Her arm was around Emily’s shoulder. Both women were grinning like crazy. He handed over the photo. “She’s telling you the truth.”

  The woman took the photo from him and brushed her fingers over the faces. “My God,” she whispered. “That’s me.” She shook her head. Her face was ashen, and her mouth trembled. “It’s me, and I don’t remember this.”

  “Emmy?”

  “There’s no more time.” Durian held out his arms. Taking Emily by force wasn’t going to work. If nothing else, the doubts had been planted. “If you come with us, Gray and I will protect you.” He sent their twinned magic into the words. The promise had power now, and Emily would have felt that. “Otherwise, I must ask that you return the boy to us. His father is one of ours. The boy belongs with us.”

  Cradling Ian in one arm, Emily stretched out her arm and placed her hand in his. Durian pulled her to her feet. She was awkward because of her pregnancy. He looked over at Xia, who was standing in the doo
rway with one eye on the hall. “You and Alexandrine sever as many magehelds as you can.”

  “Damn straight.” Alexandrine poked her head around the doorway. “Everybody okay?” She caught sight of Emily and whistled. “Boy howdy.”

  Xia clapped Alexandrine on the shoulder. “See you back at the house then.”

  Durian watched the two with the sense that his old life had just been ripped away. “Do nothing to put yourselves in danger, Xia.”

  The big fiend paused outside the door long enough to grin at him. “You do the same, Big Dog.”

  “Move it,” Durian said.

  Emily stared at the photo again and then at Gray. “How could I not remember something like this?”

  “Choose.” Durian didn’t have time to smooth away the gruffness. “Come with us and I will keep you safe. Leonidas will do what he can to restore your memories. Otherwise, don’t leave this room until you no longer hear the fighting.”

  He didn’t wait. She would come with them or not. In the hallway outside, they met Iskander jogging toward them. He pulled up and, grinning, put a bloody hand on the wall. His eyes, glowing blue, sidled to Emily. “You should be gone already.”

  Durian knew from the sudden awareness of new kin that Xia and Alexandrine had found wherever it was Christophe confined his magehelds. They worked damned fast, those two. “On our way.”

  Iskander straightened. His hand left a red print on the wall.“The mage let loose a shitload of magehelds with a kill order.” He looked behind him. The noise level was higher even without Iskander adding to whatever was going on down there. “Kynan is insane.” He looked back as he shook blood off his other hand. “He’s an animal. Hey, Gray, good to have you back.” His eyes went big when he got a dose of her combined magic. “Whoa. This is… unexpected.”

  Durian shoved Ian into Iskander’s arms and gave Emily a push in the back. “Get them out of here and back to Harsh’s house.”

  “The witch, too?”

  He growled. “Do it.”

  “Whatever you say, Big Dog.” Iskander pointed down the hall with a bloody hand. “That way.”

  Durian took Gray by her upper arms, intending to do what he could to prop her up, but she was unsteady and disoriented from being severed. “Go with Iskander.” He gave a glance at Emily. “Someone has to make sure your sister and Ian make it out.”