Once Upon A Midnight

by Stephanie Rowe

  “To be honest I’m scared of what you’ll say when I tell you who I am. I think I’ll throw up if she brings me anything and you’ve seen me do that far too many times already.”

  “Why don’t we get it over with then?” Cassius took his seat in the armchair opposite the sofa where she sat down.

  “My name’s . . .” was all she got out as a shimmer in the air around them had him on his feet in a second.

  She jumped up, grabbing her katana and wielding it in front of her as a man appeared. Tall, broad, dressed in black from head to toe with a long leather coat. His eyes were the darkest color he’d ever seen as he smirked at the woman Cassius had taken to his bed.

  “Naughty, naughty,” the man said as he shook a finger at her.

  “Who the fuck are you?” she snarled as Cassius stood at her side.

  “I’d like an answer to that question too,” he growled, trying to decide just what this fucker was.

  “My name’s Razor. I usually get asked to clear up things when others cannot.”

  Cassius roared for his guards as the man, Razor, smirked and flicked a wrist. He could hear the guards on the other side of the thick wooden doors trying to get in.

  “None of that. We don’t want to be interrupted. Not when I’m here to deal with you, Little Rose.” Razor’s eyes glinted as he took her in from her bare feet all the way up to her eyes. “You had an assignment and you’ve not exactly carried it out, so, I’ve been told I can do what I want with you if I do what you obviously cannot.”

  “What?” she gasped as she looked at Cassius, stepping in front of him as she swirled her blade in her hands. “Don’t fucking try it or your big head will be on the floor in no time.”

  Cassius looked from her to Razor trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Razor sneered over at them, his face a mask of pure evil. “Rose, Rose, Rose, I think I’m going to enjoy you for a while before you’ll be too damaged for even me to use.”

  As Cassius was about to push her out of the way to get his hands on this man she did it to him. Her hand reaching back and pushing him with a strength he had no idea she was capable of. Staggering backwards he could only watch as she leapt forward, her blade moving with incredible speed to slash and cut at the trespasser.

  He watched as she moved with lightning speed and precision, causing several injuries within a few seconds. Razor roaring wildly as he tried to stop her assault. On and on she went, jumping high into the air and only just missing the blow that would have removed Razor’s head from his body. The scent of the black blood that seeped from his injuries causing Cassius to gag on the putrefaction of the scent.

  Razor reached forward, barely missing her throat as she slashed again and again, inflicting minor injuries as the much larger man danced out of the harm’s way. Cassius moved forward, using his Vampire speed, only to have Marie snarl at him and push him back, again. “What the fuck are you doing?” he howled as she attacked Razor once more.

  The doors burst open, shattering at the force of his guards and Valentine who rushed inside. Taking only a moment to assess the situation they dashed forward to enter the fight. At that second Razor screamed loudly, “I’ll be back for you.” Before disappearing as quickly as he’d arrived.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Valentine roared. “Who was that and why the fuck is she doing the fighting?”

  Cassius held up his hand and Valentine shut up. He wasn’t happy going by the snarl on his face though. “Leave us,” Cassius snapped out, his eyes on Marie’s as she caught her breath.

  “Boss.” Valentine stepped forward. “I’m not going anywhere until I know what’s going on. Who or what the fuck was that?”

  “A Demon,” Marie spoke quietly as she stared back at Cassius.

  “Demon? A fucking Demon? What’s going on?” Valentine barked out, his body tense as he looked around expecting it to reappear.

  “We need to talk,” she said, her face flushed from exertion and possibly shame.

  “Yes,” Cassius agreed. “We do. Val, please leave us.”

  Valentine took note of the shortened name and knew Cassius was beyond upset. He rarely called him Val. “Okay, but I’m not going far so if you need me just shout.”

  “Thank you.” Cassius inclined his head and waited until they were alone. “Who are you?”

  Cassius saw her grimace and realized she’d injured her newly healed arm. He fought the urge to rush to her as he closed down his emotions. His eyes cold as she sank down onto the sofa.

  “My name’s Rose,” she said softly then looked up into his eyes. “Better known as The Black Rose.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Cassius thought his heart had stopped as she tried to smile. The Black Rose? No, that was impossible. He’d heard of this person. An assassin that dealt out death as easily as a card-shark dealt cards in Vegas, the once renowned gambling capital of the entire world.

  “What did you say?” He breathed deeply, sure he must’ve misheard.

  “Cassius, can you sit down. Please?” Her eyes implored him as things started to fall into place.

  “You’re an assassin? The assassin the Council uses?” He knew he sounded shocked. Hell, he was shocked.

  “Yes.” She nodded. “Please sit down.”

  He didn’t sit next to her, going to his armchair and stiffly lowering himself down. “Talk.” His jaw clenched so tight he had to speak through his clenched teeth.

  “I was told you were plotting to enslave the other species and have Vampires rule. That you had a plan to overthrow the Council and take control of it, humans, Wolves, fuck, everyone. That you were going to have everyone enslaved so that your species could feed off them.”

  Cassius cursed as he glared at her. “You fucking believe that?”

  “No!” Her voice rose as she held her hands up waving them around in front of her. “I took the mission but I always check my targets out myself. I don’t ever do anything unless I’m certain the person is doing wrong. Bad things, very bad things. Only then do I take them out.”

  “Take them out?” Cassius snorted. “You sound as if you’re taking them on a date but what you really mean is kill them. Don’t you?”

  She looked away, down at the floor as she nodded. “Yes.”

  “Going to my bed was part of this plan?” His heart ached in ways he couldn’t describe, pain lancing through it at the thought of her deceit.

  “Absolutely not. I’ve never slept with a target, never, not once.”

  “I’m to believe that?” Cassius asked coldly.

  “Believe it or not, I can’t make you think one thing or the other.” Her eyes lifted to his, tears sparkling as she shook her head. “I’ve seen who you are, Cassius. I’ve seen that what we were told was a lie. You’re not the person we were assigned to take out. You are so far from that person it’s . . .”

  “Stop.” His mind slowly began to work again. “We? You said we? Who the fuck else have you got here?”

  “I don’t take anyone else with me on a mission. I work alone but the man I live with . . .”

  Again he stopped her, his voice even colder. “The man you live with? For fuck sake. You live with someone? Does he know you’ve been in my bed? Does he know what we’ve done?”

  She started to shake as his voice rose, her head shaking back and forth as his words hit their target. “No, no, no, no! He’s not my soul-mate. I’ve lived with him for years when my dad took me to him to protect me when they took my mo—”

  She stopped talking, her hand flying to her mouth as she realized what she’d said. Cassius pounced. “When who took your mother? The hunters? Your mother was a Witch, wasn’t she?”

  Rose didn’t answer, shock, fear and so many other emotions rolling over her face. Cassius roared at her viciously, “Tell me!”

  “Yes,” she gasped as the tears started to fall. “I was a child when we were sent away from the Pack. The Alpha was scared because Mom was a Witch. We only lasted a little while before they
came for her. That night she managed to hide me and my dad took me away to his friend’s for safety. I stayed there while Dad looked for Mom.”

  “Go on,” Cassius prodded.

  “His friend looked after me but when it was obvious Dad wasn’t coming back any time soon he started to train me. I’ve been training since I was eight and Dad only visited rarely in case he brought the hunters.” Rose sighed, sitting back and pulling her feet up onto the sofa, her arms wrapping around her knees. “He found out she was dead and who’d done it. He swore he was going to hunt them down and kill them but I begged him not to.”

  She paused, taking a deep breath as Cassius whispered, “Why?”

  Her tortured eyes rose to his. “Because I wanted to be the one to kill them. I hated them and I had to make them suffer for what they’d done.”

  “Your father agreed to this?”

  “Yes, but only after a lot of pleading from me.” Rose shrugged. “I told him I would refuse to see him ever again if he didn’t agree.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “I kept on training, harder and harder, every single day and I didn’t complain. Well, not much, because I knew I’d need to be strong to kill the fuckers who’d taken Mom.”

  “And did you?” Cassius asked even though he was certain of the answer.

  “Yes.” She nodded. “It was my eighteenth birthday present to myself.”

  “My god, you started killing when you were eighteen?” Cassius couldn’t hide the shock from his voice and saw her flinch.

  “Yes, and I’d do it again.” Her eyes fiery as she faced him. “They’d killed many more by then but they suffered and I felt glad. Glad that I’d killed them and glad that I had the power to make them suffer.”

  “That’s not something any girl should have to do.” Cassius couldn’t help the compassion from leaking into his voice. He’d seen death too many times to know that it affects anyone who deals in it.

  “No, I suppose not, but she was a Witch and that’s what happened. I couldn’t change it. All I could do was try to live in a world that was full of death, corruption, and hatred.”

  “What happened to turn you into The Black Rose?”

  “After I’d dealt with everyone involved with my mom, I found I’d already gotten a reputation. I also realized that there were far too many out there doing unspeakable things, so I decided to do something about that.” She sighed, her shoulders drooping down. “At first it was people I’d come across when out on a supply run, but my reputation started to grow and soon the Council was asking me to take on jobs. As I said earlier, nothing was ever done without research and everyone was extremely deserving of my little brand of assassination. It felt good when I knew I’d taken out someone who was carrying out horrendous atrocities on others.”

  Cassius butted in, “Wait a minute. Were you responsible for that fucker who had those young female Vampires in a harem?”

  Rose gave a curt nod. “Yes. He was a horrible human being and I’m glad I took him out.”

  “I got those girls,” Cassius spoke slowly. “They’re safe now and in nests around the country being shown how to be a responsible member of society and not to hurt humans.”

  “They didn’t hurt humans.” Rose frowned. “They were barely living.”

  “I know, however, once they gained their freedom they had a bloodlust because they’d been starved. My men only just got to them in time before they would’ve killed god knows how many.”

  Rose’s eyes widened. “Sorry, I didn’t know that. I thought the Council would go in and deal with them.”

  “The Council contacted me but not until after you’d been there. As I said, my men only just got there in time.”

  “I guess they dropped the ball on that,” she admitted as he stared hard at her.

  “So, Rose, you came here to kill me?” Cassius bit out the words that almost choked him.

  “That was my assignment, yes.” She shivered, moving her arm so that she held it cradled against her.

  “What happened between us, was that your usual modus operandi?”

  “Please, Cassius, you have to believe me I never intended that to happen. I told you already, fuck, I’d seen what kind of man you are and that I’d been lied to.”

  “How can you expect me to believe you?” Cassius spat out coldly.

  “Because she’s telling the truth.”

  The voice caused both of them to jump, eyes swiveling towards the broken door. “Seth!” Rose exclaimed as Cassius shot up.

  “How did you get in here?” Cassius moved quickly, stopping in front of the Witch he’d given safe haven to.

  “You’re guards are fine.” Seth looked over at Rose. “I used a spell to put them to sleep. They’ll wake up soon and be none the wiser.”

  “You two know each other?” Cassius saw the sadness within the man standing in front of him. It cloyed the air around them as he looked between him and Rose. Her face chalk white with shock.

  “Yes.” Seth moved around Cassius, going to kneel down in front of Rose. “You okay?”

  “I’ve hurt my arm again.” She gave him a crooked smile that caused Cassius’ stomach to lurch in fear.

  “Here, let me fix that for you.” Seth took hold of the arm gently, muttering words that made no sense to Cassius. A few moments later he patted the arm, smiling at Rose. “There you go, all fixed.”

  “Thanks,” Rose said before asking. “What are you doing here?”

  “This,” Cassius walked back over, feeling a need to sit next to Rose but fighting it to stand stiffly before her, “is the first Witch I was so excited about. Our first to come and ask for sanctuary. Seems that was a lie too.”

  Seth stood, his back ramrod straight. “It was no lie. I had to see if you were being truthful. I wouldn’t let anyone else be the first.”

  “Really?” Cassius asked sarcastically. “Again, you expect me to believe you? The two of you have lied from the very beginning.”

  “I’m telling the truth.” Seth shrugged. “Believe me or not, it’s up to you, but you won’t call Rose a liar. She already contacted me to tell me you weren’t anything like what we’d been told. I knew she had feelings for you. I could tell it just by the way she spoke about you. So, bigshot Mr. Cassius Allarde, do not call her a liar on that.”

  “She’s lied since she got here, as have you, so tell me why I shouldn’t have both of you locked up right now?”

  “She was here to deal with a threat to the whole of humanity. The fact she realized that wasn’t the case is on her and her alone. I think your anger is misdirected.” Seth let out a long sigh. “Look, Cassius, we should be on the same team here. The one you should be upset at is the one who lied to us and sent her here in the first place. Don’t you think?”

  Rose swiped at the tears that still ran down her face and Seth looked deeply into Cassius’ eyes. “I’ve had this girl with me since she was a child and I’ve only seen her cry twice. Twice. Once when her father left her alone with me and the second time when he told her that her mom was dead. Yet here I find her in your room, on your sofa, and she’s sobbing like a baby. Tell me, Mr. Allarde, what the hell did you do to make my girl cry?”

  Cassius held his hands up before turning his back on them and stalking over to his chair. Falling into it he looked at Rose. “I thought she’d betrayed me. Not in coming here in the first place, as you say she obviously thought I was some sort of threat, but something more personal. I refuse to discuss that with you or anyone else other than her.”

  “I didn’t,” Rose stuttered. “I promise you I didn’t.”

  Seth sat down beside her and Cassius almost snarled at his closeness to Rose. Anger rising up within him unbidden, rage rushing around inside him as he watched the Witch so close to Rose, his jaw aching as he clenched his teeth to stop himself from roaring at the Witch. But when Seth placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side, Cassius couldn’t stop himself from jumping to his feet. “What are you doing?
Get your fucking hands off her!”

  Rose looked up wide eyed as Seth smirked. “That touch a nerve, Cassius?”

  “I said, take your hands off her.” Cassius could barely keep hold of his urge to rip Seth’s arms from their sockets.

  “You two have no idea. Do you?” Seth asked, looking between them.

  “What?” Both he and Rose said at the same time.

  “You’re soul-mates,” Seth said quietly, his voice tinged with sadness.

  “Are you nuts?” Rose said as she looked up into Cassius’ eyes. “He can’t stand the sight of me after what I’ve done.”

  Seth leaned down, whispering in her ear, “You gave him control. Didn’t you?”

  She blushed scarlet, staying silent as he nodded. “I know you did, Flower. He’s who you’re supposed to be with.” Seth hugged her closer, tighter, and Cassius couldn’t help himself, he reached down and wrenched her from within Seth’s grasp. “Do not touch her again or I won’t be held responsible for my actions.”

  Rose was shocked, her body quivering as Seth started to laugh. “Told you,” he said as he rose to leave.

  “I think you two have a lot to talk about.” Seth was already at the door where he stopped and blew a kiss to Rose. “If you need me I’m in room 1046, Rose.”

  Cassius snarled again, tugging Rose even closer as Seth nodded. “You two need to talk, but I’ll see you both tomorrow because we’ll all need to have a conversation about where we go from here. Rose has reneged on a mission and the person she’s crossed is far more dangerous than any we’ve dealt with before. Remember that, Cassius, she’s put her own damn life on the line for you.”

  Seth disappeared but before Cassius could even process the Witch’s words, Valentine darted inside. “Everything okay in here? I’ve no idea what happened but I feel as if I conked out for a while there.”

  “We’re fine.” Cassius didn’t bother to inform his friend of what’d happened, if he did Valentine would be after Seth’s blood.

  Valentine shook his head as if to clear it before he retreated and left them alone once again.