Assassin's Kiss Read online

  She ignored him, dropping her gaze to her pet. “Get out of there, Jinx.”

  The cat brushed her ribs against Scorpio’s right leg, then settled between his ankles.

  Tessa rolled her eyes and let out an irritated breath. “Whatever.” She rested a hand on her hip, and the clink of metal on metal drew his eyes to her fingers.

  A collar and set of manacles. Hmm.

  “Let me guess.” His eyes roamed from the restraints, up her toned arms, to her sexy mouth. Every inch of her beckoned to the primal, mate-frenzied demon inside him. He softened his tone but couldn’t hide the rumble of desire that laced his words. “We’re going somewhere, and you want to make sure I don’t get too far away from you.”

  Her brows shot skyward and an adorable flush crept up her throat. “No.” She closed her mouth, then grimaced. “I mean, yes. We’re going—never mind.” She swallowed hard and half turned to the path behind her.

  Her ruffled state encouraged him. He devoured her uncomfortable stance as she folded her arms awkwardly over the metal hardware. “No worries, Tessa. I’ll stay close. That’s a promise.”

  A tiny shiver shook her shoulders, though the air was warm. “Good for you.” But if she’d been trying to sound pissed, she’d totally failed. Her voice betrayed a mix of feelings, not all of them negative.

  “Where are we headed?” He lowered his voice to a lazy drawl, wanting to see how far off kilter he’d pushed her.

  “Hallon will explain.” She didn’t look at him, but instead flicked a glance over her shoulder, to the path where the chief mage was heading toward them.

  Several males walked behind the chief. Four. This could go either way. Getting out of the cage, with its dampening spell, would only benefit him. Then again, if they were taking him somewhere, bound and spelled, that might suck. “How about a hint?”

  She looked at him as though he were crazy. “You can wait thirty seconds.”

  “I’d rather hear it from you.”

  “Why?” She scowled.

  “I like your voice more than his.”

  “Well, he’s the chief, so too damn bad.” She turned as Hallon stepped closer, nodding in approval at the items she held.

  “Scorpio.” The chief stood tall, authority rolling off him. “There’s been a change in our plans for you.”

  Scorpio kept his expression neutral, waiting. One of Hallon’s guards held a pair of black gloves, which he recognized as fire-dampening. Meant for him. This could still go either way.

  “As a Watcher, you possess a unique skill set that will benefit us. As long as you’re here, we’re going to put you to work.”

  Interesting. Scorpio waited, motionless. Working for them was better than being killed or hit with torture spells. “In what way?”

  “We need to travel into our enemy’s land. You will accompany the group, using your inherent sensory skills to watch out for any danger to the Bronwy witches. If we come under attack, you will do what you can to defend us.”

  “Defend you from what?” As far as he knew, these woods held nocturnal dire wolves and a lot of fae creatures. Not exactly a hot spot of predatory demons.

  Hallon folded his arms. “A rival coven.”

  Vespera.

  “So I’m the target for dark magic and witchfire?”

  “You’ll be what we want you to be, demon!” A male hissed. Scorpio recognized him as the boulder throwing mage from last night.

  “Quiet.” The chief flicked a glare at the male then looked back at Scorpio. “You will undoubtedly be a target, along with us, but we need your help. What lies within it is rightfully ours. But our lives are endangered every time we need to cross the border.”

  Scorpio nodded as Zeebi’s earlier words came back to him. “My capacity for defense will be limited if my hands are bound.” He looked pointedly at the manacles in Tessa’s hand.

  “We hope it won’t come to that. If you use your senses, we can get in and out without being detected,” Tessa said.

  “We? You’re going?” Scorpio’s protective instincts flared. A job they considered so risky, they’d take him out from behind bars to utilize his skills, and she was going to be in the middle of it?

  “I created these, so of course I’ll be there.” She shook the cuffs and collar. “I will spell them myself once they’re on you, and only I can remove them.”

  Hell. If she was going to put herself in danger, he wouldn’t let her go without him. “I’ll do it.”

  She arched a brow. “You don’t have a choice, but that attitude will make things easier.”

  “When do we leave? How many are going?” He stepped closer to the bars, drawn by the thought of Tessa’s hands on him, even if it was to put magical restraints on. Gods, this woman could restrain him all she wanted—

  “Not so fast, demon,” one of the guards barked. “You’re the muscle. If it even gets that far, which it better not. You’re the guard dog here, along to sniff out any goddamn Vespera witches before they find us. You follow orders. You don’t call any shots.”

  Scorpio eyed the male, noting the clench of his fists and the tic in his jaw. He was angry and nervous and, though big for a mage, Scorpio still outweighed him. Breaking a limb would be easy. Snapping his neck, easier still…He blinked the thought away. Killing was so ingrained, he didn’t even realize the thoughts were forming until they were already complete, like optional end points in a lethal game.

  But killing wasn’t why he was here now. If Bronwy wanted him to be on protection duty, fine. These people could treat him like shit but if they were important to Tessa, he wouldn’t retaliate.

  “Enough,” Hallon said to the male. He held Scorpio’s gaze. “I trust you understand what we are asking of you. If you betray us, it will mean your death.”

  “We want that anyway,” an older female piped up, from the side of the guards.

  Hallon ignored the outburst.

  Scorpio held the leader’s gaze, detecting a man burdened with responsibility and trying to do right for his people. Not a male who was vicious and power-hungry. Scorpio had seen hundreds of those in his years. Had killed hundreds of those, seen the frenzied look of shock in their eyes when they realized their life was over.

  Hallon wasn’t like that. But he was guarded. Smart man.

  “You don’t need to worry about betrayal,” Scorpio said. His eyes shifted to Tessa, meeting hers for a second before she looked away. “I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

  “See, he’ll be fine!” A short man pushed through the guards. Crazy gray hair topped his round face and he leaned in to peer at Scorpio. Though he could pass for an absent-minded professor, a distinct hum of magic surrounded him, and Scorpio would bet money he was one of the coven Elders. “I told them to use you, as long as we’ve got you.”

  “Yes, Winston, you get credit for the idea,” Tessa muttered, but slid a respectful glance to the male.

  “You will leave in a few minutes,” Hallon said.

  “Hey,” Zeebi shouldered past the guards to stand by Tessa. “Sorry I’m late. Oh.” She looked at Scorpio. “I guess I’m not too late. Here, I can hold some of that.” She took the thick metal collar from Tessa.

  “Guard,” Hallon murmured to the male who’d been by the cage all day.

  The male stepped forward and unlocked the door.

  Scorpio knew he had a split second where he could try to run. But he’d given his word. And he wasn’t going to make things any more complicated with Tessa than they already were. Shit, he’d just met her, and they had a whole village’s worth of baggage already.

  The guard blocked the doorway with his body and quickly tossed ensorcelled blue rope around Scorpio’s neck. The others drew weapons out of habit. Completely expected. And unnecessary, though they were wise to be cautious.

  Gods, it was like being led like an animal. He’d had his share of this shit in the past, when he was basically owned by Dalamos. He’d seen his siblings treated the same way. And these witches had reas
on to be wary of him…in their minds, anyway. It would take time for them to trust him.

  He stepped out onto the soft dirt, drawing a deep, invigorating breath. His body hummed to life, power building in his cells. His palms itched to summon demonfire, just because he could.

  But before he could take his next breath, another guard slipped the gloves on his hands. Made of black leather, they were commonly worn by Lash demons in sensitive negotiations, to ease the minds of any creatures involved who didn’t have the ability to summon fire in their hands.

  The guards stepped back, leaving space, and seemed to wait for something. Slowly, as if it were the last thing she wanted to do, Tessa moved forward. One tiny step, then another. She clutched the manacles and kept her eyes fixed on the middle of his chest. Knowing what she needed him to do, he extended his hands.

  And then Tessa was right in front of him. He forgot to breathe as her slender hands pushed the black metal handcuffs over and around his wrists. Though her skin didn’t touch his, only the leather, the slight pressure of her fingers entranced him.

  No bars between them. Inches away. She was as tall as his shoulder. A stray tendril escaped her ponytail to caress her temple. Her chest rose and fell as she murmured a spell that caused the cuffs to shrink and fit around his wrists perfectly. Soft pink lips moved in an ancient dialect, her voice a low, breathy murmur that made his head spin. That mouth. She could be spelling him into a magical coma and he’d be okay with it.

  “… ach nig heltrun.” She finished with the Demonish words for let it be done, a common ending to spells. Blue eyes studied the metal on his hands, not looking any higher than his forearms. “Next.”

  Zeebi handed her the collar. Smooth but burnished, it was pewter colored, with a hinge on one side and a clasp at the other.

  Tessa held it in both hands, opening it like a book, raising it to the level of her eyes. “Bend down.” Her voice came out harsh and clipped. But Scorpio saw the movement of her throat as she swallowed, saw the flicker of emotion in her eyes. Was she nervous to put this on him? Did she despise being this close? Or was it something else?

  He leaned down as far as he dared, not wanting to make her nervous. But gods above, this position put him too damn close to her neck. With her arms raised to clasp the collar, the center of her top gapped, giving him a cock-hardening peek at the tops of her breasts. The motion of her arms sent the smell of honeysuckle swirling rampantly in the air. Gods. Shit. Fuck.

  He fought for control as her fingers grazed his neck and metal snapped together. Again, she spoke the words to a spell that would undoubtedly weaken his muscles.

  But his mind and his soul stormed with life and single intent, greedy for her.

  Her hands hovered near his neck as she continued the spell. He noticed the slight shift of air, detected the tiny tremor of her littlest finger, and could practically feel her physical touch through the breath of space that hovered between them. Sentences spun from her lips, words he didn’t understand but which lashed him to her more tightly with every syllable. He remained leaning down, partly because she hadn’t asked him to straighten, and partly because he wanted to soak up every second of being this close to her.

  She released a quick breath as she finished and stepped back. Relief flooded her beautiful face. “Done.”

  But he held her eyes, daring her to look away as he slowly, one vertebrae at a time, stood to his full height. Blue eyes stared back, alternating with confusion and anger.

  Anger won, and she abruptly turned away. “Let’s go.”

  “Um, okay.” Zeebi tossed a curious glance at Tessa, then swung back to Scorpio. She eyed the cuffs and collar, holding a hand out as if checking them, but not touching Scorpio. “He should be fine,” she said to Hallon.

  Scorpio heard her, but his mind and eyes were fixed on his mate as she strode away. Perfect, feisty witch. And he’d bet good money that she was as affected by this little spell session as he.

  Tessa’s skin hummed with nerves as they walked away from Bronwy lands and toward Vespera. Though she couldn’t tell if it was from the pull to be in her homeland or the danger of venturing onto enemy territory.

  Or was it the presence of the towering Lash demon they’d brought along for added protection?

  Everything about him confused her. The facts which, by the way he had never disputed, were cold and awful. Yet his words and actions were…normal. Not angry, not malicious, not taunting or demanding. He hadn’t asked to speak in his defense. Nor had he asked if and when he could leave.

  In fact, he seemed ready to settle in with the coven. And that last fact perturbed her in a wholly new way.

  “Torth to Tessa.” Zeebi walked up right next to her, sunlight bouncing and refracting from her ever-present opal necklace. “You are so zoned out. Maybe not a good idea right now. Traveling toward the enemy and all.”

  Tessa shook her head, wishing she could shake off thoughts of Scorpio as easily. “Yeah. Sorry.”

  “Soooo…” Zeebi flicked a glance to Scorpio, who walked near the front of their group, flanked by two male guards. Two others walked behind Tessa and Zeebi, and that was the extent of their raiding party. Any more would be cumbersome. “He was so docile when you put that stuff on him. I thought he’d make a break for it.”

  Tessa shoved a hand into her pocket, unable to get Scorpio’s words put of her head. I’ll stay close. That’s a promise. What the ever-loving heck? Her heart still raced, remembering the sincere glow in his eyes as he gazed at her like she was the only other living thing in their world. With just a few words, he’d gotten her flustered and bewildered. Gods, she had to shut this fluttery, all-wrong feeling down. “The guards had weapons drawn on him.”

  “Yeah, and he heals at light-speed.”

  “Not with the dampening spells.”

  “Pfft.” Zeebi waved a hand. “So it’ll take him an extra day. And if he got away, there would be no spell.”

  Tessa shot her friend a look. “What are you getting at?”

  “Tess.” Zeebi grabbed her hand. “When you put that collar on him he looked ready to eat you up. In a good way.”

  “Oh my gods, Zee!” Tessa scowled. “There is no good way! He’s a prisoner and a murderer. What’s wrong with you?”

  “It was intense, that’s all I’m saying. Like you were some kind of goddess.”

  “No. That’s crazy. There were a dozen people around us. What could he possibly do?” Tessa shook her head, playing dumb, though she knew exactly what Zeebi meant. “And by the way, keep your voice down. He can probably hear us.”

  I’ll do whatever you need me to do. His words lingered in her ears, as well as the up-front, penetrating look he’d given her as he spoke them. Even though she hadn’t asked the question, Hallon had.

  Somehow, she knew he wasn’t going to try to leave. Watchers had purpose in everything they did. Laser-focused. So what was his purpose, his focus? Shouldn’t it be getting out alive?

  Maybe it was. Maybe that’s why he was agreeable about this whole excursion.

  Or maybe he just wanted to scope out the area for potential hiding places?

  “So what. He has to know he’s a gossip topic.” Zeebi pushed a blond lock off her shoulder. “Anyway, I think it was a good idea to bring him along. Score one for Winston.”

  “Yeah, I guess. We’ll find out soon enough.” Despite what Zeebi and Winston thought, Tessa still couldn’t bring herself to trust Scorpio.

  “Tessa,” one of the guards dropped back to her. “The prisoner says he wants to talk to you.”

  “What? No.” She recoiled, shaking her head. The last thing she wanted was to have him talk to her again. No damn way. The unnerved butterflies from their last conversation still lingered in her belly.

  “Oh my gods. Be nice,” Zeebi said. “He’s helping us out here.”

  “He freaking owes us!” Tessa hissed. “What’s gotten into you anyway?”

  The guard cleared his throat. “He had some questions about
your restraints. Said something about a witch at Lash Watcher HQ who created something similar. But ahem, better, he said.”

  “What?” Tessa’s eyes swiveled to the muscular back of Scorpio, striding fifteen feet ahead. Now he was insulting her ability? Hold on a goddamn minute. Acting weird was one thing, but throwing insults? When he was the one at fault? Hell no. She stalked forward.

  She idly wondered if he could feel her shooting daggers into his back as she neared. She knew she was good. That’s why Damien wanted her so badly, and why Bronwy had scraped by all these years. She would never brag about her affinity, but no one got to tell her crap like that, unless they had the same skill set and were truly better.

  A situation she had never encountered.

  He turned as she approached. The sunlight did its best to shine on the dull metal collar and, for a split second, she felt a stab of dislike that he had to wear it. But the casual look in his eyes brought her anger back in an instant. “What is your problem?” she spat.

  Golden eyes lingered on her face a second too long before he spoke. “Besides the obvious?”

  “You’re seriously going to insult me?” She poured condescension into her words. “You think you can get out of those?”

  “No. Magic’s not my thing.”

  “Right. Killing is.”

  A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I deserved that.”

  “Damn straight.” Tessa glared ahead at one of the two-headed chipmunks that proliferated like flies in these woods. “Are we done?”

  “Have you ever thought about working for the Watchers? There’s a spell department at HQ. Some of the oldest and best witches around—”

  “No. Why would I do that? This is my home, and I have plenty to do here.” She swallowed the unwelcome emotion that his question evoked. Learning from other witches would be a fantastic opportunity, but she couldn’t leave Bronwy. Not when her skill was vital to them. “They need me.”

  “What about a specialized training then? Temporarily?”

  Tessa scowled. “Really? I didn’t think your boss was the type to let people leave with knowledge they gained from his little fiefdom.”