Chapter Nine
Aaliyah
T he last thing I expect to see when I pull myself from my smoke form is Tyson. Especially not Tyson being held inside a mage trap upside down. I hesitate to move, choosing to listen to his and Alistair’s conversation first.
I might not understand everything, but I catch enough of it to realize this hit is about so much more than I thought it was. The drugs they’re packaging out in the part of the warehouse are for supernaturals, and it apparently boosts their abilities? There’s no way that could go wrong, right?
Gods, what is wrong with people? The arrogance.
At least now, I can begin to understand the connection between targets. It seems like the people I’ve been going after are all involved in this supernatural drug, Dragon’s Fire. Is Alistair at the top of the ladder, or will there be more people to hunt down once he’s dead? Something I’ll find out after I kill him.
I creep across the room, intending to come up behind Alistair. My eyes move back to Tyson for just a moment, in time for our eyes to meet.
Wait. What?
He shouldn’t be able to see me, but the slight widening of his eyes tells me he certainly can.
I can still feel the illusions wrapped around me, so I don’t know why he’d be able to see me. Dragon shifters aren’t usually known for being able to see through illusionary magic. It’s something I’ll have to think about later—after I’ve killed Alistair.
“Well, what do we have here?” Alistair says as he spins in his chair when I’m a mere five feet from him. “Who is this? Have you added to your family, and I missed it? I haven’t seen you with her before. She is a pretty thing, isn’t she? And all those arms? I bet that makes bedroom time fun.”
Seriously, what the hell is going on?
I drop my illusions since Alistair seems to see right through them. I shake my head, pulling a dagger from the holster at my thigh.
Alistair chuckles as his eyes follow my movement. “Oh, are you not here for the dragon?”
“No, I didn’t know the dragon was going to be here.” I shouldn’t take my eyes off the mage, but I can’t help checking on Tyson before returning my attention to Alistair. “I don’t usually announce my intentions, but since you saw through my illusions —something I’d really like to know how you pulled off—I’m here to kill you.”
“Kill me?” Allistair hums. “That’s not an easy feat.”
Now, it’s my turn to laugh. “And I’m not your average assassin.”
“Assassin?” Tyson sputters, but both of us ignore him as we keep our eyes on one another.
I take the blade of the dagger in my hand, soaking the poison into the metal as I ready myself to throw it at the mage. Before he can blink, I’ve launched it across the short distance between us. He moves faster than he should be able to but doesn’t manage to dodge the blow completely.
My blade slices into his arm, the white of his shirt quickly turning red as the blade clatters across the floor. I doubt enough of the poison is in his system from that small of a cut, but it’ll definitely slow him down. Especially since there’s no cure for my special blend of poison.
“Damn it.” Alistair lifts his hand and presses it to the cut. Before he can say or do anything else, I send another dagger in his direction. Once again, he manages to dart mostly out of the way. The blade slices just below where his hand is still hovering over the first cut, and I know this isn’t going to work to kill him. I’m going to have to get closer.
Alistair hisses once again, eyes narrowing at me. “Let’s make a deal, assassin.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so,” I say with a laugh, already stalking toward him. “I don’t make deals with targets.”
Alistair hums, nodding his head toward Tyson without taking his eyes off me. “But do most of your targets have a hostage?”
My eyes flick to Tyson before returning them to Alistair. I bare my teeth, letting forth a growl that has Alistair jumping. He’s right. Not only does he have a hostage, but I know said hostage. Even now, knowing I need to kill the man in front of me, I feel a tug toward Tyson. I can’t let anything happen to him.
Alistair might not know about our connection, but he’s counting on his belief that I won’t allow an innocent to die—although, I’m not sure how innocent Tyson is.
“What kind of deal?” I manage to get out around my clenched teeth.
Alistair smirks. “If you want the dragon to live, then you’ll allow me to leave here unscathed.”
I don’t want to let him leave, but what choice do I have? I found him once. thanks to the guild, so I know I can find him again. Sure, he’ll be more on guard now that he knows I’m coming for him, but I’m not too worried. His death is mine, and no matter what, I’ll have it.
So why does the idea of letting him walk out the door make me feel like I’ve failed? I loathe failing at anything.
“You’ll release him from the trap now, then I’ll allow you to leave,” I finally answer.
“If I do that, then the two of you will be on me before I can make it out the door,” he protests, and I have to bite back a snarky response.
“I assume the chains you have him in are silver?” I wait for him to nod before continuing, “Then the dragon can’t break free, and I give you my word that you’ll be allowed to leave unscathed. I will stay right here until you’re gone.”
The magic in my chest tightens, cinching around my heart, and I have to hide the wince from the pain. What neither man in the room knows is that my word is binding. If anything happens to Alistair after he releases Tyson, I will be the one to pay the price.
Alistair looks uncertain, which is smart of him, but he nods. When he lifts his hands, I tense, ready to melt into my smoke form if necessary. With a few muttered words and movements of his hands, the magic surrounding Tyson falls away.
“As promised.” Alistair steps backward, not taking his eyes off me as he heads for the door. It’s slow going, but I can’t blame him for being cautious since he doesn’t know that hurting him now would bring me to the brink of death. That’s not something I want to happen, nor is it something I intend to share with the man before me.
Finally, he reaches the door, his hand fumbling around until he grasps the handle. Only then do his eyes tear away from me, moving to Tyson. “Don’t think you were the only one captured today. You might have slipped through my fingers, but I’ll have other chances. Especially since I have someone grabbing your lovers as we speak. You didn’t hide them from me nearly as well as you thought. I’ve known where the four of you have been for months.”
Before either of us can respond, he’s slipped out the door.
Motherfucker.
I run across the room to Tyson. “Are you okay?”
“Why did you let him get away?” he roars.
I jerk back, baring my teeth. “Ungrateful prick. I didn’t want to chance you getting hurt, asshole. You know what? I think I’ll just leave you hanging here until someone discovers you since you don’t seem to care that I just saved your fucking life.”
“Let me out,” he returns with a growl of his own as smoke drifts from his nose. “Did you not hear what he just said? He has my family. I need to catch him.”
“He’s long gone by now, Tyson.” I shake my head, turning my back on him and heading for the door. I ignore the pang in my chest at the mention of his family—his lovers, based on Alistair’s words.
“Where are you going?” he yells.
I snort, not bothering to glance over my shoulder. “I’m sure someone will be along to set you free—eventually.”
The jingling of the chains tells me without looking that he’s attempting to break himself free. Except with silver chains wrapped around him, he doesn’t stand a chance. They’re sapping his strength from him the longer they’re in contact with his skin.
“You can’t leave me here! I have to find them!”
Once again, I ignore the annoying pang in my chest. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop my thoughts of how I wish someone cared enough about me to try to break free from silver chains to rescue me.
Am I being an asshole for not letting him free? Yes.
Do I feel justified in my actions? Abso-fucking-lutely.
“Are you really planning to leave him bound?” a voice asks, causing me to jump.
Turning my head, I find Archer and Naomi standing just inside the rolling door. Sighing, I pause. “What the hell are you two doing here?”
“Where you go, we go.” Naomi shrugs, a smirk painting her lips. “Surely, you’ve realized that by now.”
“We knocked out everyone in the other room, and Naomi is currently funneling nightmares into them, so we don’t have to worry about them.” Archer glances from me to Tyson and back again. “How did the dragon end up here?”
The jingle of the chains fills the air once more. I ignore Tyson’s demands to free him. “Apparently, he was kidnapped.”
“Quite the dude in distress, huh?” Naomi grins, and I can’t help returning it.
“Yes, but I’ve decided someone else can rescue him. He didn’t seem grateful after I saved his life.” I shrug, berating myself for even having this conversation. I don’t want to like Naomi, no matter how gorgeous she is. She comes with the baggage that is Archer, and I have no desire to have him in my life.
I don’t need any of them in my life.
Liar.
The word reverberates through my head, too loud to ignore.
“I’ve always wanted to be a knight in shining armor.” Naomi snickers. “Or should I say, a lady in shining armor?”
As she takes a step toward him, a hiss spills from my lips. My body reacts before my brain can catch up, shooting me across the room and into her path. “Mine.”
Naomi just grins, holding her hands up in surrender as she moves back to stand beside Archer. “No worries, darling. You can absolutely save the day.”
“That’s not… I don’t… Fuck,” I curse, spinning around and making my way back to Tyson. Ignoring the insults he’s throwing my way, I grasp one of the manacles wrapped around his wrist. As a demigod, silver doesn’t affect my magic. Calling the acid-like poison to my fingers, I trail them across the manacle until it falls to the floor, then move to the other and repeat the process.
Unable to reach his ankles, I hiss once more before calling forth my smoke form and float into the air until I can reach them. It’s harder than it should be to form one of my hands to trail the poison on these manacles, but I manage it. Something tells me I’m going to have to start using my smoke form more frequently now that I’m working for the guild.
As the last manacle falls away from his ankle, Tyson falls to the floor with a curse. I don’t bother hiding my laughter as I drift back to the floor and return to my usual form. Instead of funneling more magic into my illusions to hide my arms, I allow them to remain visible.
Tyson pushes to his knees, hands on his thighs, as he stares up at me with awe and a bit of fear. “What are you?”
“Your knight in shining armor, apparently.”
Tyson opens his mouth before snapping it shut and shaking his head. He pushes to his feet, trying to brush past me.
“Where are you going?”
“To find my family.” He only pauses long enough to glance back at me.
“You mean your lovers?” I wrinkle my nose at the jealousy seeping into my words. I hadn’t meant to allow Tyson to know just how much he hurt me. “With what magic? Alistair was draining your dragon’s fire. I’m not sure how long he had you chained here, but you’re not at full strength. You need rest before you attempt to rescue them.”
Tyson turns slowly, stalking back toward me. He’s smirking as he towers over me. “Yes, they’re my lovers, but they’re so much more than that. They’re my family, and I can’t leave them in Alistair’s hands.”
“I find it interesting that you have a family , and yet, you were getting hot and heavy with me on the dance floor.“ My eyes fall shut, annoyed with myself again. Why do I keep doing this? I don’t want him to know how he’s affected me… Or do I?
Tyson snorts. “Polyamory is a thing, Aaliyah. I already told them about you. We don’t keep secrets from one another.”
Feeling like an idiot, I go on the defensive. “Well, thanks to you, I’ve lost my target.”
“Still working as an assassin, then?” Archer asks, reminding me that he and Naomi are in the room as well.
“Of course I am. What the hell else would I do?” Shrugging, I glance over my shoulder at him and Naomi. “I’m just no longer freelance.”
Tyson growls. “While we’re standing here chit-chatting, Alistair could be doing anything to my family—including my sister. I don’t have time to rest. I have to go after them.”
“You will rest, whether you want to or not. With how weak you are right now, he’d just capture you again, and then I’d have to rescue you—again.“ I hold up my hand to stop him when he opens his mouth to speak. “Your family will be with Alistair, and I still have a contract to kill him. I’m sure between the two of us, we can come up with a plan to rescue them that also allows me to kill Alistair at the same time.”
“You mean the four of us.” Archer is suddenly standing beside me, probably having slipped through the shadows to approach me quietly. I would’ve heard him if he’d walked over, as I can hear Naomi now. “Naomi and I aren’t going anywhere.”
As much as I want to tell him to go back to hell, more bodies are always better for a rescue mission.
“Fine. But this doesn’t mean I want you around or whatever bullshit you keep telling yourself. Once we’ve rescued them, you’re gone.”
Archer just smirks. “Sure, Aaliyah. If that’s what you want.”
“Of course, that’s what I want.” Except the words sound like a lie even to my ears. “I left my car a few miles away. We’ll head back to my place.”
I stalk away without waiting for a response from them. Either they’ll follow me or they won’t. Either way, this job is ending up harder than it should have been.