CHAPTER NINETEEN
Aurora watched Eli as he, in turn, watched the retreating form of Asher.
She had been wandering around the halls, getting used to navigating the passages on her own. Aurora needed to memorize the passageways and learn which door led to what rooms.
If questioned, she could say she needed to be able to find the training room for the next day.
Now she couldn”t help the jealousy and anger twisting within her. It was painfully obvious Asher was Eli”s first student, and he had left him to take care of her. Even with the animosity shown to him, it was clear they were friends. Their relationship didn”t feel like the one she and Eli shared, but she could still tell they had been close.
Eli cared for Asher, and Aurora despised it.
Eli”s gaze finally rested on Aurora, and she saw the pain in his sage green eyes.
As much as she was angry with him, she couldn”t stop her anger toward Asher from rising. She didn”t know the male, but she knew Eli. He was a good male with good intentions. Even if he hadn”t implemented them better, and he had hurt both her and Asher, she couldn”t hate him. He was the closest thing she had to a father. He was all she had; she would be completely alone without him.
On the other hand, the arrogant, tall male who had stalked away seemed to have no issue with torturing Eli.
Aurora turned on her heel as a need to defend him filled her. She ignored Eli as he called for her. She was on a mission, and she would force the male to listen to her.
Approaching Asher”s room, she didn”t bother knocking. It was her room too now after all. If he had a problem with it, she would just tell him to take it up with the female Violet.
Looking around the room, she noticed that it was empty, but proof that he had been in the room was there. His discarded clothes lay scattered on the floor. The door to the bathing chamber was shut, but Aurora could hear the water from the bath running.
She walked with purpose to the door, her anger heightening more and more. Her magic stirred slightly, but she ignored it.
Aurora slammed her fist against the solid oak; she wasn”t dumb enough to go inside. She did not have a death wish, she could only imagine how the male would react, but she would make sure he listened to her.
Standing with his hands resting on the counter”s edge, Asher took slow, steadying breaths. Holding each for the count of five before letting them pass slowly from his pursed lips.
He needed to calm down.
He thought facing Eli would have been the mature way to air his feelings. Say what he needed to say, and once heard, he would feel better. He was wrong, very wrong. What had happened instead had been quite the opposite.
Facts were facts, and no matter how Eli wished to dress them up or paint them, he had left Asher. He had walked away knowing he wouldn”t be back, and he did it looking Asher in the eyes while promising he would return.
”FUCK!” Asher roared as he punched the wall at the side of the mirror. He stopped short of actually connecting with the stone, though. As angry as he was, he didn”t want to end up in the infirmary with a busted-up hand.
He lifted his gaze to look at his reflection, ”You are good enough. You deserve better. You don”t need him, and you never did.” But even as the lies fell from Asher”s lips, he knew them for what they were.
With his shoulders slumped and his posture falling in on itself, Asher stood before the reflective glass as a deflated male. Punching Eli had brought self-loathing and not the benediction he had hoped it would be. Asher had been excited when he heard whispers of his mentor”s return. The thought of having him home once more had filled him with a joy he hadn”t felt in so long.
Sure, he would tell him he was an asshole for leaving all those years ago without even so much as a coded note to let him know he was alive.
But he was safe. That was until he had learned of her.
Hands fisting tightly at his sides, Asher could feel his nails nip at his palms as they cut half-moon shapes in his skin. He needed to breathe. He wouldn”t let Violet or any of the other inner circle members see him this uptight. He was the clown after all. Asher, the guy who laughed at life and death and all the murderous jobs in between.
The bath would help. It always did when he returned from a tedious job or one he felt particularly dirty from. No more thinking of him or her. No, he would soak for a few minutes.
Violet knew better than to expect him to run when she clicked her fingers. Yes, he would make her wait. But she knew what he was to her and her Guild. He was the jewel in her crown, and she would playfully chastise him but not punish him for something so petty. At least, not while he was worth more to her when he was happy and performing like the trained dog he was.
Checking the temperature of the water and finding it, like himself, just perfect, he stepped into the tub and slowly slid down until only his head was above the waterline.
A sound from the bedroom caught his attention.
Inhaling deeply through his nose, the scent of Jasmine hit him with light wisps of peppermint undertones. It was her...
He sighed as he heard her slam her fist against the door, ”Run back to your daddy and tell him Asher isn”t in the mood to play.”
He closed his eyes, his arm resting on the rim of the tub, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.
Asher was developing a headache.
Aurora glared at the door, barely knowing the male, yet she knew him to be unbearable.
”There’s no need to mope like a hysterical youngling,” she responded. Her anger was high, but nothing could stop her from pushing at his apparent dark mood.
She didn’t like how he felt he could order her around. He was older, and he had a lot more experience when it came to fighting. Aurora wasn’t ignorant enough to ignore that fact. All that aside, he did not know her. He had created a hatred toward her without knowing who she truly was. If he had taken a second to introduce himself, she would have allowed his attitude, welcomed it even. Still, he hadn’t even given her that. He was arrogant. His high rank in the Guild gave him too much power.
She hated people who abused their power and looked down on others.
“You know, if you had actually communicated with Eli, maybe you wouldn’t be drowning in misery right now.” She was surprised at how calm she sounded because Lorn knew she was anything but.
“‘If you had actually communicated with Eli....’ Oh, grow up, Princess! Hmmmm... tell you what, how about you mind your fucking business and let the grown-ups deal with their own shit. Go play with your dolls or something.” Asher’s words sliced through her.
With the glare she gave the door, it should have fallen apart.
Princess.
She hated Asher’s use of the nickname.
Mikhai had called her the same, but it hadn’t been laced with such poison. It had been almost endearing. With Asher, it felt like an insult.
If anyone was a child, it was him based on how he was acting. “You consider yourself all grown?” Aurora scoffed, “I would expect much better behavior from such a talented assassin as everyone here views you.”
Aurora resisted the urge to roll her eyes. If his intention was to react like a spoiled teenager, then fine, she’d treat him as such.
“When you’re done sulking and pampering yourself like a tragedian on your own little stage, then maybe we can talk face to face. You know, stop your avoidance of talking to me for once. An introduction would be nice.”
An introduction really was the last thing she wanted. Asher irritated her to the point that if they actually talked where she could physically reach him, maybe she could strangle him a little before he eventually killed her.
Aurora’s attention snagged on a shelf to the side of the door. Vials of different body oils and perfumes covered it. Another hint to how much the male liked to maintain his appearance.
She trailed to it and looked over the array of tiny bottles, trying to find anything to distract her from the conversation she had forced upon them.
A tragedian?
His rage rose so sharply. His blinding temper burned so hot that in an attempt to pull himself out of the tub, he slipped and went under instead. The mishap only served to fuel his rage.
Spluttering as he stumbled out of the tub, Asher grabbed one of the towels from the hook on the back of the door. Hands gripping the soft cloth, wringing it absentmindedly, he stood facing the door, “Swallow the Guild’s tomes already? I am not impressed, Princess. It takes more than big words and you banging on my washroom door like a shrew.”
He loosened his grip on the towel.
She needed to get the fuck out of his room and let him get ready in peace. You’d think Eli would have taught her to take a hint.
Once more, taking a few deep breaths, Asher focused on calming himself. What was it Darius would tell him? ‘You get more with honey than you do with Sourtaurgh wine, Asher.’
He was right, though he would not tell him that. The male’s ego was already far too large to be contained in his delicious body. The thought brought a smile to his lips, and for a second, he forgot about the frothing puppy on the other side of the door.
This was all taking too long. He needed to get dressed so he could collect his assignment. “Look...Flora, I have to get out of here. I have a meeting. So how about you turn around, run back to Eli, and tell him that you and I are best friends. We are so close now that we may even make snacks and braid each other”s hair. Quite honestly... I don’t give a fuck what you tell him. Just leave so I can get on with the shit I need to get done, okay?”
He smirked. He knew that wasn’t her name. He knew what it was, but he would be damned if he would let it pass his lips. She was Eli’s toy, not his. Violet assigning her to his room was a sick joke and one at his expense. That female was like all others in the Guild, a nasty, manipulative, and vile person in a pretty package. He wasn’t playing her game. If she wanted this female to move into his room, then fine. But he wouldn’t be here.
Capturing his long, damp hair in a towel and wrapping it around his head, securing it at the back of his neck, Asher glanced around for his clothes.
Damn. He’d left them on his bed not expecting little miss pain in the ass to stomp into his room and start lecturing him.
Asher reached out, hand resting on the handle of the door.
He needed to get his stuff together but to do that, he would need to face her, and he really couldn’t be assed. He didn’t want to come face to face with the reality of what she was.
His replacement.
Standing with nothing but the towel on his head and the kiss of the cool air on his bare skin, Asher debated throwing caution to the wind.
Aurora ignored Asher’s words. She knew he knew her name and chose not to use it. She ignored the anger within her rising with every second she was near the male. Her magic continued twisting in her chest, but that’s all it did, as always. Twist uncomfortably and make her more irritable. It bothered her more than it had previously. It seemed Asher had a way of triggering her magic to react in this way. He could cause her anger to rise just by breathing. The effect made her all around uncomfortable.
Reaching to one of the vials, she noticed a ribbon wrapped around the small neck of the glass bottle, a piece of paper tucked underneath the ribbon. Aurora couldn’t help her curiosity as she unfolded the paper slightly to reveal a note in almost perfect handwriting, “Please be sure to douse yourself in this little bottle of extravagance, so you don’t stink my room out with that cheap bottled stench you have been wearing lately. Ps. Happy Birthday. - D”
Aurora read the note aloud, making sure Asher could hear her. She almost groaned from how ridiculous it was but appreciated that at least one other person didn”t fall for Asher in all that he was.
“Doesn’t seem your lover appreciates your choice in fragrances, Asher.” Aurora threw the bottle into the air lightly, playing with it.
She walked back to the door, placing her hand on the door handle debating whether or not she should open the door just to throw the bottle at his head.
“Don’t touch my stuf–” Asher’s words caught in his throat as a sudden sharp zap shot through his fingers, over his palm, and up his arm causing him to pull his hand free of the handle. As if poked awake, the magic Asher occasionally felt in the very pit of his being rose its head. Stirring in his gut, it pushed forward past his shields as if reaching out to whatever had poked it.
The hairs on his arms stood on end as it moved through him, seeking the thing that had been able to touch it where he usually left it untouched and unused. It was something that scared him. A well of magic that grew as he had over the years. But unlike all the things he mastered, his magic was not one of them.
Each time he had tried, it had raised its head, almost sentient in its reaction to his probing, only to settle back into the well it resided in. Not deeming him worthy of its presence. So Asher had grown to use what it gave him when it gave it. Never relying on it.
Shaking his head, his gaze dropped to his hand, and he frowned. His Head tilted as he inspected his fingers, the point at which he had felt that strange energy enter his body. Asher watched each tingling digit.
Aurora gasped as a shock went through her body, causing the magic within her to painfully twist. She quickly withdrew her hand and stumbled backward at the aggressive sensation, her body forcing her away from the door.
Aurora dropped the vial without thinking, causing it to shatter against the floor. The oil spilled out over the flat stone slabs, leaving the room smelling of exotic warm spice. It was almost overwhelming but lovely all the same. A mixture of apple, cinnamon, and agarwood scented the air from the oil. It was an expensive scent.
Aurora ignored it. She couldn’t register what was happening other than her labored breathing and tight chest. She stared at her hand and then the door handle, her head tilting in question.
Her mind raced; she had never felt anything like it and didn’t appreciate the sensation. It made her feel vulnerable and out of control.
Aurora forced her breathing to slow. The Guild had turned her whole world upside down. She didn’t have time to question what had just happened or talk to the male on the other side of the door.
“This was obviously a waste of time,” she spit angrily as she slowly backed to the opposite door.
Her eyes slowly traveled to the shattered glass on the ground. She couldn’t stop the slight smirk that formed on her face, “Send my apologies to whoever this D is... it seems you won’t be using that special oil after all.”
Aurora needed to get out. She had wanted to have a decent conversation, maybe settle their differences, but it only resulted in her wanting to use the male as her punching bag.
The sound of glass shattering on stone pulled Asher back to what was happening just beyond the door. Reaching for the handle, he hesitated before pulling his hand back.
Her venomous words drew a snarl from him that he had no control over, “Get out...get out now before I do something you will regret!”
He listened for her retreat, but there was nothing.
“I am going to count down from five. If you are still on the other side of this door by the time I hit zero, it’s on you what happens after that...Princess.”
Eli would no doubt lose his shit if Asher was to harm his little lap dog in any way but fuck Eli. The only thing stopping him was the fact he would never lift his hand to a female.
He blanched at his own thought, knowing it to be a lie. Assignments from his past having made it so. His hands were soaked in the blood of males and females alike. The Guild, and their assignments, knew no difference.
No, in what he could control, Asher would never harm the female. But he would scare her. She was not to know that the Guild’s finest assassin had morals, no matter how tarnished they were.
He was done entertaining Eli’s little pet.
“Five...”
Aurora glared toward the door; he was counting down... as if she were a child. Oh, how she wished she could break the door down and give him a piece of her mind.
She wished it, but she knew that if she committed to the act, she would be shown how inexperienced she was. She could fight to an extent, but she also knew most of the members of the Guild ate, slept, and breathed training that was meant to kill, not maim.
Eli had done well in training her, but she was taught to kill only if the situation came to it. She wasn’t sure if Asher was taught the same. The Guild’s version of Eli was a stranger to her, so there was no telling how he trained his students.
Still, she couldn’t keep her mouth shut it seemed, “I dare you to try. I can’t say what Eli would do, but he definitely wouldn’t be happy with your actions. I think we both know he wouldn’t let you get away with it.”
“Four...”
Aurora clenched her teeth as he continued to count. She knew Eli was a subject that would get the male angry quickly. Maybe she did have a death wish after all. Slowly she backed up to the door leading to the hall. She wanted to be as close to the door as possible in case he suddenly decided patience with her wasn’t worth it.
“Three...,” his voice was deathly and eerily calm.
Her hand clasped around the door handle. She had hesitantly grabbed it, afraid she would be shocked again. Relief flowed through her as nothing happened. Her stubbornness fought with her desire to live. She wanted to stand her ground, needed to, and she hated that the male had the upper hand in forcing her to leave. The last thing she wanted was to be reprimanded by Eli because of their conversation resulting in a physical fight.
“Two... Last chance to get your ass out of my room.”
Anxiety built in her body; she couldn’t help but be afraid of the male threatening her. Part of her wanted to run, but another part of her, the stronger one, wanted to push back. She wanted to force him to face her.
Aurora bounced on her feet as she debated if it was all worth it, she was scared, but there was a thrill from the threat he was pushing at her.
Time slowed as Asher gave her a second to debate. She knew what the result would be. She stood her ground for as long as possible until she was a bloody mess. The thought made a growl slip past her lips. It really wasn’t a picture her ego appreciated.
“One...You better fucking run. Time is up!”
Reacting at the last minute, Aurora wrenched open the door before slamming it shut behind her. Just as she pulled the door closed, she glimpsed the door to the bathing chamber, her jaw dropping as it opened. He wasn’t bluffing after all.
Her breaths were coming in quick short pants as her heart raced. Aurora hated that she had run. Backing away from the door, she paced in front of it. Anger that felt more of her own built in her stomach. She had never met a male who could anger her so quickly. He had won, and she could imagine his smug smile as he looked around his empty room.
Stopping in front of the door, she couldn’t stop herself as she kicked it, her rage getting the better of her. She was reacting like a child, but she needed to relieve her anger toward the male somehow. She needed to hit something.
After striking the door, Aurora heard a muffled laugh. Asher was laughing at her. She bared her teeth, glaring at the door as she debated hitting it again. She raised her middle finger in the door”s direction. She didn’t care that he couldn’t see it.
Turning on her heel, she stomped down the hallway, only to notice someone else was there.
A male around her age was hiding a smile behind his hand. He, however, couldn”t hide the laugh from slipping past his lips.
Aurora didn’t attempt to stop the growl that rose from her chest and instead directed it at the young fae. She hit her shoulder against his as she walked past him, forcing him to stumble backward. She was in no mood to be polite; she would rather walk over hot coals than worry about how others perceived her.
She made her way to one of the many training rooms and hoped the male followed her. She could really use punching something other than a sack full of sand. She would rather hear the pain she delivered with each blow. She needed to make something bleed.