House of Dragons (Royal Houses 1)

“You’re late,” the man said.

Isa plopped down onto one of the couches. She poured herself a glass of amber liquid out of a crystal decanter and then propped her feet up. “I’m not a dog. I don’t come when I’m called.”

“You are in my employ.”

“And I did what you’d told me. So, where’s my money?” She took a sip of the bourbon and sighed. At least he’d forked out for the good stuff.

The man never turned to face her, but she could feel his anger emanating off him. “You killed the wrong person and made the mistake of leaving the body for the Guard to locate. You failed miserably. You will get nothing.”

Isa dropped her feet onto the intricately woven rug. She sure hoped that she’d crushed dirt into the delicate fabric. “No one is going to have any idea that I killed him. I am talented at my profession. They will think that it was an accident. I made it look like a robbery.”

“But you didn’t get the girl!” he cried, finally whirling around to face her.

“One thing at a time, boss,” she crooned.

“Do you not understand how any of this works? I hired you to kill one girl. Not to off a full-blooded Fae male on a whim.”

“Is that what you think of me?” Isa asked with humor in her voice. “That full-blooded Fae was tracking your girl. If I hadn’t noticed his movements, then he would have surely seen me come after the girl. One step at a time. It’s a delicate process.”

“You are a disappointment,” he snarled.

Isa rolled her eyes and finished the liquor. “I’m going to kill the girl.”

“You’d better, or you won’t be paid.”

“Why do you have it out for this girl anyway?”

The man’s eyes blazed with anger. “She is a half-Fae bastard. Is that not enough for you?”

“There are plenty of those running around in the Dregs right now. Hell, there are plenty of filthy humans,” Isa said with a shrug. “What makes her special?”

He turned back to the riverfront. His body stiff and unyielding. “She is powerful. More powerful than anyone knows. If she comes to her full potential, she could wreak havoc on our entire world.”

“No half-Fae is that powerful.”

“And none ever will be once you’re finished with her.”

Isa came to her feet. “Then, if she’s that dangerous, I’m going to have to double my rate.”

His jaw set as he glanced at her. “Fine. Just do it and do it right this time. Dispose of the body and let no one know when you’re done.”

Isa smiled, imagining all the money she was going to rake in from this one job. Almost enough to get her own place. Almost enough to escape. Almost enough to finally be free.

“Consider it done.”

23

The Search

“You’ve been busy,” Fordham said the next afternoon as they strode together out of the mountain.

He’d recently come from the baths, and his dark hair was still wet and slicked back off his face. He wore the same black-and-silver clothing he always wore. Much too fine for her, and she had a sharp memory of him handing her his cloak and just how much nicer it was than anything she had ever put on her body.

“What? Did you expect me to nap?” she asked, returning to her chiding demeanor now that they weren’t alone under the cover of darkness together.

“How exactly did you get the location of where your friend’s body turned up?”

“I bribed a guard,” she said simply.

He shook his head but said nothing else as they exited the mountain and headed toward the Wastes. The roads were so familiar. She’d walked them hundreds of times. More times than she could even count with Lyam at her side or trailing in her wake, as if he thought that she wouldn’t notice. And now, she would never walk them with him again. Not even get annoyed that he was tailing her.

She swallowed back the lump in her throat and continued through the streets. But as fast as she was going, Fordham kept pace with her, even as he stared around the streets as if he had never seen a real city before. He didn’t gawk—that would be beneath him—but there was something like awe in his expression.

There were so many questions that she wanted to ask. But she didn’t want him to shut down again if she asked about his home. So, she veered off course, abruptly turning them away from the Wastes and toward Central which housed the Square.

“Haven’t you been out in Kinkadia since you got here?” she asked him.

He shrugged. “The once for the ceremony.”

“It was night, and you only saw a ballroom,” she scoffed. “We’re going to need to get you acquainted with my city.”

“That’s not part of our mission.”

“Well, can we at least stop for a meat pie?” she asked. “I know the best place in town.”