Crimson Kiss (Onyx Assassins 5)

Saint nodded.

“So that wasn’t you at the farmhouse?” I asked. “Because my vision failed, and he attacked every other assassin by starving their senses.”

“And vomit,” Ajax muttered. “A lot of fucking vomit.”

Saint scoffed. “He gave you Night Thistle poisoning, and…” His jaw clenched and unclenched. “Fuck. Fine, we share just enough of the other’s abilities that he managed the rest. Let me guess, symptoms went away as soon as he fled.”

I nodded.

“You share each other’s abilities?” Dagon snapped.

Saint didn’t flinch. “We’re twins, jackass. Identical twins. I’d say it’s about a ninety-ten split, so neither of us is as powerful with the other’s abilities, but we have them. Now, are you going to let me go so we can stop him, or are you going to hand over your princess? Because the second he gets her to sign that contract, you can bet that he’s going to put a hit out on our king.”

Our king.

“Let him go,” I called over my shoulder to the witch, who had been brave enough to stay close.

She walked between us, muttered a spell, and lifted her hands. The manacles fell open one by one.

Saint was free.

He surged to his feet.

“Were you kidding about his rebound time?” I asked Dagon.

“No.”

I whipped a blade from its sheath and imbedded it into Saint’s bicep.

“What the fuck!” Ajax lunged, but Benedict rose, blocking him.

Saint glanced at the dagger and then met my glare. There was no excuse in his eyes and no pain, either. He didn’t even make a move to retrieve it, just stared back calmly at me.

“That was for your role in kidnapping Avianna.” I stepped forward and yanked out the blade. Blood coated the dagger and stained the ragged shirt Saint wore.

Saint nodded once. “If it helps appease your anger, I didn’t know what was happening until I tracked him there. My only goal had been to return her to you, but Samuel caught on to my motives, hence the cozy accommodations.”

“You’ve been chained up for two and a half months?” Dagon asked.

“Yes.” Saint never took his eyes from mine. “I accept your need for vengeance and will not retaliate.”

“Retaliate?” I wiped the dagger on my leathers, cleaning off the blood. “I have sworn to your twin that I will kill him for what he did to Avianna. For what he’s doing to her. If what you’re saying is true, then I won’t vow the same about you. If you’ve lied, then the next strike goes in your heart. If we’re too late to save Avianna, the next one goes in your heart.”

“You’ve made your point.” He lifted up his shirt in challenge.

“He hasn’t lied,” Benedict said. “Dagon, go call Alek so they don’t shoot Saint on sight.”

I sheathed my blade. “You’re coming with us.”

Wending back to Deveraux Hall froze the breath in my lungs, but did nothing to cool my temper.

Alek and Lachlan stood exactly where we’d left them, staring down the road toward the manor.

Zachariah took one look at Saint and ran, clasping his brother in a back-slapping hug before pulling back. “We can’t get through,” he told the rest of us. “And Avianna isn’t answering her phone.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“We were gone for an hour.” I moved to stand at Alek’s side. We could see the manor from here. It was two hundred yards away at most. I scoured the perimeter, but couldn’t find anything out of place.

“She hasn’t signed it yet,” Alek said. He’d already pulled off his tie and jacket and had suited up with Kevlar, same with Lachlan. “I saw the final draft of the agreement. It says that once it's signed, I’ll be allowed passage through the wards.”

“You’re assuming Samuel will honor the agreement.” My heart pounded. Avi was in there. She was close enough that I could make out the ivy that grew on the red brick of her prison, but out of reach, and only armed with her own abilities and my fucking dagger.

And she had no idea who she was about to betroth herself to.

“If he doesn’t, it’s void.” Alek folded his arms across his chest, and I didn’t miss that he was strapped.

“He’ll honor it,” Saint said, appearing at my side. “He won’t risk that his claim to the throne isn’t legal.” His jaw worked. “It also means that he won’t kill your sister. He needs her.”

“You’d better pray he doesn’t,” I growled, already trying Avi’s cell phone, just in case she’d pick up for me and not Alek. It went to voicemail.

Alek glanced at Saint. “There’s a set of clean clothes in the back of the Rover. Get them on. Kevlar, too. We’re going to need you to talk some fucking sense into your brother.”

Saint nodded and walked off to do as he’d been ordered.

“Good job letting him live,” Lachlan muttered.

“I’m still debating,” Alek snapped. “But I need Avianna alive more than I need him bleeding.”