Crimson Covenant (Onyx Assassins 1)

“Xavier can handle his own. We’re Assassins, not bounty hunters. Lachlan, check in with him tonight and make sure he’s in control of the situation.” I leaned back in my chair. “What the fuck does Genevieve want with a private audience? Any business she has can be discussed at the monthly gathering of Conclave, like always.”

“So that’s a no?” Benedict asked, raising his eyebrows.

“That’s a fuck no. Granting private audiences is what leads to everything going to shit. We’ve worked too hard to keep the Covenant to let it crumble now.” Keeping all five species— humans, lycans, witches, demons, and vampires—living in relative peace took a delicate balance of secrecy and transparency within the Conclave. It made human politics look like child’s play.

“Okay, then I think all we have is the security detail for Avianna’s arrival tomorrow,” Lachlan said, leaning forward to brace his forearms on the table at my right.

I slid my phone free of my back pocket with a smile and called my little sister. “I’ll just make sure she’s on track,” I said to the group while it rang.

It…rang.

It didn’t beep like it always had, signaling that my sweet, beautiful, kind, honest sister wasn’t overseas, tucked away with our aunt like she was supposed to be until tomorrow night.

“Alek?” she answered breathlessly.

“Where the hell are you?” I snapped.

“Oh, Alek, don’t be mad!” She gave me a little sigh, and I could almost see her soft, pleading little smile. “I just wanted to see what it was like here, you know? I mean, you talk about it all the time, and I knew as soon as you showed up with your armored car and band of merry men—”

“I’m not Robin Hood, and that armored car is for your safety!” I shouted. “Tell me where you are, Avianna. Right now.” I focused on the sounds coming through the phone. Birds. Crickets. Humans speaking English. My heart pounded and my stomach churned at the danger she was in. The borders between boroughs were clearly drawn, and if she’d stumbled into another territory, I couldn’t guarantee her safety unless she was wearing an “Alek is my brother so don’t fuck with me” T-shirt.

“I’m in the park father mentioned in his journals. Briarwood. The one across from the—”

“Slatemark Opera House,” I growled. She was near the heart of the city—where all the territories intersected, but she wasn’t in our sector. “Damn it, Avi, you’re in Demon territory.” I shoved back from the table and stood, my men instantly following.

“I’ll get the car.” Benedict didn’t wait for me to approve. He ran, disappearing from sight before the door closed. Every man in this room was tasked with protecting the royal family. They knew the multitude of powers in my blood. They also knew that Avi didn’t possess any beyond her considerable beauty and the compulsion ability all vampires shared.

She couldn’t even wend—couldn’t shift herself through space, and couldn’t stand anyone —even me—controlling her for the moments it took to use our easiest mode of transportation, which meant we needed the car. Too many of Avianna’s choices had been taken away. I’d never force wending on her if I could help it.

“I’m on my way. Stay exactly where you are.” I pointed at Lachlan and Ransom, who both nodded. Hawke would only scare the shit out of Avianna, so that introduction would have to wait. Besides, there was no one better to leave behind to protect the compound.

“You’re overreacting, Alek. I’m fine! We’re just enjoying some of this delicious blue fluff the man with the cart sold us—”

“Us?” Cotton candy cart. I knew exactly where she was.

“I have Olivia, of course. I’m not completely naïve.”

She had her bodyguard. At least there was that.

“Just stay there.” I looked to Hawke. “Call Xavier now. Tell him if a demon puts a finger on my sister, I’ll—”

“You’re being ridiculous, but I’ll wait right here, as ordered.” She muttered, “jackass,” before the line went dead.

“Fuck!” I shoved the phone in my back pocket, then reached under my leather jacket and unholstered my Glock as I looked at Lachlan and Ransom. “We go now.”

I focused on the trees just behind the cotton candy cart in Briarwood Park and wended. My skin embraced the ice of the between in the seconds it took to shift places, and then the scent of sticky sugar and a hundred subtle variations of human blood filled my nose.

The park was in the center of Edgemont City, and of the three million humans that lived here, there were less than a few hundred that knew of our existence, all of whom were compelled to keep their mouths shut. The Opera House was at the center of it all, and she was on the wrong side of it.

I took a deep breath, sorting through the scents in an instant. Citrus, iron, cannabis, and apples. Vanilla and cinnamon hit me especially hard. My fangs descended despite having fed only a few hours ago. I pushed past that tantalizing warmth I knew had to be a human and caught the light hint of freesia that was Avianna.