Crimson Covenant (Onyx Assassins 1)

“You can’t just—oh, my God, what do you do with those?” She raised the poker at me.

“Dispense justice.” I slung on a leather jacket over the weapons.

She stifled a laugh. “Sorry, but if you heard the way you just said that, all serious like some CW drama.” She drew back her head and narrowed her eyes. “Dispense justice.” She tilted her chin and looked off into the distance before another laugh bubbled up. “Now I know this is all in my head.”

“Whatever makes you feel better.” It was safer for her that way.

“A clove of garlic might make me feel better,” she muttered.

“Garlic? If you believe that old wives’ tale, I’d love to show you what I can do with a wooden stake.”

“How about crosses?”

“Why would I fear anything having to do with God? I’ll never understand why humans would think we all don’t have the same creator.” I walked out past her, then shut the wardrobe doors behind me, locking them to my biometrics. Her scent was in my lungs, on my tongue. The sooner I got out of this room, the better. “I have matters to attend to. Serge will bring you evening repast.” Had to give credit to the guy, he’d barely blinked when I’d brought her back last night.

Her forehead crinkled. “Evening wh…what time is it?”

I glanced at my watch. “A little after nine p.m.”

“But it—” Her eyes widened. “How long have I been here?”

“Almost twenty-four hours.” I took my cell from the charger and pocketed it.

“What?” she shouted, dropping the poker.

“It’s not uncommon for it to take a full day’s cycle to heal from a brain injury like that.” I shrugged. “Not that I’ve ever healed a human before.”

“Healed…” She ran her tongue over her bottom lip like she could still taste me, and heat licked through my veins. Then she shook her head. “Let me go.”

“I can’t.”

“Sure you can.” She pointed to the door, color rising in her cheeks. “Open the fucking door and let me out! I have a thesis on early American secret societies to write! And a life! And I really have to pee!” Her eyes radiated with undeniable, utterly beguiling fury. “You can’t just keep me prisoner!”

It was cute.

“Well, the bathroom is through that door.” I pointed to the right, just past the bed. “And since this is all in your head, consider it your day off. Television remote is on the nightstand, books are on the shelves, and Serge will help you with anything else you need. I’ll be back later.” I walked out of the bedchamber, leaving her stuttering.

Both Serge and Lachlan waited for me in the hall. The talem stood with a covered tray, and the warrior pushed off the wall he’d been leaning against as he narrowed his eyes at me.

“Give her whatever she wants, except her freedom,” I said to Serge, who nodded and hurried through the door, closing it behind him. The reassuring sound of the locks sliding home came shortly after.

“You’re smiling,” Lachlan accused.

“Fuck off.” I walked right by him, heading down the wide hallway of the residence’s center wing. The building was shaped like a capital E, with the members of the Order living in both the east and west, pretending to give me my space while actually holding a perimeter. Usually, it made me roll my fucking eyes that the house had been designed to protect royalty, but with Lyric in my chamber…well, that changed things.

“Alek.” The highlander’s heavy footsteps followed mine on the plush runner covering the hardwood as I passed centuries of artwork that had been selected and preserved by my family.

“Leave it,” I warned him. Lyric wasn’t a topic up for conversation.

“I can smell you on her!”

Rage whipped through me in an icy blast, freezing me at the top of the staircase. Every muscle locked as I silently listed the reasons I couldn’t rip his head off his shoulders.

“Shit,” he muttered as he saw my face, but at least he was smart enough to put a few feet between us. “I meant no disrespect.”

“Mind your own damned business,” I growled, and started down the steps.

“If you’ve opened up a vein for the first time in your life, I’d say I have the right to be…” He shook his head slightly like he was looking for a word that wouldn’t get him killed. “Aware.”

“Not here.” I glanced over the railing and saw Olivia, Avianna’s bodyguard, crossing the foyer.

Lachlan followed my line of sight and nodded as we made it to the landing where all three staircases converged, then continued down to the foyer. We didn’t speak until we were behind the steel door of the war room.

“Not yet.” I took my place at the head of the table, then devoured the meal Serge had thoughtfully left for me, but it did nothing to satiate my hunger because it wasn’t for food…it was for her. Once my stomach was full, I looked up to find every member of the Order staring at me with the exception of Hawke, who was polishing a dagger.