Crimson Covenant (Onyx Assassins 1)

"Well, since you came all this way." If the man courted death, I had no problem introducing it to him.

"Your days are numbered." The human glanced around our circle slowly. I would've been impressed by his bravery were I not dumbfounded by his sheer stupidity. Any one of us, including Patrick, could end his life with a flick of a wrist and a honed blade.

“How generic,” Xavier sighed.

"Again," Benedict noted, "he's not lying, so he believes it."

"We will no longer live beneath you or allow others —" his attention snapped toward Patrick — "to make agreements on our behalf. You do not speak for us."

"And who do you speak for?" Benedict asked.

"Those who no longer fear you."

Jocelyn stared at Benedict's exposed forearms, then shook her head back at her mother.

Interesting. "And now that you've delivered your message?" I asked, already thinking of the thousands of ways Hawke could to pick someone apart.

"What you've done is an abomination." he surged against his bonds, but the metal was made for creatures far stronger than he. “She will not be allowed to live!"

Lyric. Whatever group he was a part of somehow knew about Lyric. I bared my fangs, but before I even stood, the man began to shake and foamed at the mouth, falling to his side in a heap.

"Shit," Lachlan muttered.

The sharp scent of poison filled the chamber, and the human’s heart ceased to beat.

Benedict dropped to his haunches and placed two fingers at the man's neck. "He's dead," he confirmed.

"Cyanide. I can smell it," Luka growled.

"Have to give it to the guy. At least he was committed," Xavier said with a slow clap.

"Who would be stupid enough to know about us and not fear us?" Jocelyn asked, her eyes narrowing at Benedict. "Maybe you're broken."

Benedict stood to his full height, which was at least twelve inches taller than the witch. "Excuse me?"

"My eyes are brown," she said loudly.

"Jocelyn!" Genevieve chastised, her knuckles going white on the arms of her chair.

Benedict held out his arm where the words my eyes are brown were now tattooed in scrolling feminine font. "Do not test me, little witch."

The temperature in the chamber dropped ten degrees, and Genevieve rose to her feet.

"Benedict." I gave him a soft but firm warning. We had enough enemies coming at us from the outside. We couldn’t afford to fracture from within.

Jocelyn lifted her chin, revealing a set of lilac-colored eyes just a shade or two lighter than her hair. "You're an ass."

"No harm done there. I only pick up on the lies." He winked at the woman, then walked back to take his place.

I dismissed Conclave as an ill feeling took hold in my stomach. Our enemies weren't just organized. They believed they had the upper hand, which meant they were either incredibly foolish…or right.

Either way, I couldn’t ignore the clawing demand in my blood for my mate. I needed to see that Lyric was safe and the estate hadn’t been breached. We took the cell phone Luka had acquired off the would-be attacker and got the fuck out, leaving Luka to deal with the corpse.

“What are you thinking?” Lachlan asked after we’d wended into the courtyard of the estate.

“Nothing good,” Benedict answered, ripping a hand over his hair.

“Agreed.” At least the bond that connected Lyric and I relaxed slightly now that we were both in the same space, but I felt the rebound coming on. There would be a price for being away from her for even that hour, and already my body was demanding payment. “And he knew about Lyric, which means they have inside information.”

The light, joyful laugh I loved more than life sounded from the end of the courtyard, near the rose garden. Lyric was near. My entire body went tight, and my fangs descended.

“Why warn us?” Lachlan mused, stroking his fingers over his beard. “Why not bite down on that cyanide pill the moment the wolves caught him? Do you honestly believe he wanted to deliver that message?”

Lyric walked at the edge of the garden with Avi and her bodyguard, Olivia, and I saw the exact moment she caught my scent. Her head snapped toward me, and I didn’t have to see that far to know that she was smiling.

“I’m less worried about delivering his little threat than I am about the fact that he was dedicated enough to follow through with the poison rather than let himself be interrogated,” I muttered as Lyric came closer. “Fill Ransom and Hawke in, then tell Ransom to get what he can off the cell phone.” The guy wasn’t just a pretty face, and if there was intel on the device, he’d get it.

With that order given, I walked straight toward my mate.

“Oh no,” Avi said, wiggling her eyebrows at Olivia. “He has that look on his face.”

“What look is—Oh.” Olivia put a hand to her throat.