Crimson Warrior (Onyx Assassins 3)

That got everyone’s attention, though we all tried to act like we didn’t hear it.

“You two okay over there?” Zachariah asked, tensing beside me.

“He’s moody,” Samuel said with a quick smile.

I glanced at Saint, looking for any obvious sign of bloodmadness. Exhaustion was evident—thirst, even—but I didn’t see anything that hinted at him turning.

“So what else is new in this century?” Ajax asked.

“It appears the princesses are a bit more accessible.” Talon leaned back and stared up the aisle with more than a little appreciation in his gaze.

A dagger flew from Hawke’s hand, landing in the seat next to Talon’s ear.

“They’re not,” Hawke said slowly, his voice low and ominous.

Talon grinned, and didn’t even flinch. “Point taken.” He plucked the knife from his seat and slid it back across the table to Hawke.

“What about the rest of the female population?” Ajax asked. “Is it all like 90 Day Fiancee?”

I laughed hard. “What the hell were you guys watching down there? And no, it’s not like that. Though I will tell you that the biggest change in our culture is that our females decide their futures for themselves.”

They all nodded, absorbing the information, but shifted uncomfortably. I had the feeling that was going to be quite the adjustment for them.

Talon’s gaze narrowed on Olivia. “I like the pants. That’s a fabulous development.”

“Don’t even think about it. If you can’t catch her scent from here, let me clue you in. She wears my mating mark.” I gave them all a smile that showed a little fang.

Fine, I was a territorial asshole. I was cool with it. It had taken us centuries to be mated, and while I knew I’d always struggle with the danger she put herself in, I wasn’t about to let the Hunters think she was on the market. She wasn’t.

“Noted.” Zachariah gave the others a look that made them all divert their gazes from the front of the cabin.

“And our alliances with other species?” Samuel asked, sipping on the cup of blood his brother shoved his way.

“Strong at home,” I answered. “We have a Covenant with the lycans, the witches, demons, and even a select group of humans.” The Covenant kept peace in Edgemont and allowed us all to work with the spirit of cooperation. “Instead of hunting down bloodmad vampires as the Onyx Assassins—"

“Which we still do,” Hawke added with a pointed look at Saint.

“— we dispense the justice meted out at Conclave, which is headed by our king.”

“Witches could be fun,” Ajax said, raising his eyebrows at Talon.

Benedict scoffed. “Not these witches. They’d rather burn you alive than get too close to a vampire.”

“That’s not what I hear,” Hawke said with a straight face, raising a brow at Benedict. “There’s a certain purple-haired heir to the throne that seems to wind up in your car a lot.”

“Giving Jocelyn a ride home because she constantly inserts herself into vampire business is not the same thing as what those two have in mind,” Benedict pointed at Ajax and Talon. “Trust me. Jocelyn would eat them for breakfast.”

“She’s taken a bite out of you a time or two,” I joked. The woman loved telling little white lies around Benedict just to ink him up.

“I never said she wouldn’t be worth the burn,” he answered with a secretive smile. “Just that she’s not interested in anything with fangs.” He glanced at the hunters. “Don’t worry, there will be plenty of females at the estate dying to get their hands on you guys. The aristocrats have been bored for decades.”

“How long until we park?” Ajax asked.

“Land,” I corrected him. “Cars park, and planes land.”

“Right.” He sighed. “How long until we land?”

“Another seven hours or so,” I answered, glancing at them all in turn and landing on Samuel and Saint. “Tell me, do your powers work in tandem?”

Saint flat-out glared at me.

“I’m sorry?” Samuel asked. “Tandem?”

“You both heal or poison, right?” Benedict leaned forward slightly. “It’s fascinating.”

Samuel laughed, and Saint shook his head. “Not exactly,” Samuel said, then drained the last of the blood from his glass. “I have the power over the body. To heal or…harm.” He looked at his brother.

Saint’s gaze slid over me in judgment, as if weighing if I mattered enough to answer.

“Go ahead and tell him,” Zachariah encouraged, but didn’t order.

“I alter reality.” He flashed a grin that was anything but comforting. “At least reality as you see it. I could convince you that the plane was flooding right now as I drown you in your own saliva.”

My stomach twisted. “Well, that’s fucking horrifying.”

“Horror is relative.” He glanced at his twin. “We all have our demons to battle.”

The air charged with a tension that seemed to center on the two, and I got the distinct feeling that we didn’t know the entire story behind the Hunters’ decision to go into stasis.