Crimson Truth (Onyx Assassins 4)

Xavier leaned forward in his chair, tilting his head. “Yes, Benedict, did your little witch return to the ether?”

“She wasn’t his anything!” Genevieve shouted.

So, that’s how we’re going to play this.

My jaw ticked, and I locked down every muscle in my body as the predator within me demanded I rightfully, publicly claim my mate.

“There was nothing he could do,” Ajax lied smoothly.

Pain danced up my arm.

“She evaporated into the ether shortly after he arrived.” Ajax shrugged. “I’m sorry for your loss, but it’s not like we’re skilled at healing magical wounds.”

“Magical?” Genevieve shook her head. “If she was bleeding, it was by lycan hands!”

“It was not!” Luka growled, his eyes turning the supernatural blue that all lycans displayed just before they turned.

“They were not lycan wounds,” I said through gritted teeth as Luna softly began to cry, her shoulders trembling. “And the Jocelyn you knew is no longer on this earth.”

Genevieve covered her mouth and stifled a mournful sob.

Xavier stared at me in a way that made the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up, but I kept my eyes locked on Genevieve, meeting her gaze unflinchingly, letting the agony of finding Jocelyn there in that field show in every line of my face and praying she didn’t know enough about mates to sense the truth in the obvious lie.

If my mate were dead, I would no longer walk this earth. It was that simple.

But Genevieve didn’t know that.

“You have our most sincere apologies for the loss of your daughter and heir,” Alek repeated. “Our people mourn with yours.”

Genevieve thrust her shoulders back and lifted her chin. “I may have lost a daughter, but you can be sure that I will bring her murderer to justice. If the wounds were magical as you say, then it’s only unfortunate that I couldn’t examine her myself before her body returned to the ether. I would have sensed the magical trace of whomever murdered her.”

“Unfortunate, indeed,” Xavier muttered.

Good God, the woman deserved an Oscar, or at least a slow clap.

“But I am blessed in my offspring, and the witches will not suffer for the lack of an heir to the covens.” Genevieve spared a glance for Luna, who openly, quietly wept for the loss of her sister, tears streaking down her face. “I ask this Conclave to recognize Luna as my heir.”

Luna startled, her mouth dropping open. “Mother?”

“You heard me,” Genevieve said to the rest of Conclave. “I’m calling for a vote.”

One by one, they voiced their votes, each supernatural leader acknowledging the transition of power from my mate...to her sister.

I kept silent, locking my jaw as I watched my mate lose her throne.

She never wanted it.

“It is done,” Genevieve said after the vote, nodding once before spinning on her heel in a whirl of fabric and striding back to the tunnel that led to witch territory.

“She owes me an apology.” Luka’s snarl reverberated off the stone of the chamber.

“Get in line,” I replied.

It was done.

18

Jocelyn

“Again,” Lachlan, the pushy highlander, demanded from where he stood in the middle of the mat in the training room.

Benedict was strategizing with Alek in the war room, and the highlander Assassin had graciously offered to stand in my mate’s stead for the first hour so I didn’t fall behind in my training. And while I was grumbly with my new trainer—Benedict’s training was tough but I was usually rewarded with multiple orgasms after—I knew I couldn’t stop.

I had to be better.

Stronger.

And with the new wealth of power running through my veins? I had to find some form of control or it would ruin me in the end.

“And do better, witch,” Lachlan added, and Valor hissed from where she sat across the room, watching and offering help when needed.

I ran at Lachlan, my senses soaring with the new vampire speed. It was like I could see everything in slow motion despite running faster than the human eye could track. I saw Lachlan’s intent to dodge my aggressive attack, just the slight flicker of his gaze to the left, and I adjusted on a dime, drawing my inherent witch powers into my palms. Lavender energy crackled around my fingers as I crashed against Lachlan, pinning him to the mat, my hand searing his skin as I gripped his throat.

“Fuck,” Lachlan groaned under my grip.

I bared my fangs, unable to stop the things from lowering, my blood thrumming with power and the urge to defend myself.

“Damn,” Valor said, clapping. “Maybe I should try and transition, babe. Look what I could do to you.”

I laughed, hurrying off the pissed off Assassin, who was on his feet in seconds. I half expected him to take me down on principle—we all knew he could wipe the floor with me if he wanted. All the Assassins could. I was untrained and untested in my new abilities, but the combination of my powers? It gave me an edge they didn’t quite know what to do with. Lucky for them, I was mated to their brother and totally on their side.