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A COUPLE OF NIGHTS had passed since Sorcha’s encounter with the strange female demon. She’d been careful to mask her scent each time she teleported. She still wasn’t sure why her shield tended to cut off whenever she teleported. So far, she hadn’t figured out how to stop it from happening. Maybe if she’d had full access to her power, it wouldn’t short out like that. But half of her magic was locked away and she was starting to wonder if she would ever gain access to it.
Her night had been busy so far. Four assassination orders had taken her all over the city. She had a couple of hours to spare after her final mission, so she hung around the Magic Guildhall. She hoped to run into the man who would supposedly free her from her leash holders. His identity was still a mystery, even though she supposedly knew him.
A man dressed in a dark red cloak with the hood pulled up stepped out of the Magic Guildhall. Her heart stuttered when she saw Kade’s gorgeous face.
“Courier!” someone called out as the door was about to swing shut.
Kade gracefully turned and caught the door before it could close. “Yes, sir?” he asked politely as an annoyed fairy glared up at him.
“You didn’t show up at the guildhall last night,” the fairy said. “What possible excuse could you have for missing your shift?” He went on before the courier could come up with an explanation. “Do you think the parcels and letters will deliver themselves? Guild Master Onvier expects better of his guildmembers. If I hear you’ve avoided your duties again, I’ll have no choice but to bring the matter up with him. Our Guild Master doesn’t tolerate slackers and he’ll no doubt expel you from the guild.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” Kade said in a glum tone. “It won’t happen again.”
“See that it doesn’t!” the irate fairy ordered, then pushed past him and trotted over to a line of carriages that had turned up to ferry people to their homes.
Sorcha was tempted to switch the fairy’s backside with air, but knew the childish prank would be blamed on Kade. He turned and saw her, once again seeing through her glamor. Her heart lurched once more when a smile lit his face up. She smiled in return as he descended the stairs to join her. “Fancy seeing you here, my lady,” he said.
“Do all of the higher ranking guildmembers treat you like that?” she asked, lowering her voice so she didn’t get him in more trouble.
“Pretty much,” he said with a casual shrug. “Do you want to share a carriage home?” he asked and offered her his arm.
Sorcha slid her arm through his and warmth suffused her when his arm brushed against her breast by accident. “I don’t live very far from here,” she said. “I don’t need a carriage to get home.”
“It isn’t safe for a beautiful young woman to be walking the streets of Nox alone,” Kade said, amethyst eyes meeting hers squarely. He ignored the illusion spell that made her look ordinary. “Would you allow me to walk you home?”
They’d had almost this exact conversation before. This time, she wasn’t going to let anything interrupt them. Dawn was too close for the Immortal Triumvirate to send her on another mission. “Sure,” she said shyly. “I’d like that.” Kade grinned down at her, then she tugged him away from the Magic Guildhall. The twin statues seemed to frown down at them both in disapproval.
It wasn’t raining for once, but it was windy. The courier’s cloak flared out behind him each time a gust hit them. His hood always stayed in place, as if it was being held there by magic.
For the first time since she’d moved into the mansion ten years ago, Sorcha entered the building through the front door. “Come in,” she invited Kade and he stepped over the threshold. He cast a look at the door and frowned a little when he saw an image of a woman that appeared to be riding some kind of water creature. It was the only etching on the door, which meant she was the only person living in the huge building.
Sorcha led Kade past the door to the living room and training room. He glanced into them both, but he didn’t see very far into either room. She was glad she’d blasted the mural of ice on the wall at the far end of the training room where he couldn’t see it.
They headed up to the third floor. She made sure to stand in front of the symbol of the dagger on her door so he didn’t see it. How could she possibly explain who and what she was to him? He would be horrified if he knew she was a murderer. “You can enter my home,” she said, giving him the permission he needed to be able to step into her apartment.
“It’s lovely,” Kade said when he stepped inside and looked around. Like the clothing she wore, gold, white and cream were the predominant theme. Her apartment was far nicer than most and he couldn’t see a speck of dust anywhere.
“I’ll just close the drapes for privacy,” Sorcha said and hurried over to the bay window. She didn’t want her guest to see the image of him that had been etched into the glass. “Can I get you some tea?” she asked.
“You don’t have wine?” Kade queried as he crossed to her.
“I don’t drink wine very often,” she said, suddenly feeling nervous. He was the first man she’d ever brought home. It was hard to ignore the niggling fear that the Immortal Triumvirate would punish her if they found out she was about to break the rules.
“You can’t tolerate alcohol?” Kade asked, coming to a stop right in front of her.
“I can drink it without being badly affected like a full blood fae, but I mostly stick to drinking tea,” she said.
“You’re nervous,” the courier noted when she clutched her hands together. “I won’t bite,” he added with a smile.
“I know. I’m just not used to this,” she said vaguely.
“What aren’t you used to?” he asked and took her hands.
“I’m not used to being alone in my apartment with a handsome man,” she confessed and felt her cheeks heat at the admission.
“Have you ever been with a man before, Sorcha?” he asked her. If he’d smirked at her, or if his tone had been condescending, she would have kicked him out. instead, he seemed curious and pleased with the idea.
“No,” she admitted in a small voice.
“We don’t have to do anything you aren’t ready for,” the courier told her, rubbing his thumbs across the backs of her hands soothingly. “We can just sit on your sofa and drink tea if you want.”
His sincerity was obvious and she knew he wasn’t going to push her. This was her choice and she’d already made her decision. “I don’t want tea,” she said breathlessly.
“What do you want?” Kade asked, watching her intently.
“I want you.”
“I was hoping you were going to say that,” the courier said, then put his arms around her and swept her off her feet.
