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KADE KNEW HE’D SCREWED up badly with the way he’d treated Sorcha. It had been a shock to find out she was an assassin and that she worked for his enemies. Eden had explained that none of them had asked to be turned into killers. After hearing how miserable their lives had been after they’d been bred in captivity, he felt even worse about the things he’d said to Sorcha.
Standing beneath the streetlamp across the road from the assassin’s mansion, the warlock stared up at her window. Rain poured down on him, but the shield he’d created kept him and the packages that were tucked beneath his arm dry. He’d been throwing pebbles at her window for the past couple of hours. Either she wasn’t home, or she was ignoring him.
“I need to come up with a better plan than this,” he murmured. Eden would probably be able to tell him how to woo her friend, but he wasn’t sure the succubus would be willing to help him. She didn’t want Sorcha to become embroiled in their rebellion, but she did want her to be free from the Immortal Triumvirate.
Kade’s thoughts returned to how it had felt to have Sorcha in his arms. He’d wanted so desperately for her to be his match that he’d contemplated turning to black magic to increase her power. Dark magic would be needed to cut her ties to their leaders, but she already had more than enough power to be his mate.
Lost in a daydream of having the sorceress fighting at his side when he and his allies battled the Immortal Triumvirate, he didn’t notice the carriage that was rumbling towards him until it whooshed past. Water splashed on his shield, snapping him out of his fantasy. The skeleton turned and clicked its teeth at him either in amusement, or in admonishment for standing too close to the road.
The warlock flushed in mortification that he’d allowed himself to lower his guard. He took another pebble out of his pocket and tossed it at Sorcha’s window, but nothing happened. He’d debated about sending her a magical letter to apologize to her, but had discounted it. He needed to speak to her in person so he could beg for her forgiveness. Unfortunately, he couldn’t enter her home without her permission. His only recourse was to try to get her attention by throwing pebbles at her window and hope he would eventually wear her down.
Sorcha had warded her house so he couldn’t feel it when she cast spells. He couldn’t tell if she was teleporting in or out of the building. She hadn’t used the front door all night. He’d set a small ward at both doors that would alert him if they were broken. If she came or went through either entrance, he would sense it. He was hoping to catch her as she was leaving to go out on one of her missions. Surely, she would listen to him long enough for him to offer to free her from her bonds.
“Then I’ll have to convince her to become bound to me,” he said with a heavy sigh. If he’d had Raum’s smooth charm, it would probably be easy. He scowled that the Demon Guild Master would undoubtedly have more success at wooing the woman of his choice than he would. “If he ever finds her,” he added with a smirk. At least Kade had found his match, even if she was going to be tough to win over.
A letter zoomed along the sidewalk and he watched it approach Sorcha’s house. He went on full alert when it stopped at her stone mansion and wormed its way beneath her door. “So, she is home,” he figured. He kept his senses alert, but he couldn’t feel magic being cast inside. She didn’t leave via the front or back doors and she didn’t open the drapes when he threw another pebble at her window. Clearly, she wasn’t ready to speak to him yet.
Heaving a sigh of momentary defeat, the warlock teleported to the Fae District. He delivered the two parcels and was given a package to return to the Magic Guildhall. There was no rush, so he would drop it off tomorrow night when he showed up for his nightly assignments.
Kade left the house and started walking down the sidewalk. He was about to duck out of sight and teleport back to Sorcha’s mansion when he heard someone sprinting towards him. He saw a terrified elf running as fast as he could, throwing desperate glances over his shoulder at the woman who was pursuing him. Xiara Evora’s staff glowed with gray fog and her expression was grim and focused. Kade knew the Guardian of Nox would catch her prey, but he decided to help her out and to cut her hunt short. He stuck his leg out just as the elf reached him. The fleeing man tripped and went down with a shout of despair.
Ms. Evora flashed a grin at the cloaked warlock, then leaped at her target. She didn’t bother to make a speech first and lopped his head off with Wrath. “Thanks for the assist,” she said when the elf’s head rolled into the gutter.
“No problem,” Kade replied. A couple of skeletons that were pruning a hedge across the street turned, then crossed the road to drag the body away. “I wonder why Lord Dallinar doesn’t broadcast your hunts to the populace anymore?” he said.
Xiara shrugged and rested Wrath over her shoulder. “I think he’s usually too drunk to focus long enough to broadcast it to everyone,” she figured. She eyed him up and down, then flicked her sopping platinum blonde hair over her shoulder. As always, she wore it up in a ponytail. “So, how’s the rebellion going?” she asked him quietly.
“We’re making progress,” he replied just as quietly. “Sebastian found his partner and I’ve just discovered mine as well.”
“But?” she prompted at his uncertain tone.
“But I found out she’s one of the Immortal Triumvirate’s assassins and I called her a monster,” he admitted.
The huntress gave him a chiding look. “I bet she has about as much choice in the matter as I do,” she said.
“I really hurt Sorcha and I don’t know how to fix it,” he said, shoulders sagging in defeat.
Xiara nodded thoughtfully, ignoring the deluge as if she barely felt it. “You need to be straight with her,” she advised him. “Grovel and beg her for forgiveness, then tell her exactly who you are and what you plan to do. I think you’ll find the sorceress is open to the idea of becoming your match.”
Kade looked at her suspiciously. “How did you know Sorcha is a sorceress?”
The executioner grinned in amusement. “She paid a visit to Madam Quilla. My bestie knew who and what she was the instant she saw her.”
“You knew Sorcha was meant to be my partner and you didn’t tell me?” he asked incredulously.
Her grin widened slightly at his outrage. “Yep. Quilla foresaw that you two needed to go through some rough times before you’ll become bonded. It’s all part of your destiny and you can’t take any shortcuts.”
“Does Madam Quilla know who Raum will be partnered with?” the warlock asked.
Xiara shook her head. “He hasn’t been to her to ask her to do a reading for him,” she replied. “The woman he’s meant to become bonded to hasn’t visited her either.”
“Will I be successful?” he asked and held his breath while he waited for her to answer him.
“You’d better be,” she said, all amusement vanishing and becoming grim again. “The fate of Nox depends on it.” With that warning, a carriage stopped to pick her up. She climbed inside, then the vehicle lurched into motion and rapidly disappeared into the gloom.
