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“HOW DID YOUR FRIEND discover where Sebastian lives?” Jardine asked as Sebastian drew them deeper into the house. It came out sounding like a demand.
Eden scowled at the tiny master vampire. “We’re assassins,” she said. “Finding our targets is what we were trained to do.” Sometimes, their marks weren’t at the address they were given and they had to go hunting for them.
“Lord Kreaton must have given Sorcha the kill order,” Malachi said, pushing his hood back now that he wasn’t leaving the mansion. It seemed his visit had just been extended.
“The spell will keep hammering at her until she kills him,” Eden said bleakly. “The longer it takes, the worse it’ll get. Eventually, it will tear her mind apart.”
“That would be a better alternative to Sebastian being murdered,” Jardine said.
“She’s our friend and she’s like my second sister,” Malachi chided her gently.
“We need to ask Kade to break Sorcha’s link to the Immortal Triumvirate,” Sebastian decided. He’d instinctively attempted to kill the assassin, but he was glad he’d missed her. It would break Eden’s heart if he murdered her friend, even if it had been in self-defense. She gave him a grateful look and hugged him tightly as he dictated a letter. It zoomed off to its target and they only had to wait for a few minutes before they heard a knock at the door.
“I’ll get it,” Jardine said when Sebastian moved to answer it. “It could be the assassin,” she added darkly.
“I’ll go with you,” Malachi offered. “If Sorcha sees my face, she might hesitate before striking out at you.”
Jardine took his arm and they hurried towards the door. Kade was standing there dressed in his usual dark red cloak with the hood up. He smiled in greeting, but it dropped away when he saw their tense postures. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“Come in and we’ll tell you, mon amie,” Sebastian called out.
Now that he had permission to enter, the warlock stepped inside. Malachi quickly closed the door and they strode back to the formal living room.
“Sorcha just tried to kill Sebastian,” Eden told Kade when everyone was gathered together. “We need you to find her and break her link to the Immortal Triumvirate like you did to Malachi and me.”
“I’ll be happy to,” Kade replied. This was the opportunity he’d been waiting for. “Where is she?” he asked.
“She’s probably lurking in the shadows, waiting for her chance to murder Sebastian,” Malachi said.
“She tried twice and missed both times,” Sebastian said.
Eden touched his back to find his clothes had been repaired by magic. His wound had healed as well. “She managed to hurt you,” she reminded him.
“I admit, no other assassin has come so close to ending my life,” he said. His tone was mild rather than worried. Not even a powerful sorceress could take him down.
“Sorcha is dangerous,” Malachi said, seeing the master vampire’s confidence. “She uses camouflage and she can teleport. That gives her an edge no other assassins have.”
“I can see through her illusions,” Kade told them. “If she’s here, I’ll spot her.” He motioned for them to stay where they were and strode back to the door. He let himself out and scanned the area. He didn’t see Sorcha hiding anywhere. He stepped back inside to find the others waiting for him in the foyer. “She’s not here,” he said in disappointment.
“She might be at the mansion,” Eden said. “If we three pay her a visit, she might come out and talk to us.” She motioned at Kade, Malachi and herself.
“You’re not going without me, mon amor,” Sebastian said firmly. Jardine shook her head as well. She was just as unwilling to allow her consort out of her sight.
“Sorcha won’t talk to us if you two are there,” Malachi pointed out in a reasonable tone. “Can you teleport three people?” he asked the warlock.
“Of course,” Kade replied. “Wish us luck,” he said to the bloodsuckers, then transported himself and the two former assassins to one of the empty buildings in the City Square. They hurried to the stone mansion where Eden and Malachi had once lived, but the door wouldn’t open for either of them now that they no longer lived there.
“It figures,” Eden said and blew out a sigh. “How are we going to get Sorcha’s attention?”
“We could send her a letter telling her we’re here,” the incubus suggested.
“I have another method,” Kade said with a hint of sheepishness. They followed him to the streetlamp and he drew something out of his pocket. They snickered when he threw a pebble at the bay window on the third floor.
“That’s really sophisticated, dude,” Malachi said.
“Here,” Kade said, ignoring their amusement. He handed the siblings a few pebbles. “Maybe if we all throw the pebbles at the same time, Sorcha might be tempted to look out her window.”
“If she’s even home,” Eden said, but took the pebbles from him. With Kade coordinating them, they threw the small stones in unison. The drapes didn’t move, so Sorcha either wasn’t home, or she was ignoring them.
“Let’s keep it up,” Malachi said as the pebbles magically returned to Kade’s pockets. “She’ll crack eventually,” he said confidently. He knew the sorceress well and he knew how to push her to the breaking point. Usually, he teased her for fun. This time, his motives were serious.
The trio kept up their barrage, pausing when pedestrians or carriages came into view. They’d been at it for nearly an hour when Kade felt a swell of magic coming from the Shifter District. The pebble he’d been about to throw fell out of his hand and he turned to the east.
“What is it?” Eden asked.
“I can feel strong magic being cast,” Kade replied.
“What sort of magic is it?” Malachi asked.
“I’m not sure,” the warlock replied, then stuffed the rest of the pebbles into his pocket. “You two wait here, I’m going to take a look.” He teleported away before they could protest.
“Should we wait here, or should we follow him?” Malachi asked.
“That’s the dumbest question ever,” the succubus said, then took off running. She wasn’t exactly sure where Kade had gone, but she had a hunch Sorcha was the one who was casting the magic. Her brother caught up to her and they sped across a bridge towards the Shifter District.
