“Why! Why’d he do it?” The girl’s gaze landed on the dead man in the middle of Winter Haven floor. She gasped in horror.
Dimurah was staring at him, fists clench and jaw jutting.
His unflinching gaze was levelled on her as he enunciated the words. “Because you’re mine. Everyone knows it. And no one interferes in my business or they die.”
The crowd hushed. No one moved to intercede. And it’d be a long time until someone does again.
“I’ll never be yours!” She screamed. But her eyes were fearful.
***
He laughed uproariously. Tossing back his head in a show of boldness as he nearly reached the door with her before him. “He brought me a blade. What did he expect?” He looked around the room. Nodding arrogantly. “What’s my policy, men?”
They began to chant. “Have a man come at me with a dagger and I shall have a dagger. Have him attack me with a sword and I shall pierce him with a sword. Have him shackle me and I’ll crush his throat with those shackles.
I’m an exceptional killer. I’ll kill my enemy with whatever gifts he brings me…”
Savage’s eyes flashed gold in approval at their perfect recitation.
See? His head fell forward to give Dimurah a meaningful glare. Everyone knows.
At that moment Murah’s other three bodyguards thundered into the floating alehouse. Making the crowd laugh at their tardiness.
Savage stared only at her as someone opened the door. He maneuvered her out into the sweet night air.
***
He pushed her out of Winter Haven and kicked the door shut behind him. Still gripping her wrists as he guided her through the mud. Aiming for his tent.
“I hate you!” She seethed. Rain trailing her pale face. She ripped a wrist free and swatted at his face.
He slapped it away. Looking bored to tears. Still clenching her other wrist in a vise grip. “I stayed away for months because you asked me to. I won’t be doing that again.”
She gasped in outrage.
“So, let me be very clear.” He enunciated in a low tone. “On how this little dominion of yours works, Barter Queen. If you’ve a man with some semblance of honor or willingness to stand up in this fortress, he could send those careful walls you’ve built here crumbling.” He waggled his fingers in a trickling motion to emphasize the fall of her kingdom.
“I’m not going anywhere with you!” She shot out. “I somehow occasionally forget you’re nothing but a killer, but don’t mistake that for license!”
“I don’t need your license.” Dark blue eyes narrowed on her. “A man with honor like that, will eventually think he’s duty bound by some misguided inner code, to report to the king exactly what goes on here. Taxes that aren’t being paid. A place where killers and wanted men gather. Where whores are tossed on their back, and coin tumbles freely without consent of any king.”
“I wish you were as fool as they think you!” She tossed her head back toward the rickety wooden structure swaying on the water.
“So, do they.”
“I could forgive you if you were.”
“Forgive me or not.” He shrugged. “I am what I am.”
“Where are you taking me?” She spat. Suddenly looking around her in panic.
“You know very well where I’m taking you.”
“I won’t go with you.” She wrenched her wrist from his grip, and he let her.
His eyes blazed over her every jerking movement as she slid in the mud. When she gained her footing, he still stood immovable, before her. Watching her like a predator with an eye on prey. “Yet.”
“At all! Ever again.”
He chuckled coldly. “Weak words from a woman with no will against me.”
“You’re not funny. Nothing about you is funny!” She charged.
“I don’t intend to be.”
“You never are!” She retorted. Taking a sliding step back from him.
Rain pelted them. Saturating her scarlet curls.
“You’re breathtakingly fierce in your fine rage.” He cupped her chin. Running a thumb along her bottom lip reverently. “But be careful you don’t take it too far. In-front of those men,” He gestured behind them with his other hand. “I’m as like to cut you as to kiss you.” His hand stroked down her neck to finger the fine scratch there. Marked by the one dried line of blood running from it.
“That man didn’t deserve to die.” She whimpered.
“Perhaps he didn’t. But he did just the same.” He murmured dispassionately. More focused on his hand sliding over her collar and down to part her cloak. Blue eyes trailing its progress.
“Why?”
“I told you why!” His head snapped up. “You let him be here. In our inner sanctum. He wasn’t vetted. And was a threat. A threat I ended. Like I do all of them. For you. For this place…”
She spit in the mud, showing her fury.
He groaned in his throat. Taking in the sight of her fiery blue eyes tossing daggers at him. The white line around her full mouth, her heaving chest, all gave away her fight against her body’s reaction.
“I’m not going to fight with you about a man neither of us knew or cared about.” He stepped closer. His arms wrapping her lower back to jerk her against him as the rain poured faster. His mouth took hers with the same ferocity he did all things.
He kissed her hard and deep.She shoved him back and slapped him hard.Making him toss his head back. Roaring with laughter like some dark demon.When his head fell forward. His eyes shined in slivers of moonlight. “Strike me viper. But it’s only yourself, you’re poisoning.”She twisted against his grip.But he backed her up through the mud. Walking through rain which now dumped wildly in the Courtyard. Making it hard to see beyond a few feet in the darkness of the night.In the dark of my Fortress. Savage was grateful for it now as his gaze was locked on his pretty prey.“Where do you think you’re going, Murah.”“Let me go!”“You had the chance years ago.” He whispered to her. “It’s too late for all that bluster now.”Finally, he saw the silhouette of a tree in the dark and guided her back against it.She grunted as she made contact. Giving him a venomous look.“Don’t touch me, Jax.”“Ah, now I’m Jax again, am I?” He crooned. Still holding her upper arms as his blue eyes roved her fa
Blue Lark Guild, Dread HideoutA woman entered the Blue Lark looking to hire an assassin.She’d passed the tower guards, passed the Courtyard Guards, and made it right in the front door of his fortress, and straight into the Winter Haven Alehouse for just that purpose.But Savage Jaxson saw her clearly for what she was. Royalty. His study zeroed in on her from across the room. Watching the way, she swept her cape and how carefully she stepped over a spilled drink.He glimpsed her hand as she gripped the hem of her cape. Not old. Not young. He caught a wisping curl of hair moving beyond the hood as she breathed.Dark brown. Female. Middle-aged royalty. In the Blue Lark to hire an assassin.He drew closer, watching her profile peer from under the red hood. Spotting a particularly weaselly man across the room.The Death Dealer. Though he didn’t look like much, he was a skilled killer. Not particular in whether he murdered women or children.“What are you looking at?” Dimurah whispered ov
She gasped in outrage. Slowly turning to see his unabashed grin. She tossed the pitcher at him.He casually deflected it with a forearm. Laughing uproariously as it sloshed another of the barmaids.“You unbelievable wretch!” Dimurah quaked with rage.“Tent it is!”The crowd in Winter Haven roared in approval.“You’ll have to be quiet this time! No rousing the courtyard again.” He waved a finger in cautioning.“You heathen! That’s not true!” She nearly shook with rage. Making her blue eyes glimmer.“You take it back!” She rushed over to order.“Clearly. As you wish. I take it back!” He announced. “It’s not true. It wasn’t the whole courtyard!” He laughed raucously. Dodging the tankard, she tried to splash on him next. Moving smoothly from its trajectory so is slopped harmlessly over the boards onto the floor.“Contain your fire!” He shouted laughingly. Tone softening, he ensured it was still loud enough for everyone to hear. “Save it for later.” He let the innuendo fill the alehouse.“
The following morning, Dimurah was unsurprised when Nauvree sighed and took a seat at the counter. Eying her over it until she finally slammed down her rag and gave him a disparaging look.“What?”“When are you just going to give in to him?” Nauvree asked Murah.She looked up from wiping a tankard out with a bit of cloth. Setting it along the bar for later tonight. “What do you mean?”“You know very well, what I mean.” He eyed her over his tankard. “You two have been engaged in the longest running segment of foreplay I’ve ever witnessed. And I’ve had some time to witness many things…”She admired this man. With his short cropped blonde hair and alert blue-green eyes, he was good-looking. Though easily as dangerous as any other man in the Blue Lark Guild, he and his friend, had some sordid code of honor that made them truer than most. Such as Savage Jack, for instance.“Everyone knows full well, I don’t dally with clientele.”“We’re all your clientele.” He argued.She gave him a pointe
You should wince. Savage thought. I caught you talking about me for all to hear.You intend to try to evade me? Good luck.Grimacing, Murah slowly turned toward the hooded figure in the corner, whom they’d assumed was half asleep over an empty tankard.Me.“Sorry.” Adrea winced. Ducking low to stay behind the bar, she crept around the corner and vanished under the stairs.Hiding from me. Sharp girl.“Coward.” Murah hissed after her.You’re merely envious you’d not make it as far as she did. He rose, making the fabric of his long cloak whisper as he walked to the counter.“Would you just go away?”No.“To your hut?” He offered. Lifting a hand to knock a hood back. Making the wood beads clink in the twisted strands of his light blonde hair.“Have I expressed how much I hate when you’re here?”You don’t. You hate that I’m in control when I’m here.“You mean like a parent. Seeing what you’ve been up to in my absence and cleaning up whatever childish messes you’ve made without my approval?
“I hate that he’s back!” Murah whined to Markus.“Me too.” He agreed. “It’s just a question of who’s going to die not ‘if’ or ‘when’.”“Is he really so bad?” Thomas, the other bodyguard, asked from next to them.“Worse.” She and Markus said in unison.She sighed. “Hire some extra barmaids tonight for…sanitizing. Did we get whoever that was last night, cleaned up?” She asked nearly as an afterthought.“In the hole out back.” Markus nodded. “Barely a stain left.”“Have Dale widen the hole.”“I hate when he’s back.” Markus grumbled as he left Murah’s hut.“Me too.” She whined.Thomas sat in the wooden chair near the door. Lifting his wooden cup of water to sip as he sat sentry.She watched the young man forlornly.“Yes?” He glanced at her. Smiling proudly to be taking care of his family working for her. Her coin helped put food in his little brother and mother’s bellies.“Be careful.”“I always am, mum.”“No, Thomas. I mean exceptionally careful.”His brow knitted as he looked at her.“H
Alazar, The Nauvree, was assessing the camp site the next morning. Still analyzing that intriguing dagger the assassin had tried to use and trying to recognize who this assassin was.“It’s true what she says.” The voice stopped Alazareth in his tracks as he returned to the woods from escorting her back to Nightway in the early hours.Mardichi, The RedBayne.He stood near the remnants of the long dead fire. Eyes skimming the body of the dead man.The man I killed trying to assassinate Riaura.“I came to warn ye.” Mardichi murmured. “Someone from Igonox hired an assassin last nigh’ ta kill yer Nightway princess. Savage called ‘er out in the Blue Lark.”“You came albeit late.”“Nay.” Mardichi murmured. “I didn’t. The Death Dealer is still back at the Blue Lark. He planned to come this way late this eve. I knew nothing of this un’.” Mardichi gestured to the dead man at his feet.“How many are there?” Alazar asked worriedly.“I’ve no idea…Now. Perhaps every assassin who crossed the path be
Savage entered Winter’s Haven. Damn grateful to be back from his miserable venture.His eyes automatically finding Dimurah working behind the counter.And there she is.The view never grew old. Her cloud of red hair crept from the green hood and the mud smearing her face did little to hide the beauty of it, once one knew it was there. Her soft blue eyes were moving beneath the counter looking for her next tankard and assessing the remaining inventory.She hadn’t yet noticed his presence in her alehouse.He was damn happy to see her. Despite that he suspected she’d still be angry with him for not telling her where he was going before he left nor allowing his assassing to obey her.She always is.Savage was excited to have a seat and relax and exchange some banter with his favorite little barmaid, especially after discovering that the Nauvree was betraying him.Killing my assassins behind my back.Why?It was quite a shame to discover it. I’d thought the Nauvree was one of the few here