Assassin: Fall of the Golden Valefar (A Paranormal Romance—Book #6 in the Demon Kissed Series) (6 page)

CHATPER EIGHT

Barefoot, he padded past the guards, feeling Carina’s eyes
on his back. She knew he wasn’t mortal anymore and was suspicious of him,
thinking he was a Valefar. He didn’t correct her. While it led her closer to
realizing who he was, she was still miles away. Ivy was scouring the city
looking for him, but the charm he placed on that piece of gold would make
Carina’s recollection of his features grow hazy. She wouldn’t remember him
until she saw him again. The only way he’d get trapped here is if Mandor
happened to walk in while he was here.

The tension in his legs made Eric want to run. He was
practically giddy. This would tell him what she was, and if she was mortal the
gold would protect her from Carina. And if she wasn’t, nothing could protect
her from Eric. Pulse rushing in his ears, he took slow controlled steps. Passing
the guards he said nothing. The tension in his arms made them feel like lead,
hanging at his sides. He cracked his knuckles to relieve the sensation and
stopped in front of door three. Eric withdrew the key from his pocket and slid
it into the lock. His heart was pounding. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, he
thought that the bed would be empty. The girl would have freed herself and ran.
There was no way that Natalia was a mortal stupid enough to think that she could
survive in a place like this. He’d seen the spark in her eyes, the light of
keen intelligence that said she was smarter than that.

But he was wrong.

When he pushed the door open, and stepped into the room,
Eric’s heart sank. Natalia was still lying there, chained—and livid. The bed
sheets were bunched under her back as she tried to free herself by twisting out
of the cuffs. Her wrists were bloody where the chains cut into her soft flesh. Tears
stained her face, distorting her dark make-up. It looked like someone had taken
coal and drew lines under her eyes. Eric’s stomach twisted. He hated seeing her
like that, and he was the one who did it to her. Damn.

The anger that coursed when he realized she was just some
helpless girl—an incredibly stupid one—faded. He walked toward her. She didn’t
look at him. She didn’t think he was coming back. Eric’s voice was soft, softer
than it should have been. He wanted to take her and shake some sense into her,
but he controlled himself.

“When are you going to believe me?” he asked sternly,
sitting next to her on the bed. He reached for her cuff. Natalia’s arm was
limp. The scent of her blood was heavenly, but he ignored it, and freed her
chewed up wrist.

She stared at him, watching his hands move to unchain her. His
touch was light and the slope of his shoulders told her a million words Eric
would never say. After he freed her ankles, she sat up slowly, rubbing her
wrists with Eric’s hand on her back to steady her. Dark hair cascaded down her
back. Icy blue eyes met his, “I’ll believe you when you stop coming back for
me.”

“You’re demented, you know that?” he laughed hollowly. She
had a death wish, and he… Eric realized how much he wanted her to live. There
was no life for her if she chose to hang around him. Intentionally steeling his
voice, he growled, “Go find some regular guy to fuck and have babies with—I’m
not him.” He glared at her. That had to be the reason. That had to be why she
was here. She didn’t see him. She didn’t see what he really was. He was certain
she was looking at him like a hero and he wasn’t. He wasn’t. And it didn’t
matter what he did, she didn’t see it.

“You’re wrong,” she said, barely loud enough to hear.

He laughed callously, wringing his hands before snapping at
her, “About what?”

“About me,” she moved quickly, her fist colliding with his
face, sending him flying backwards. Eric’s body hit the floor with a loud thud.
She’d never hit him like that before. There was power in that punch, more than
a girl her size should have. Before he regained his senses, her foot collided
with the side of his head. Eric staggered. The world went black and the last
thing he heard was the door lock scraping open and Natalia saying, “And I was
wrong about you.”

CHAPTER NINE

Carina stood over him, hands on her hips when his eyes
flicked open. The last person to hit him like that was Kreturus. When he opened
his eyes and saw the owner, he rubbed his hands over his face. She was grinning
ear to ear. “Your meal walked out of here about five minutes ago.”

Eric sat up, shaking off his shock. “She walked out?” She
hit him so hard his ears were still ringing. The side of his face felt like it
had cracked open. Touching it softly, he winced. There was no blood, but it
still throbbed. Eric stood and collected his things, looking around the room,
not knowing what to think.

Carina nodded. The tassels from the belt of her robe were
in her fingers. She was stroking the silky strands as she spoke, “Yup, she
walked out of here like she owned the place. One of the girls asked her what
happened. Her make-up was a mess and her hair, well, she looked horrid. And a
paid girl is supposed to stay put. Sasha didn’t answer, she just left. I sent
my guards after her…” she glanced at Eric, trying to gauge his reaction. She
wondered if the girl meant something to him. If she did, then Carina wanted
her.

Who the hell is Sasha?
he
thought before realizing that she meant Nat. Damn, she’d hit him hard. Eric
hissed at her, “She cost a fucking fortune, Carina. Patrons aren’t supposed to
get attacked…”

“You unchained her,” she retorted dropping her tassel.

“You trained her to fight back.”

Her hands were clenched into fists at her sides, “You were
supposed to subdue her.”

“You were supposed to screen your hires. What the fuck is
she? I was under the impression that I was with a mortal.” Rage flashed through
Eric’s eyes, the rims of his iris burning bright red. Carina saw it happen and
swallowed hard. She was afraid of him. Good. He stepped nearer to her.

Carina stepped back, “She is mortal. She bleeds. She
breaks. She breathes. She passed the tests we give to detect Valefar.”

“Prove it.” Eric’s body was corded tight. His mind was
reeling, trying to figure out what happened. That had to be more than a lucky
shot. Valefar hadn’t been able to clock him like that, which meant what? Eric’s
body was about to explode. He wanted to hit something, break someone. If Carina
didn’t prove what she was saying, he knew it would be her.

“I will. Follow me.” She turned promptly, signaling for the
guard to return Eric’s belongings. He pocketed his things, pulled his shirt
over his head, and slipped his feet back into his boots, before following
Carina across the room. He wove his way between patrons and half naked women,
until he walked into an office with Carina. The door slammed shut and he knew
there were guards nearby.

Eric was ready for a fight. He snapped at her, “Well? What
the hell is she?”

“Mortal. We test these things, Eric. She bleeds red. Her
blood tastes normal.” Carina fished in her desk and pulled out a file folder. The
name SASHA was printed on the side. “Each girl takes a stage-name and is
thoroughly checked. They cannot have living relatives in the city, and I place
a spell on them so that no one will recognize them should the need arise. But
you saw her, didn’t you?” Eric nodded. “It doesn’t work as well on Valefar. Here
take it. Look. The girl seemed normal to me, but if she overpowered you…” She
thrust the folder at him.

“She didn’t overpower me… it just seemed to be a
helluva
lucky shot.” Flicking through her folder, he saw
pictures of Natalia wearing nothing. She was all smooth skin and dark hair with
endless curves. His fingers pressed to the photograph as if he could touch her.
The memory of her warm flesh in his hand stirred within him. Eric snarled,
throwing the folder onto the desk, his eyes darting back and forth.
 

Carina laughed, “Well, she knocked you out and ran. Eric,
there are limits here. Each night only so many girls can die to avoid
suspicion. Since the Queen reigns and disapproves of my actions, I don’t wish
to anger her, but we still need to live, Eric. I’m sure you don’t expect us to
starve.” He shook his head, agreeing with her to see where she was going with
this. “Then we’re on the same side. You may feed here, but when we don’t share,
there is a higher price. When you take a soul, it means the rest of us can’t. I
couldn’t very well say that in the open.”

Eric didn’t respond. He didn’t care what Carina did here. The
people who visited the place were beyond repair anyway—at least he thought they
were until Natalia showed up and screwed things up.

The woman looked up at him, her gaze narrowing. “I suppose
you want reparations? And your money back?”

Eric glared at her. “Keep it. I expect to be back to get
what I paid for.” He leaned over the desk toward her, “And should you find her
first, you will save her for me. Do you understand? No one else is to touch
her. Chain her and call me. Now that you know what I am, I can
effonate
directly into her room. That is the only
reparation I want. Are we agreed?”

Carina’s dark brow rose on her face slightly when Eric said
his demands. Arms folded over her chest, she nodded.
“Done.
No one screws-over my patrons, Eric. If you don’t punish her, I will.”

Eric grabbed the woman by the throat, his effonation
already surging through him, “She’ll go the way of Jocelyn, Carina. And so will
you, if you touch her.” He released her, just as her eyes pooled crimson, and
he was gone.

CHAPTER TEN

Eric had to know what Natalia was, but he knew he had to
find her first. Carina would do whatever she wanted when she located the girl. He
could see it in her eyes. Either Natalia was an oddity or something that she
could use to manipulate Eric. Fuck! Why did these people see that so quickly? He
tried to hide his affection for the girl, but that’s all it was—misplaced
affection. She resembled someone he’d cared about. Someone he failed to
protect. The never-ending nightmare played out, over and over again, in his
mind. He wasn’t stupid enough to think of trying to have a relationship with
anyone ever again.

The golden Valefar moved through the dark streets, stalking
his prey. Natalia was on foot, wearing next to nothing. How far could she get? Eric
moved swiftly through the shadows tracking her, following her light sweet scent
until he saw her. The robe had been stripped off her back and she was pinned to
the ground. One man sat at her head, holding down her arms and laughing. It was
a Valefar from the club. Eric recognized both of them. The other Valefar was
trying to pry her legs apart with his hand, and shoving his knee higher and
higher. Rage spilled into Eric.

The Valefar that pinned Natalia’s head looked up and saw
Eric’s eyes glowing red in the darkness. “We’ve got company.” The other man—the
one of top of Natalia—stopped and turned, looking back at Eric.

“Get rid of him,” was all he said. His hands pressed down
on Natalia’s forearms when the other man rose. It didn’t occur to him why it
took two men to hold her.

The first Valefar approached him saying, “This is our kill.
She pissed off my boss. I have strict orders.”

“To rape her and bring her in?” Eric sneered at him. His
arms folded over his chest, his eyes burning like golden flames.

The guy shrugged, “One of the perks of the job. She said
alive, not untouched. And we fully intend to touch her, so fuck off, before
something happens that you won’t like.” The Valefar’s eyes pooled crimson as he
spoke. It was something that should have terrified a mortal, but Eric was no
mortal.

As he reached for the Valefar, Celestial Silver blade in
hand, Eric heard a scream from the place where Natalia lay. Moving quickly he
rounded on the Valefar, slashing at him. The Valefar’s eyes went wide when he
saw Eric holding a blade that should have killed him. His left hand held a
blackened knife, brimstone no doubt. Slowly, his other hand reached into his
pocket. When he pulled his fist out, the
Valefar
 
open
it and blew the black powder into
Eric’s face.
Brimstone.
When Eric didn’t scream, the
Valefar turned on his heel and ran. Out of the corner of his eye, Eric saw
Natalia on her feet, bare legs flying, kicking the crap out of the other
Valefar. He didn’t want to leave the girl, but…

Eric chased the other Valefar, down the street, grabbing
him by the neck. Tossing his body against a stone building, he could hear bone
snap. The man groaned, but staggered to his feet, asking, “What the hell are
you?” Eric had been mistaken for a Martis. How amusing. It must have been the
silver.

Eric didn’t answer him. Instead he threw his silver knife
at the man’s heart. It spun through the air like a star and sank into the
Valefar’s heart. The man fell to his knees, black blood oozing from his lips. The
blood in his eyes turned inky, as he fell forward. The ground bubbled like dark
tar, filling the air with the scent of sulfur as the dead Valefar was reclaimed
by the ground.

Eric picked up the silver blade and turned back to see
Natalia. He walked slowly toward her watching her fight. She threw her body,
using her weight, her size, and her agility the way Eric taught her. Maybe she
wasn’t immortal. He doubted himself. Maybe she just held her own because he
trained her so well. Eric’s boots crushed the rubble beneath his feet. Natalia’s
leg came up and collided with the Valefar’s head, sending him flying to the
ground. When her icy blue eyes flashed toward Eric, he could see the fear in
her eyes. She didn’t know why the man wouldn’t stay down. The bottoms of her
bare feet were bright red, covered in blood. Crap. She was mortal. The terror
in her eyes slammed into him.

Eric moved quickly toward her. “Go home. I’ll finish this. You
were never here,
understand
?”

Natalia was breathing hard, the red corset crushing her
ribs and making it impossible to breath, never mind fight. But she had. She
held the man off and could do well if there was only one. But there had been
two. If Eric didn’t come, oh God… trembling began to shake her body.

Eric repeated himself, his voice firm, “Go home.
Now.”
Natalia knew Eric could handle this. He’d saved her
from demons and he was saving her again. She nodded at him and turned to walk
away.

The Valefar chose that moment to launch
himself
at her, but she was already out of reach. Natalia winced as she walked away,
refusing to look back. She closed her eyes as she heard the inevitable scream
that she knew would erupt behind her. Eric would kill the man. That ruthless
part of him, the part that she didn’t want to think about, would overcome him
and he’d destroy the man who tried to hurt her. The voice rang out in a
pain-filled scream just as she rounded the corner. Natalia stopped. She
couldn’t move. Ice filled her body, traveling up her veins, and making her
break into a cold sweat. Suddenly she couldn’t breathe and found herself
dry-heaving onto a pile of rubble. Falling to her knees she couldn’t hold her
head up. Long dark hair fell over her shoulders.

What did this to her? She’d seen men die before, but she
never reacted like this. Her body never betrayed her like this. Paralyzed with
cascading emotions, she couldn’t move. Weakness plagued her limbs, as her face
rested against the sharp rubble beneath her cheek. As she heaved, she knew why.
She felt it. Part of her was like them, part of her wanted to kill them because
she could. In the room, she had stood over Eric’s prone body. The chance was
there. She could have killed him. She could have tormented him. Things could
have been different. The savage nature of her bloodlust coursed through her
body. She’d nearly done it, but at the last second she fled. There was no way
to know for certain if Eric was the right man.

Her body trembled, rebelling against the darkness within
her. She didn’t want to be like him. She would not be cruel and destroy. Every
fiber of her being was repulsed, she couldn’t be like Eric. No. Tears slid down
Natalia’s face. She heard nothing except her own body protesting, until she
felt Eric’s hands lift her off the ground.

“You’ll be all right,” his voice was soft, as he cradled
her in his arms. But she wasn’t. The man she wanted to kill, to tear apart with
her bare hands was holding her in his arms like a child, speaking softly in her
ear.
Oh god, what if I was wrong?
What
if Eric isn’t the man she’d been searching for at all? The thought shook her. She
leaned against his chest, feeling the beat of his heart and closed her eyes,
trying to push every thought out of her mind.

Eric looked down at her and cursed. Her frantic heartbeat
slowed as she rested her head against him. She should fear him. Terror should
course through her veins, but it didn’t. When he held her, he felt her pulse
slow. He felt her fear ease. She trusted him and she shouldn’t, but after he
acted like this—he finally understood why the girl liked him. She waited for
moments like this, moments when Eric acted beyond his own comprehension.
Compassion overrode his anger, and doused his rage. The desire to protect her
was too strong. As long as he was around, no one would harm her. She knew it. And
now, so did
he
.