Oblivion's Kiss Read online

  Fear leapt into Eden’s throat at that news. “What have you two numbskulls been up to?” she demanded.

  “Ever since you told us you kissed that leech, we’ve been wondering just how strong our link to our leaders is,” Sorcha said, then leaned forward to pick up her teacup to take a sip of the brew.

  Eden didn’t feel like a beverage and wine didn’t appear for her. Malachi had his usual glass of soda. “What sort of experiments have you done?” she asked.

  “I’ve been trying to use my undine magic,” the sorceress replied.

  “The magic Lord Dallinar locked away inside you?” Eden asked in alarm. “We’re forbidden from using our fae magic!”

  “Yeah, we know,” Malachi said wryly. “Wort beat that into us ever since we were four years old.” They shared grimaces of hate at the mention of the sadistic satyr who had trained them. He’d used his fists and goat-like hooves to beat them into submission until they learned the skills he’d been instructed to teach them.

  “I hate Fungus,” Sorcha muttered with a shiver and rubbed her arms as if she was cold. The fire was lit and the room was warm, but the memory of their trainer’s abuse gave them all a chill they couldn’t dispel. None of them had dared use the nickname they’d given him in his presence. He would have beaten them into next week if they’d ever slipped up. His name might be spelled with an o instead of an a, but he was definitely a fungus.

  “Anyway,” Malachi went on. “Sorcha and I have both tried to use the magic that we’ve been forbidden from accessing except when we’re on a mission.”

  “Did it work?” Eden asked. “Can you use it?”

  Sorcha held her hand out and concentrated. Her brows furrowed, then a small lump of ice formed on her palm. “That’s all I’ve been able to conjure up from my undine half so far,” she said.

  Eden held her hand out and a weak flame appeared. “I’ve been trying to use my magic when I’m not on a mission, too,” she admitted.

  Both women turned to Malachi to see how successful he’d been at defying their orders. He held his hand up and blew onto his palm, directing it at the fireplace. A small gust of wind whipped through the air and sparks flew wildly from the flames. “I can use air, sort of,” he said.

  “None of us have been punished, so the link obviously doesn’t alert the Triumvirate that we’ve been using magic when we aren’t on a job,” Sorcha surmised. “I think we’ll be able to use more of our locked magic if we keep practicing.”

  “Why bother?” Malachi asked in near despair. “Who cares if we can use our other powers? It won’t change anything. We’ll still be their slaves.”

  Morose silence fell at his dour pronouncement. Eden wanted to tell them about her plan to break the bond between herself and their overlords, but she stopped herself before she could blurt it out. It would be best to keep it a secret until she’d tested it to see if her scheme would work. It would be cruel to give them false hope if she was ultimately going to fail her quest.

  The siblings’ heads turned towards the doorway when they heard a letter squirming its way beneath the front door. Sorcha didn’t hear it until it entered the room. “Here we go,” the sorceress said with an eye roll, wondering which of them had been chosen for the latest assassination.

  The letter fluttered over to Eden and hovered in front of her face until she took it. She tore it open to see she had yet another fae being to dispatch. “Duty calls,” she said with a heavy sigh, then climbed to her feet.

  “Shifter?” Malachi asked with one eyebrow raised.

  “Elf,” his half-sister replied.

  “It isn’t Onvier, is it?” Sorcha asked in wan hope.

  “Nope. Nox is stuck with the new Magic Guild Master, I’m afraid,” the succubus told her. Personally, Eden was glad she hadn’t been sent to eliminate Onvier. He was the second strongest magic user in Nox, after Lord Dallinar. From the way her talents had been misbehaving lately, she wasn’t sure she would be able to bamboozle an elf of his caliber.

  She headed back upstairs to change into a formfitting white dress, boots and a coat, then braved the snow to trudge a few blocks from the mansion. A carriage arrived to pick her up and she felt a stab of pity for the frail driver. Icicles had formed on the skeleton’s bones and its teeth were chattering from the cold. She called out the address where she wanted to go through the window and the carriage lurched into motion.

  Snow obscured the cobbled streets and the streetlamps were so infrequent that she mostly rode through darkness. Twin lanterns clung to the sides of the black vehicle, dimly lighting the way. The skeleton managed to keep the carriage on the right path as it made its way from the City Square. It took a bridge to the Fae District and pulled up a couple of streets away from her real destination that she’d kept to herself.

  Eden climbed out and almost slipped on the icy sidewalk. The carriage took off and she opened her white umbrella to shield herself from the relentless snowfall. She blended in with the storm as she made her way towards her target’s home.

  When she reached the opulent mansion, she could feel her mark inside. She stopped at a distance from the building to examine it. Once again, she’d been sent to eliminate a prominent member of the Magic Guild. A thought occurred to the succubus and her cheeks heated that she hadn’t come up with the idea sooner. She’d killed countless magic users over the past decade and she’d never once thought to try to get one of them to break her bond with the Immortal Triumvirate. “It’s about time I used my talents for my own good for once,” she murmured, then crossed the street and circled around to the back of the property where she wouldn’t be seen by the neighbors.

  Chapter Four

  FOR ONCE, EDEN’S LATEST target wasn’t hosting a party. She was so used to the wealthy fae acting frivolously that it was almost a shock to find the house so quiet. Only a few windows shed light as she circled around to the back of the property. Most of the rooms were dark.

  She sensed her quarry on the second floor, somewhere in the center of the mansion. He was alone and she couldn’t feel or hear anyone else in the building. There were no magical wards protecting the place, so she leaped over the stone wall and crossed the backyard. Snow crunched beneath her boots, sounding far too loud to her. Elves had exceptional hearing, so her target had to know someone was on his property.

  Eden sent her succubus magic into the house. It floated upwards as the elf came to investigate the noise she’d made when she’d entered his yard. After Crowmon’s stone hounds had managed to infiltrate so many houses on Halloween, the citizens of Nox were understandably wary. Her power sank into him, drawing him to her.

  The succubus sensed her magic didn’t have a strong hold on her target, but at least he was partially beneath her spell when he reached her. When the door opened, she saw he had a few lines on his handsome, distinguished face. That meant he had to be ancient. Elves and fairies lived for thousands of years before they showed any signs of age. “Yes?” he asked in a slightly dazed tone. “Can I help you?”

  Just as Eden had figured, his magic was still strong despite the Energy Tax. “I’m lost,” she said in a helpless tone all females could utilize when they needed to. “I can’t find a carriage to take me home.”

  He stared at her in puzzlement, possibly sensing that she was lying. She strengthened her magic and it reluctantly sank into his mind to ensnare him more deeply. “Come in,” he said in a stupefied tone.

  Eden stepped past him and headed for a cozy parlor just down the hall. She walked over to the fireplace to warm her frozen feet and hands. She never wore gloves, just in case she needed to cast her fire spell. “Have you done anything to anger the Immortal Triumvirate recently?” she asked as the elf joined her.

  He stopped a couple of feet away to stare at her in devotion. “I opposed Onvier’s appointment to the position of Guild Master,” he replied. “The Magic Guild will not be better off in his hands. He’ll only make things worse for all magic users in Nox.”

  “Figures,”
Eden muttered when her hunch was confirmed. “Does Onvier have an alliance with the Triumvirate?”

  Her target hesitated before shrugging. “I assume so, my lady.”

  Now it was Eden’s turn to hesitate. “Your magic is still strong?” she asked. He nodded, eyes dreamy and lost in befuddled desire. “Can you sense a spell that was placed on me?” she asked.

  His gaze sharpened slightly. “What sort of spell, my lady?”

  “A binding spell of some kind,” she replied. “Lord Dallinar cast it on me when I was a small child.”

  Even in his daze, his upper lip curled at that news. “Lord Dallinar is a foul, drunken sot. Only someone with evil in his heart would bind a child against her will.”

  A lump formed in Eden’s throat and tears burned in her eyes. He had no idea how depraved the fairy lord was. “Can you sense the spell?” she asked him again.

  He stepped closer and lightly rested his hand on the top of her head. She almost flinched, but forced herself to be still. “I can sense it,” he confirmed. “But I can’t dispel it,” he added before she could ask him if he could get rid of it.

  “Why not?” she asked with a hollow feeling in her gut.

  “Only a powerful fairy will be able to undo this,” he said sadly. “You would need someone with enough power to rival Lord Dallinar’s to undo what has been done.”

  “Of course I do,” Eden said in despair. “Trust him to find a way to turn me into his personal slave.” She looked up at her mark and rebellion rose inside her. “The Immortal Triumvirate ordered me to kill you,” she told him and withdrew some of her succubus magic so he could think again.

  His eyes cleared a little and he nodded. “I suspected as much,” he replied. “You must obey their order.”

  “Why?” the assassin asked in bewilderment. “Can’t you just hide from them and pretend I killed you?” The thought of disobeying her kill order made the insistent prodding in the back of her head worsen.

  A sad smile flitted over his face and he shook his head. “The spell that Lord Dallinar cast on you has a specific purpose.”

  “I was told it allows the Immortal Triumvirate to know every thought that goes through my head,” she said. “It alerts him whenever I think about disobeying an order.”

  He shook his head again. “Whoever told you that lied,” he said. “The spell is designed to allow you to know who to kill. It notifies the person who sent you the order when you’ve completed your mission. If you disobey the command, the spell will drive you insane as punishment.”

  Eden’s shoulders slumped at that knowledge. Wort had warned them about what the enchantment would do. It was one of the few things the satyr hadn’t lied about. “So, I have to keep killing my targets?” she asked forlornly.

  “I’m afraid so, my lady,” he confirmed. She took a deep, shuddering breath and he brushed his knuckle across her cheek. “There’s no need to feel guilt over my death,” he told her. “I’ve lived for many thousands of years and I’m ready for my life to end.” He looked around at his house with a haunted expression. “Crowmon’s hounds killed my wife and my children. I’m the only one left now and I wish to join my family in the afterlife. You’re a succubus and you can end my suffering with oblivion’s kiss.”

  “You know what I am?” she asked in shock.

  “I’ve met your kind before,” he replied. “I knew what you were when your magic touched me and drew me to you.”

  Eden had never been in this situation before. Her target had been marked for death and he wanted her to kill him. For the first time, the succubus was about to perform a mercy killing rather than a murder. He held his hands out and she took them. He bent down to her and she lifted her face to meet him. Her kiss was reverent, honoring his decision as her magic seeped into him. He willingly surrendered to her power as she siphoned his energy from him.

  In a few short minutes, Eden’s target was reduced to a shell. His pain had ended, but hers was sharp and fresh. Until she found a fairy who was powerful enough to undo Lord Dallinar’s spell, she was going to have to keep on killing the men her evil overlords deemed to be a threat to them.

  With a heavy heart, the assassin picked up the husk and carried it over to the fireplace. She placed it on the flames and watched the elf’s remains and clothing burn to ashes. The magical candles were snuffed out and the fire died as the magic that had sustained the house faded along with its owner.

  Eden walked through the dark, lightless and lifeless mansion to the front door. She wasn’t surprised to see the image that had once adorned it was gone when she stepped outside. The house would eventually be assigned to someone else by the magic of Nox, but until then, it would remain cold and empty.

  Chapter Five

  NOW THAT EDEN KNEW she needed a powerful fairy to free her from her bondage, she spent the next week lurking near the Magic Guildhall, listening to gossip. She heard a lot of whispers about Onvier. None of them were glowing endorsements. His way of ruling the guild was harsh and overbearing. He’d abolished the panel of prominent guildmembers who had once assisted Guild Master Hahn to run the guild. The elf had taken complete control and no one could do anything to stop him.

  “If Padavion had won their duel, we wouldn’t be in this predicament,” Eden overheard an overweight, elderly witch mumble to one of her colleagues as they climbed out of a carriage. The witch was wearing an ugly brown dress and even uglier black shoes.

  “Poppy!” her colleague said in a horrified whisper. “You can’t speak out against our new Guild Master like that!”

  “What’s he going to do?” Poppy said belligerently. “Kill me?” She snorted out a laugh at that notion. “I’m just a nobody. No one cares about my opinion.”

  Eden watched the pair as they entered the Magic Guildhall. She saw a glimpse of white marble columns in the foyer before the door swung shut, but her mind was far away. Everyone knew who Padavion was. Even the members of the Assassin Guild had heard about the fairy that Onvier had defeated during his first duel. She’d gone into self-imposed exile somewhere near the fae woods.

  A plan was beginning to form in Eden’s mind, but it wasn’t going to be easy to pull it off. The weather was getting worse and it looked like another blizzard was imminent. Padavion might have been disfigured during her battle with the elf, but her magic hadn’t been burned out of her like one of the other rival’s had been. “She might be strong enough to help me,” Eden murmured as she turned away from the guildhall and headed towards her house a couple of blocks away.

  Eden felt a spell being cast when she entered her mansion and climbed up the stairs to the third floor. She knocked on Sorcha’s door and the spell ceased. The sorceress opened the door a few seconds later and her wary expression changed to surprise. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” Eden said and forced herself to smile. “I was wondering if you could craft a teleporting potion for me.”

  Sorcha jerked her thumb towards her conjuring room. “Come in and I’ll whip one up for you,” she replied.

  Eden entered the room and looked around. They didn’t visit each other’s apartments very often and usually hung out in the living area downstairs. Sorcha’s home was decorated in tones of gold and cream. Her floors were warm oak boards and her walls were covered in pale gold wallpaper. It was embossed with the same intricate patterns her own wallpaper possessed. A cream couch and two matching armchairs were in the living area. She had the same bay window as Eden and Malachi, but she had a long, backless gold divan that looked more like a bed than a sofa.

  The assassins turned into the hallway and entered the first room on the right. The second bedroom had been converted into a conjuring den. Sturdy worktables stood over to the left. Heavy cabinets full of ingredients were to the right. A fireplace held an iron cauldron rather than copper. The sorceress wasn’t full blood fae and she wasn’t allergic to iron.

  “Where do you need to teleport to?” Sorcha asked as she crossed to a cabinet and began choosing
ingredients for a potion.

  “To the edge of the fae woods,” Eden replied nonchalantly. It was safer to pretend she was being sent on a mission rather than revealing her true intentions.

  “I can see why you asked me to concoct a teleportation potion,” her friend said with a grimace. “It’s a long way there and back and the snow is getting worse by the minute.”

  “It’ll be hard to find a carriage anywhere near the fae woods once I’m done,” Eden agreed. “The skeletons seem to stick to the city and suburbs.”

  Sorcha nodded, but she seemed distracted. She didn’t need to consult a spell book to create the enchantment. As a sorceress, she’d been born with strong innate magic. Lord Dallinar had hobbled her so she could only use half of her power. He’d cut her off from using her undine magic almost completely. None of the assassins would ever be able to reach their full potential with the blocks that were keeping their talents at bay.

  Mixing the components into a bowl, Sorcha chanted a teleportation spell and aimed it into the vessel, then carried it over to the cauldron. She poured the contents inside and chanted again. The fire warmed the ingredients and power seeped from the cauldron. “There,” she said in satisfaction and spooned the foul looking green sludge into a vial. “That should be enough to get you there and back.” She handed the vial to the succubus, then snorted out a laugh at Eden’s curled upper lip. “Don’t give me that look,” she said. “It isn’t my fault it tastes so bad.”

  Eden took the vial and tucked it into her purse. “I know,” she said apologetically. “I really appreciate this. It’ll save me a lot of time.”

  “You wouldn’t want to get stuck in the fae woods during a blizzard,” Sorcha said. “God only knows what sort of monsters are roaming around in there.”

  “We both know I’m the monster they should be afraid of,” Eden reminded her.

  Sorcha gave her friend a sympathetic look and her shoulders slumped slightly. “We’re all monsters,” she said quietly. “We were created to murder people who don’t even deserve it half the time.”