Page 2 of Rune Assassin

I dropped back into my seat and slouched a little as I folded my arms over my chest. “Do you think that Domini guy is going to give us the specifics of what we’re doing in our lifetime or his?”

Tegan set an elbow on the narrow lip of his window and furrowed his brow. “If I were him, I wouldn’t give us any particulars of the case until we were at our destination.”

I glanced out the window. “I wish I knew where that was, too.”

“I think we’re headed to the southern coastline that abuts the Blutstein Empire and the Conas Kingdom,” Tegan informed me.

I cocked one eyebrow. “What makes you think that?”

“For one, we’ve headed south long enough to almost reach the ocean,” he pointed out as he drew aside his curtain to reveal the view. We passed flat green fields from which rose large white-stained villas. “And for another, I recognize some of the houses we’ve recently passed.”

I sat up and lifted an eyebrow. “So is that a good or bad thing?”

“We’ll at least enjoy our time doing his bidding,” Tegan mused as he made to drop the curtain.

The cloth had barely begun its descent when a bird shot through the open top of the window. The small creature landed squarely on one of my knees and stared up at me with beady pitch-black eyes. Its plumage was an impossibly bright blue with extra long tail feathers etched with black coloring.

More importantly, the tiny creature carried in its beak a small envelope.

I blinked at it as Tegan studied the bird. “Is your message from our employer?”

The bird hopped closer to me and nodded. Tegan took the envelope from its beak and the little bird bowed low before it flitted under the curtain and out the window. My dragon husband drew aside the cloth and we watched the tailfeathers disappear southward.

I turned my attention to the envelope, as did Tegan. He cut open the top with a sharp nail and drew out a triple-folded paper which he unfolded. His eyes scanned the contents and a worried line creased his brow.

I leaned forward to try to get a look. “What it is? What does it say?”

“It’s a message from Domini,” Tegan informed me before he cleared his throat and read aloud the message. “Greetings, my loyal blood brother and sister-”

I snorted. “I think I want to be adopted.”

Tegan’s eyes twinkled at me but he merely continued. “I am sure you are curious to know your assignment after a week’s worth of silence. As you are now close to your destination, I feel it is the right time to inform you that I have given you the duty to protect an old friend of mine.”

I wrinkled my nose. “That doesn’t sound good.”

Tegan read on. “He holds a yearly tournament for those gifted with magic. However, this year I have heard ill tidings that one of the contestants intends to murder him.”

My mouth dropped open. “Seriously?”

“Your assignment is to reveal the assassin and, if possible, bring him alive before justice. If that cannot be done then their death will suffice.” My heart dropped into my stomach at the dark suggestion. Tegan pursed his lips as he read on. “I feel I must warn you that any undo attention to yourselves may give the assassin the impression that you mean to foil his plans. In which case the unknown assailant will have no qualms about taking your lives, so I suggest you keep a low profile. Good luck.”

I started back as the message and its envelope burst into blue flames. Tegan waved his hand to flick away the last bits of cinder that remained of the paper. His dour face reflected my own as I spoke aloud our single thought.

“We are so fucked.”

CHAPTERTWO

Tegan leaned backand a crooked smile appeared on his lips. “This doesn’t sound easy, does it?”

I snorted. “It sounds impossible. I mean, when have we ever been able to keep up a low profile for more than a few days?”

“That’s all we’ll need because the tournament will have finished by then,” Tegan assured me as he cupped his chin in one hand. His eyes showed a curious look in them. “I can only think of one tournament that would have a high-profile founder in the south and that’s the Lusio Trials.”

I cocked my head to one side. “What are those about?”

“They are hosted by a wealthy man by the name of Felix Lusio,” Tegan explained as he furrowed his brow. “He made his fortune by hiring vampires to dive into the waters and recover treasures from sunken ships and he had a hand in creating the lucrative pearl trade, as well.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Sunken treasure? What did the owners of the ships have to say about that?”

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