Page 15 of Dragon's Assassin

“A cost,”Verity scoffed.“See? You’re a friggin’ goody-two-shoes just as much as you accuse me of being. Why wouldn’t that sexy Paladin want you as a Mate? I know as sure as the feathers on my wings are so black they shine, that the Universe made him just for you. Why not finish this crap and hightail it back to Valentine and make with the kissy face?”

“Maybe because this effin’ rifle won’t shoot and I don’t feel like running out in broad daylight on a busy city street to knife some guy in the heart.”

“What about your compound bow?”

“Do you see any hunters amongst the ladies and gentlemen in business suits and expensive cars?”

“No, but I sense a lot of bullshit coming from the vicinity of your brain.”

“And I sense…”

But she couldn’t finish her argument as the overwhelming feeling that something was terribly wrong invaded every fiber of her being. A spark in the very base of her soul came to life. She felt a warmth unlike anything she’d felt since her youth. Then she heard her grandma say,“Follow your heart, Alessandra. If it doesn’t feel right, it’s not. Look inside yourself. Let your instincts and your beliefs guide you.”

“Yeah, I hear ya, Nana,” she thought aloud. “I’ve only felt this way one other time, and….”

And just like that, Alex was transported back in time.Standing on a hilltop just outside the village of Minstrel’s Hollow, she had the Mark in her sights.

Inhaling deeply, she pulled back the string of her bow. Holding her breath, she held perfectly still. Mentally counting to three, she prepared to let the arrow fly when doubt filled her mind.

How a man with a limp such as his climbed through windows, worked Black Magic of the highest order, and left dissected and exsanguinated bodies strewn about like ragdolls? He could barely climb the tiny mount to the hovel he called home. There was no way he could be guilty of such crimes.

She’d never before questioned the Morrígan’s orders – but she’d never felt such doubt. Could the Goddess of War be wrong? Had the Jury of Others made a mistake?

As more questions reared their heads, Alex dropped her bow and let out the breath she’d been holding. She couldn’t execute the Order. She had to find the truth.

And she had. In less than three days, she’d exonerated her original Mark, found the one responsible, and reported her findings to the Morrígan. Twenty-four hours later, she delivered Justice to the man actually responsible and was able to walk away with her head held high and her conscience clear.

Was it happening again? Had another grievous error been made?

“Why don’t you pull your head out of your ass and get on with the job?”Verity sassed.“It was one mistake in nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine years. “Don’t you think…?”

Refusing to continue the pointless conversation with her alter-ego and with their window to complete the assignment closing, Alex shook the rifle at the end of her outstretched arm at her sister, reiterating, “Go ahead, Hot Shot. Try it. Take a shot. Make the gun work so we can get out of here.”

Throwing her hands in the air, Amy fell backward until her butt landed on the heels of her well-worn boots. “No way. I can’t even touch that thing. First of all, you are still theSìthiche Dubh, which means that I have not ascended yet. Secondly, and most importantly, your orders were clear.”

Thrusting the electronic tablet with enough Magical encryption to launch a nuclear bomb without being detected or traced anywhere in the known galaxies into Alex’s face, her younger sister jabbed the screen with her finger. “This order is for Alessandra MacAskill, the Goddess of Death’sSìthiche Dubh- this millennium’s Black Fairy.” Continuing to read, each word coming faster than the one before she harshly whispered, “No Magic can be used. No Supernatural interference can be inferred or directly attributed to the death of Creed Mathers. If any of the above, or methods other than those favored by humankind are detected, this kill will be voided and action will be taken against theSìthiche Dubh, Alessandra MacAskill by the Morrígan herself or her Agent of Death, The Crow. Furthermore, if anyone other than Alessandra MacAskill is responsible for the death of Creed Mathers in a manner other than accidental, action will be taken by the Morrígan or her Agent of Death, The Crow.”

Duck-walking forward, careful not to touch the rifle, she switched to speaking telepathically,“Dude, the Celtic Goddess of War is nothing if not thorough. Could she have said your name any more times?”

“Yeah, could and has.”

“Well, whatever you say. All I know is, you better get with the bang-bang-bang before The Crow is sent to hunt you down, kill you where you stand, and deny you the right of living out eternity in the arms of our Ancestors.”

“Gotcha, Sis. I’m tryin’ to make with the bang-bang-bang,” Alex snapped aloud, fiddling with the trigger mechanism on her favorite rifle to avoid meeting her sister’s eyes.

Once again swamped with the unmistakable feeling of doubt, her fingers trembled and a lump the size of a boulder landed in the pit of her stomach. Things were not as they should be. Forces unlike anything she’d ever felt were reaching out to her, screaming that all was not well and right.

But she had to do as she was told, didn’t she?

Once again, she heard Nana’s voice,“You cannot fight the sense of right and wrong instilled in the very blood racing through your veins. As a MacAskill Fairy, you Alessandra, were given the best and strongest instincts, fair and honest Justice is your guiding light. Trust yourself. Trust your instincts. Trust yourself, and all will be well.”

“Alex,”Amy’s pleas pulled her from her memories.“Are you okay?”

“Of course, I am,” she shot back. “And I know the rules. Hell, I was born with them tattooed on my ass, wasn’t I? You think I don’t want to finish this job just as much as you want me to finish this job? I told you I think I met my Mate, right?”

“Yeah, you did, and I’m happy for…”

“Well, it’s not like this is my first rodeo, Amy. Get a…”

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