best assassin who has ever lived.”
So she assumed she could use her magic to turn him. That was not going to happen.
“Flattery will get you nowhere.”
Her smile fell. “That’s not possible. No male can ignore my magic.”
“Looks like your mother’s gifts aren’t working today. And your sorcerer’s energy must be close to being tapped out. What now?”
He took another step toward her. He was almost close enough to grab her. Before he did, however, he’d have to figure out how to undo the spell she’d put on Lilly.
“Guards! Guards! There are intruders in the keep.”
The scream was loud enough to raise half the guard. Thankfully, most of them would still be sleeping off the effects of the ash in the barracks. Still, they hadn’t trapped all the knights in the keep. And anybody who happened to be walking by would have heard her call and would go to find one of the available men. Time was running out for their mission.
Trying to delay the interruption as long as possible, he used his own magic to shield the door. It would break with enough force, but it would give him a few precious moments with the mage.
“I have you just as securely as you have her. No one can break through my magic,” he lied smoothly. “Our fates are linked. And you can surely see our numbers are slightly better than yours.”
He gestured toward the other men who were still dutifully looking anywhere but at her as he spoke.
Her jaw clenched tightly before she took a deep breath. Then she smiled once more.
“Are you so sure they answer to your command? You may be deaf to my magic, but are they?”
She turned to look at the other men as she spoke. The meaning of her statement was like a dagger to his heart. If she chose to target the other men with her magic, simply looking away from her would no longer be enough.
“I’m sorry, men,” he said without looking away from Silverwood and Lilly. “But I can’t let her turn you against us.”
“We know. Just don’t do anything that will leave a scar.” Nathan’s laugh was harsh with scorn. “I’ve been told the fates are finding me a mate.”
Kirin smiled in spite of himself. “Never fear. Your perfect face is safe with me.”
Just as she started crooning at the group of men, he countered with a spell to make them unconscious. For a few minutes, her energy pushed against his in a battle to win the men, but then it shattered like a brittle shell, and he heard the men collapse behind him.
“Sorry to have destroyed yet another one of your plans.”
“No, you’re not. You delight in besting me.”
He shrugged at the obvious statement. “It is certainly more appealing than the alternative.”
“You are a very talented mage. And so handsome.”
She was throwing all her charm at him once again. The warmth of her magic pressed against him, but it didn’t seem to penetrate. He should have been completely fogged by it at this point. Yet he wasn’t.
“If you switched sides, we could rule this realm together.”
“I’m not doing this for power. If I’d wanted to rule a realm, I would’ve stayed home and taken over my own. Then I would’ve gotten to kill a couple people who richly deserved it in the process.”
She glared at him as her free hand clenched in apparent frustration.
“Why does my magic not affect you? I can’t even feel your presence anymore. Your essence is shielded. When my magic calls to it, it hits a wall.”
Her voice wasn’t panicked. She sounded merely curious.
“Your guess is as good as mine. Now, let her go and I’ll make it a clean kill. Keep her frozen, and it’s going to get ugly in here.”
It was time to make a move. He pulled a dagger from its sheath on his belt and closed the space between them in a swift movement. If she hadn’t been so fixated on her inability to enchant him, she probably would have had time to move. As it was, she didn’t manage to shake herself out of her own head until the knife was already in
So she assumed she could use her magic to turn him. That was not going to happen.
“Flattery will get you nowhere.”
Her smile fell. “That’s not possible. No male can ignore my magic.”
“Looks like your mother’s gifts aren’t working today. And your sorcerer’s energy must be close to being tapped out. What now?”
He took another step toward her. He was almost close enough to grab her. Before he did, however, he’d have to figure out how to undo the spell she’d put on Lilly.
“Guards! Guards! There are intruders in the keep.”
The scream was loud enough to raise half the guard. Thankfully, most of them would still be sleeping off the effects of the ash in the barracks. Still, they hadn’t trapped all the knights in the keep. And anybody who happened to be walking by would have heard her call and would go to find one of the available men. Time was running out for their mission.
Trying to delay the interruption as long as possible, he used his own magic to shield the door. It would break with enough force, but it would give him a few precious moments with the mage.
“I have you just as securely as you have her. No one can break through my magic,” he lied smoothly. “Our fates are linked. And you can surely see our numbers are slightly better than yours.”
He gestured toward the other men who were still dutifully looking anywhere but at her as he spoke.
Her jaw clenched tightly before she took a deep breath. Then she smiled once more.
“Are you so sure they answer to your command? You may be deaf to my magic, but are they?”
She turned to look at the other men as she spoke. The meaning of her statement was like a dagger to his heart. If she chose to target the other men with her magic, simply looking away from her would no longer be enough.
“I’m sorry, men,” he said without looking away from Silverwood and Lilly. “But I can’t let her turn you against us.”
“We know. Just don’t do anything that will leave a scar.” Nathan’s laugh was harsh with scorn. “I’ve been told the fates are finding me a mate.”
Kirin smiled in spite of himself. “Never fear. Your perfect face is safe with me.”
Just as she started crooning at the group of men, he countered with a spell to make them unconscious. For a few minutes, her energy pushed against his in a battle to win the men, but then it shattered like a brittle shell, and he heard the men collapse behind him.
“Sorry to have destroyed yet another one of your plans.”
“No, you’re not. You delight in besting me.”
He shrugged at the obvious statement. “It is certainly more appealing than the alternative.”
“You are a very talented mage. And so handsome.”
She was throwing all her charm at him once again. The warmth of her magic pressed against him, but it didn’t seem to penetrate. He should have been completely fogged by it at this point. Yet he wasn’t.
“If you switched sides, we could rule this realm together.”
“I’m not doing this for power. If I’d wanted to rule a realm, I would’ve stayed home and taken over my own. Then I would’ve gotten to kill a couple people who richly deserved it in the process.”
She glared at him as her free hand clenched in apparent frustration.
“Why does my magic not affect you? I can’t even feel your presence anymore. Your essence is shielded. When my magic calls to it, it hits a wall.”
Her voice wasn’t panicked. She sounded merely curious.
“Your guess is as good as mine. Now, let her go and I’ll make it a clean kill. Keep her frozen, and it’s going to get ugly in here.”
It was time to make a move. He pulled a dagger from its sheath on his belt and closed the space between them in a swift movement. If she hadn’t been so fixated on her inability to enchant him, she probably would have had time to move. As it was, she didn’t manage to shake herself out of her own head until the knife was already in
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