had never been an issue before, but I hoped this time he’d be smarter. He couldn’t lose sight of what had happened to Kost, no matter the temptation this fierce Charmer might represent.
Clearing my throat, I frowned at Calem. “Go pack.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He spun around and took the stairs two at a time, whistling the whole way.
“No one will kill you while you stay in my home. That’s an order for all my brethren, and you can rest assured they’re listening. Now, Ozias, please take Leena to her room.”
Tremors of fear touched Leena’s body again, but she angled her chin up in defiance and followed Ozias without turning back once.
So much for those survival wits. She should have watched her back the whole way to her room. She had no way of knowing I’d keep my promise. Yet, there was something about the confident nature of her steps. The way she kept her head high.
After they disappeared, I took the stairs and hooked a left at the loft, heading toward the west wing to check on Kost. Palms flat against the worn wood, I pushed open a set of double doors without a glance to the bronze plaque reading Medical. The sharp aroma of bleach and lemon assaulted my nose.
Kost sat shirtless on a cot, gloves and tattered dress tunic discarded on the sheets beside him. A spare lingered untouched on the pillow. The medical attendant was missing, but a silver tray next to Kost brimmed with needles and thread. Not like he’d need stitching. His skin would resew within the hour of its own accord.
He pinned me with a strained stare the moment I entered. “I’m sorry. I underestimated her.”
I blew out a low breath, parking my hip on the desk by the door. Parchment crunched beneath my weight. “I hope that’s not an oversight we’ll make again.”
Kost stilled. “What do you mean?”
“I made a deal with her.”
He stood slowly, anger working its way through the muscles of his forearms. “You know I won’t question you.”
“Good. Because she traded beasts to have her bounty removed.”
Kost’s hands went slack, and his brows dipped toward the frames of his glasses. “Does she know about the oath?”
I shrugged. “No. Does it matter?”
“I guess not.”
“Good.” Pushing off the desk, I reached for Kost’s arm. “Transfer ownership.”
He froze, stricken. “I can handle it once the deal is complete. There’s no need to take on the job yourself.”
Again, the sight of Kost skewered by the beast resurfaced. This job should have been mine to begin with. Not to mention I’d promised none of my men would take her life. Not lying, but not telling the whole truth, made for clean work as an assassin. My voice level, I placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “This isn’t a reflection of your ability. I made the deal; I carry out the task. Not you. Not anyone else.”
“But—”
“This isn’t up for discussion.”
Kost relented, turning his inner wrist upward and revealing an inked scythe the size of a silver chip. Grasping his forearm, I pressed my skin to his and the mark sparked to life. Flesh seared, and I grimaced. When the sizzling faded, I dropped his hand. The magical oath now binding me to the bounty gleamed up at me, sharp black lines neatly cutting across veins.
Now, if I didn’t kill Leena, it was my life on the line. Such was the agreement for all bounties placed with Cruor. Folklore suggested it was the god of death’s doing. When Zane, the first of our kind, had escaped his clutches and returned to the land of the living, the god of death had been enraged. All our contracts were steeped in his magic so he wouldn’t miss his opportunity to claim us a second time. True or not, it didn’t matter. All I knew was the oath couldn’t be broken, and that level of assurance welcomed the darkest of dealings. “The woman who ordered the hit—did she contact you with any more details after I assigned you the job?”
Kost shook his head once. He’d take this personally as a mark against his perfect record. “No. She wore a mask and was covered from head to toe, even wearing gloves. I did notice a currant-colored glow around her hand when she summoned a beast after the deal was done.”
She was smart to keep her identity hidden. The right amount of bits could convince anyone to spill any manner of secret. “A beast? Interesting.” So Leena’s own people were after