it came to hunting. Assazi meant lone assassin and both of them had perfected their skills.
But this assignment was different. The Assassins Guild had wanted no mistakes in eliminating the owner of the Quantoon moon station. They’d underestimated Maurin before. They wouldn’t again. This time they’d sent Sulen along with Garik to guarantee success.
Sulen would have done it anyway for one reason only—Saedra Denikon. She was a sweet little thing with a heart so big, it was hard to imagine how she must have suffered in this household. All because of Maurin Cressler. Her father.
Garik eased inside the bedroom and Sulen followed after ensuring their presence hadn’t been detected. The guards’ schedules were predictably routine. He and Garik stood beside the bed of the sleeping Dragonian. Garik held a thin wire stretched taut between his gloved hands, anticipation in his silvery gaze.
As if he felt his death near, Maurin opened his eyes. “You!”
It was all he got out. Sulen watched in satisfaction as the evil man who’d terrorized his only child, stolen artifacts from the royal Zephil family and created a criminal haven was quietly and calmly, killed in his own bed.
“Good riddance,” Sulen muttered though Garik remained silent.
That was Garik. Efficient and eerily quiet on his assignments. Sulen had a healthy respect for his peer’s ability to compartmentalize. Once done, Garik sent the confirmation with visual proof attached to the Assassins Guild.
They would have gotten out of the house unnoticed if a guard hadn’t changed his rotation to take a piss outside. His gaze widened when he caught sight of them rappelling from the room above and shouted.
More guards responded to the noise and an alarm went off. Sulen raced with Garik toward the hover cycles they’d stashed earlier.
“Fuck,” Garik gritted, voicing his first words since they’d entered the house.
Sulen grinned gleefully. “Nothing’s perfect.”
“I am,” Garik snarled. “I knew we should have left through the front door.”
Sulen shrugged. It wasn’t a big deal to him. “I don’t think anyone could account for a loose bladder.”
They arrived at their hover cycles at the edge of the property as the sounds of alarm increased. The ride to the transport station was hectic and exhilarating at the same time.
Reaching the ship and pilot they’d hired was anti-climatic. Knowledge had yet to spread that the one who’d created this haven on the Quantoon moon station was now dead. Soon the resident criminals would no longer have this place to hide from the law.
But clean up work wasn’t Sulen’s job. His part in this had been accomplished. What went on at Quantoon from here on out would be behind him and Sulen would rest until his next target was assigned. “That was fun, at least.”
Silver eyes not amused, Garik glanced over at him as they approached the lowering ramp to the ship. “Considering your reputation, has anyone ever told you your humor is ill-timed?”
Working for the Assassins Guild had changed a lot about him. He’d left his parents and home as soon as he was old enough to vie against them for his independence. There were no regrets for the choices he’d made. Training at the academy had taught him to be tough and rigid when necessary, but most importantly, it had given him a purpose.
Garik might hold the claim for most ruthless among them but Sulen was known for his vengeful wrath. Go against him and he’d bide his time until he could seek revenge no matter how long it took. No slight was ignored.
Humor, however, had not been stamped out of him completely and Sulen took those light moments where he could find them. The nature of their job was grim enough.
Which explained why he chose to tease the usually taciturn Garik. “Whatever do you mean?”
He was anticipating Garik’s growl or profanity laden rant and had a retort on the tip of his tongue when a sizzling band wrapped tightly around his chest. With his air supply abruptly cut off, Sulen spun around when he tried to take a step forward.
“Sulen?!”
Garik’s shout blazed across his senses but Sulen couldn’t catch his breath.
“Sulen, fuck, if this is your idea of a joke!”
The weird sensation passed within moments and he was able to quickly straighten. There was an embarrassing tremble in his hands as he drove his fingers through his hair.
Garik gripped his shoulder in a firm hold and peered closely into his eyes. “What was that?”
Sulen blinked and tried to get his bearings. A connection had snapped into place, pulsing and tugging at