Free Dawning by Vivi Anna Page B

that long before Jason Decker walked into the
living room. Dashrael had his confirmed visual.
    He pulled out
the case, opened it, and tapped on the left side of the glass three
times. Within seconds, O’runa’s face appeared in the mirror.
    “I’ve located
the target,” Dashrael announced.
    “Good.”
    “What is my
objective?”
    “Eliminate the
target.”
    Dashrael’s gut
churned. He’d been hoping that this wasn’t an assassination, but
he’d been foolish to think otherwise. Killing was another thing he
was good at. And he’d been used on several occasions in that
capacity.
    “In what
manner?” he asked, knowing the chancellor would want the mark
killed in a certain way. They always did.
    “Make it look
like suicide. There can’t be any questions in this one from any
interested parties.”
    “I’ll be in
touch when it’s done.” With that he touched the mirror to end the
communication and then slid the compact back into his pocket. Now,
he just had to get into the house and kill.
    Gaining entry
was fairly easy. The patio door from the backyard had been
unlocked. Dashrael made a habit of being quick and silent. Not too
many of his marks had ever heard him coming. Most didn’t know he’d
been there until they were looking Death in the face.
    Once inside, he
crept, keeping to the shadows along the walls until he was in a
good position near the front entrance behind a pillar adjacent to
the living room. The human hadn’t even flinched when Dashrael
slipped right by him. He’d been near enough to smell the man’s
aftershave and see the color his eyes. A bright blue in this
case.
    Dashrael’s
hands were steady, his heartbeat even, as he waited for the right
opportunity to take the mortal by surprise. Because he had to make
it look like suicide, he thought the best course of action would be
to strangle him unconscious, then hang him up by the neck. He
didn’t possess fingerprints so Dashrael didn’t have to worry about
leaving them on anything in the house, or on the victim.
    A few minutes
passed before Jason Decker settled onto the sofa in the living
room, his back to Dashrael. It was the perfect time, the perfect
circumstances. Dashrael would be so quick that the human wouldn’t
suffer, wouldn’t even know what was happening to him.
    Clenching his
hands open and closed, Dashrael took in a deep calming breath then
stepped out from the pillar. A voice from the kitchen gave him
pause.
    “Jason, I’m
home.”
    The human
turned his head to the side. “I’m in here, my love.”
    Jerking to a
stop, Dashrael bolted back to his hiding spot just as a beautiful
woman stepped into the living room. He could barely breathe as he
took in the newcomer. His heart thudded hard in his chest, his gut
churned.
    It couldn’t be.
He must be dreaming. But as the truth of the situation hit him
square on, he knew he’d been sent here not to kill Jason Decker but
his companion. A woman Dashrael knew as A’lona Wolfstriker. But she
was more than just a woman, she was high fae, and the overseer’s
only daughter.
    To make matters
even more dire…she was pregnant.

Chapter
Three
     
    Dashrael
watched from his hiding spot as Jason wrapped his arms around
A’lona. It was an embrace of a man and women completely in love.
Dashrael didn’t need to see a DNA test to know whose baby it was
growing inside the fae princess’ belly. He now understood the true
reason he was sent here.
    For centuries
the fae had fraternized with the mortals. In the past, they stole
infants and replaced them with changelings. Many a fae lord and
lady had had human lovers. Despite all that though, it was frowned
upon to mate with a mortal. To give birth to a hybrid, an even
worse transgression. Now, here was the most powerful fae’s daughter
setting up house with a human, and having his baby.
    Dashrael slid
along the shadows and back out of the house. He couldn’t do what
he’d been paid to do. He couldn’t kill A’lona and her unborn