Free shaede assassin 05 - shadows at midnight by amanda bonilla

his energy signature. I can barely track it.”
    “It’s enough,” Ty replied. He folded up the map and stuffed it in his back pocket.
    “Here.” Pamela put the pendulum back in the pouch and handed it to me. “Take this with you. It’s bonded to his essence, it should glow when you get closer to him.”
    Tentative as I was to have any item manipulated by magick in close proximity with my body, I figured we needed any leg up we could get. “Thanks. I’ll get it back to you soon.”
    “Whenever,” she said with a smile. “It’s the least I can do…” Pamela’s words trailed off. Yeah, I didn’t want to talk about it either.
    “I appreciate the help,” I said as I stuffed the pouch in my pocket.
    “Good luck.”
    Levi showed Pamela out and returned a couple of seconds later. Ty and I sat in silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts. I stood to leave and glanced over at Ty. “Ready?”
    “Right behind you,” he said without making eye contact. “I need to talk to Levi for a second.”
    I pursed my lips, prepared to tell him that I wasn’t going to go anywhere. Whatever he had to say to Levi, he could say to me. But I thought better of it. Thought better of pushing him too far and instead, left Tyler to his secrets. I just hoped that keeping them wouldn’t build an even higher wall between us.
    I didn’t think I had it in me to overcome too many more obstacles. 

CHAPTER SEVEN
    Raif met us in the driveway, a bevy of armed guards at each shoulder. I still wasn’t used to seeing him being protected. It was usually Raif who did the protecting. His cold blue gaze landed on Ty and he stiffened beside me. I twined my fingers with his. Raif could be as shitty as he wanted, it wasn’t going to change the fact that Ty was along for the ride.
    “Return without my brother and I’ll gut you, Jinn.”
    “Well, good morning to you, too,” I quipped. If anything, we needed to get Xander back to relieve some of the pressure that had turned my best friend into a royal pain in the ass. “Is my team ready to roll?” At least I had a good excuse for being curt. Pamela had managed to pinpoint Xander’s location to within a five mile radius within Goblin Valley. But if we didn’t get our asses in gear and mobilize, that intel wasn’t going to be worth shit.
    “You bet your ass I’m ready.” Asher emerged from the front door decked out in tactical gear and ready to rumble. My cheeks ached with the wide smile that grew on my face when I saw him. It had been a little over a month, but I’d missed the little shit. “The slackers will be out in a sec. I’m antsy to crack some skulls Darian.” He rushed at me and swept me up in a giant bear hug. “Please tell me that you brought the daggers.”
    He meant the bloodthirsty, nearly sentient Fae daggers that Xander had given me a few months ago. Priceless in battle and useless to anyone who tried to yield them except Xander or me. I’d vowed to leave them in their box because they turned me into a virtually mindless killing machine and controlling the power they contained was damned near impossible. “You bet your ass I brought them,” I replied as Asher set me back on my feet. I was wary but I wasn’t stupid. I needed every leg up I could get.
    I gave him a playful shove against his shoulder and he flashed me a lopsided grin. “Glad to see you still in one piece.” His expression grew serious as he regarded me. “Heads are going to roll, Darian.”
    That they would. 
    Beside Asher, Raif stood stoic. Fatigue lined his face and darkened his clear blue eyes that were narrowed in Tyler’s direction. It was bad enough that Xander had a vendetta against him, I didn’t need Raif to hold a grudge as well. Asher picked up on the tension and left me to greet Tyler. I turned toward Raif and took a deep breath. “Stop it. You know none of this is his fault.”
    He cocked a haughty brow. “Don’t I?”
    “I don’t like you as king,” I whispered close to his