Free Dark Waters by Liia Ann White Page A

completely alone. Adora called to her magic, feeling the water beneath immediately respond. While faeries
were attuned to nature and able to control all four elements, most of them
specialized in one area. As future queen of the Water Lands, she’d been born attuned
to the element—but that wasn’t her only strength.
     
    ****
     
    As the most successful faery assassin
in the realm, Randor wasn’t surprised when the Unseelie queen ordered him to kidnap a member of the Seelie royal family. The two kingdoms had been at war for
over ten decades. It began because of a simple territory dispute. Now, each
just wanted to one up the other.
    He left the Unseelie army to stay
out of the fight he deemed “ridiculous and unnecessary.” Unfortunately he was
labelled as a traitor after that. He struck a deal with the late Unseelie king to leave the faery realm
so he could lead an anonymous life. The one condition was that he work as an assassin. After all, he’d been the most
successful officer in the Unseelie army, rising to
the highest ranks before his fortieth year, a feat that took most eighty-plus
years to accomplish.
    Very little surprised him anymore. He’d always thought he was
immune to the emotion—until he saw his target.
    Princess Adora . She was officially
the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. Long, wavy blonde hair touched the
small of her back and was highlighted with every imaginable colour. Her tall,
curvy body was covered in a tight top, pants, and boots. She dressed like a
warrior rather than royalty. For the first time in his life, he hesitated to
approach a target. In two silent steps, he stood behind her, alert and ready.
The moment he called for the air, the ability he used to knock out his victims,
a wave of power washed over him. With wide eyes, he regarded the princess and
reached for his sword.
    Water from the lake where they stood whirled and surrounded
him. His hair whipped around his head and a force of power held him completely
still as the whirlpool closed in. Concentrating, he called his energy forth and
the familiar heat of power rushed through his veins. An invisible shield formed
around his body, encasing him in a cocoon that was virtually impenetrable. The
golden aura spread from his body, pushing the water back a few inches so he
could unsheathe his sword. It took more effort than it should have. She was far
stronger than he’d expected.
    The water dropped back into the lake but he kept his shield
up as a precaution. Who knew what else had been kept from him?
    “Who are you?” Princess Adora asked in a low, threatening tone. She’d also drawn her sword and stood in a
defensive stance, a shimmering black aura surrounding her body.
    He said nothing. That was his golden rule—never
speak to the target. Do the job and get it over with. What happened to
them wasn’t his concern. All he wanted out of the deal was money and anonymity—the
ability to live away from both kingdoms.
    “If you don’t tell me who you are and why you’re here, I’ll
assume you’re hostile and deal with you accordingly.”
    He couldn’t help but smirk. Though this woman looked like a
warrior, she spoke like a royal. Still, he didn’t doubt she’d strike him. He’d
have to use his gift of invisibility to capture her.
    Without another thought, he concentrated on his inner core,
the space beneath his ribs where his power pulled from, and made himself and
everything on him disappear.
    The princess’s face went blank and her stance became more
wary. Funny. Most people blinked twice and ran. But
this woman stood her ground.
    “Whoever you are, you’ve picked the wrong night to piss me
off.”
    He moved around her, sheathing his sword as he did. Holding
both hands just a few inches from either side of her head, Randor concentrated on entering her mind. This was how he retrieved his targets. It
was also the part of his job he hated. It could be draining. The stronger the
target, the more energy it took to