THE FIRST KILL
By Anastasia Rabiyah
Published By Sugar and Spice Press
Fantasy/Erotic Romance
Fresh from training as a deadly assassin, Marin is given
her first assignment--murder Lord Coreth and carve her master's mark
into his face. Confident in her abilities, she travels to Jondah and
targets her first kill, but when she finds herself in Coreth's bed, the
undeniable heat between them causes her to second guess not only her
assignment, but her life.
EXCERPT:
Rain spat down on Marin and soaked through her clothes.
She stood in the crowd of commoners to hear Lord Coreth speak. She
tried to ignore his shouted words of encouragement and his promises of
protection from the city’s rival, a Lord Heden. Instead, she watched
the way Coreth carried himself, perched as he was on a high parapet
atop his hold. He was fair of skin, as fair as the parchment ordering
his death, and Marin wondered what it would be like to touch a man so
lightly colored. She could not help her attraction to him, though the
effect was unsuspected. Beneath her sodden clothing, her nipples had
hardened at the prospect of getting close to her target. The heat of
desire and the erotic thoughts she suffered kept her warm in the chilly
spring air.
She supposed he was a good man. His interest in his people and
the state of his lands proved as much. She slipped her hand into her
cloak and fingered the handle of her blade. Touching her weapon brought
her back to her senses. I care not for his countenance, only the color
of his blood. With her mind set to the task, she waded through the
throng of bodies toward the keep’s door. The oak portal was open to
all, though none but her seemed interested in going within. Marin edged
along the stone wall inside, using her shadow trick, a guild magic she
had honed over the past year. She could make herself unnoticed though
not truly invisible as some from her class could.
She blended past the guards and ventured through a winding
corridor. There was little else in the way of security to hinder her
assignment. She figured she could have Coreth properly murdered and be
back on her way soon after the sun set. It was not difficult to locate
his quarters. A high room set apart from those of the servants, it
screamed of power. The double doors were gilded and opened wide to show
off the wealth within. Wrought furniture sparkling with encrusted gems,
and finely embroidered fabrics decorated the chamber. Marin crept
inside. Sparing no time, she hid in the thick bed curtains, glad for
such an easy advantage. Lord Coreth will die in his bed, his throat cut
clean through and my master’s name carved into is handsome face.
The wait did not bother her. She had been trained to bide her
time and play the part of patience. As she settled down beside the bed
frame on the floor, she breathed in the scents of the room. Lavender
and boot oil. Leather. The hint of a man’s musky scent. Fresh linens
that had hung in the open air to dry. This quiet, dark hiding place
reminded her of when she used to hide from her brother beneath their
parents’ bed. He never thought to look for her there.
Midday waned. Her clothes dried out. She calculated the time by the
stretch of shadows that reached across the floor toward her when she
peeked out every so often. By her estimates, the evening meal was being
served. Soon after, a servant entered the chamber. The sound of water
pouring into a wash basin broke the silence. Footsteps padded out.
Lord Coreth’s steps were heavier and sure, the footfalls of a
confidant man. The double doors clunked shut one after another. An iron
slid into the bars to lock out his servants and any guards that might
save his life. Marin smiled. She dared to peek from the curtains.
Coreth threw off his blue cloak and stared out the open window
at the clouds in the evening sky. As he did so, the fingers of his left
hand plucked at the ties on his shirt. He pulled off the garment to
reveal broad shoulders and a fit body, pale and alluring.
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