By the Horns (37 page)

Words of farewell stuck in her throat, so she walked away from him without saying anything.

The Matchmaker waited, tapping her long nails against her forearm. “You disobeyed me, Natalie. You used not only your position as a Chosen to drag another into your insubordination, but you also wielded Snake’s powers for your personal vengeance. And then, you got caught by the very ones I have fought to keep you away from.”

Nat cringed while the Matchmaker laid out each of her transgressions. The last gripped her attention, though. Her gut told her something big played out between the Empress and the Matchmaker.

But what mattered right now was, what did the woman have in store for her? She bowed her head. “Forgive me, Matchmaker. We had to stop my father.”

A sigh. “He was the lowest breed of vermin.”

Nat raised her head. The corner of the Matchmaker’s mouth twitched.
Huh?

The twitching stopped. “You also slept with Kassian.”

Yikes. How did the woman guess? Crazy-ass powers.

“Yet, you are a Lotus.” The woman’s tone was soft, empathetic almost.

Nat’s shoulders slumped. Yep. There was that.

Compassion lit the Matchmaker’s dark, glittering eyes. “If there were anybody in this world I would break the rules for, it would be you, Natalie.”

A jolt of hope fluttered inside her. “You’re releasing me?”

She cast her stare at the ground. “No. I cannot.”

The hope fizzled and burned, carving a searing path through Nat’s body. Right. She’d never expected anything different. “I understand, Matchmaker.”

“You care for him.”

She shoved down her affection and straightened her shoulders. “My feelings are irrelevant.” She tilted her head toward the envelope in the Matchmaker’s hands. “What’s that?”

“Your next assignment. I trust you are ready?”

She hardened her heart. This was the moment she’d waited for since she’d reunited with Kassian. The moment she’d be torn away from him again. Even though she’d braced the entire time, the pain knocked her like a punch to her windpipe. She fought against staggering and clutching her bleeding heart in her hands.

Instead, she lashed her resolve together like she’d been trained to. She held out her hand and the Matchmaker placed the envelope in it. Nat tore open the seal and tugged out the paper. She scanned its words, processing them.

“I’m a highly trained assassin.” She wrinkled her nose. “This isn’t an assignment. It’s babysitting.”

The Matchmaker raised a finely arched brow. “You broke my rules, Natalie.”

Oh, right. Damn.

***

Kassian stood helpless on the dock as Nat walked away. Just as he’d always feared she would. He carried the hope she’d glance back. That she’d turn from the Matchmaker and run straight into his arms.

She didn’t. She accepted an envelope from the Matchmaker and, after a few minutes of conversation, Natalie left her.

Left him.

He shuffled his feet, watching her leave like a fool. He’d warned himself and had fought against it. Yet he’d still fallen in love with a woman he could never have. Because the Matchmaker already owned her.

Right-o. He fisted his hands and let the anger, the frustration, the helplessness pour through him as he marched toward the woman.

“Yes?” The Matchmaker folded her arms and tapped her long nails on her forearms. A breeze whipped his clothes around him, but not her. Every strand of her long dark hair remained glued in place.
Wicked powers.

“You can’t do this. You’re a bloody matchmaker. You’re supposed to fight for love.” Dammit, his voice cracked on the last accusation.

“Are you telling me how to do my job?” A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

She found this amusing? His broken, stampeded heart? Well, fuck her.

He shook his head violently, seeking a path through this mess. “I’m not letting her go.”

The Matchmaker tilted her head. “I never said you had to. She must leave you, yes.” She unfolded one slender arm and swept her hand toward the direction Natalie had gone. “There is no reason you cannot follow her.”

His jaw fell open. What the fuck was the woman suggesting?

“She will not admit to loving you.” The Matchmaker’s voice carried a dry note of warning. “If you believe she does, and you would fight for her love, I will offer you the chance.”

“Chance?” He searched the Matchmaker’s expression. Her calm features suggested she wasn’t jesting.

“Join the Lotus, Kassian.” She flipped her palm over. “But be warned. If Nat does not return your love, you will still be mine.” She closed her hand into a fist. “Forever.”

Oh, hell. He’d never considered joining the League. The Chosen at Kek Lok Si were his family.

So was Nat.

Sheng would kill him for doing this.

And what about the monks? Ox’s visions? “Will I lose the visions?”

“Why would you presume that?”

Aha, so she knew about them. “The monks said I must live a life of purity to keep them.”

Her eyes flashed. “What is more pure than love?”

He blinked. All this time, he’d believed giving up on love was the truest path, but he’d been wrong. Embracing his love for Nat
was
his path.

“Of course, you must pass the tests first.” The Matchmaker inclined her head. “If you fail, your soul will be forfeit. A minor detail.” Her lips curved in mischief. “What say you? Will
you
fight for
your
love?”

Chapter 33

Nat stormed down the corridor, her foul mood ripening with each stride. Though she’d fought against it, she’d woken up this morning—and every morning for the past week—with tears streaking her face. She might control her waking moments but, in her sleep, her heart mourned Kassian. Swiping at her right eye, she fought back the ache in her heart.

It didn’t help that the Matchmaker punished her with the worst assignment in the universe.

Training new inductees.

This mission was barely a step up from babysitting. These pathetic men and women would bitch and groan while she strung them through rigorous tests. What fun.

New members were accepted once a year at this training camp. Anyone who tried to join and failed didn’t come out the other side with a few bumps and bruises. Because of the confidential nature of their business, failures got downgraded. Badly. Shipped off to menial positions in the houses of the immortals.

Or worse.

She shuddered. No one who’d been sent away ever returned to elaborate on what the “worse” was.

She reached the steel doors. According to the manifest, she had seven students. Seven wannabe assassins. They weren’t all humans, though. Gracing the list were a fox spirit, a shape shifter, as well as one male marked “undeclared.” She tapped her fingernail beside the box. Well, she’d find out on the other side of these doors. She hauled one open and detected the grunting and panting of men and women in training. Good. The sooner they learned to push their bodies beyond their limits, the better.

The shuffling muffled to a halt as she stepped to the center of the room. “If you would please join me, we’ll go over some basic introductory notes.”

She pointed to the mats. The fox spirit dropped from where she’d been hanging upside down from the ceiling.

The clink of metal on metal indicated the two lifting free weights had set them aside.

She waited while they gathered around her. The last one, in the back, didn’t jump to attention, however. She frowned. Must be the undeclared. There was always one who had to prove they didn’t need the regimen.

In her training group, she’d been that one.

She covered her amusement by pressing her lips together in a firm line. Attitude wasn’t as much fun on this side of the instruction. She set her hand on her hip and glared in his direction. “I suggest you join us.”

The man set the bar back on the bench-press and raised to sit, facing away from her, but those glorious honed back muscles were impossible to forget. Her stomach tightened as he faced her. The clipboard slipped from her frozen fingers and thumped to the mat.

Kassian.
Her lips couldn’t even part to form his name. The smile on his face faded; his eyes darkened in lust. He launched to his feet and strode toward her, wrapped his hand around her neck, and slanted his mouth over hers.

Her mind stumbled on how this was possible while his lips fought to keep her focus. Finally, she settled on one simple fact: she had to protect him.

She shoved one hand against his oh-so-hard pecs. “You. You can’t be here.” Dread iced the lust in her veins. “What the hell have you done, Kassian?”

She shook her head, unwilling to accept his presence here. Being inducted into the program meant there was no out.

Kassian’s life…was over.

***

As Nat eased back in his arms, every word of the Matchmaker’s warning crashed through Kassian’s mind.

Are you sure she loves you? Maybe you fell for one of her ruses.

He swallowed hard and held up his wrist. Perhaps Nat required proof he hadn’t slicked the Matchmaker’s palm to pull off a prank. “I sure as hell hope I’m in the right place because I’ve got the standard-issue tat.”

Her gaze stayed riveted on the lotus tat on the inside of his wrist. “Once a member, always a member,” the tattoo artist had joked.

Yeah, well, the joke was on Kassian.

“You can’t have that. Why did you do that?” She snatched his arm and scrubbed at the ink like she expected it to rub off.

“Ouch, hey! Easy. It’s real enough.” He wrenched out of her grasp, wincing. Not at the tender flesh of his arm, but at the organ inside his chest.

“You don’t belong here. You can’t be here.” She picked up the clipboard with shaky hands.

Her words set Ox off. “That’s your reaction? I do this for you, for
us
, and all you can tell me is to fuck off?”

He towered above her. “No. I love you, Nat.” His tone softened as tears glistened in her eyes. He drew her aside, away from the curious crowd of students. This was better entertainment than they’d paid for.

“
Shhh…
” Hauling her against his chest, he rubbed her back. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not okay.” She pushed off him and tilted her chin. “You weren’t supposed to have this life.
My
life.”

He was about to spew another shitload about her lack of gratitude, but she pressed her fingers to his lips. “This isn’t any kind of life for anyone. I wanted more for you.”

Ah, Nat was trying to protect him.

“If it’s a life with you, then that’s what I choose. Tell me I didn’t do this for nothing.” Geez, that was definitely desperation in his voice.

“I—” The heavy doors flew open. In walked the Matchmaker.

Ah, fuck.

He released Nat’s hand and let her rush to the front of the room. The Matchmaker’s lips curved. Why? Because he’d failed or because he might succeed?

Who the hell knew with her.

“I have decided to change the order of your training for this session,” the Matchmaker announced to the group.

“What?” Nat rifled through the papers on her clipboard.

“You will be partnered in teams of two. The task is this. Ensure the survival of your partner. Follow me.” She spun on her heel and exited the room. Seven students. Would that mean he’d be partnered with Nat?

“Complete the course. If either you or your partner does not return, then neither of you will. Kassian, you may partner with Natalie.” The Matchmaker addressed him, then ushered the pairs into the blinding light of an open door.

Kassian marched toward her. “What is this, Matchmaker?”

She lifted her shoulder. “A test. Like the others.”

“Well, good. Because I’m going to pass it. Just like the others.” He eyed her for any hint of emotion. Was she planning his demise? “I’m going to be with Nat because I love her.”

“Good.” She pursed her lips as she regarded him. “Prove it to me.” She extended her hand toward the door.

He narrowed his gaze on her for a second before clutching Nat’s hand.

“What’s the plan?” she whispered as he tugged her into the light. He blinked, shapes focusing. This sure as hell wasn’t an average obstacle course.

They stood on a pile of fluff. No, a cloud. “Whoa.” He held Nat back and assessed the situation. “You’ve done this before, right?”

She shook her head. “Not like this. The tests change every time.”

“Wish we could borrow Dragon’s wings for this one, eh?” He squinted into the clouds, searching for the other students. “Where is everyone?”

Nat slid her hand into his. “I believe this is the part where we take a leap of faith.”

“You sure about that?” He eyed the flickering image of the opposite side of the canyon. Before he could argue for or against the merits of leaping across, Nat released his hand, paced backward, and sprang forward.

Shit. She flew over the expanse and did, indeed, land on the other side.
Well, here goes nothing.

He vaulted across the chasm, sneaking a glimpse downward. Instead of a blank canvas, images mingled below him. Memories. Of him and Nat.

Whoa. This was the test? The entire obstacle was about him and Nat. “Prove it to me,” the Matchmaker had said. If he didn’t, there’d be no Nat and him to fight for.