The Assassin's Destiny (Isle of Dreams) (4 page)

She returned to the sofa bearing
two plates of cold meat and bread, placing them on the low table as Fabian
carried over a flagon of wine and two cups from dresser.

‘Now,’ said Fabian, dropping down
onto the sofa and stretching out his long legs.  ‘Why don’t you come and
sit with me and tell me what it is that’s bothering you.’ 

He opened his arms and smiled at
her, inviting her to join him.  Mistral didn’t need asking twice, sliding
happily into his arms and curling up against him with a sigh of
satisfaction.  She didn’t speak immediately but listened instead to the
peaceful sound of the crackling fire and the steady rhythm of Fabian’s
heartbeats, prolonging the moment of happiness before she had to ruin it all
with the confession she knew she had to make.

‘Promise you won’t be angry with
me,’ she began, glancing quickly up to see his velvet eyes gazing patiently
back.

‘I can’t promise not to be
perpetually astounded by your wilful and impetuous nature however I will try to
restrain my anger,’ he confirmed with a smile.

Mistral drew in a deep breath,
‘Well, the twins were going on and on about Malachi having vampire blood and
Phantom asked me to read Malachi’s aura –’ she hesitated and looked up quickly
but was reassured to see that he merely looked amused by the news that she had
been prying on the hidden emotions of a member of the Magnate … or trying to
pry.

‘What did you see?’ he
prompted. 

‘Nothing,’ she frowned.  ‘I
tried twice and both times I just saw the vague outline of his aura and then it
vanished.  I thought I was losing my ability, so I read Phantom and it was
fine ... so I just can’t understand why I couldn’t read Malachi.’

‘Oh, I don’t think it was you
that couldn’t read his aura,’ murmured Fabian, stroking her hair gently. 
‘Malachi knows what gift you have and he probably expected you to try and read
him.  He was hiding his aura from you … and that is very interesting.’

‘But how can he do that?’ 
Mistral asked, looking perplexed.  ‘I know he’s got Mage blood but the
Craft doesn’t pass to half-breeds does it?’

‘No, and anyway, there are no
spells that can prevent your gift; that’s why Seers are so highly valued. 
I think it is more likely to be a trait he has inherited from his father’s
side.’

‘The vampire?  Do they have
power then?’

‘Yes, not in the same league as
having the Craft though, or I’m sure Eximius would be constantly waging war
with them for control of the Isle.  However, they are a race of beings
utterly convinced of their own superiority and as such find living under the
rule of a Mage quite hard to take.  They suffer it because the only other
option is to live in the outside world, which many of their kind do of course,
but due to the nature of their hunger they are forced to live a nomadic
existence.  The tribe that live on the Isle reluctantly abide by the laws
Eximius has put in place to govern their appetites because they grew tired of
constantly moving from place to place.’

Mistral shuddered and Fabian
pulled her tighter against him.

‘The tribe live in the north of
the Isle Mistral.  They are forbidden from hunting anything other than the
same sorts of creatures that you and I do.  You are safe here.’

‘I’m not frightened,’ said
Mistral, looking up at him with a frown.  ‘It’s just a bit revolting.’

Fabian laughed softly, ‘Of course
you aren’t frightened by the prospect of something draining the blood from your
still living body, only by the concept.  How foolish of me.’

‘They can be killed can’t
they?’  Mistral asked matter of factly.

‘Of course, nothing is
invincible.’

‘Then there’s nothing to be
afraid of is there?’

‘Very practical; which is why you
are by far the best apprentice in my group,’ he murmured, picking up one of her
hands and stroking his fingers lightly down the palm.

Mistral sighed.  The subject
of her second year was not one she enjoyed discussing however it did remind her
of something she had been meaning to ask Fabian for a while.

‘Why did you stay for a second
year’s apprenticeship?’  Mistral asked, sitting up and turning to face
him.

‘Well, firstly because I was invited
and it’s rude to refuse,’ Fabian teased, leaning forward to collect one of the
plates of food from the table and placing it on his lap.

Mistral laughed and took a piece
of cold ham from the plate, ‘But why did you?  Really, I mean.  I
would’ve thought that you hated the idea of owing the Ri two years of your life
after you’d finished training.’

‘Oh I did,’ Fabian agreed
lightly.  ‘And I resented the Magnate for it … probably still do actually,
and I was under no illusion that they invited me to stay because I was an
exceptional warrior –’

‘But you are!  I could watch
you drill swords all day long,’ she blurted and promptly reddened.  

‘Thank you.’  Fabian smiled,
more at her blush than her words.  ‘But I fear you may be a touch biased when
it comes to my abilities.  No, I am sure they invited me to stay for a
second year because they were taken with the notion of having a tame Mage in
their ranks.  However, as I never embraced the Craft they were sadly
disappointed and I spent a year improving my skills at their expense.’

Mistral laughed, ‘It’s good to
hear of someone getting something out of the Ri for a change.’

Fabian broke a piece of bread and
passed her half, chewing on his thoughtfully for a moment before he replied, ‘I
know that you feel that the Ri are your gaolers Mistral, but for most the Ri
provide an opportunity to escape the outcast lives they would have otherwise
been forced to lead.’

‘I know, Leo said as much at our
Registration.  I can see the good they do, but I suppose I’m in the 
slightly unusual position of them needing me more than I need them; and you’re
right – I do feel like the Ri are my gaolers, well Leo anyway.  Do you
realise that I haven’t had any Contracts other than a couple of simple hunts
this year?’ 

Fabian nodded vaguely and picked
up a chicken leg, examining with more interest than it warranted.

‘Fabian.  You wouldn’t have
anything to do with that would you?’  Mistral asked, spearing him with a
hard look.

Fabian sighed and placed the
chicken leg back onto the plate before turning to meet her cold stare, his
black eyes suddenly guilty, ‘I may have spoken with Leo at the start of the
year.’

Mistral raised an eyebrow and
continued to glare at him, ‘Oh?’

‘I just want to protect you
Mistral!  Is that so hard to understand?’  Fabian sighed
exasperatedly.  ‘Second year Contracts can be very dangerous to say the
least.  I can remember being made to take two mercenary Contracts in a
row.  Half of the warriors didn’t make it back from the second one – it
was a massacre!’

‘Are you trying to make me
jealous?’  Mistral snapped.  ‘Because I really don’t want to hear
about your daring exploits whilst you’re trying to bore me to death with damned
knucker hunts and basic tracking that a first year could do blindfold!’

‘I’m not sure this lot could.’
 Fabian commented drily.

‘Don’t try to change the
subject!  What happens when I eventually finish training and have to work
for the Ri for two years?  You can’t vet the Contracts I have to take then
can you?’

‘No.’  Fabian met her angry
gaze cautiously.  ‘But I can come with you.’

Mistral stared at him, instantly
torn between the desire to be furious at his overprotectiveness and the swoop
of sheer joy the thought of working with him evoked.

Reading the expression on her
face Fabian smiled and she immediately scowled.

‘Oh don’t think that you’re off
the hook that easily De Winter,’ she warned.  ‘I’m not happy about this!’

‘Perhaps the offer to accompany
me on my next Contract would appease you?’ he offered and put the plate back on
the table to take her in his arms once again.

‘You still take Contracts?’ 
Mistral asked, looking up at him in surprise.    

‘How else do you expect me to
keep you in the manner to which you have become accustomed?  Or did you
think that I should have retired by now?’

‘No!’  Mistral laughed and
laid her head back against his shoulder.  ‘I just assumed that because of
your place at the Council you wouldn’t take any Contracts, in case of a clash
of conflicts or something.’

Fabian smiled and stroked her
hair idly, ‘I take the occasional Contract that interests me.  Leo and I
have worked together on a few mercenary Contracts ... but, you are correct, I
have to be careful not to take anything that would clash with my Council
obligations.’

‘So you’ve not accepted a
Contract to assassinate Count Putreo Darke then?’  Mistral ventured
lightly but failed to hide the edge that had crept in when she said the word
“assassinate”. 

‘No, more’s the pity.’
 Fabian muttered darkly then sighed.  ‘But in answer to the question
you really wanted to ask me; no, I no longer accept assassinations.  That
part of my life is over.’

Mistral tilted her head to see
him gazing down at her with a sad expression on his face.  She frowned,
‘What’s troubling you Fabian?  If it’s your past then don’t waste time on
it.  You know I don’t care –’

‘I know,’ he cut her off with a
sigh.  ‘My past is behind me, but your future lies ahead of us and I don’t
know how I will feel about you taking Contracts of that nature.’

‘I have no interest in assassination
Contracts.’  Mistral stated quietly.  ‘I thought that the idea of
them wouldn’t bother me, but it turns out that it does.  Phantom once said
something on the subject to me that actually didn’t irritate me … in fact, it
that made me realise how I felt.’

‘Oh?’ 

‘Hmm, he said that the more he
learned how to take a life the more he valued its continuation and for once, I
have to say that I agree with him.’

‘The twins have old heads on
young shoulders.’  Fabian murmured.  ‘I value their good influence on
you.’

Mistral snorted, ‘Like getting me
marked for death by elves and encouraging me to read a member of the Magnate’s
aura you mean?’

‘I admit they have had the
occasional failure, but on the whole they do try to keep you on the straight
and narrow.’

‘I knew it!’  Mistral cried,
sitting up and glaring at him furiously.  ‘You’ve got to them as well
haven’t you?’

‘I confess that I may have spoken
with them too.  Please will you accept my abject apologies for loving you
and trying to keep you alive?’  Fabian released her to hold his hands up
in mock surrender.    

Mistral glared into the imploring
black velvet of his eyes and fought very hard to remain angry with him. 
And failed.

‘Oh for crying out loud!’ she
exhaled the angry breath she had been holding.  ‘How can I ever be
expected to be angry with you for any length of time when you look at me like
that?’

Fabian suddenly bent and kissed
her angrily pouting mouth until she gave in and kissed him back. 

‘You’re not forgiven yet,’ she
muttered, glaring at him through narrowed eyes.

‘And what can I do to win back my
place in your affections?’ he murmured, trailing a finger down her cheek.

‘Three things actually,’ she
said, fighting the urge to close her eyes with pleasure at his touch.

‘Name them,’ he breathed.

‘You will stay with me in our bed
tonight.’

Fabian sighed heavily, ‘And?’

‘You promise to take me on your
next Contract, no matter what it entails.’

‘I promise.  However, you
must be patient as I won’t take any work until my commitments as Training
Lieutenant have ended.’

‘Fine, I’m sure that’ll come
round too quickly anyway.  And one last thing –’

‘Anything you desire.’
 Fabian growled, stroking his finger slowly down her neck to rest in the
hollow of her throat. 

‘We both know that you’re lying
now.  However, you will let me paste Ezra on Monday for interrupting us
today,’ she finished firmly.

Fabian smiled, ‘Sorry Mistral,
but no.  That would be terribly unprofessional of me.’

‘Damn.’  Mistral swore
softly.  ‘And I was doing so well.’

‘And now –’

Fabian’s black gaze burned into
hers with a breathtaking intensity that never failed to render her powerless to
look away, or talk, or breathe. 

‘– I think you owe me a small
explanation as to how you passed the long winter days in Nevelte.’

‘Oh double damn.’  Mistral
groaned.  ‘I was so hoping that you had forgotten about that.’

January’s snowfalls gave way to
February’s sudden violent downpours that soaked all the apprentices to the skin
in seconds and turned the Training Arena to churned mud.  It was a Tuesday
lunchtime and Mistral and Fabian were eating together in The Cloak and
Dagger.  The tavern was unusually quiet since all of the first years were
spending the day working in the Infirmary.  Apart from a couple of
warriors arguing over a Contract at the bar they were the only occupants. 

Mistral sighed and picked
distractedly at her food, watching Fabian from across the table while he
ate.  Eventually she sighed and pushed the plate of food away.

Fabian lifted his goblet to take
a drink and noticed her untouched food, ‘Why aren’t you eating?’

‘Not hungry.’  Mistral
sighed again and fiddled with her full goblet. 

Fabian set his own drink down and
looked at her, concern furrowing his brow, ‘Is something wrong?’

Mistral raised her eyes and gazed
thoughtfully into his for a long moment before replying, ‘Only the usual.’

‘The usual?’

She shrugged, ‘You know … you and
me ... what it’ll actually be like when we’re finally together.’

Fabian stared wordlessly back,
his black eyes scorching her with the heat of twin suns.  She held his
gaze, feeling the slow burn of desire spread through her stomach. 
Abruptly he dropped his gaze and began eating again.