AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Pierre was still smiling at her, nonplussed. Then he shrugged. “There’s nothing in the rule book that says if I see a rogue in the area, I can’t take him down.”
“If you happened to be in the area. You weren’t. You followed me here because you knew I was after a rogue.”
“There’s nothing in the rules that say I can’t follow a fellow assassin to ensure her safety.”
She folded her arms. “You aren’t here to protect me. You’re here to bag the vampire and get paid formyjob.”
“It’s not your job unless you complete the mission. The only reason you keep missing out is you’re too timid.”
“I’m not foolhardy. One of these days”—sooner than later, she hoped—“the league is going to list you as a rogue, just one arrogant mistake, and—”
“And what?” Pierre’s blue eyes glittered with malice. “You’ll come after me and terminate me? You would never be successful.”
“So egotistical.”
But then her attention rivetted to two men dressed in plaid kilts and sashes of old, argyle socks and boots, both blond-haired, blue-eyed, and looking a lot like Gareth…and Stasio for that matter. The swords hanging at their waists grabbed her gaze. They were hunters, she was certain. Not just dressed in traditional dress for the people who were visiting the castle, though several were taking pictures of them.
They were trouble. Had they come after her quarry? How many assassins wanted Gareth dead? She almost felt sorry for him.Almost.
But worse, they were headed straight for her and Pierre, and that didn’t bode well.
“What is your purpose here?” the one man who was a little taller than the other asked.
“Who are you?” Pierre eyed their clothes in a disdainful way.
He was being discourteous, when she thought it was best to be ultra-courteous with them. They were obviously from here, and she and Pierre were not. They were the outsiders.
“Our business has nothing to do with you,” Pierre said haughtily.
“Oh? You’re after a vampire? You’re not from here. From your accent I would say you are from New York, and you have no business being here unless you’re just visiting our fair land. Which I doubt is the reason for your visit. Know this, if you kill a vampire—or a hunter—in Wales, you’ll suffer this.” The man pulled out his sword and the other, a brother, had to be as much as he looked like the other man, unsheathed his sword at the same time to make a point.
They leveled them at Pierre’s chest and Jasmine’s. Pierre hissed, baring his teeth at the man, displaying a rogue vampire’s sign of aggression. He could say it was because the hunter was threatening him at the point of a sword, but the hunter didn’t fight him, so it would have behooved Pierre to chill and keep his fangs in check.
“I am Cadfael, battle prince. Remember that name.” His blue eyes glittered with menace, his mouth grim with fierce determination, his gaze on Pierre, as if he knew Pierre was the one who would give them trouble.
“I’m Llewelyn,” the other man said, “lion-like. You don’t want to see my wrath.”
As much as Jasmine wanted this mission, she wasn’t willing to die at the hands of a couple of hunters over it. “So, you’re saying only the hunters in Wales can take down a rogue vampire? Or”—she smiled, having a thought—"a vampire from the Welsh League of Vampires?” She immediately thought of Stasio. She could still watch his back while he killed Gareth, and hope he paid her half the sum of the payment for the job. Pierre would be out of luck. Though she thought the New York League had cleared this assignment with the Welsh League.
“The Anglesey Welsh League of Vampires,” Cadfael corrected her.
“Well, I’m with Stasio. I’m his girlfriend.” She hoped that would put her in better stead and hoped he was registered with the local vampire league and not some other. “We’re here. Together.”
The battle prince’s eyes remained chilled with irritation, but a corner of his stern mouth lifted a little.
Then she wondered if the hunters were after Gareth and no one else would have the job.
“If you are with Stasio, where is he?” Cadfael sheathed his sword and Llewelyn did the same with his.
“We’re meeting for dinner,” she quickly said.
“His companions are here with him?” Cadfael’s eyes were narrowed, and she suspected he didn’t believe her.
“Yes. Uhm, I don’t know their names, but there were three other men with him and a woman, Caitlin, I think her name was.”
Cadfael exchanged glances with Llewellyn. “You are eating here? At the restaurant?”
“Yes.”
