Shaedes of Gray: A Shaede Assassin Novel Read Online Free

carried, tucked inconspicuously beneath my coat, a dagger and a short saber slung across my back. I never use guns—too impersonal.
    I could have traveled unseen, but that night, I wanted the attention. It kind of revved up my engine, got me ready for the job. I wore my signature black—tight pants, low on my waist; long-sleeved black nylon turtleneck that clung to every curve of my body; black boots (of course); and, to top it off, a long black duster. I admit, the coat was a little over the top, but I love dramatics. Especially when I’m on a job.
    I went without an umbrella, and my hair coiled in soppy curls that dripped over my shoulders. I walked with my chin high, shoulders back, and my stride long. And I made sure to direct my glowing gaze at anyone who dared to look.
    A group of guys passed me. One of them ran right into a streetlamp, he was so busy staring. The man to his right seemed much more confident. “Hey, baby. Lookin’ for a little company?” he shouted, turning to watch me pass.
    I stopped dead and turned to face him. He must have thought himself a real ladies’ man, because he went so far as to urge his friends on their way.
    I flashed a wicked smile. A dumbstruck look crept onto his face. Weak. Easy. Not even a challenge.
    “You must be this tall,” I said, leveling my hand well above his stocky height, “to ride this ride.” I blew him a kiss and kept walking.
    The light drizzle became a downpour as I made my way toward East Highland Drive. I could no longer remember what things sounded or looked like through my human ears and eyes, but with my heightened senses, a simple rainstorm became a symphony of sensory overload. I heard every drop as it made contact with the ground, exploding from one into several, dissipating into the collective body of water that ran in a sheet along the concrete sidewalk. I felt sorry for humans sometimes. They missed out on a lot.
    As I neared lucky Mr. Peck’s address, the city melted away and the neighborhood became more residential. Apartment buildings morphed into town houses, and retail spaces disappeared into grassy parks. The neighborhood looked richer than I’d expected. Usually the kind of people who ended up on the sharp end of my knife took up in a decidedly seedier atmosphere.
    I found the place with little effort and took a seat, watching, on a bench across the street. Tyler’s visit the previous evening still had my head spinning. The set of his jaw, the way he’d thrown his shoulders back as he walked toward the lift . . . Maybe I’d put the final nail in the coffin of our almost relationship. A pang of regret shot through my chest at the thought, even though I knew it was for the best. Sure, it would have been fine in the beginning—all groping, greedy hands and hours of sex followed by sweet affirmations and professions of love. But that would only last so long. The moony-eyed-lover crap would turn to resentment, power struggles, and manipulation. He’d grow to hate me, and not just because of my less than gracious personality. Then something would happen. He’d want me to quit this line of work, or move away, or he’d expect me to go June Cleaver and marry him or some shit. And when none of that happened, he’d resent me. Or he’d use my affection against me like Azriel had. He’d use love to control me, keep me nice and subservient. And wouldn’t that just be the fairy-tale ending. No, I had to be strong. I couldn’t let Tyler worm his way into my heart. He was human and he’d age and eventually die. He needed to forget about me and find himself a pretty human woman to grow old and die with. And then I’d be truly alone. Wouldn’t I?
    Rain pattered against the round toes of my thick-soled boots, and I watched the drops splatter like the tears I refused to shed. The town house loomed before me like a voyeur, its windows curious eyes that drew my attention away from the empty ache in my soul. The place looked pretty much like every