Dark King (Court of the Sea Fae #1) - C.N. Crawford Page 0,3

most useful weapons. Believe it or not, the comb was the other. It would help lure the assassins to me. Then, I’d simply shoot them.

“I’ve got this, Gina,” I said. “Just keep the doors shut. If the water fills up too fast, you can escape through the hatch in the roof. I’ll lure the assassins away from that opening, so they won’t notice you. Sneak out from the ceiling hatch and make a run for it. In five minutes, they’ll be totally gone. They’re not after you, anyway. They just want me.”

“Please be careful.” She pulled a plastic ring off her finger and shoved it at me. “Take this for good luck.”

“Thanks.” I slid the gun into the belt on my shorts, then the ring onto my finger. A cartoon donkey on the top grinned at me. I was pretty sure it had been a prize from a Happy Meal, but I’d take all the luck I could get.

By now, the water had risen up to my toes. Powerful magic skimmed over my body.

I crossed though the silk curtains that hid the tunnel door. It led to an ancient, earthen tunnel. Here, dirt particles filled the air, and I couldn’t see a thing. Already, the water was turning the dirt walls to mud. Not ideal. In another life, I’d once had total power over water. Not anymore.

Magic electrified the air. I broke into a fast run, pumping my arms as I sprinted through the tunnel, my feet splashing in the rising water. I might be crap at powerful magic, but I was great at running in heels.

If I could kill the assassins fast, maybe I could save the shop.

Long ago, priests had used these tunnels to escape Henry VIII, sneaking down to the Thames to flee the city. Now, I was using them to save my own rear.

Water streamed in heavier, now, and running was getting harder. Still, the river called to me.

If I ended this fast, I’d keep Gina safe. I’d promised years ago to keep her from harm.

It had been two years since I’d found her running from a demon predator. He had been about three hundred years older than her and rotten down to his bones. He’d broken her jawbone and nearly choked her to death behind a dumpster. I’d put him out of her misery.

Gina had lived with me since.

The icy water was flowing faster, now, chilling my calves.

I was one minute away from the Thames. One minute till I could lure the assassins to me.

My breath grew ragged in my throat as I fought my way through the rising water. Another powerful wave of magic set my teeth on edge. The water rushed up to my hips, now.

When the water reached my ribs, I dove under, sinking into its cold embrace. The water was my home, and I moved through it swiftly. I held my breath, and the river rushed over my skin as I swam, faster and faster, moving toward my target.

The assassins were fae like me, but they had struck a deal with the humans long ago. They could live in the world, in exchange for killing all the other supernaturals.

But why come for me when there were demons far more dangerous roaming London’s streets, demons who could make your blood drain from your body on sight?

Moonlight pierced the water’s surface.

I kicked my legs, moving higher and higher, until my head reached the top. I took a deep breath of spring air.

Icy water soaked my clothes, and my teeth chattered as I hoisted myself up onto the river walkway. The moon and streetlamp cast faint light over the empty pavement.

I shivered, pulling my comb from my pocket. Tonight, mist hung thick and low over the Thames.

All magic had certain properties—smells, sounds, textures. I mostly listened to the sounds, like music that every magical being possessed. It was a thread of magic connecting two people.

I tuned into the vibrations of the assassin. He’d come for blood, and his magic sounded like a drumbeat, a pounding in my blood.

Once I’d found him, I pulled the comb through my sodden blue hair and launched into a low, ancient song—the song of the Morgens. In the night air above London, my magic called to my target.

This was my magic. My sad dirt hole magic. I lured men to me with a comb and a song. And if they were bad men, I killed them.

Admittedly, this wasn’t the most effective magic in a battle. I needed a body