Born of Ice

Paden took his hand in his. “May the gods walk with you.”


“And you. Remember, you’re watching over the most important things in the world to me.”

Devyn met Alix’s terrified gaze and wanted to reassure her. “Don’t be afraid. I will get your family out of this. I promise.”

“Your promises are the only ones I’ve ever been able to count on, and it’s not just them I’m terrified for. Don’t do anything stupid, Devyn. I don’t want your life to be the price you pay for their freedom.”

Smiling, Devyn kissed her hand. He inhaled the scent of her skin before he lifted his head and claimed her lips. “I will protect you.”

She nodded even as images of him danced in her head. “Be safe.”

“You, too.” He looked at Paden. “I’ll leave first. Once they have me, get the others out of here.”

“Will do.”

Devyn took one more look at Alix, hoping this wasn’t the last time he saw her. She was disheveled by everything they’d been through and still she was the most beautiful woman in the world to him.

His wounds were throbbing, but not even that pain could override the desire he had for her.

Part of him wanted to forget the others and run with her, but he loved Omari and his crew just as much.

This was the only way to save all of them. His life for theirs.

It was a bargain, really.

His heart heavy, he turned and left the room, then headed down to where the largest group of soldiers were waiting outside the building. The moment they saw him, they swarmed.

It took every ounce of will he possessed not to fight them as they cuffed his hands behind his back. This was for the others.

Yeah, but subjugation sucked.

Just don’t let Paden betray me.

He was putting a lot of trust in someone who could easily stab him in the back and kill the ones he was trying so desperately to save.

But at this point, he had no choice.



Alix eyed Paden warily. He hadn’t been exactly friendly or trustworthy in all of this, and she still wasn’t sure Devyn’s plan was sane. Please be all right. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she’d just consigned him to death to save her family. “Were you lying to him?”

Paden gave her a hard stare. “Not about you I wasn’t.” Then he added dryly, “I know you think I’m a worthless bastard and I really don’t care.”

But she caught a tremor under his voice. One that told her something he wasn’t saying. “You love your brother.”

Paden looked away, but she caught the look of shame in his eyes as if the very idea of it embarrassed him. “My feelings for him and my father are none of your business. Now move, slave. If it comes down to you or me, I won’t be as stupid as Devyn.”

His words offended her, but she found it strange that he claimed them as family now that Devyn wasn’t here to hear it.

Before she could really delve into that, he grabbed her by the arm and hauled her from the room.

“Where are you supposed to rendezvous?” he asked her as they made their way to the rear of the building, where they had the least chance of being seen and apprehended.

“The landing bay.”

He scowled at her. “The landing bay? Are you insane? That place will be crawling with enforcers.”

“Well, that was the game plan.”

He let out a sound of supreme disgust. “Fine.”

Alix jerked her arm free. “You’re hurting me.”

“Like I care.” But he didn’t retake her arm as he led her carefully toward the bay.

Alix wasn’t too sure about this as they entered the bay through a side door. She had a bad feeling in her stomach that she couldn’t shake.

They hadn’t gone far when she understood why. Behind them, she heard a deep, scary voice.

“Surrender in the name of The League.”





CHAPTER 14


Alix’s gaze went straight to two of the deadliest-looking men she’d ever seen. Dressed in black League uniforms, there was no mistaking their occupation.

They were assassins.

One had white-blond hair that was braided down his back—the customary fashion for an assassin. His sleeves bore the deep burgundy mark of a dagger topped by a crown. That denoted him as the baddest of the bad.

A Command Assassin of the First Order.

And beside him was what appeared to be an Andarion with short black hair worn in a series of spiral curls. There was no mistaking his fangs as he tongued one of them as if he were sizing them up for dinner. Either he was newly trained or something had happened to his long hair.

Both of them wore opaque shades—a wardrobe choice designed to unnerve those around them. And boy, did it ever work. It also kept people from knowing who the assassins were looking at.

Or, more to the point, targeting.

Though right now, the blasters aimed at them gave her a good idea that the targets du jour was her and Paden.