The Assassin's Curse

Copyright © 2023 by J.D. Monroe All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Editing by Two Birds Author Services Cover Design by Yocla Designs Formatting by J.D. Monroe ISBN: 978-1-944142-57-5 Contents Reader Note Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 The Rogue’s Curse - A Sneak Peek About the Author Also by J.D. Monroe Reader Note Dearest readers, I want reading to always be a wonderful escape. If you have concerns about tropes or content, please visit my website for a description of elements in this book. Thank you and take care of yourselves! 1 The pretty blonde passed by the window yet again, blissfully unaware that she was being watched. She and her partner had dimmed the lights, but vampire vision made her easy to track each time she passed an open window, a darker form slipping through the shadows. Blood streaked her delicate hands, which she absently wiped on her jacket from time to time. For the last ninety-three minutes, Sasha had watched from his perch in a nearby tree as she and her partner, a brawny man with buzzed black hair, dragged headless vampire corpses through the darkened house. When the woman raised a question about leaving the heads, her partner snapped back, “We need to send a message.” This was not the assignment he had expected. Yet Hugo had been clear. Kill the vampires. Leave the bodies. Messages abounded tonight. Like the vampire hunters, Hugo also wanted to send a message, though Sasha could only guess at its intended audience. Most of his waking hours were filled with uncertainty, but Hugo was always sure of how to move forward and ensure that Sasha was useful. They were in a fight for their very survival, Hugo had said. Evil vampires threatened the city and endangered good vampires like Sasha and his family. At Hugo’s command, Sasha had put a dozen vampires down in the last few weeks. Each mission had begun with a stern reminder: This is a top-secret mission of the utmost importance, Sasha. You must be discreet. The others will be distracted if they know. Sasha had met only one ‘other’, his somber brother Julian. Weeks ago, he had awoken in a strange place with an unfamiliar face looming over him. After reassuring Sasha that he was safe, Julian introduced himself, told him that his memory was broken, and promised to protect him until it was healed. He visited Sasha every few days to share a meal, and he was pleasant enough company. But even when Julian smiled, his eyes were filled with sorrow, his shoulders heavy with a secret burden. Before leaving, he always thanked Sasha for his dedication to his family. That dedication was aided by Hugo, whose unflinching certainty felt reassuring. Not only did Hugo know the way forward, he found a way for Sasha to be of use. Despite his broken memory, his senses were sharp, his instincts keen. The rules were simple: Leave no witness. Keep it quiet. When in doubt, ask Hugo. So when Sasha arrived at the big, gated house out in the suburbs and found two live humans instead of the vampire nest he expected, he immediately contacted Hugo with a text message. The response came quick and clear, as always. Kill one. Bring the other in. That was an easy enough choice. The blonde looked delicate and soft; he didn’t particularly like the idea of killing her, even if she would have gladly killed him given the chance. That left her partner, who finally stepped outside and into Sasha’s sights. The man’s heartbeat accelerated as he stepped into the dark of night, hinting at his fear. He’d left the door open, but Sasha could grab him and have him halfway down the block before the woman heard his cry for help. Running his tongue over his fangs, Sasha leaned out of the concealing branches of his tree perch and prepared to pounce. A second heartbeat layered the first, and he froze as the woman stepped outside and said, “Did you hear back from Jonas?” The older man hurried inside and closed the door behind him as they discussed their orders and who was going to drive across town to meet with someone named Alicia. Dammit. A minute later, a mechanical rumbling accompanied a rising garage door. A black van backed out of the garage. From his vantage point in the tree, Sasha watched the human man driving down the winding driveway before pulling through the gates and out of sight. Below him, the blonde remained in the house. Alone. Hugo wanted one alive, and that’s what he would get. Maybe this one would know how to bring back his memory. Sasha dropped from the tree and landed silently, then sprang forward. A belly full of fresh blood made him quick on his feet. Clearing the yard in two long strides, he clambered up the side of the house to a balcony, where he twisted the metal door handle hard enough to break it. Inside, the house stank of fresh vampire blood and old decay. Dead vampires smelled different than dead humans, and the house was filled with a foul blend of both. The sickly scent of decomposition permeated the air, leaving a putrid scent that clung to his skin. Hugo thought the human owners of the house had been killed by vampires, but it seemed the killers had since been put down,