Shaedes of Gray: A Shaede Assassin Novel by Amanda Bonilla Page A

dumped in the river or tossed into the bay. They held little hope of finding the gentle girl.
    We’d left California and moved north to Seattle. Azriel was very fond of port towns, and he kept close to the water at all times. He said it calmed him to be near the water, and I didn’t question his desires. We never wanted for anything. Azriel’s wealth surpassed even that of Henry’s. Assuming the guise of the leisurely affluent, we spent our days shopping, sightseeing, or simply enjoying the local culture. Our evenings were spent under the cover of shadow, and more nights than not ended with us enjoying each other’s bodies until the sun rose.
    Though we didn’t need the money, Azriel had a restless spirit. He craved excitement like he craved my flesh, and it wasn’t long before he went out in search of diversion. He found employment easily enough. Killing for money satisfied his cavalier spirit. And he was all too eager to bring me along. If the humans he worked for noticed anything about us that was more than human, they never mentioned it. One deadly glower from Azriel was enough to stifle even the most stalwart of humans.
    I’d never been angry with him for what he’d done to me. Just like I’d never blamed Henry for his treatment of me. I’d welcomed the change, as I was done with humanity. I was curious about what I’d become, though, and I questioned Azriel often, only to be silenced by soft kisses. And if I pressed him further, he silenced me by taking me to bed. On and on it went for years, until one day I would not be silenced.
    “Please, Azriel,” I said. “Tell me something, anything. What am I now? How is it that I cannot die? How do we become one with the darkest shadows? I want to know.”
    “There are no others,” he said as he unbuttoned my dress. “I have been alone for so long. My people were killed, eradicated. We are unique, alone in this world. And it will be better for us to keep to ourselves. I was the last, and I needed a companion, so I made you. We cannot die unless we are struck down by a magic sword. It’s the only thing that can kill us. It will be better if we hide—for a while, at least. If we avoid them, stay to the night, the humans won’t notice our differences. We’ll soon be forgotten, and no one will care. You and I will live together, forever, and I will taste your flesh for eternity.”
    “But—” I protested, and he covered my mouth with his to silence me. I let him, of course—he was a marvelous lover. He never allowed me to broach the subject again.
    Maybe in the end, Azriel was just as bad as Henry. Where Henry kept me subservient through violence, Azriel kept me through ignorance. But I allowed it. He never once told me he loved me, but he didn’t beat me either. And so I guess, in the long run, I thought I’d traded my life for a more tolerable existence.
    He taught me very little about combat, but he did help me to become a very stealthy Shaede. We meandered through the night together, and he indulged my desire to watch the humans, living their lives, from afar. I believed I’d found happiness.
    The cloudy skies and rainfall in Seattle brought a darkness almost as welcome as the shadows we inhabited. Azriel had been more partial to the weather than I. He never missed an opportunity to walk with his face tipped toward the sky as droplets caressed his dark features.
    We’d abandoned the city in exchange for a walk in the woods. Abandoned the city sounds as well, exchanging the industrial noise for the pitter-patter of drops striking the leaves and needles of the trees. The bustle of the blossoming city dissipated into the surrounding green, lush and quiet and ours alone.
    Ever the obedient companion, I dragged the long hem of my dress through the tall, damp grass. In fact, he rarely left my side or allowed me to leave his, as if frightened I’d run away in search of more entertaining distractions.
    “Do you believe we are creatures of nature?” he