The Queen's Blade Prequel II - God Touched - The Queen's Blade, #8

When Blade is beaten almost to death, a broken-nosed whore saves him and nurses him back to health, starting a strange relationship that will endure all through Blade's career and beyond. Lilu loves the assassin despite his cold heart and scathing tongue, and her love and aid earn his protection, even though he will never admit to helping her. Blade struggles to come to terms with what his, but uses it to his advantage as an assassin, succeeding at seemingly impossible assignments and earning two titles: the Invisible Assassin and the Silent Slayer.
Even though he seeks death's release so he can be with his familiar again, a destiny awaits Blade, for which he must survive, and therein lies the strangeness of one who is God Touched.