Assassin Queen (8 page)

“Might I be able to help you, miss?”

The soft words drew her out of her thoughts. She nearly kicked herself when she realized what hermoment of inattention might cost her.

As she turned to face the speaker, she nearly groaned with irritation. The woman was small, and her back was hunched with age. She hated killing fragile old women. It wasn’t very sporting. Still, she couldn’t let the woman go now, as she’d surely give someone in the castle warning.

Unless she convinced the woman there was nothing to give a warning about. She needed to come up with a lie.

“Aye. I’m a servant who’s fallen on hard times.”

“Haven’t we all these days, dearie?” The woman shook her head.

“I was hoping I’d have better luck at the king’s own keep. But it looks as if his gardens haven’t been touched by hand nor sheer in a year’s time.”

“If not more.” The woman sighed heavily. “The king doesn’t do the hiring or the firings around here anymore. Those responsibilities are overseen by the Mistress Silverwood now.”

“They are? I was under the impression that the lady of the keep had passed away recently.”

Lilly was furious that her stepfather had moved some other woman into the castle before her mother’s body was even cold. Her chest burned with the insult, and her fingers twitched for one of the many daggers she’d hidden under her cloak, but she somehow managed to keep her anger out of her voice. It was a small blessing, but one she was thankful for. This woman was giving her the best advantage Lilly could hope for right now—information.

“Oh, she’s no lady.” The scorn was deep in the woman’s voice as she looked around them. “She came on as the nanny to Prince Malak five years ago. Been grabbing power and keeping a close eye on the king’s treasury ever since.”

Lilly relaxed a little. She shouldn’t care who her stepfather was bedding or how long he’d been bedding her, but she did love her mother. It hurt to think of her mother’s husband being unfaithful.

“So she’s the one I should request an audience with?”

“If you have a day you wish to waste, be my guest.”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”

“She won’t hire ya. I’m sure you’re a good servant, and the gods know we could use some young blood, but she doesn’t hire young women. She seems to hate even being in the same room with them.”

Lilly put that fact away to think about later. She looked around, but much to her frustration, she had lost Kirin. There was little for her to gain here now. And every second she stayed, she risked being discovered—especially now that the sun was starting to rise. Still, she couldn’t leave without one more piece of information.

“If only the queen had given birth to a child old enough to rule. Maybe then things would be better for us all.”

The old lady looked around them again.

“Best not to be saying things like that around here.” She stepped a little closer to Lilly. “That kind of sentiment will get you strung up. The king won’t tolerate any gossip about the line of succession.”

Lilly pulled her cloak around her tighter. “Thank you for the advice. I guess I should be moving on to greener pastures.”

“Aye. This kingdom is dying. Has been for nearly a decade now.”

Lilly nodded and then made her way back to the keep’s walls. Now that morning was breaking, there were more people to be seen around the castle. It was comforting to know not all of the servants had been fired or had abandoned the kingdom. She would have to hire a lot of people when she took over, but that would take time. Hopefully there were enough people left to keep the kingdom alive until she could fill the keep again.

But before she could worry about what she needed to do after she took the throne back, she had to figure out why Kirin had been at the castle. She made her way back through the streets of the town. When she reached the inn, she checked her daggers. They were always within reach, but she needed to feel the reassurance of the leather wrapped around their hilts.

She took one last breath before entering the inn and making her way up the stairs. She had left her door slightly ajar. It was now firmly closed. Somebody had discovered her absence. She went to the door and knocked in the appropriate sequence and then walked in as if she owned the room. Confidence and an air of entitlement got her out of more situations than she cared to count. Still, every time she forced herself to walk into an unknown situation, she still felt her mortality.

“Where in the ten hells have you been?” Kirin sat on her bed, his mouth set in a severe line and his arms crossed over his chest.

“When a lover sneaks out of my bed in the dead of night, he loses the right to demand knowledge of my whereabouts.”

She closed the door behind her and then threw her cloak over a chair back.

His eye twitched. “I didn’t sneak out.”

“You most certainly didn’t wake me and tell me you were leaving.”

She sat down on the chair to keep space between them. Her body still craved his touch. It was a development that didn’t make her happy, but there was no point in denying it. Now that they were back in her room together, she could already feel the traces of desire in the pit of her stomach.

“You needed the rest. I didn’t feel it necessary to wake you.”

“Where did you go?” She let her hand rest on the hilt of her dagger. The simple action made her stomach twist painfully. She was an assassin. She could do this. But she didn’t want to. That made him twice as dangerous to her.

He glanced pointedly at her grip on her dagger and nodded.

“You know where I went. Otherwise you wouldn’t be treating me as the enemy.”

Before he could react, she’d drawn the blade and crossed the room so the tip was once more at his throat.

“This is how I treat the enemy. I was giving you a chance to explain your early morning visit to my stepfather’s house.”

“If you don’t trust me, then kill me now.” He lifted his chin to give her a clearer shot at his artery.

Despite the rapid rhythm of her heart and the painful churning of her stomach, she managed to keep a steady grasp on her weapon.

“What were you doing there? And why did you wait until I fell asleep to go?”

“I felt magic. Just as I told you when we entered the inn. I was following it. And I went when you were asleep because I didn’t want you following me into a trap.”

His calm tone served only to infuriate her further. “I can take care of myself. I don’t need to be coddled or protected.”

“Obviously. That you’re alive today is proof of that statement.”

He wrapped his hands around her waist and shifted their weight so she was lying on the bed and he was leaning over her. Her dagger was still at his throat, but he didn’t try to move away from it.

“But I’m still going to protect you. You can try to stop me, but you won’t be successful.” He leaned forward to kiss her gently.

“How do I know you weren’t informing the king of my plans?” She tried to harden her heart against his onslaught.

He laughed. The deep rumbling noise made her tingle all the way down to her toes.

“Because you know. I did find the mage. In case you were interested. She appears to be the caretaker for the young prince.”

“Mistress Silverwood.”

If the caretaker had magical capabilities, so much of what the elder servant had told her would make sense.

Kirin froze. “What?”

“Mistress Silverwood. She started on as Malak’s nanny, but her authority has grown over the last five years.”

She lowered the hand that held her dagger. There was no point in her holding it to his neck. He hadn’t betrayed her. She had no proof, but he was right. She didn’t need proof where he was concerned.

He sat up and dropped his head into his hands. “This isn’t good.”

“Why? Who is she?”

She was missing something. And it was something he’d figured out. It drove her crazy when he knew more than she did. She sat up so she was next to him.

“I always worried our adventures would come back to harm us one day. It looks like today is that day.”

She took a deep breath through her nose to keep from strangling him.

“Which is a nice sentiment yet doesn’t answer my question.”

“You honestly don’t remember?” He stared at her until she shook her head. “Bishop Thomas has a daughter.”

“But we killed them all. The entire monastery ran red with blood that day.”

He looked up at her and shook his head. “She wasn’t at the monastery. She lived with her mother.”

“Why wasn’t I told of this?” The words were filled with anger.

“Because it wasn’t necessary. We left no survivors. There were no witnesses to tell her what became of her father.”

“Apparently we missed one.” Lilly stood up and started pacing. “She’s come to my kingdom to claim vengeance.”

“What do you want to do?”

“What do you mean? This changes nothing.” As she walked around the room, she felt herself start to relax. “She wants my kingdom. She wants to run it into the ground. Something she would’ve succeeded at if I hadn’t returned.”

She turned to look at Kirin. “But she didn’t plan on my return.”

“She knows I’m here. I heard her calling to me all day yesterday. And wherever I am, you’re not far behind.”

She growled at the truth of the words.

“Hold.” Something didn’t make sense. “It’s me she wants. If she knows I’m here, why would she call to you?”

“I believe she’s either a seductress or an enchanter. If that’s true, her magic would only be truly effective on males.”

“The servant I met at the castle told me Silverwood wouldn’t hire young females. That would most certainly explain why.”

“Why would anyone tell you that? Unless…. Wait! You were going to apply to be in the service of your stepfather?” Kirin looked at her like she’d gone insane.

“I was caught traipsing around the keep at dawn’s break. Should I have told the old lady I was there to kill the king and take his throne?”

“So it was just a story, then?”

“Of course.”

He stood up and grabbed a piece of linen off the bed. “But what if it weren’t?”

“What if it weren’t what?” she asked.

“What if it weren’t just a story? What if you did get an appointment to see Silverwood under the guise of becoming a servant?”

“Then, since she’s apparently aware I’m here, I’m sure she would kill me as soon as I sat down for my interview. If I couldn’t fool a simple man looking for a proper bedding last night, there’s no chance of me fooling her.”

He wrapped the linen around her hair and then twisted it before coiling it on top of her head. “I’ve seen women in the western kingdoms wear their hair like this.”

“I’m going to need more than a fashion tip from you if you’re hoping to make any of this understandable.”

“With this around your hair, you could apply to be a servant.”

“Are you deaf? Even if she didn’t figure out who I was, she wouldn’t hire me.”

“You don’t need her to hire you. You only have to get an audience with her.” He smiled like a cat who’d just stolen the cook’s cream. “Once you have her alone in a room, she’s yours. Her magic shouldn’t be able to harm you.”

As she thought about his words, a plan started to take shape in her head.

“And while I’m disposing of her, what will the rest of my thieves and assassins be doing?”

“They’ll be subduing what is left of the king’s guard.”

“And what will you be doing?”

She knew him better than to assume he would be with the rest of the men. He always seemed to have his own agenda.

“I’ll be securing the young prince. I have a feeling she has a tight grasp on him. I would hate for him to come to harm in her defense.”

Of course. He wanted to protect the brat. She rolled her eyes.

“Your people will want a queen, not an assassin. Which is why we need to save the prince. Then you’ll raise him as your full brother. When he’s grown, you’ll give him some land and give his wife a title. It will win you favor from your people.”

“A diplomatic plan from the man who threatened to kill me if I yield to politics?”

“You’re an assassin not a monster. His death will not serve to further your goals. If anything, killing him will make getting your crown back that much harder.”

“Fine.”

She felt some misgivings about not cleansing her bloodline while she had the chance, but Kirin’s wisdom won out. Her people had been through a lot over the last decade. She should try to make this period of adjustment as easy for them as possible.

He pulled her to him.

“The sun has fully risen.” He kissed her deeply. “Do you know what that means?”

She smiled up at him. “It’s time to get my kingdom back.”

“That it is. But, first, we need to get you out of this black leather. No servant would ever wear such a tempting creation.”

She moaned as he undid her corset. She loved how the supple the leather felt against her skin. It made her feel sexy while practicing a craft that continuously washed away her femininity in a bath of death and blood.

“When I’m queen I’ll have to wear silk and lace dresses with large hoops and petticoats.”

The cool air of the room made her nipples bead as the garment fell off her body.

“I would only need to lift your skirts to ravage you.” He unfastened the pants and started to peel them off her.

She slapped at his hands. “Spoken like a true male.”

“You don’t wish to be ravaged? Or you don’t wish me to be the one doing the looting?” He lifted his hands and took a step back.

Insufferable man. He seemed insistent that she admit she wanted him every bit as much as he longed for her. She removed her clothing and stood in front of him naked. In her mind, he had to be near death with desire for her. It pained her how calm and collected he appeared, however. Fine. He wanted admissions of lust from her, that’s what he’d get.

“I do not wish for you to be the one ravishing my body.”

Was it her imagination, or did he look hurt by the teasing words?

“Because I am the Assassin Queen. If there is looting to be done, I will be the one with the hand in the treasure.” She smiled as she took a step toward him.