Two-Faced (Assassin at Court Series Book 1) (10 page)

Chapter 29

W
e rode well into the night, stopping to make camp when the horses needed to be watered and fed. We had a three days journey ahead of us and we had both learned our lesson about pushing past our limits. We would do Kiera no good if we ran ourselves into the ground before we ever reached her. Zander’s body still fought off the infection so he needed to take it as easy as he could.

We sat around the fire I made while he tended the horses eating a loaf of bread and the salted meat Martha packed for us.

“Do you think she is still alive?” Zander asked as he stared off into the darkness in the direction of Arythmia.

“I do,” I nodded my head firmly. “Samael wouldn’t kill her and I don’t believe he would let Krishna do it either.”

My answer seemed to satisfy him.

“I am sorry about your family and the choices you had to make after they died.”

It took me a moment to recover from his abrupt change of subject. “Don’t be,” I said not looking at him. “Like you said they are choices
I
made and I have learned to live with them.”

He moved closer to me and his hand reached out to gently grip my chin and tilt it upward, forcing me to meet his eyes.

“Have you really? The shadows move behind your eyes even now.”

I tried to turn my head but he firmly held it in place. “I know what it is like to be trapped in an identity that is not really you. You are not the horrible person you think you are.”

I opened my mouth to argue with him, but never got the chance. My words were stolen away by his lips. Our kiss was a lot like the first one we shared in the royal garden: tentative, hesitant, and new. In many ways this was our real first kiss. He was kissing the real me and I was kissing the real him back.

His lips moved across mine as he whispered, “During my fever, I thought I was going to die. All I could think about was you and how I would never get the chance to do this.” His arms closed around me and he pulled me on top of his lap. He deepened our kiss and poured every ounce of the depth of his feelings for me into it. He let it say everything he was not ready to yet say aloud. It was the most intense experience I had ever had in my life.  Kissing him was nothing like kissing Kade. When Kade kissed me it was flirtatious and light and full of lust but nothing deeper than the shallow emotion. Zander kissed me and my world exploded into a thousand brightly burning stars. Instead of lust, there was passion blazing strong and unquenchable. He kissed me as if oxygen was trivial and it was me that he needed to go on living. I understood the sentiment. I felt the exact same way.

In that moment I decided that I did not care what would happen after we found Kiera and he returned to the palace, or perhaps the uncertainty of the future is why I did it. I may never have gotten the chance to gain. I fisted my hands in Zander’s short hair and crushed my lips to his even harder. I swung my legs around so that they straddled his waist. I felt him shudder beneath me. His hands tightly gripped my own waist. He began to move against me but then he abruptly stopped.

“Skyler, we can’t,” He picked me up and sat me on the ground beside him.

I looked away, embarrassed and rejected.

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “It wouldn’t be right and I would be an ass taking advantage of you with things standing the way they are between us. I love you, and I am not angry with you anymore, but I haven’t forgiven you either.”

I continued staring into the darkness. If I looked at him, he would see the hurt that shone in my eyes. He sighed and wrapped his arms around me.

“Let’s just take things one step at a time. We find Kiera then go from there, okay?”

I nodded in agreement, but I still couldn’t look at him.

Chapter 30

W
e left our makeshift campsite at dawn and rode for the duration of the day and well into the night. When the horses could go no longer, we stopped for food and water and to get a few hours of rest. Three days into that routine we were riding into Arythmia. It was known as the city of High Nobles and rightfully so. A large portion of the city’s inhabitants boasted grand titles wealthy beyond measure. They took great pride in the appearance of their city and poured money into ensuring its streets were lined with elegant cobblestone, wrought-iron lampposts, and row after row of sophisticated-looking residences.  The worn shacks most of the common people resided in were neatly hidden away behind a gleaming wall on the western outskirts of the city.

Even though Samael and his assassins were technically a part of Arythmia’s low society he along with the ones who were good at their job did not live in it. The Noble Houses were always either feuding with each other or trying to cover up a scandal.  The reason the Assassin’s Guild was housed in Arythmia was because it made for lucrative business to be easily accessible.

Samael’s residence was a three-story corner lot on the Arythmian street that perhaps boasted the most extravagant of homes. We rode straight to it and marched right up to his front door. Bold of me I know, but he practically ran both low and high Arythmia society. I was in his city and if he wanted me dead I would have been the second I arrived in the city. He yanked open the door before my fist connected with it.

“You have a lot of nerve showing up here with a price on your head,” he growled at me.

              “Cut the shit, Samael, you were expecting me. Where’s the Princess?” I tried to shoulder past him, but he used his weight to block me.

              “Well I would think she is in the High Palace of course.”

              Before I could warn him, Zander pulled his sword and pressed its edge to Samael’s throat. “My sister, where is she?” He snarled.

              “I suggest you put your little toy away Prince before you hurt yourself,” he casually drawled. “I have no less than ten men hidden on the rooftops waiting to shoot an arrow through your heart at my command.
She
is the only reason you still live.”

              To his credit Zander did not stand down. Instead, he pressed his sword harder into Samael’s neck until blood began to bead around its edges. “I suggest you start talking. I bet I can slit your throat quicker than your men can pierce my heart. I’ll be dead, but so will you.”

              Something akin to fear flashed through Samael’s eyes. Zander’s unyielding stare said he had every intentions of backing up the threat he made. Samael opened the door wide and stepped aside. “Come in. I don’t want the whole of Arythmia to hear what I have to say,” he told the both of them.

              “When it became clear my dear Skyler was not going to kill you, Krishna came to me with a different request,” Samael begin his sordid confession. “He wanted you kidnapped and brought to the safe house instead. The men were supposed to kill you once there and dump your body on Manascus’ side of the border. If you were found, the king would assume the culprits were miscreants from Manascus. It would not have been a hard story to sell. Manascans are known for their barbaric ways and the people near the border harbor a deep hatred of Anthame ever since we expanded our Northern borders into their lands.  Skyler was supposed to be with you, not the Princess. Their orders were to kidnap the girl traveling with you and bring her to me after they disposed of you. The man who got away from you in the forest rode straight to me in Arythmia with the girl and news of your escape. I was livid when I saw the girl he brought me was the young princess and not Skyler. As you know Skyler, harming innocent young girls is a line I have never crossed. I immediately sent my man back to Anthame to return the Princess. However, Krishna had eyes on me I was unaware of. He intercepted my man on his way to Anthame and captured the princess. I have not confirmed this information, but my sources among high society tell me that he has abandoned thoughts of having the Prince killed altogether. Now that he has the Princess in his grasp, he has hatched a different plan that will bring him the power he seeks much sooner. His initial plan was to have you killed in a manner that would be made to look like a tragic accident then lie in wait for the King to die. It was the simplest way not to implicate himself as treasonous. His House is the only one of the High Nobles that is almost as powerful as the Roth’s. Once the King died, the throne would be the House of Kiev’s for the taking with the High Council being none the wiser. But now he has the Princess and by a law as ancient as it is archaic he can marry into the Roth bloodline, even if it is forced. He is under the delusion that should he do so, he can garner enough support to immediately overthrow the King and have himself installed on the throne.”

              I was the first to speak. “He is mad! That will never work.”

              Samael poured himself another glass of scotch. It was his third one since we came inside the house. It never made it to his lips. Zander lunged for Samael and grabbed him by his collar, spilling the dark contents of the glass.

“Where is he holding her?” He demanded.

              Samael roughly pushed him away. “Watch it boy!” He now slurred his words a bit.

He turned his back to Zander and spoke to me. “For the moment they are at his estate in the port of Garreth. He has however been making preparations to flee the kingdom. He has kin across the ocean in the kingdom of Sayrwen that are greedy enough to harbor both him and the princess for a potential increase in status and wealth until he can align all of the necessary pieces to make his move.”

---

Zander and I left Samael’s with a destination of Garreth. Before we left, Samael pulled me to the side under the guise of additional information he would only share with me. I knew it was bullshit when I heard it.

“What do you want?” I gritted through clenched teeth. He and Kade were running about neck and neck for the top spot on my shit list.

He reached out to brush my hair out of my eyes but I smacked his hand away. He let it fall to his side.

“The price on your head was never real. It was only a threat meant to scare you into action. Krishna posed the real danger to your life if you did not complete the contract. You had seen his face and could identify him. My men were given orders to bring you to me so I could protect you not harm you.”

“Don’t pretend as if you care about me now when we both know you only care about the amount of money you make off of me.” I stared into his eyes, daring him to claim otherwise. Samael had saved me from an unspeakable horror and welcomed me off the street into his home. He kicked my ass while training me but he also spoiled me and pampered me and made sure I wanted for nothing. He had almost been like a father to me if you did not count the turning me into a killer part. I am pretty sure fathers did not do that to their daughters. I used to think that he might have even cared about me as more than a source of income. I stopped believing that fantasy I was living in when he sent me out on my first kill at fifteen. I confided in him that I was afraid and I did not want to hurt anyone. I guess I expected him to placate me like he always did. Pat my hair, tell me not to worry my pretty little head about it, and that he would take care of it. But he did not. I was no longer a child and he would no longer treat me like one. He looked at me hard and unyielding and told me he had spent a small fortune on my training and the comforts that I enjoyed. He said nothing in life came without a price and it was time to pay him back. I could either toughen up and complete the contract or find myself penniless and on the streets again.

Samael began to dispute my accusations but I cut him off. “Don’t. It would only be a lie.”

A flicker of an emotion that mirrored regret passed over his normally smooth features. “You love him.” Just as with Kade it was more of a statement then a question.

I shook my head.

“You do know you two can never have a future. He is the Crowned Prince and you are the assassin that was sent to kill him.”

Again I shook my head.

His features morphed into a mixture pity and pride. “You were always a dreamer. I tried my best to toughen you up against the cruel world of low society. I suppose I knew it was a futile effort even when I began. Your heart was always your flaw. Krishna is ruthless, Skyler, be careful. As long as I am Guild Master you have a safe haven here in Arythmia should you ever need it.”

I did not return any words of kindness. Whatever tender feelings I had toward Samael died the night I left his home to make my first kill.

Chapter 31

G
arreth was located a two days ride south of Arythmia. If we hurried and the gods were on our side, we could catch Krishna before he sailed for Sayrwen. We rode across the kingdom as if hell itself were chasing us.

We made it to the city of Kline by the time the sun hung in the western edge of the sky. Whereas Pleith was the Royal City and Arythmia was the City of High Nobles, Kline was the City of Thieves. Most people with good sense ventured around it rather than through it. It was a part of Anthame but the absence of a Noble House within its borders left it open to rule by its criminal inhabitants. Kline was a lawless city where crime and debauchery ran rampant. Criminals on the run often ran to Kline to evade capture. Ironically, once they entered its borders they never left. Kline was not for the faint of heart or the cowardly. When one entered Kline they needed to be ready to either kill or be killed. Its inhabitants did not like outsiders and those who permanently resided there had earned the right to do so by murdering their way to respect. Traveling through Kline was the most direct route to Garreth. As much as I did not want to be there, we did not have time to take a different path. To make matters worse we were also low on supplies and food and would need to stop within the city. Nothing but miles of desertedness existed between it and Garreth.

We slowed our horses to a trot. It was never a good idea to bring attention to yourself in Kline or to look like you were fleeing from something. Its inhabitants would take it as a sign of weakness and descend on you like sharks scenting blood. I knew they were there but I touched the short blade at my waist and the dagger at my thigh all the same. Feeling their familiar weight helped to settle my nerves a bit. I cautioned Zander to be ready to quickly draw his own weapons at a moment’s notice.

Men and women eyed us from the doors and windows of establishments as we moved through the streets. I could see the wheels turning and the plots hatching. As much as we tried to disguise his high society status with common clothes he still stuck out amidst the seedy backdrop of the city like a sore thumb. Changing his clothes did nothing to lessen the air of regality that exuded from him. Most individuals spent years learning to look as sophisticated and refined as Zander did without ever trying or wanting to. We stopped at the tavern that appeared the least occupied. We secured the horses and ventured inside. We kept our eyes to ourselves as we walked toward the back and slid into an empty table. My eyes took a minute to adjust to the dimly lit interior.

A barmaid sauntered over to our table. “What will you all be having?” Her voice was low and sultry. She said
you all
but looked only at Zander when she spoke. Her eyes conveyed there was more on the menu he could buy than food.

I gripped the seat beside me and had to physically restrain myself from knocking the redhead to the floor.  Zander let me order first and then did the same. When the bar wench returned with our food, she also brought two pints of beer.

“From the gentleman at the opposite end of the room,” she explained as she set the food and drinks down.

My gaze followed the direction of hers and the
gentleman
I spotted was anything but. He was also supposed to be at the High Palace locked inside a cell. I threw him a scathing look and diverted my eyes. Kade was an attention whore. Maybe if I did not give him any, he would let us be. I did not have time for his games. My not paying him any attention only fueled his need to be acknowledged. He left his female companion alone and cockily swaggered over to our table.

“You’re not here to interrogate and then bind me up again are you? Though I must confess, I rather enjoyed the binding part. Next time we should do it without the company of others and in the absence of clothing.”

My cheeks heated at his obvert crudeness.

Zander’s expression across the table was murderous. “Speak to her like that again and you will find yourself without your tongue.”

Kade barked out in raucous laughter.  “I believe I have more leave to be familiar with her then you do,
Your Highness.
But I’ll let sweet Skyler here tell you all about that.” He bowed gallantly then returned to his female companion.

Zander looked at me questioningly.

“I will explain later,” I promised. “But right now we need to leave.” Kade, the bastard, had blown our cover. The few people around had heard his
Your Highness
remark. Eyes were watching us and mouths were whispering about us.

Zander picked up on the danger as well. He placed enough money to pay for our meals and the drinks we did not order on the table and we swiftly left. We made it to the edge of the city before being ambushed by a group of men. Running would do no good. They would only follow us in pursuit. It could take days we did not have to throw them off of our trails. Our best option was to fight. It was six of them and two of us but between Zander’s and my considerable skill we should have been able to take them. We dismounted the horses and drew our weapons at nearly the same time. The band of men circled us with their weapons already drawn.

“Word’s traveling around Kline that you’re a royal,” one of the men spoke. I pegged him as the leader and the deadliest threat. He was the biggest of the four and he handled the twin scabbards he held like a pro. His eyes were void of all humanity. He killed simply because he relished the act of doing so.

“Do you know what happens to high society brats that unwisely venture into this city?” another of the men snarled.

“They don’t make it out,” a twin copy of him finished his threat.

I sank into an offensive stance. “Less talk and more fight, shall we boys?” I drawled drawing their attention to me.

The fourth one finally spoke up. “Feisty. We are going to have some fun with you after we kill him.” His eyes roved the length of my body and lasciviously lingered on my breasts.

Being a girl, they dismissed me as no threat and converged on Zander.
Their mistake
.  As his sword clanged together with the scabbards of the leader, I moved in on both of the twins before they could join the fight. I pegged one of them in the chest with a thrown dagger as I sliced my sword through the air and brought it down into the other ones left shoulder blade. He watched his brother’s lifeless body slump to the ground.

“Bitch!” He shouted looking at me with death in his eyes. I swung my sword again but he was ready for me this time. He blocked it with his own and delivered a solid kick to my gut. It took all of my will power not to double over in pain. He brought his blade down toward my neck, but I dodged the blow and buried my own in his stomach. I was expecting him to go down, but I must have missed his vital organs. He yanked it out and threw it to the ground. I was without a weapon when he advanced on me, but that did not mean I was defenseless. Samael trained me to kill with a weapon as well as with my hands. It would be more difficult because he had the strength advantage, but I was faster. He thrust his blade at my chest. I dodged it dropping into a crouch. I kicked out with my left foot and swept his feet from under him. When he hit the ground, his sword fell from his hand. We lunged for it at the same time. He was closer so he beat me to it, but I was quicker. Before he could get a good grasp on it I slammed my fist into his nose. It shattered beneath the blow. I grabbed at the sword that lay beside him and drove it into his heart. I looked around to make sure Zander was in one piece. He still fought the one who wielded the scabbards. Their weapons clanged against one another as they thrust and parried, sliced and cut. They were pretty evenly matched. The one who made the first mistake would be the one to meet his end. I prayed it would not be Zander. I remembered there was a fourth man unaccounted for just as I felt someone tangle his hands in my hair and throw me to the ground. I scrambled to my feel but he was just as fast. As soon as I was upright, the back of my skull was connecting with the ground again. This time it was with such force that blackness swam before my vision. I tried to get up, but his boot slid to my throat and pressed down on it. I struggled for air. I desperately grabbed at my sides for a discarded weapon. A maniacal laugh rang through my ears as he applied pressure to my windpipe. He was going to crush it and gleefully laugh while he did so. Abruptly his laugh cut off and he choked out blood. The pressure on my throat eased and his corpse hit the ground beside me. I frantically attempted to get to my feet, but my body would not cooperate. When I stood, the world went spinning and my knees buckled. A set of arms caught me before I hit the ground.