Page 132 of Kingdom of Crowns and Daggers

I simply grin in response, loving the fuck out of causing mayhem as part of my revenge. Orion looks as though he cannot decide between wanting to strangle me or feeling impressed.

“You have been busy,” is all he says, begrudging respect in his voice.

Usually, I would be crowing with victory at making Orion actually compliment me, but we don’t have time for that. Besides, that is not why we are here. We are here for Alyx, and I am not about to waste this chance, as it might be the only one we have.

“Come on, we need to make the most of the distraction.”

Sticking to the shadows, we run through the grounds. I don’t bother to check if they are keeping up with me. I have revenge to get, and I will not let anything stop me from having it. I scan the main palace before my eyes shoot over to the smaller but no less grand king’s palace where the bedrooms are situated. It stands to reason that Atlas would be asleep at this time, yet he could still be working in the main palace. We cannot risk choosing the wrong one.

Out of nowhere, a small shape appears and runs up to us. Both Joha and Orion reach for their weapons, but I put up a hand to stop them. I know exactly who this is—one of my little rats. Scurrying forward like the creature they are named after, he whispers a few quiet words into my ear. I nod in acknowledgement and dismissal, then he quickly disappears into the shadows.

Blowing out a breath of relief, I feel a knot of tension leave my shoulders. “Atlas is holed up in the office in the palace. He heard the explosion and called all of his guards to block the door.”

We may have a wall of guards to deal with, but I would rather face them any day than go into a situation without knowing exactly where I am going.

“Then let’s go pay him a visit.” Joha’s eyes narrow as he turns his attention to the palace, as though he can see through the walls directly to where Atlas sits in his office.

With a new sense of determination, we bolster ourselves and sneak into the main palace. Most of the guards are guarding the office or the main gates, so it is easy to get in unnoticed. It feels strange to be back in the palace grounds, knowing Alyx is no longer here. Once I avenge Alyx and get Joha back on the throne, I will never come here again.

I cannot. It is too painful.

I know the layout of the palace like the back of my hand, so I push down the emotions that threaten to overwhelm me and focus on leading us through, not needing to check for directions. I make it my business to know the layout of my enemy’s base.

As soon as we reach the long corridor that leads to the king’s office, the whole atmosphere changes as we are hit with a wave of nervous adrenaline. The guards stop us immediately, since there is nowhere to hide in this large, open corridor. Their weapons are quickly pointed towards us, and they tighten their formation to make it impossible for us to pass.

One of the guards moves forward, a mark on his shoulder indicating he’s of a higher rank than the others. “Stop. Under the orders of King Atlas, you cannot pass.”

My brows rise at the king comment. It seems Atlas did not waste any time asserting his dominance. However, legally, Joha is still the king, and Atlas is simply playing pretend.

Orion shifts his weight beside me, moving closer and pulling down his hood so they can see exactly who is before them. “Stand down, Captain Leon. The true king is here at my side. You know that.” Orion gestures to Joha next to him, his voice steady and even, expecting them to follow his orders.

The captain winces, clearly wanting to listen but torn about his current orders. “Please, sir, do not do this. I do not want to hurt you.”

There are some quiet noises of agreement from the other guards, none of them stepping down. Orion’s presence has shaken them. This is a male they all look up to, who has trained with them, worked with them, and would have died with them.

“You swore a vow to protect the king and the Crown,” Orion reminds them, his voice deepening as he gestures towards the closed office doors. “That usurper in there is not the king. For as long as Joha lives, he will have the crown, whether that madman in there wants to accept that or not.” Frowning with disappointment, he crosses his arms over his chest, not bothering to hold his weapon in front of his soldiers. “You used to be loyal to the king and to me. Show that loyalty now by stepping down. I do not expect you to join us in this fight, but for your king, put down your weapons and let us through.”

There is a long, heavy pause, and I watch as the guards exchange glances, clearly torn by the decision. I would have been happy to cut my way through them to get into that office, but if this works, then it is certainly an easier way to go about it.

“Yes, sir,” the captain states, snapping into a salute. “Long live the king.”

It only takes a heartbeat before the rest of his soldiers do the same thing, dropping their weapons on the floor. Their loyalty to Orion is surprising, and it makes me look at him in a new light. Perhaps he’s not as bad as I thought. Now is not the time for these thoughts, though, and I need to focus.

The guards step away, leaving the doorway clear for us. The three of us look at each other, swapping shallow nods to show we are ready. There are only two ways out of this now—success or death—and for Alyx, only success will do.

Orion steps in front of his king, protective to a fault, and kicks the door in with one powerful smash of his boot. Stepping into the room with his sword raised, he holds up his other hand, palm out, towards his guards in the gesture to hold off. Incredibly, instead of jumping us the moment we step over the threshold and into the room, they follow his silent order, hanging back with their weapons raised.

The room is full of guards, all of them looking anxious and uncomfortable as the rightful king steps into the room. Bringing up the rear, I am the last to enter, scanning everyone who stands as a threat and planning how I will disable or kill each one.

Atlas sits in a large wingback chair behind a huge desk, watching us with raised brows. He hides his surprise well, but I am an expert in reading people. He is shocked that we managed to get this far, and he knows this is not because of our superior skills, rather that the guards are still loyal to the former king and not him.

“Well, well, I am surprised,” he drawls sarcastically, leaning forward in his chair, placing his hands on the desk. “I did not think you had it in you, Joha.”

“That is king to you, scum,” Orion barks out, reminding everyone in the room who the true royal is.

Anger and annoyance flash across Atlas’s face, bringing a dark spark of joy to my withered soul. Whatever he has been doing for the last decade or so has twisted his mind. He might be smart, he would have to be to pull all this off, but I see the madness in his eyes that he tries so desperately to hide.

“You really think the three of you can take me?” His sneer quickly shifts to a maniacal laugh. “The guards will stop you before you take a single step forward.”

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