Page 30 of Kingdom of Crowns and Daggers

I blink. “The king?” I ask, confused.

He jerks his head in a nod, and I stifle a laugh, but he stiffens at the sound.

“That idiot? Not in the least,” I admit honestly, and he relaxes. He was truly worried about that. I don’t know how that makes me feel, so I ignore it. I know at any moment, that Joha, Orion, or someone could find us. They will look for me, so I need to get back, play this part well, and complete this job.

A lot hangs in the balance, and I know the only way I’m getting rid of him is by giving him the truth.

“If I’m here, I can finally get my revenge.” He frowns, and his brows furrow as a bird takes flight above us. For a moment, I track its path before glancing back at him, knowing he will be waiting. He would wait forever if I asked him to. That’s how Crux is. Once you have his loyalty, you have it for life. “The people who killed my family are within these walls. I finally have a chance to find the truth and get revenge for what they did.”

My heart races, and a pain that never goes away fills my chest.

I’ve not been able to draw in a full breath since that night. Crux made it better, but my chest is always tight and filled with a ball of agony. I’m close to the people who could have lifted the blade to end my family, so I can’t back down now.

He’s quiet for a moment before he pulls his hands away. “Okay.”

“Okay?” I frown. “What does that mean?”

“It means okay. If you are doing this, then we are doing this.” I blink, and he grins. “You didn’t think I was wearing this uniform just for you, did you?” He winks.

“Crux,” I begin, but he steps back.

“You better get going. Don’t worry, I’ll see you around.” He gestures to his eyes. “I have eyes and ears everywhere, Alyx. You know that. You’re not alone here. I’m here with you. You will get your revenge, and then we will go home.”

Home . . . But what will be left when we are finished?

I truly don’t know, but I nod anyway.

“Good. I have some things to do if we are going to do this right. I will find you later.” He waves me on, and I give him another searching look.

“I’m glad you’re here,” I admit before turning and slipping away. I needed him to know because I am. Knowing he has my back when the blades are coming for it settles something within me.

Crux has always been my protector, fighting at my side, and I didn’t want to do this without him, but I was prepared to.

“Alyx?” His voice is laced with humour as I glance over my shoulder at him.

He’s leaning into the wooden wall as he runs his eyes down my body, and for a moment, that usual surge of desire rushes through me, almost making me shudder as my breath catches. When his eyes meet mine again, they burn with want before he covers it with humour, and I wonder if I’m seeing things.

Crux doesn’t want me, not like that.

I would know.

“What?” I ask.

“You look good in a dress.” He chuckles, dragging his tongue along his lower lip.

Narrowing my eyes, I flip my finger at him. “Shut the fuck up.”

Chapter

Seventeen

ORION

Everyone moves out of my way as I storm through the palace, nobility and servants alike. Most of the staff here are afraid of me, but today, my bad mood must be reflected on my face because everyone is staying out of my way. They usually avoid me purely due to my large size and constant frown. Joha says I look intimidating and I should smile more, but he makes keeping him safe so difficult that smiling isn’t something I do often.

I march through the hallways and out into the palace grounds, wincing against the brightness of the sun. I’ve been in countless meetings for too long, listening for hours as the council and Queen Mother went around in circles about Alyx and how they can use her against Jade Empire. I’m not surprised by any means, but they haven’t even waited for the dust to settle and they are already planning ways to use her.

Although I hate to admit it, Alyx played the role of betrothed princess perfectly. She has an air of expectancy about her that royalty tends to carry. They are so used to having everyone run to do their bidding that they automatically just expect someone to cater to all their whims. It seems like she might fit in despite my fears. Everyone appears to believe her story, and it’s been announced to everyone that the princess is officially betrothed to the king.

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