Page 51 of Kingdom of Crowns and Daggers

“And even the reaper answers to death. Who do you think taught me?” She lets those words drop into my stomach like lead as I swallow. “If he saved your life, it was not a kindness, Joha. Do not mistake it for one. Run if it is not too late.” She steps back, freeing me from her spell, and I inhale deeply as she turns to leave.

“Where are you going?” I ask.

“They are stepping up their schedule. We need to make a move,” she calls casually.

“And do what?” I ask, feeling like I am playing catch-up. Even though I am king, she’s pulling my strings, I answer to her and she knows it.

She glances over her shoulder, her eyes sparkling with mischief as they meet mine, and grins.

“Alyx, what are you going to do?” I call as she starts to move towards the door once more. “Alyx.”

With her hand on the doorknob, her words reach me. “You’ll see, my king. You’ll all see.” She disappears as quickly as she came, leaving two bewildered guards looking at me before they drop to their knees.

“Your Majesty, forgive us, we could not stop her.”

“Nobody can,” I reply, but when they give me concerned looks, I realise I am smiling. Clearing my throat, I give them a stern look. “Back to your positions.”

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

ALYX

Iwait impatiently for the sun to set, and as soon as the last rays disappear over the horizon, I am out of the window of my rooms and racing through the dusk. My body is concealed in an all-black outfit, and my weapons are strapped to my body. All the jewels that hold me down are left behind. I shed them all like a cloak, and I let the real me out to play. What I told Joha was true, we must make a move, but first, I have an assassin to deal with.

I may have kissed Crux, slept in his arms, and known him all my life, but I cannot let this slide. I was not joking when I told Joha that Crux is death, and just like death, he does not have the same morals most do. Even I have more than he does. To Crux, Joha is just in his way. He would kill him as easily as he would take his next breath and not feel a thing. I admire it even though it scares me.

Joha could be facing certain death right this moment, so even though I have been at Crux’s side for years, I leave the palace to warn him to leave the king alone.

I tell myself it’s because I need him alive for my plan. I tell myself lots of things, lots of lies, but my racing heart betrays me. Each second I waste is another Crux could be stalking the king. His little rats in the palace told me, however, that he is in the Lowers tonight, so that is where I head.

Usually, you do not find an assassin, we find you, but not tonight because I’m hunting him.

I should have known, though, that when we do not want to be found, we will not be. I spend hours searching the Lowers and all our safe houses, but he is nowhere in sight. Either he is in hiding or he does not want to be found, and despite my skills, Crux taught me everything I know, so he knows exactly how to avoid me if he wishes.

Snarling in annoyance, I leave the abandoned house behind, my last hopeful spot to find him. I could spend days searching and never find him unless he allows it.

I have wasted too much of the night as it is, and I still need to make my move before the sun rises or the king will be in even more danger.

Who knew keeping a spoiled, rich man alive would be so tiring?

He was right. He has enemies everywhere.

Deciding to switch up our game, I snag one of Crux’s little rats from the next street. Pinning him to the wall, I raise my eyebrow at him. “Send a message to your master for me.”

“Mistress.” He nods, his eyes eager and wide, face streaked with dirt.

“Stay away from the king. Find me or I will find you.” I release him and watch him scuttle away to deliver the message.

Turning, I pull my hood higher and leave the Lowers behind, using the tunnels under the bridge to cross to the other side.

I have other things to attend to, and most might have thought I spent my afternoon aimlessly wandering the palace or painting near the lake, but I was waiting, watching, and learning, and tonight I put the information I gleaned into action.

Crux’s little rats are good for some things, and I might have been stuck acting as the perfect princess, but they were not, and they got me exactly what I wanted.

I stand before a noble’s house within Cairn Province. This family deals with shipments of jewels, which is not surprising since everyone in Cairn is in the shipping business. This noble family, Beaumont, is one of the wealthiest, and after some digging, it was obvious they have been smuggling other things in their shipments. One of their cargo ships sank just last moon, however, leaving them in debt and in desperate need of money.

Desperate people do desperate things—like try to kill the king.

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