Page 89 of Kingdom of Crowns and Daggers

Forty-Nine

CRUX

As I watch the woman I love between the chimneys of the closest building, I feel my heart break for her. The open space behind the palace is the perfect place to get lost when you need some time alone, which is exactly why she came here. A lake takes up a large portion of the wild garden, and near its centre is a small island, which is connected to the mainland by a bridge. A large tree and small metal structure are all that fit on the tiny island, and that’s exactly where I find Alyx.

She stares out over the water, her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped tightly around her legs as though she can keep herself together if she holds on firmly enough.

Alyx is the strongest woman I know, and she rarely lets anyone know what she’s thinking. I can count on one hand how many times I’ve seen her cry. Even then, that has only ever been on one specific day each year, and that day is today.

Today would have been her brother’s birthday. From what she told me, she was his world. He was older than her by several years and absolutely doted on her. While the death of her parents ripped her life apart, losing her brother destroyed her.

We never speak about it and have a mutual understanding that on this day, she will disappear to be by herself. I’ve never pushed the matter, knowing it won’t help anything, but there is no way I’m going to let her out of my sight when she’s grieving, so I always follow her. Usually, I let her roam wherever she wishes, but today, I need to know she’s okay. Whether she’s aware that she has a tail, I’m not sure. What I do know, though, is that she has never called me out on it.

Soft footsteps from behind me have me freezing, and I slowly shift my position to see who’s walking this way in the middle of the night. This part of the palace is rarely ever used—one of the reasons Alyx chose to escape here in the first place.

“This is the only place we haven’t checked yet.”

The king’s voice reaches me, and I have to hold back my snarl of annoyance. Can they not give her even a modicum of peace? Where the king goes, so does his guard dog, and sure enough, the brute’s gruff voice floats up to me.

“She’s an assassin. We will not find her if she does not want to be found, my king.” He sounds pissed off, as though tracking down an assassin in the middle of the night is not what he planned for his evening.

The two of them round one of the outbuildings, their voices hushed and footsteps light, but they are not quiet enough to get past me. I sit and watch as they sneak through the grounds, using the buildings to hide their movements.

“Something is not right, Orion. She was so quiet today,” the king comments, his observations far better than I would have thought from someone of his status. “She’s not in her rooms, so I need to find her.” The urgency in his voice tells me it’s time to take action.

Swinging my legs around, I leap from the roof of the one-story building and land on the ground with a barely audible thump.

“Alyx is safe, and I will make sure she stays that way,” I promise, my voice dark. “You can return to your rooms.”

It gives me great pleasure to see that my entrance caught them by surprise, the men spinning with their weapons raised, ready to attack. Well, at least the guard is ready to attack. The king just looks wary, trying to decide if I’m friend or foe today. I don’t blame him after the last few times we saw each other.

“Crux. What are you doing here?” Orion growls. His sword is drawn, and I know he’s ready to use it if I so much as twitch in their direction. I suppose his reaction is legitimate, since I tried to kill him not that long ago. Oops.

Orion is so fucking tall, he makes me feel small, so in the shadows of the building, I stand taller, rolling my shoulders back. “I’m making sure she’s protected.”

The king hurries over, moving into the shade of the building I was using to watch Alyx. His expression is open, his voice giving away exactly how he feels about her. “Is she okay? I need to see her.”

It must be nice to have the freedom to love so openly, but it is a risky move for a king to be so obvious with his emotions.

“She’s not okay, but she will be,” I answer. “By tomorrow, you will have your usual Alyx back. Tonight, though, you need to leave her alone.”

The clear order in my voice causes Orion to bristle, his whole body seeming to grow with outrage. “You cannot tell the king what to do, assassin.” He begins to step forward with a hiss, but then he seems to think better of it and stays at his king’s side.

They are clearly not going to listen to me without more information, so with a growling sigh, I relent. “Look, the only reason I have not killed you for touching her is because for some unknown reason, she cares for you both, so I am telling you this because of that. Do not push me on this. Leave her alone tonight or I will be forced to stop you.”

There’s silence as both of them watch me, various emotions flashing across their faces. I did not think they would heed my warning, yet they seem to be taking me seriously.

Suddenly, the king gasps, his eyes widening. “You love her.”

It sounds more like an accusation than a question, and I have to give him credit for working it out. He’s right, and I don’t bother to deny it.

Orion’s eyes narrow as he watches me, obviously waiting for me to tell the king he’s mad, but that never comes, and his entire body stiffens at the realisation. He already knew this, he had to after our fight in the barn, but he seems to have pushed that to the back of his mind. Wishful thinking perhaps?

“Yes, I do. I have since I met her. Now I just need her to realise it,” I say without a modicum of shame.

We slept together, and I told her I will burn this world for her, yet I don’t think she truly understands the depths of my feelings for her. I am obsessed. Every thought, breath, and fibre of my being belongs to her.

My entire life was built for her.

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