Page 120 of A War of Crowns

Jaw setting, Aldric looked back up at her, ready to reassure her hedidn’t.He didn’t care at all.

But he hadn’t been prepared for the sight of her gray eyes now glistening with the threat of unshed tears. What could he possibly have said to upset her? But there were those tears, shimmering like the cold mist blanketing Kuni. As she glared down at him, her eyes threatened to pull him in and swallow him whole right then. Right there.

Right until the moment he snarled, “We will be married by Wintertide or Iwilltell my brother to withdraw Drakmor’s forces from your campaign.”

With those words uttered, Aldric turned away from her and stalked off into the crowd without so much as a backward glance. He offered no farewell. He offered no parting words at all. He ignored both the curious glance from Calix and the frosty glare from the queen’s Spymaster.

He simply left.

Chapter thirty-four

Aldric

Amere handful of hours later, Aldric awoke. It was late.

And he wasn’t alone.

Darkness still enveloped his bedchamber. Only the stars and a sliver of moonlight were visible outside the window next to the bed he refused to sleep in.

It was far too comfortable.

Down on the floor yet again, as he had been every night since his initial arrival at the Elmorian court, he watched a pair of legs stalking through the dark on the opposite side of the bed.

The world lay quiet after the revelries of the queen’s birthday celebration. And yet, there was an intruder.

If he had Soot with him, the usuru would have woken him before said intruder made it that far into the room. But with theunnatural chill in the air, he had sent the serpent to sleep in the Roost with the rest of his kind.

Aldric regretted that decision.

He had only a few seconds until the interloper knew he was awake and not where he was supposed to be. The very moment he moved and gave away his true position, they would surely strike.

But Aldric intended to strike first.

His hand shot out and his fingers wrapped around the pole of his glaive, which lay next to him on the floor. Rolling to his side, he stabbed beneath the bed, aiming for the intruder’s ankle. A muted cry of pain rang out in reply.

But his initial victory was short-lived.

Aldric scrambled to his feet, though his entire body ached in protest at being stirred back to life so abruptly. When next he turned to face his attacker, he found a blade arcing straight for his face—a mere blur in the darkness.

It swept entirely too close for comfort.

Bringing up his glaive, Aldric batted the dagger away and peeled his lips back into a snarl.An assassin.

That fool of a queen had sent an assassin for him.

But he knew he was the fool. He had let the girl distract him. With her smiles. Her heated glances. Her sweet perfume.

And now it might very well see him killed.

Adrenaline coursed through him, honing his senses to a razor-sharp focus. Here was a dance he had danced many times. But this partner was taller than him, as they all were, and the daggerstabbing toward him came with all the speed and accuracy of a striking snake.

Aldric retreated as he tried to find an opening in his assailant’s defenses. Twenty years ago, this whelp would have given him no issue.

But that was twenty years ago.

Now, Aldric could feel his steps flagging. His parries slowing. The assassin’s next strike was the one that finally broke through his own guard. A sudden fire scorched its way across his stomach and chest with the blade’s passing.

He was hit. He was bleeding.

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