Page 102 of Façade

With a strangled sob I flung my arms around him. He seized me in a tight embrace and we simply held one another. In this moment I felt more at home than I ever had, giving me the courage for my own confession. “I love you too, Ryland.”

Once more we came together. Our sweet acceptance of one another filled our kiss, allowing me to see all of Ryland and more. No matter what happened between us, we would navigate any weakness, mistake, and moments of distrust to protect the relationship we’d forged from the ashes. Despite the difficult journey to reach this point, I knew without a doubt I was exactly where I belonged…withhim.

CHAPTER33

Iyearned to remain in this moment with Ryland forever—where there were no threats against my life or curse afflicting his kingdom, just our romance. But eventually we were forced to face the difficulties created by our love in order to determine our future, the most pressing matter being Ryland’s injury. Even with my patchy healing he needed a trained healer, which we’d only find at the conclusion of our journey.

My fingers grazed his wound, sealed and no longer bleeding but still heavily scarred. My agitated movements stilled when he caught my hand and gave my fingers a reassuring squeeze.

“Thanks to you I’ll be alright. I’m so grateful for your help.”

“We still need to return to Estoria as quickly as possible.” If we were closer to the monastery I’d have insisted we backtrack, but at this point we were closer to my home…and the unknown future awaiting me there.

Silas broached his guarding distance to assist me in helping Ryland slowly ease to his feet, his movements stiff and shaky, evidence he experienced lingering pain from his insufficiently healed wound. The moment Ryland was steady I laced our hands together. Silas frowned but made no protest. Though he’d clearly attempted to be discreet in order to provide me with the privacy I desired, he’d undoubtedly witnessed our kiss; Ryland’s protection must have been enough to grant him some of Silas’s begrudging trust.

Before we could traverse the forest to return to the trail where the guards and horses waited, once more the surrounding stillness shifted. Silas immediately drew his sword and Ryland took a protective step in front of me to shield me with his body, but before we could search out the source of the tension choking the air, a soft chuckle drifted from the branches above.

“You’re the first to ever notice my presence before I could strike, but unfortunately your skills are no match for mine; no amount of warning would have granted you enough time to defend my attack.”

The voice drew our gaze upward, but even with this clue to the intruder’s whereabouts I couldn’t immediately see him; he blended in so well with his hiding place as to render him invisible.

“Perhaps a hint is in order: you’re searching for me in the wrong place.”

This time the voice came frombehindus, as if the intruder had either silently traversed the treetops without our notice or possessed the ability to throw his voice. We whipped around, Ryland hastily stepping around me to maintain his shield…yet we still didn’t locate him.

“Still can’t find me? I suppose you’re not as skilled as I thought.” Amusement filled the intruder’s lazy drawl like a predator beginning to tire of playing with his food. “Shall I give you another hint?”

The branches rustled, not from where we were looking, but a new location several meters to our right. We spun around…and suddenly a man clad entirely in black could be seen through the camouflage of branches. I’d barely registered his location when a graceful flip brought him to the ground to land silently on his feet, dagger in hand.

Silas leapt forward, sword raised…but the assassin smoothly knocked my guard’s weapon from his hands with a precisely thrown shuriken. “Careful, else next time I won’t miss.”

Silas had already drawn a spare dagger and stood in preparation to attack…but the assassin’s words compelled him to pause.

“There’s no need to be so tense,” the assassin said calmly. “If I were intending to kill you, you’d already be dead.”

His words did little to reassure either my guard or Ryland. Silas maintained his protective stance as he slowly picked up his fallen sword, while Ryland’s firm grip tightened around me, his body pressed so closely to my side I felt awash in heat.

The assassin ignored them, his dark attention fixed on me. The lower half of his face was masked, only exposing slightly curly chestnut-brown hair and deep brown eyes that possessed a dangerous glint that set my heart pounding.

“I’d already determined the truth, but the healing magic you performed only confirms that you are the true crown princess of Estoria, which makes my life much easier. Excellent.”

My heart seized and for a moment I couldn’t speak. “Who are you?”

“As someone who understands the importance of protecting your identity, I hope you’ll forgive me for keeping my true name a secret. For now you may call me the Shadow.”

My blood chilled. Whispers about the infamous assassin had penetrated even my relatively sheltered upbringing, and though everything about him remained shrouded in rumor to make it impossible to decipher the truths from the lies, over the years we’d learned that the Shadow was a title believed to come from a noble lineage…thoughwhichremained a mystery the royal family had been striving and failing to uncover for generations. Little was known about the Shadow save he was the most highly skilled and deadly assassin with infinite resources at his disposal, whose unknown title protected him from discovery…which made him all the more deadly.

The assassin leaned against a tree, lazily taking in my reaction. “By your shock I take it my reputation precedes me?”

With considerable effort I formed my scramble of thoughts into a semblance of meaning. “You—you’re the one—“ Fear lodged in my throat, making it nearly impossible for me to ask my most burning question. “Am I your target?”

His eyes crinkled in an almost friendly way as he smiled beneath his mask, a look far too amiable for the abundance of blood rumored to stain his hands. “If you’re the crown princess of Estoria then yes, at one point you were indeed my target.”

He pushed away from the tree to approach with all the refined movements of a predator after his prey, all while twirling his blade in his hand, commanding it with an ease that could only come from great familiarity. Should he throw it, without a doubt he wouldn’t miss. As if sharing my fears, my protectors eased themselves even closer.

“I told you there’s no need for that,” the Shadow said. “If I intended to kill you, I’d have long already accomplished the deed; I do hate wasting my time. If you doubt me, perhaps a demonstration is in order.”

In movements faster than I could follow, he withdrew another dagger and threw it with such speed and precision at the tree just behind me, the blade passed mere inches from my face. I startled and the Shadow performed a mocking bow.

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