Page 15 of Decoy

I began reaching for it…only for him to suddenly hold it back slightly, a strange reaction that made me pause long enough for my paranoia to come to a frantic conclusion. What was the likelihood that the drink had been poisoned?

I’d hesitated too long. Confusion furrowed his brow. “Is something the matter, Princess? If punch isn’t to your liking, I can retrieve something else for you.” He extended the glass again, this time without a single hint of wavering, yet it was too late—his earlier hint of uncertainty had already made me wary.

“There’s no need, but thank you for the offer.”

I carefully monitored his reaction to my refusal, but he simply shrugged. “As you wish.” Without any hesitation, he took a long sip from the drink, confirming its safety and making me feel slightly abashed for my paranoia. Either this man wasn’t the one after me, or he’d kill me in a way other than poison…unless he was simply biding his time for the opportune moment.

Something about his shrug caught my attention—the manner in which he’d performed the casual gesture seemed similar to the masked man I’d encountered last night. Ordinarily such a simple movement wouldn’t offer much clue to a person’s identity, but I’d been trained to notice such things. Not to mention his smooth, deep voice tickled my memory.

A myriad of questions scrambled my thoughts, all eagerly vying to be asked first. As if he sensed my curiosity and sought to evade it, he bowed to take his leave as suddenly as he’d arrived…only to pause half-turned away.

“Is there something you need?” I asked.

He didn’t answer, merely stood a moment as if in silent debate before succumbing to whatever impulse he fought to resist. A single glance, that was all it took—a confused furrow creased his brow as his gaze flickered down to my wrists to find what had previously been an ugly and raw wound completely healed.

The movement was so quick that someone less observant might not have noticed, but in his case it proved fatal as it was enough for me to confirm what the tense familiarity between us had already given me reason to suspect: this was the man I’d encountered last night, which meant if his word was to be believed, he was an assassin.

Whether he wastheassassin remained to be determined, but whether or not he was my quarry, I’d best keep on my guard around him…or the consequences could be deadly.

CHAPTER5

Lord Luke was the man I’d met on the roof, I was almost completely certain. He betrayed no hints beyond our short introduction, but not only was he familiar, I was well-versed enough in human behavior to recognize when someone was hiding something.

He hadn’t paid me any particular attention beyond our exchange of pleasantries…which only made me suspect him all the more. I subtly watched as he conversed with all the poise befitting his station, but though he behaved the part of a charming gentleman, I sensed his attention lay elsewhere…and I suspected it was on me.

His interest seemed to be beyond the curiosity exhibited by the other members of the court about the mysterious princess who’d spent her life in hiding, stares which measured my character even as they plotted how to exploit me for their own ends. His interest felt suspicious, an emotion easy to recognize considering it was what I felt towards him.

I studied both him and the memory of our meeting, lingering on all the evidence pointing to his true identity. If this son of a dukewasthe assassin I’d met on the roof, it only deepened the mystery surrounding him and compelled me to want to learn more, a curiosity almost as strong as my need to unmask him for the sake of my own life and to escape the palace with the object I sought.

Yet something felt…off. If he was working for the one the prophecy spoke of after the princess’s life, I’d have expected his abilities would have prevented his intentions from being so easily unmasked. Each breadcrumb leading to him seemed too conveniently placed, even as I couldn’t deny the suspicion each clue cast on him. He was as good of a place to start as any, especially when I had no idea how many more measured breaths of borrowed time remained before I ran out.

His gaze flickered towards me with a curious air, and too late I realized I’d been staring too long, my pensive thoughts making me careless. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly before he winked, a gesture that only deepened my heated fluster at having been caught. I hastily averted my gaze and made a pointed effort to avoid looking in his direction, but I remained constantly aware of him so that I noticed the moment he excused himself to leave.

Anticipation tingled my skin. Now was my chance to spy on him and explore my suspicions. If I plotted my moves carefully, perhaps I could even succeed in stealing back my dagger, which I suspected he carried on his person.

I used my growing headache as an excuse to escape the ballroom with a guard trailing close behind, ignoring Their Majesties’ disappointment and Sir Rupert’s pointed look; the heat of his disapproving stare followed me from the room, but he made no motion to stop me, one of the few advantages of my role, though I had no doubt my rebellion would cause me later difficulty. If the man expected me to investigate, then I needed the ability to roam freely.

I’d worry about him later. Right now I had a quarry to track. It proved surprisingly easy. I followed him at a distance, using the long shadows cast by the flickering candlelight as cover. He whistled as he walked at a leisurely pace towards the guest quarters, which lay just beyond the corner he rounded. I hastened after him…only to suddenly discover him no longer in sight.

I looked wildly around but couldn’t see him anywhere. The decorative hallway ended at a dead end and lacked any doors he might have slipped through. Where could he have gone? Even if he’d somehow sensed my presence, how had he managed to slip past me? Such a feat would have been easy for the man on the roof, which made him all the more dangerous.

Trepidation seized my pounding heart. Losing sight of my elusive target put me at a distinct disadvantage. I hesitated to give up my pursuit, but lingering only increased the likelihood he’d catch me rather than my actually finding anything of use. If he knew I suspected him, his active attempts to thwart me would only make it more difficult to discover anything.

With a quiet sigh I backtracked through the corridors. Rather than return to the suffocating ballroom, I went to my room to await the night, when I’d be able to sneak around the palace.

I remained extra vigilant as I slinked along the roof, but I didn’t see any sign of the masked man, as if he’d been nothing more than a phantom swallowed up by the night.

I found my way to the kitchens, where I procured a knife efficient enough to be used as a makeshift weapon but not one that might be missed. Should the theft be discovered, I hoped the mysterious threat plaguing the palace would fall under suspicion, rather than the decoy.

I tested its weight in my hand. It wasn’t proportioned in a way ideal for throwing, but it’d have to do. I used a spare cloth I procured from one of the drawers to carefully strap it to my thigh that had once been home to my more familiar dagger. Though not quite the same, I found the cool blade against my skin and the familiar weight of the hilt soothing.

I returned to the silent corridors. Though I’d memorized the palace layout, my nighttime explorations as well as walking the halls by day had made me more intimate with the placement of the rooms and the guards’ positions. While there was risk in them discovering my wandering, my assigned role offered me some protection, which lessened my anxiety enough for me to enjoy the usual thrill that came from stealth.

My senses tingled from the danger and sense of mystery brought by the puzzle of how to best navigate the shadowy obstacles in the path to my goal, leaving me feelingalive.

As I neared the royal treasury that had been my target since infiltrating the palace, my senses suddenly shifted: I was being followed. Whoever the mysterious intruder was, they certainly hadn’t wasted any time.

With a quiet gasp I pressed myself against the wall and focused on searching the darkness behind me, holding my breath to better concentrate on every subtle sound filling the night and mask my own presence. But though I managed to quiet my breaths, I couldn’t muffle the pounding of my heart, a sound magnified by the surrounding dark stillness.

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