Page 90 of Decoy

While I had no qualms about undertaking such a risk for the sake of the investigation, it was one thing to gamble with my own life when I possessed the adequate skills to defend myself and quite another to put the heir to the Estorian throne in harm’s way. I didn’t personally care about the princess, but my experiences had taught me to value life for its own sake, whether or not I actually liked the person.

Guard Silas and Prince Ryland remained understandably wary of Luke’s proposal, but after mulling it over the princess accepted it with a decisive nod. “Considering the circumstances, that is likely the best course of action.”

Prince Ryland seized her hand. “Evie—”

“It’s my duty to follow through with the findings I didn’t adequately investigate the first time,” she said firmly. “I will at least hear what the Shadow has to say.”

She listened carefully as he succinctly explained the details. When he’d finished, she nodded in tentative agreement.

“The Shadow’s plan is sound, and the role required is one only I can perform. Thus it’s my duty to fulfill it to the best of my ability.” At the prince’s continued worry her expression softened. “This won’t be much different than the threats I’ve already faced, save Sir Rupert is much less skilled than the assassins I’ve narrowly escaped. Besides, I won’t face him alone—we have the infamous Shadow on our side.”

The prince and her guard remained reluctant, but in the end it was Her Highness’s decision, one I begrudgingly admired her fortitude in making.

We immediately went to work implementing the plan we’d settled upon, but en route to Sir Rupert’s study there was an unexpected change in course. As if my previous bargain with the shadows had made me more attuned to them, I sensed a shift in their looming presence just before Luke suddenly tensed. The next instant he’d traveled halfway down the corridor in time to parry a sudden dagger aimed at Princess Evelyn.

He was able to hold the attacker off until we’d had time to catch up. Prince Ryland stepped forward with his sword drawn to shield the princess, and Guard Silas seized hold of the assassin. Immediately upon his capture, a glistening shimmer crawled up the assailant’s throat as a spell began to take effect.

“A silencing spell,” Luke observed gravely. “It’ll take him out before we obtain anything useful.”

Princess Evelyn’s magical training apparently made her familiar with the nature of such spells, allowing her to cast a glow of enchanted light towards the assassin, whose face had already gone blue as if some invisible hand were choking him. A swell of anxiety overcame me to witness his struggle. I’d spent far too long imagining suffocating to death not to feel a sliver of compassion, even for the likes of him.

The moment the princess’s spell surrounded him, he released a struggling gasp and began to breathe more easily. She stared wide-eyed at her hands.

“I suppose that worked.” Upon noticing Prince Ryland’s admiring gaze, she straightened with a bit more confidence. “I nullified the silencing spell before it could take effect. Whatever magic was used to cast it was power borrowed from my family, giving me authority to break the contract before it claimed his life.”

She stepped forward, her sharp focus fixed on the assassin putting up a struggle in Guard Silas’s firm grip now that he was no longer fighting for air.

“Is Sir Rupert your client?”

Despite his distinct disadvantage, he clenched his jaw and remained silent.

Luke sighed. “Even without a spell persuading him to loyalty, most assassins are too honorable to so easily betray the one who hired them.”

She frowned. “Then what do you propose we do?”

Darkness filled his responding grin. “Offer a bargain he can’t refuse.” He gave his dagger a playful twirl before crouching in front of where the assassin had fallen to the floor during his struggle. “First, introductions: I’m the Shadow. You’re from the house of Crimson Blades, I presume?”

The assassin’s eyes bulged. “How did you—”

“While your loyalty is both admirable and an essential creed for our profession, unfortunately your client wasn’t careful enough to adequately hide his correspondence with your house…yet I doubt even his foolish disregard for anonymity is enough to persuade you to cooperate. Perhapsthiswill.”

The shadows crowding the corridor began slinking ever closer to the assassin, yet though he eyed them with unmistakable fear, even this threat wasn’t enough to break his stubborn silence.

Luke seemed entirely unconcerned. “Impressive. If fear can’t persuade you, then perhaps we should simply hire you for another job.”

The assassin finally shifted his gaze from the shadows curling tauntingly around his ankles towards Luke. “If you cannot order me to give up my client’s name, you’ll hire me to lure him into your waiting trap.”

Luke smirked. “I’m glad you understand the situation; it saves needless time explaining. Rather than pay for your services with coin, I have something much more desirable.” He glanced at the princess in silent question.

She hesitated only a moment before conceding with a nod. “Should you cooperate, you shall receive a full pardon for attempting to claim my life.”

Luke grinned. “A fine reward for such an easy job. Are we in agreement?” He extended not his hand but his dagger. The assassin pressed the tip of his finger to end of the blade and pricked his finger, a token of his promise. Luke paled and averted his gaze, but though he held his breath, he otherwise betrayed no emotion.

Once the contract had been forged, Luke straightened with a triumphant grin. “I commend Your Highness for your bravery…but it appears we have a new plan of capturing Sir Rupert, one conducted via my favorite means: a game.”

The time had come to finally end this dangerous scheme once and for all.

An enchantedwall invisible to all but its caster concealed us from view within Sir Rupert’s study, magic which acted as a window that allowed us to witness the unfolding scene.

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