Page 65 of The Dragon King's Assassin

“What?” I looked at him.

“It takes a bit for a body to decompose. He doesn't stink because he's dead.”

“Then why?”

“My guess is bad dental hygiene. Thus, the smell when he speaks.”

Uso's face twitched and twisted as he fought the urge to tell Daha to fuck off.

“Gross, Uso,” I said. Then, before he could reply, “This way.” I took them to the meeting room, but the King and Prince weren't there. “All right. Maybe not.”

“They're in the King's private dining room,” Captain Vettan drawled from the doorway. “Having a late supper.”

“Really late,” I muttered.

“They finished eating, then started drinking.”

“All right. Thank you for the detailed update.” I went to step past him, and he grabbed my arm.

“You don't get to bring your friends into the royal suite for a tour.”

“This man is a necromancer who was requested by Prince Racmar.” I waved at Daha. Then I motioned toward Uso. “And this is a corpse that the necromancer has reanimated. He is also the assassin who tried to kill the King last night.”

“What?”

“Why are people not understanding me tonight?” I asked Daha. “I feel as if I'm speaking another language.”

Daha shrugged and shook his head. “Happens to me all the time.”

“Excuse us, Captain. We don't have time to explain the meaning of words to you.” I pushed past him, and my entourage followed.

The guards outside the royal suite didn't try to stop us, only opened the doors. Either the King had warned them to let us pass, or they were smarter than their comrades. I nodded to them and took my guests down the corridor to the dining room. I heard the King and Prince talking as we approached, and their words slowed my steps.

“When are you going to tell him?” Racmar asked.

“That is not your concern.”

A snort. “Even a human has the right to know that—”

“Enough! You may be a prince but you are not a king, and even a king knows to respect another monarch's personal decisions.”

“He means that much to you, eh?”

“Are we going in or what?” Uso asked.

I punched him in the face.

“What the fuck!” Uso clutched at his face.

“Who's there?” the King demanded.

I stepped into the room. “I found the necromancer, Your Majesty.”

“And he has a foul mouth,” the Prince said.

“That was not my foulness, Your Highness,” Daha drawled as he entered the room. “It came from the corpse I raised. And, forgive me, but that is to be expected. Being raised from the dead tends to make people touchy.”

Racmar slid his stare to the Raltven, his mouth opening as if to speak, but when he met Daha's gaze, he remained silent—open-mouthed but silent.

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