Page 41 of The Dragon King's Assassin

Chapter Nineteen

It was so damn bright in that room, all the lights turned up to honor Ensarena, and I guess that was a good thing. There were no shadows to hide in. I saw everything. But after a while, it began to strain my eyes. It was the oddest thing. My focus would suddenly sharpen, then blur before settling. I rubbed my eyes over and over but nothing helped.

And the celebration seemed endless. The King had to speak with every guest there since he was the host. This meant countless conversations that threatened my focus, not because they were fascinating but rather the opposite. I could have fallen asleep on my feet listening to the sly requests the city's elite slipped into their speech, dropping hints that a child could pick up on. And then there were Taroc's practiced responses, rebuffing them without actually saying no. Those people had so much and yet they wanted more. And they wanted it from Taroc.

And I'm not just talking about money and goods.

I had to stand just behind Taroc and watch as several people, both women and men, flirted with him. And in that, they were blatantly obvious. A dock whore had more subtlety than some of these highborn assholes. The one bright spot was that whenever one of them tried to touch him, I got to step in. Like this bitch.

“Forgive me, my lady, but please do not touch the King.” I speared an arm between the King and his latest admirer before she could come in contact with him.

I didn't touch her, just barred her way, but she acted as if I'd slapped her across the face.

“How dare you!” the lady drew herself upright, then drew back her hand to strike me.

I knew I couldn't defend myself against her. She was a noblewoman; if I even started to raise my hand, just to block my face, she could twist it to her benefit. So I kept my arm where it was and my stare locked on hers.

As the blow fell, the King's hand shot out and snatched the lady's wrist. She gasped as he twisted and shoved, giving me just enough time to yank my arm out of the way. The men to either side of the lady pretended not to notice her stumble and didn't even try to catch her. In fact, their lips twitched as the woman fell to the floor in a rustle of way too many skirts. Then they feigned shock and concern, crouching to help her up.

Even as she gripped the offered arms and stood, the woman kept her horrified stare on the King. “Your Majesty?”

“Lady Helveisa, do you know that interfering with a royal guard in the course of his duties is a crime?” Taroc asked casually.

The woman blanched.

“And attacking such a guard while they are protecting me is an even greater offense. Treason, in fact. I could cast you straight into my dungeon, then strip you of your holdings and title.”

“He assaulted me!” She pointed at me.

“You act as if I wasn't standing right here.” Taroc waved at the floor. “Inches away. As if I didn't witness the whole altercation. I saw it all, and my assassin never touched you.”

“He is a killer, Your Majesty, and I am not accustomed to being around such people. If you say that he never touched me, I, of course, believe you, but it seemed to me as if he did. I must have been so frightened by what he's capable of that I imagined the assault. But that is not my fault.”

“Every Dragon on this planet is a killer, Lady Helveisa, especially us kings. And yet, you would have touched me without fear.”

“You do not kill for money, Your Majesty. You kill out of necessity.”

“Do not presume to know me or my motivations.” Taroc lowered his head toward her and that single motion had more menace in it than a drawn sword. “There are many reasons why I kill. One is presenting itself to me right now.”

The woman fainted.

I bit my tongue to keep from laughing as she plummeted back to the floor, no dainty faint for her. No, this was the real thing, not a practiced ploy for attention. She fell gracelessly, smacking her head on the floor hard enough for us to hear it. One of the men scooped her up as he apologized to Taroc, then fled with her in his arms. The other people in the group attempted to appear unaffected, but when Taroc moved on, they deflated in relief.

As the King strolled over to the next group—a gathering of four men who looked less than excited to receive him—I whispered, “That's the second person you sent running tonight, Your Majesty.”

“Technically, she wasn't running.”

“No, she wasn't.” I snorted a laugh. “Thank you.”

Taroc stopped and looked at me. “For what?”

“For interfering. You didn't have to. Thank you for not letting her strike me when I couldn't defend myself.”

“Did you think I would publicly and aggressively claim you as my lover, then allow someone to hit you in my presence? You are mine, Lock. If I had permitted her to abuse you, it would have reflected poorly on me.”

“Right. It was about you, not me. Got it.”

“Good. I'm glad you understand.” He started for the group again. “And you may always defend yourself, Assassin. Be they male or female, highborn or low, you have the right to protect yourself.”

“Even against you?”

“Well, let's not get carried away.”

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