Page 43 of The King's Weapon

Menz tilted back in his chair and drummed his fingers against the edge of the table. "Your rooms are prepared for you when you’re ready.”

"Dani, Kalisandre will stay with you," Fynn said.

Kallie could only assume by the omission of Graeson’s name that her insistent guide might, for once, not be attached to her arm tonight. And she knew that this would be her best chance to make her move.

Dani smirked at her as she sucked the tips of her fingers clean.

"Don't bother trying anything, Princess. These are old floors," Fynn added.

Kallie lifted her glass and gave him a sweet smile. "I wouldn't dare."

Raising a brow, Fynn took a sip of his flask and Kallie held in her grin.Tryingmeant failing. And she would not fail.

* * *

Wallpaper speckledwith white and pink peonies lined the walls. There were two twin beds, one on either side of the room. In the corner of the room, a small wood burner sat with cold ashes, untouched since its last use. Someone had cracked open the single window between the beds letting the humid air filter in. Since they had arrived, the humidity outside had thickened. All signs pointed to a storm brewing, but perhaps a storm was what Kallie needed.

Kallie strolled over to the window and peered out. The stables sat beneath the window, and from the light of a small oil lamp, she saw the top of Graeson's dark wavy hair. His shoulders were tense as he brushed his horse's coat. She had gained little information over the five days she had been with them. But maybe she could get Dani to divulge something helpful. At dinner, she seemed on the verge of saying something until Fynn and Graeson had stopped her.

"So. . .what's Graeson's deal?" Kallie asked nonchalantly.

Dan sat on the edge of one of the beds as she untied her boots. "It doesn't concern you. Now does it, Princess?"

Kallie shrugged her shoulders, not willing to answer. If the information helped her get rid of these rebels who planned to attack her father, it was part of her duty to gather it.

Dani peered at Kallie. "Or do you mean to tell me you've grown fond of your captor? Kind of strange, don't you think?"

Kallie scoffed. "Do not think my curiosity is a sign of complacency. While my hands are not tied at the moment, the noose around my neck still digs into my skin."

"Poetic," Dani said as she kicked off one of her boots. "But whatever you say, Princess."

Kallie crossed her arms over her chest. "I merely would like to know how long I have to deal with his less-than-pleasant attitude."

Dani laughed. "Oh, that will not be going away anytime soon. Graeson has been like that since we were children."

From the window, Kallie observed the tension in Graeson's body beginning to lessen with each brush stroke of Calamity's hoof. While the man hadn't beenthatterrible to her—especially considering how merciless he could be with a weapon—Kallie wondered what made him seem unpleasant to his friends as well. What made him kill her guards with such ferocity? She hadn't seen those scimitars since that first night, but she hadn't forgotten the way he sliced through Polin, the image haunting her sleep. She could only hope she wouldn't be on the receiving end any time soon. However, the odds were not in her favor. Especially once she made her move tonight.

Dani riffled through her bag. After a moment, she pulled out a rope and walked over to Kallie. With a straight face, Kallie held out her hands. Once Dani grabbed her wrists, Kallie looked into the woman's unfeeling eyes and filled her voice with her gift. "You will go to sleep and stay asleep until morning."

When Dani's eyes hazed over, the woman slumped onto the ground with a loud thud. Kallie had not intended for the woman to fall asleep on the floor and she almost felt bad for the ache Dani would experience in the morning. However, Dani's pain was not Kallie's concern. And when Dani began snoring and no one came barging through the door, Kallie smirked and allowed herself to bask in the successful use of her gift. She felt re-energized and craved the power from the gods as it moved inside of her. She took a breath, letting the feeling simmer down.

The easy part was done. She now had to get out of here.

While she still had plenty to discover, she needed to move. She would get her answers soon enough.

She rummaged through Dani's bag but found it void of anything useful. She then proceeded to check Dani's body and, once again, came up empty-handed. Kallie scavenged the room, careful not to make too much noise to avoid raising anyone's suspicion. She searched under the beds, the small fireplace, the chests at the end of the bed. But there was no weapon in sight. Although the Pontians trusted her not to kill them at the table, they did not trust her to not kill them in their sleep.

Then she saw it.

A letter opener. It wasn’t ideal, but it was sharp enough that she could make it work for what she needed. After all, Kallie only needed a distraction.

Chapter13

Once darkness had fallenover the farm and the creaking floors had led to the sound of doors closing, Kallie knew it was time. Over the course of her teenage years, Kallie had mastered the art of sneaking out of rooms in the palace to avoid the prying eyes of guards and servants. Therefore, sneaking out of a small farmhouse would be easy—even with the loud floorboards and her enemies near.

When Kallie peeked out the window, the lantern was blown out and the inside of the stable was cast in darkness. She slipped off her shoes to avoid any unnecessary sounds and held them in one hand. With the other hand, she grabbed her stolen letter opener, stuffed it into the band of her pants, and tightened the ribbon holding up her hair. She cracked open the door an inch and peered out. Shadows scattered the hall barely lit by a thread of moonlight that slipped through the curtains of the single window in the hall. All doors were shut, and a soft snore sounded from behind the closed doors.

Kallie sucked in a breath. It was now or never.

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