Page 13 of A Tale of Treachery

“You can’t, Aiden. You just can’t,” I urged, tightening my hold on his arm. “I’m begging you, don’t.”

He pulled free and scanned the courtyard for prying eyes. “Dahlia, to talk like that is treason, and anyone could overhear. I don’t have a choice. My father is the king, and the king’s word is the law.”

“You know what will happen to them. They’ll be burned. You must find another way.”

“My father assured me they would have a fair trial,” he stated, but the inflection in his voice told me he knew that was a lie.

“You know that won’t happen. The ‘trial’ will consist of them being read their nonexistent crimes. They won’t have a chance to defend themselves, and they’ll be silenced before they can.”

Aiden’s eyes softened, and he lowered his voice so nobody could overhear. “Just trust me on this. Please. I will do my duty to my father, but I promise, no harm will come to anyone who is collected. I’ll find a way to save them…even if it means breaking my father’s rules. But I need to earn his trust right now.” He squeezed my hand. “Do you trust me?”

I eyed him suspiciously. Why did he have to play along with his father? I trusted him, always, but he was too dutiful. Too loyal. Too good. The model prince who never broke the rules.

And I couldn’t take any chances with Eulalia’s safety. If he wouldn’t break the rules, then I would.

“Do what you must.”

Because I would also do what I must. I turned my back on him, unwilling to let him see my disappointment at his words.

I needed to get to Eulalia and warn her before Aiden’s crew collected. With proper planning and a little luck, the collection could be prevented.

I stopped at the entrance of the sanctum, the hairs on the back of my neck creeping up in warning. I wasn’t alone.

I glanced over my shoulder, locking eyes with Ryken. He was watching me from the palace window, his gaze fixed as he tracked my every movement. The look on his face said he wanted to eat me alive.

I narrowed my eyes at him, silently conveying a message.

Back off.

His lips curled in a wicked smirk, as if he could hear my thoughts and wasn’t put off in the least. Only intrigued.

I rolled my eyes and entered the sanctum.

Ryken was going to be a problem. One that I didn’t have the time or energy to deal with at the moment.

I needed to save Eulalia.

And nothing would stop me.

CHAPTER6

Iwas running behind schedule after being held up by Redmond. He hadn’t taken the news of Aiden’s collection very well and seemed adamantly opposed to my idea of cutting the soldiers off and giving Eulalia’s coven warning of what was about to transpire. And upon hearing of what had happened with Ryken, he’d nearly lost his mind, forbidding me to leave past curfew.

Redmond didn’t take well to Ryken’s sudden interest in me, but Ryken had always watched each and every one of us in this kingdom. Now was not the time to let him spook us.

I sneaked quietly through the palace grounds, hiding within the shadows, my stomach rumbling from hunger. Since Redmond had been adamant about keeping me home, there hadn’t been an opportunity to eat. Only when he’d finally fallen asleep did I have the chance to leave, so I skipped dinner and gathered supplies for the night.

After dodging various soldiers and guards, I reached the stables and crouched down to peek through the stalls. The horses remained untacked, a sign that I was still ahead of schedule.

Creeping along the grounds, I took refuge behind a tree as two of the soldiers in Aiden’s company passed by. The men were laughing and discussing their plans, but their words grew to whispered hushes when they came to the topic of Aiden.

My ears pricked at his name, straining to hear what they were saying, but their voices were too low to comprehend.

Moving to the wall, I reached into my satchel, retrieving a grappling hook and rope. Exiting through the gates past curfew would be impossible, so climbing up the wall was my only option.

Too bad I was terrified of heights.

My neck craned upward, and I scouted the battlement, waiting for the guards to change shift. When the bell tolled, I swung my rope in a circle, allowing the cord to gather momentum. The rope soared through the air upon release, connecting with a satisfying clink of metal on mortar. I tugged to ensure it held its place in the brick wall.

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