Queen of Secrets

One Dahlia I awoke with a jolt, my fingers already reaching for the dagger underneath my pillow. The sound I’d heard was probably just the wind rattling the windows of this old, high-up room, but one could never be too careful, especially when your brother was the king of a nation at war. I held very still, listening intently, and there—the soft scrape of a boot against the rough stone floor. I threw off my blankets and jumped to my feet, gripping the dagger tight in my hand. With practiced ease I moved into a fighter’s pose, likely stunning my cloaked assailant, who probably didn’t expect a princess to be ready to defend herself. A hooded figure in all black stood before me, barely visible on this cloudy night, except for the silver flash of his blade as it lunged toward me. I met the blow with my own dagger and the sound of metal clashing rang throughout the room. With quick moves he stabbed at me again, and I narrowly avoided being struck down by his sword. He was strong and fast, a trained assassin I had little chance of defeating in close combat, no matter how skilled I was. With my heart pounding in my chest, I spun on my heel and made for the door to call the guards. But as soon as I opened my mouth to yell his fingers clamped over my lips. I sank my teeth into his gloved hand and stomped back on his booted foot, refusing to surrender. He released me with a soft grunt and I took advantage of his surprise to spin toward him and knock the blade out of his hand. I swiped my own dagger at him, but he dodged it easily. With movements nearly too fast to see he stole the knife from my very hand. At least my death would be swift, if nothing else. With foolish hope I darted toward the door, but as soon as I reached it, the man’s strong hand clamped onto my shoulder. He spun me around and pressed my back against the door, caging me in as he raised my own dagger over me. Moonlight from the nearby window passed over my face as I gazed defiantly back at him, awaiting my fate. But then he paused. “Dahlia?” he asked, with a hint of surprise. That low, masculine voice was as familiar as my own. The hood covered most of his face, except for the strong jaw I’d once trailed my lips across. Could it truly be him after all these years? Had he come to finish the damage he’d done to my heart, this time with a blade? While shock rendered me immobile, the assassin lowered the dagger and his grip on me changed so that his fingers no longer dug into my skin but simply held me close. “Dahlia, it’s me. Garon.” I held my breath as I reached up and pushed his hood back so that the moonlight could illuminate his entire face. A roguishly handsome man stared back at me with dark, mysterious eyes and a sensual s***h of a mouth. A mouth I still dreamed about far more often than I should, remembering all the things it had once done to me. “Garon?” I asked, struggling to find my voice. “What are you doing here?” I shoved him back. “And why are you trying to kill me?” He started to reach for me again, but then stopped himself. “I apologize. I didn’t know it was you.” I crossed my arms and leveled a stormy look at him. “I find that hard to believe.” He flipped my dagger and offered me the hilt as a peace offering. “I was hired to assassinate the person sleeping in this room. I never imagined it to be you, or I would have turned the contract down. No, I would have warned you, and stopped whoever they’d hired instead. You must believe me.” I sighed and took the dagger from him. No matter how much Garon had scarred me emotionally, he would never physically harm me. I knew this in my soul. “I believe you.” His large hand gently cupped my face, stroking my cheek. “I could never hurt you, Dahlia.” All I wanted to do was close my eyes and lean into his touch, but instead I spun away from him. Being in his presence again was awakening feelings I’d long tried to forget. Like the way he made my pulse quicken just by being near me. “Who hired you to kill me?” He retrieved his sword from the floor and sheathed it. “I don’t know. I was given the contract by the leader of the Ravens, but wasn’t told who ordered your death.” I idly rubbed the spot on my cheek where Garon had touched me as I ran through a list of possible culprits. My brother was king of Talador and had many enemies from the other five kingdoms, which made them my enemies as well. “Whoever it was, they must have known I would be in this tower. Someone must have a spy in the castle.” Garon’s brow furrowed. “Why are you sleeping outside of the castle? Did something happen with your old quarters?” The tower I was staying in was just outside the castle grounds near Ralston, the capital of Talador, and had once belonged to an eccentric wizard. Though it was crumbling and had a musty scent, I’d come to appreciate having my own place away from castle life. “The new queen wished to use my room as a nursery for the soon-to-be-born prince or princess. I could hardly refuse, and besides, it was nice to get away from my brother and his beloved for a while. You have no idea how those castle walls echo.” Garon’s lips quirked up. “Oh, I do. I remember running down the halls together when we were kids and Queen Lily telling us to be quiet or she’d throw us out in the snow.” A faint smile touched my lips at the memory, but then I shook my head. “Is there anything else you can tell me about this contract?” “No, but I’ll do everything in my power to find out who ordered your death. I swear it.”