Queen of Secrets

11

“I appreciate your felicitations and the gift, but you are not welcome here,” Balsam said, in a more even voice now that Fellina was at his side. “We are at war, after all.”

“Indeed. And when you’re ready to discuss the terms of your surrender, let me know.” She gave her husband a short nod and he handed me the present he was carrying. Without even lifting a finger, he gathered the shadows around him and the three of them vanished. Sun and Moon, he must be a powerful wizard to cast spells without drawing any runes. If the young prince had the same strength, Ilidan would become an even greater foe for the next generation.

Balsam cast the gift a suspicious look. “Have the guards open that somewhere safe. I don’t trust her at all.”

“I don’t think she meant us any harm,” Fellina said. “Perhaps we should consider her offer of an arranged marriage between our children once our second daughter is born.”

Balsam’s eyes narrowed. “She wants to crush our kingdom and claim our lands for her own. I would never allow my child to wed into that family.”

“You may not have a choice,” Fellina said softly.

I could see they would continue arguing about this, so I found a nearby guard and handed him the gift with instructions to open it elsewhere. I briefly considered that the gift might be part of the impending assassination attempt, but quickly pushed that thought aside. That wasn’t how the Ravens worked, and Casnia would never be so obvious anyway.

Once that was done I gave Garon a nod, then stepped outside and made my way to a shadowed part of the castle grounds to speak with him privately, though I regretted it once the freezing air hit my skin. I wore only a pale blue gown that was clasped at the shoulders with jewels and hung low in the front and back. It was certainly not suitable for this weather, but I’d been warm while inside with the torches, the throng of people, and the heat from dancing, so I hadn’t even considered grabbing my furs.

A cloak came up around my shoulders, along with Garon’s voice. “You’ll catch your death out here.”

“So I’ve been told,” I said. “Any word on when that will be happening? It’s nearly midnight. The guests are starting to leave the ball or return to their rooms.”

He stood behind me with his hands on my upper arms. I couldn’t see his face, which was just as well since it still wore the illusion, but there was no disguising his low, masculine tone. “I haven’t seen anything yet. Have you?”

“Not at all. It’s hard to believe Nial truly wants me dead either.”

He ran his hands slowly up and down my bare arms, bringing warmth back to my skin and heat between my legs. “He’s a fool who will be brought to justice.”

I leaned back into Garon’s touch as his mouth brushed against my neck, sending tingles down my spine. It was risky for us to touch this way even though we were alone and hidden by a line of trees, but the thrill of being caught only heightened my desire. It had been the same when we were younger, when we would find hidden corners of the castle to kiss in, or when he sneaked into my bed in the middle of the night.

The faint rustle of leaves drew our attention and we quickly broke apart in anticipation of an attack. Garon disappeared into the shadows, while I hitched up my gown to remove my dagger from my ankle, my heart pounding in my chest. The enchanted dagger glowed faintly in my hand as I gripped it tight.

Two men in black hoods that covered everything except their eyes rushed toward me from the dark brush. One was tall and thin and moved like the wind, flashing two shorter swords, while the other was large and muscular and wielded one long blade that could cleave right through a horse. They surrounded me, thinking I was alone.

Garon burst out of the darkness, taking the men by surprise. He stood between me and them, spinning and twisting to block both of their attacks with his sword while he yelled, “Get the guards!”

I hesitated, afraid to leave him, but there was little I could do except watch him fight the assassins. I grabbed my skirts and ran across the grounds toward the castle, calling out for the guards. They rushed toward me, drawing their weapons, and I turned around and headed back to help Garon. As we neared the line of trees, the nearby clock tower began ringing, signaling that it was midnight—when Garon’s disguise would fade.

But when I got there, he was gone.

All that was left of Garon was a lone boot. Was this what Fellina had meant by ‘remember the shoes?’ I wasn’t sure how a scuffed-up boot could help me find him though.

One of the attackers was on the ground with blood flowing from a gash in his stomach. The guards surrounded him with their swords but I held up a hand and ordered them to wait. It was the larger, muscular man, whose face looked like it had been crushed at some point in the past. I dipped my dagger into his blood and it glowed bright silver, while the guards gasped.

“Who hired you?” I asked.

The man’s eyes rolled toward me. “Prince Nial of Andaria.”

The guards stiffened at my side, while ice gripped my heart. So it was true. My own fiancé wanted me dead. “Why?”

“Don’t know. Don’t care.”

I glanced at one of the guards. “Find Prince Nial and lock him up in the dungeon.”

“Yes, your highness.” The guard bowed before departing.

I soaked the blade in the man’s blood again. “Where is Garon?”

A mean smile crossed his lips. “The Ravens took him. We knew he would be helping you tonight and planned this as a trap for him. Now he’s going to pay.”

Fear trickled down my spine. “Where did they take him?”

“Into Ralston. The Ravens have our headquarters there near the south market. But good luck finding it.”