In adulthood, however, her beauty has depth.
I think of the way my heart leapt when I watched her emerge from her chambers in the maid’s uniform. The way she went to meethim.
“Did you hear what he said?” she whispers. “Why would Dane care about the alliance if he wanted to kill the king?”
“Maybe he’s making sure everything proceeds as normal until a killer has time to work.” I hold up the parchment, which is crumpled from my rough treatment along the beam. “The Guildmasterknowsthe king and the crown prince—he would have verified these orders himself. This one can’t be a fake.” I pause and shift between them. “I sincerely doubt the other one is either.”
“Why would they both issue these orders at the same time?”
“I don’t know that they did. I just received them this morning—and it was after Maddox Kyronan arrived.” I tap the parchment and read off a line below his name. “Payment of three hundred coins received in Incendrian silver.So he absolutely could have sent one of his people to the Guild to arrange it. He and his men didn’t arrive together. One of them could have done it before arriving in the palace.”
She considers that—but I’m right, and she knows it.
I glance at the door again, but I haven’t heard a sound. I’m still not ready to risk dropping to the ground. “Jory,” I say. “Please. Pack a few things and go. I can help you—”
“Asher! I am not throwing away this alliance because you showed up with these orders! Simply go back and tell themno.”
It’s my turn to make a frustrated sound. I finally uncurl from where I’m hidden and spring from beam to beam until I land in front of her. “You think I can tell themno? I could be executed just for keeping these orders! Just fortellingyou! And even if I refused, what exactly do you think would happen? They’ll give back the payment and say the Hunter didn’tfeel like it?”
Her cheeks are flushed now, her breathing rapid. “Why did you even accept it at all?”
“I didn’t know you were the target until I opened it! You don’t know how lucky you are that it was given tome.” As soon as I say that, I realize how true it is. If I hadn’t strolled through the gathering room this morning, Jory might be facing another Hunter—or not facing him at all, as the case may be.
“You must run,” I say firmly. “If you and the king aren’t dead by midday, they will send another Hunter to finish the job—and then there will be nothing I can do to save you. We are oath bound to track our prey until the job is done. Your brother wants the king of Incendar dead—so he will be. The king wantsyoudead—so you will be.”
“Then I’ll tell the guards, Asher! I’ll tell Dane—”
I step forward, spin her around, and trap her arms before she can even inhale. I use enough force that I have her body pinned against mychest, unable to struggle. A blade is already in my hand, and I touch the metal of the dagger hilt against her chin. She squeals and her chin lifts an inch.
I can feel her heart pounding through her corset, through the buckles of my jacket, through the leather of my glove where it sits against her throat. Her breathing hitches once, a sound full of fear, and I almost let her go. This is a side of myself that I’veneverwanted her to see.
But she needs to be afraid. She needs to understand.
She wrenches at my grip, but I hold fast. My mouth is close to her ear now, the floral scent of her hair filling my nose.
“Another assassin wouldn’t wait,” I say, keeping my voice low. “Your throat would already be cut, your blood on the floor.”
Her breathing shakes again, and her fear swells in the air between us. Her entire frame is rigid, tight against me.
Good.I hate it, butgood.
I let her go, and she falls away from me, gripping the edge of her dressing table, her breath heaving.
“Do you understand now?” I demand.
She doesn’t nod. Instead, she whirls and punches me square in the face.
The strike snaps my head to the side, because I really didn’t see it coming. I might even taste blood. I have to fall back a step so I don’t fall down.
“Don’t youeverdo that again,” she says, her voice ragged.
“You weren’t listening!” Stars in darkness, that was a good strike. I had no idea she could hit like that. When I touch a hand to my lip, it stings like fire, and my fingertips come away with blood. I don’t know if I should be impressed or angry, but this definitely feels like a time for both. “Fuck.”
“You put a knife to my throat!” She rubs at her neck, then checks her fingers as if expecting to find her own blood.
“It was just the hilt,” I growl. “I wanted toshowyou, not hurt you.”
She stares at me, her chest still heaving a bit. Her eyes are dark and full of censure, but I don’t care. I dab a drop of blood away from my lip.After a moment, Jory sighs and pulls a small handkerchief from the bodice of her dress, then reaches for my face.
