I yanked a blade from one of the sheaths at my waist and flung it, impaling it in Zeiger’s back with my usual killing blow. He toppled to the ground, the sword making no sound when it hit the carpet but his body delivering a jarring thud.
My shadows fell away from me with a hiss. They oozed to the closest window and slid through the glass, slinking back to where I’d stolen them from.
Lorant turned, and his eyebrows lifted as he looked from Zeiger to me.
“He was going to kill you.” I raced over to his side. “He grabbed a sword. He thrust it at your back. I…”
“Saved my life.” While my heart thundered, he stooped down beside Zeiger and felt along his neck.
“Dead. I don’t miss.” I’d killed more dregs than I could count. Some people too, especially during battle to save others. But eliminating the highest lord in my court would cause an uproar even if hehadbeen about to murder Lorant.
“Good shot.” I didn’t see pride in his eyes. Alright, maybe I did, just a little. “Thank you.” Still staring at Zeiger, he straightened. “This is going to be a problem.”
“I assume the blow is beyond your healing abilities.”
“You assume correctly.”
Dead was always dead. “It never looks good when a queen kills one of her subjects even if it’s in the defense of the king.”
“Bodyguard, if you please.”
“Right.” I jerked out a nod, shaken more by the fact that someone had nearly killed Lorant than I’d taken a life. “There’s only one thing we can do.”
He cocked his head. “And that is?”
“Get rid of the body.” I glanced toward the foyer. “That woman who was here earlier. We need to make sure she doesn’t see him like this.”
“When he goes missing, she’ll state that I was the last person seen with him.”
“And you’ll honestly state that you spoke with him and left.” I sniffed. “Youwillbe leaving here after we take care of this, will you not?”
“Someone will note if one of the flowerbeds is disturbed.”
Did he truly think I’d plant a body that close to the house? “What kind of assassin are you that you don’t know how to get rid of a body?”
“What kind of queen are you that you do?”
“A queen who wasn’t raised to be prissy. Disposing of refuse is practically a class at the fortress.”
“They expect you to kill people and find creative ways to get rid of the remains?”
Why did he sound incredulous?
“Don’t they teach that in heir-to-the-throne classes?” I shot back.
“Bodyguard. And no. It’s assumed that someone else will handle delicate matters like this.”
“The fewer involved, the fewer who can talk. No flowerbed, naturally. Do you remember the lay of the area? How dense are the woods nearby? Any caves in the vicinity?”
“The manor is built close to a set of rolling hills. If there’s a cave there, I don’t remember seeing it.”
“We’ll get him outside and hide his body, and then we can decide where we’ll dispose of him.”
He sucked in a breath and shoved it out. “You take his feet, and I’ll take him under the shoulders.”
“Move him with your magic.”
“Shifting large objects ishistalent, not mine.”
