Footsteps echoed from somewhere inside the building, coming in this direction, followed by the woman’s voice. “High Lord Zeiger? I’m about to prepare your room for the night. Would you enjoy a hot toddy tonight?”
We stared at each other.
Her tone lifted. “High Lord?”
Damn.
Lorant’s gaze shot toward the foyer. “Discovery is imminent.”
I pried the sword from Zeiger’s hand and hung it back on the wall, before stooping down beside the body. “Did they teach you how to eliminate evidence inbodyguardschool, then?”
“I’m better at creating evidence to frame someone else.”
“Well, start framing the room to look like he… I don’t know. You figure it out. I’ll start eliminating.” I laid my hand on the man’s head. Still warm, but he’d start stiffening soon. “Do your thing and meet me outside.”
“What are you going to?—”
I flitted the high lord and myself to the edge of the driveway and after hefting Zeiger under the arms, I dragged him into the deep grass along the side. There was only one flitting rule: You could only travel to a location you’d been to before because the location’s image would be secure in your mind. Otherwise, parts of you might…scatter. No one wanted that.
I crouched down beside the body to remain out of view and wait for Lorant. He didn’t take long, flitting himself to the walkway in front of the house. He peered around before striding toward me.
“Next time, you will tell me what you plan to do before you act,” he growled, coming to a stop beside me.
“Don’t bunch your pants up too tight. You might injure something.”
“Excuse me?”
Oh, how deadly he sounded. I didn’t have time for that.
I straightened and looked around. “Where can we hide him?” A morbid thought occurred to me. “Merrick told you how to flit.”
He clipped out a nod.
“Have you practiced?”
His sly smile rose.
“Good. Then you can take the body to a location in the hills beyond the wall, someplace where you’ve been enough times it’s solid in your mind. Leave it for someone to find, and let’s hope they think one of those woodland creatures got him.”
“Or that he was murdered, and his body dumped to make it look like awoodland creaturegot him.”
I peered toward the house. “That woman… What did you do?”
“Something I learned in my bodyguard-to-the-heir-to-the-throne classes.” His lips coiled up. “I told her I’d sent Zeiger on a vital mission for the crown. She was impressed.”
“Why didn’t you flit before she found you and let her draw her own conclusions?”
“I didn’t want to kill her.”
“You wouldn’t have.” I frowned up at him. “Would you?”
His slick smile grew
“I assume you got rid of the blood before she could see it,” I said.
“Naturally.”
“Then flit his body beyond the wall, would you? We can’t remain here all night chatting.”
