The carriage swerved to the left, and I gripped the seat for balance.
“Gossip is far better than this,” Nadiyah seethed.
I peeked out the window, not daring to lean out for fear of losing a limb.Family crests decorated the carriages, some painted with the flags of their kingdoms.Trunks crowded the roofs and the backs of them, no doubt filled with precious jewels and hundreds of ball gowns, the coaches occupied by nobles and royalty from the twelve kingdoms.Bile rose in my throat.Five years ago I had been unable to contain my excitement when I had arrived with my family for the Paravellian Balls.The first invitation we had ever received.My parents had been so hopeful to secure alliances that would enrich our kingdom of Donnovar.Everything about the Paravellian Balls had been bright and magical...until our family left before the finale in shattered pieces and with one less member than when we’d arrived.
Bakeries and dress shops burst with business, people cramming in through the narrow entryways, and while night had not yet fallen, the brothel’s doors bulged with clientèle.Long lines of villagers and out-of-town guests snaked around every inn and livery, people seeking a place to stay, a market to sell their goods, and a stable to house their animals.The noise and crowds grew overwhelming.For once, I understood how Nadiyah felt, but my fear emanated from a far darker place than hers.
A child on the street screamed before laughing and running away from another, but it intermingled with the screams from my past, the shrieks of pain, the cries of terror.I could feel the heat of the flames devouring the city, the sweat rolling off my temples and pouring down my back.I remembered watching the bruises forming on my arm from where the scarred man had grabbed me as I had attempted to escape down the stairs, as he’d tried to hold me back—
My fingernails dug into the wood of the carriage door, trying to keep the resurfacing memories at bay.
“Don’t go there, Analleia.”Desmond’s deep and solid voice drew me back from the edges of memory, grounding me back in the present.Years of training, and I still struggled to ward off the demons of my past.I met his bright blue eyes.We could be twins.His white-blond hair swept across his forehead, his sharp jaw clenched in uncertainty.
“What’s our plan for the first ball?”Nadiyah’s voice was laced with restraint, and I knew it was taking everything within her to not jump out of the carriage.
I refocused my thoughts, twining together the different threads weaving through my mind.I may not have killed anyone, but my plans were the reason our jobs succeeded—our last commission in Ravenwood notwithstanding.
“Make friends tonight, but don’t draw attention,” I said.“Learn what you can about the attendees, dig for any information that could offer us an advantage.Intermingle yourself with the gossips and learn everything you can about what King Zaricor has planned for this year’s Paravellian Balls.”
“As if his plans will be held captive by the gossips, ours for the taking,” Desmond muttered.
“Keep a close eye on his children,” I said.“Unless something has changed since we arrived, three still reside in the palace.He leaves most of the bargaining to them and the chancellor.If we can undermine them, we can undermine him.”
Nadiyah closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the stiff cushion of the seat.“Why not strike him this evening and get it over with?”
I pursed my lips.“Because an assassination requires planning and trickery, and I don’t want to endanger your mission of vengeance either.We need to know the placement of the guards and the layout of the main ballroom.If we act too quickly, we could jeopardize the whole plan.”
My sister’s face swam before me, and I lowered my eyes, her contagious smile and raucous laughter haunting me.“Besides, Tatanna deserves more than that.I don’t want to just kill him.I want him to be completely defeated and devoid of any comfort first.I want her avenged, and I want him to experience the loss and devastation our kingdom endured when he destroyed us.”
A smile curved up Nadiyah’s face, a sparkle lighting in her eyes.“Then I say it’s time to kill a king.”
Our carriage rolled to a stop outside the six-story Ferris Way Inn.A swirl of golden designs raced around the edges of the building in elaborate swirls.Desmond’s expression turned sour as we prepared to exit, and I kicked at his shins, giving him a fierce look.
“Cheer up for once,” I said.“I don’t need your expression causing unnecessary attention or gossip.”
He threw me a scowl before wiping it from his face.Our talents in acting came second only to assassination.
The footman jumped down from the driver’s box and opened our carriage door.I took his hand, moving slowly as I dropped onto the cobblestones below.The world swam around me for a moment as if I were still trapped in the moving carriage.Eyes roved over me, the stares of the other guests like the prickly legs of an insect crawling across my skin.They made me want to hide.I was used to hiding in the shadows, my face concealed by a hood or mask.I despised being out in the open like this.
Arriving in a carriage as fine as ours would ignite whispers among those watching, and I sensed the questions circling us.My mother’s voice whispered in my ears, as if swirling through the gentle breeze that caressed my hair.A pang of longing shot through me, and I pulled my cloak tighter, imagining it was my mother’s warmth enveloping me, guiding me into this unknown future.
Other arrivals made their way into the inn, trunks upon trunks of belongings hauled in by the servants trailing behind them.The footman unlatched our own trunks from the back of the carriage as Nadiyah and Desmond poured out into the street.
I hid the smile that threatened to creep onto my lips.The footman said nothing, but our trunks were empty except for the saddle bags of belongings that had been strapped to our horses’ backs.Our arrival was nothing but a grand display.
“You’re leading this show, princess,” Desmond whispered in my ear.
I ventured up the limestone steps leading to the entrance and lifted my dress to avoid tripping on it.Layers upon layers of skirts populated the underside of my dress, expanding its width.I’d been practicing for weeks in a ball gown I had bought off an old governess, feeling like a fool as I flounced around my room, but these skirts were wider than those.After years in flexible and minimal layers of clothes, the feel and weight of heavy dresses was foreign to me, making me feel as I truly was—an impostor.
The lobby of the inn was designed for a king.Lace and gold and diamond glass layered every inch of the extravagant entry from the chandeliers to the patterned carpet overlaying the marble floors and the golden stitching lining the cushions of the furniture.If our suite was even half as opulent as the entry, I would be more than pleased.
I gave the clerk my name, and she retrieved three golden keys from a wall covered in them.
“Sixth floor, Mistress Analleia.We are delighted over your stay with us.”
She offered a curtsy.I smiled in return.We were four days late for our original arrival date, and I held no doubt they’d been ready to sell our suite to another if it had been much later.I’d paid for it in its entirety almost two years ago, but the Paravellian Balls provided an economic boom to the economy, and every business was chomping at the bit to make their share—or double it.
I turned the keys over in my palm, noting the 604 inscribed on the leather tags before I headed to the stairs and climbed them one at a time.The sixth floor was a nuisance and an unnecessary time waster, but height offered the best viewpoint.
