Nathenek pulled her scarf up over her hair and wrapped it around her face, leaving only her eyes exposed.
“The royal family is giving the weekly address since they’re still in town.” He pulled her south, in the opposite direction of the crowd.
That was right—she’d forgotten about the weekly address. “Will my brother be there?” He nodded. It felt as if she’d been dunked in freezing water. Wanting to see him, she pulled free from Nathenek and joined the crowd.
“Wait,” Nathenek said, managing to remain at her side. “This isn’t a good idea.”
“Why?” No one would recognize her, especially here in Emperor’s City. Excitement swirled through her. Savenek was so close.
“There are too many people.”
“I’ve been in the crowded city all day with you.” He hadn’t once been concerned with the amount of people before now.
“Yes, but a city event is very different from wandering through the streets with multiple exit points.” He leaned down closer to her. “These sorts of events are an assassin’s dream.”
She stopped cold in her tracks. “You don’t think someone is going to attempt to kill my family, do you?”
“There is a reason security is always tight. As to why your mother still insists on this silly tradition, I’ll never understand.”
The weekly address was something they always did. It not only allowed them to speak directly to the Emperion people, but it also gave them the opportunity to show strength and solidarity. The crowd thickened, now shoulder to shoulder. Even if she wanted to turn back, she’d never be able to.
Nathenek took hold of her hand. “If we get separated, go to the guard station. It’s one block from here.”
She nodded, feeling claustrophobic with so many people pushing and shoving her, everyone eager to see the royal family—especially the handsome crown prince. Savenek seemed to be all anyone was talking about around her.
They entered the town square. The royal family always spoke from a balcony three stories high, allowing them to be easily seen and heard. This was Allyssa’s first time being in the crowd instead of on the balcony. Several guards were posted on the nearby rooftops, bows nocked and at the ready. Her heart squeezed with fear. What if Jana sent another assassin after her parents? Her family would never be safe until Jana was dead.
“Relax,” Nathenek said.
She unclenched her hands, forcing herself to take a deep breath. Nathenek positioned them along the edge of the town square, an exit only feet away. A good, strategic place to be. Her focus was on the balcony where her parents would appear with her brother at any moment.
Excitement rippled through the crowd as a soldier stepped onto the balcony. “People of Emperion,” he bellowed.
This was it. Any second and Allyssa would see her brother.
“Empress Rema and her son, Crown Prince Savenek!”
The crowd roared, cheering their approval as the two members of the royal family stepped onto the balcony. But where was Allyssa’s father? Why wasn’t Darmik on the balcony with Rema and Savenek? She looked at Nathenek. He shrugged.
Her mother didn’t appear distressed. As always, Rema radiated beauty, her golden hair neatly wound around her head to show off her crown. Now was the moment Allyssa had been waiting for. She allowed herself to look at her brother. Tears filled her eyes and she blinked them away. He was familiar yet different. As he stood next to Rema, there was no doubt they were mother and son. Both had the same skin and eye color, although Savenek’s hair was light brown instead of blond. He strode to the edge of the balcony and waved to the crowd. He seemed relaxed and at ease—something Allyssa found hard to do before so many people. His smile made his face appear regal and kind.
She had to talk to him, hear his voice, get to know him. Nathenek’s hand gripped her shoulder, holding her in place. She longed to hug her mother, to be a part of her family again. How could she have ever considered walking away from the crown?
Rema reached out, touching Savenek’s arm. He looked at her and nodded. Rema raised her arms, waiting for the crowd to quiet down before she spoke.
“Are you certain you still want to go to Russek?” Nathenek murmured in her ear.
Watching her mother and Savenek, she knew how easy it would be to send word to Rema, letting her know she wanted to return home and resume her role as the future empress. However, this wasn’t about doing what she wanted—this was about overcoming her demons, fixing the wrongs of this world, and fighting for a better future. It was about not being caged by her fears but rather embracing them and facing her destiny. She would end Jana’s reign.
“Yes,” she answered. “And I’m ready to go.” She turned to leave.
“Right now?” He nodded toward the balcony.
“I don’t need to hear my mother’s speech. I know what my destiny is, and I’m ready to face it.”
***
Standing on the edge of the cliff off to the side of Nathenek’s house, Allyssa gazed out at the city below. The wind whipped around her body, throwing her hair every which way. It was beautiful up here, distanced from the crowded streets. To the north, she could see the luxurious palace where her family stayed whenever they came here. It stood separate from the city, surrounded by a large wall.
She closed her eyes and breathed in the salty air, wishing her exhausted body could get one night of sleep. One night without Soma taunting her, leering at her, mocking her.
“I thought I’d find you out here,” Nathenek said from behind her. She opened her eyes as he came to stand at her side. They remained that way for several minutes, the sun setting in the distance.
“The ocean is magnificent,” she commented.
Nathenek grunted. “But you’re not thinking about the ocean, are you?”
“No,” she admitted.
“Whatever demons are haunting you, they won’t disappear until you face them head-on.”
She shivered. “And what do you know about demons?”
“I’m an assassin.” He folded his arms, looking off into the distance. His blank face revealed nothing.
“You mean you were an assassin.” She brushed her hair behind her ears.
“If I had meant that, I would have said that.”
“You’re not retired?” Her brother had grown up with a killer? How had her mother allowed this?
“I don’t do much work these days,” he said. “However, I am needed on occasion.”
Did he work for her mother? If so, why hadn’t she ever seen him before? Or heard her father speak of him?
Before she could ask one of the many questions forming in her mind, he continued, “The point I am attempting to make is that I have killed many people over the years. I know what it does to a person.”
Taking a deep breath, she looked up at the sky, trying to lock her horror and shame into a manageable cage. She had not only killed Soma, but had also severely injured a soldier in her quest to kill Jana.
“It gets easier,” Nathenek said. “We’ve all had to do awful things to survive.”
She nodded, pretending to understand. Did the people he killed haunt him? Her hands started shaking so she clutched onto the fabric of her shirt, trying to hold it together. There was no doubt Soma deserved to die. The world was a better place without him. So why did she feel such regret? And Shelene. Even though Allyssa hadn’t been the one to physically kill her, she was also responsible for her death.
“Are you packed and ready to leave tomorrow?”
“Yes.” They stood in silence, lost in their own thoughts.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.” He scratched behind his ear, and Allyssa had the fleeting thought that he was nervous. “What sort of man is Prince Kerdan? Can you tell me a little bit about him, his personality, what to expect when we see him?”
“He is first and foremost a military man.” She chuckled, remembering the times they ate alone in his bedchamber. The soup running down his chin, him wiping his
mouth with his sleeve. “He is rarely at the castle in Clovek. Instead, he prefers to sleep at the military compound. He is not very princely. He can come off as a little cold and harsh. But he has a good heart and is a steadfast, loyal man. Don’t let his brash manners fool you.”
“Your mother delivered the letter from Prince Kerdan?”
Allyssa nodded.
“And it was sealed?”
“Yes. Why do you ask?”
“Have you seen his seal before?”
“No, but I know what the Russek crest looks like.” Now that she thought about it, she didn’t remember even looking at the seal before she tore it open.
“What about his handwriting?” Nathenek asked.
There were maps in Kerdan’s office with notes written all over them. But she couldn’t recall having seen a letter or anything more than scribbles here and there.
“Let me ask you something else,” he said. “Does the prince usually speak so formally with you?”
Kerdan and Allyssa had always been rather informal around one another. “Are you implying that the letter came from someone else?” Her heartbeat sped up with the possibility.
“Since you first showed me the letter, something hasn’t felt right. The timing, the language used, and the fact that it urges you to go to the border town of Jontis.”
Her skin tingled. “Now that you’re forcing me to look at it analytically, you have a point.” Kerdan wouldn’t want her stepping foot in Russek. He’d handle the situation without involving her. “What do you think?”
“That Jana set a trap.”
“Bloody hell.” She kicked a small rock, sending it flying into the air and off the cliff. “I should have known. Kerdan even told me how to get in touch with him via the Womek estate in Russek.” She’d been so wrapped up in her own emotions that she’d failed to see what was right in front of her.
“Are you up for an adventure?”
“That depends on your definition of adventure.” If Jana had sent the letter, had she sent one to Odar as well? Or was she only concerned with destroying Allyssa?
“I want to set a trap of our own.” He raised his eyebrows, awaiting her answer.
“Are you suggesting we lure Jana to us?”
“Yes, and then we kill her.” The sun had disappeared behind the ocean, casting a blood-red glow over the sky.
The last time Allyssa chose to spare a murderer’s life, the consequences were catastrophic. If she had just been strong enough to kill Soma that first night in the cave like Odar wanted, she would have never been taken into Russek. Her time there had taught her that some people were too dangerous to be left alive.
“Why are you willing to help me?”
“I swore to protect your mother and brother. I will do whatever is necessary to accomplish that.”
“Then we have a deal.” She turned and headed toward the house.
“Wrong,” Nathenek said. “We have a partnership.”
She stopped and faced this man, her partner in crime, giving him a fierce grin. “I pity the person who gets in our way.”
Chapter Six
Allyssa and Nathenek had been walking for the past couple of hours in the blazing heat. It didn’t help that she wore thick pants, an undershirt, a tunic, tall boots, a scarf wrapped around her face, and a cape draped over her shoulders. Although protected from the sun, she feared she would suffer from a heatstroke. Oh, and the blasted sack she carried filled with food, bedding, and clothes didn’t help either.
“I would have thought someone like you would have horses,” Allyssa said, trudging behind Nathenek.
“Too impractical.” He didn’t even sound winded.
“Because you travel so often?” she asked.
“That and the sandstorms here are too dangerous. I own horses just outside the city where the weather is milder.”
Why did Nathenek live in Emperor’s City? The weather was hot, the sand awful, and the place crowded. While Allyssa enjoyed the hustle and bustle in Lakeside, it was too much here. It seemed like it never ended. It was easy to blend in and get lost—perhaps that was why Nathenek stayed. Or, Rema could have insisted he remain here. There weren’t any other houses on the outskirts that Allyssa noticed, and she wondered if perhaps that was the compromise he’d made. He would remain in Emperor’s City, but on the edge in a small, quiet house. What had it been like growing up in such a place?
“Have you always lived in your current house?”
“I’ve owned it for thirty years.”
Long before he knew Rema then. “My mother didn’t give it to you?”
He laughed. “No. She tried to bestow me with a larger home, but I refused.”
“Will you tell me more about her?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Didn’t you grow up with her?”
“Yes. And I know everything about the woman she is today. But she keeps so much of her past locked away.”
“I’m sure she has her reasons. Your mother is a prudent woman. I trust her implicitly.”
His unwavering support and admiration of Rema was… unexpected. “The two of you became friends after you kidnapped her?”
“Yes, during the voyage here.”
She mulled over that. “Was there ever anything more than friendship between the two of you?” Hopefully he wouldn’t snap her head off for asking such a personal question, but she was trying to understand Nathenek and Rema’s relationship.
“I’m a lot older than she is.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“She is like a sister. I love her, but not in any romantic sense of the word.” He stopped, and Allyssa came alongside him. “Your mother burst into my life—a force to be reckoned with. She was feisty, strong, and loyal. She was also already in love with Darmik—the love between the two of them apparent. So, like I said, our relationship never went in that direction. Above all, though, Rema saved me.”
“How?” It bothered her that she’d never known about Nathenek since he was so important to her mother.
He readjusted the scarf covering his mouth and nose, his bright blue eyes flashing under his hood. “Rema trusted me when no one else did, she has never forced a decision on me, and she gave me a new life. For the first time ever, I had a purpose besides killing. I chose to serve your mother.”
It was hard to envision Rema using an assassin.
“Once your mother’s throne was secure, I met a woman and we married. Unfortunately, she died in childbirth. I was devastated to lose my wife and child in one day. That was about the same time your mother gave birth. When she decided to hide her son, she came to me and asked if I would do her the honor of raising him. Savenek has been a blessing.” His voice cracked with emotion, startling Allyssa. This man loved her brother. It never occurred to her that he missed Savenek. When her brother had been deemed necessary, he was taken from Nathenek and thrust into the royal court. Because they had to preserve the royal line at all cost.
“I’m sorry,” Allyssa said.
Nathenek resumed walking.
She hurried after him. “You knew this day would come, didn’t you?”
“Yes, although it didn’t stop me from hoping it wouldn’t. It’s better this way, though. He was starting to form an attachment.” He stopped at the top of the hill, observing the village below. “The stables where my horses are housed is right over there.” He pointed to the northern section of the village. This area was less sandy, though by no means green and vibrant. They followed the path down the hill, dry bushes and tumbleweeds surrounding them.
“What do you mean by forming an attachment?” Allyssa asked.
“Savenek met a woman.”
Her brother was in love? This certainly complicated matters. Did her parents know?
“Given his identity, I didn’t support the match. We had some nasty fights over it. He couldn’t understand why I refused to let him present himself for marriage. I couldn’t have kept him from marrying her much longer. The second I started
to consider the possibility of him living an ordinary life, Rema and Darmik showed up.”
The image of her brother standing on the balcony next to her mother was seared into her mind. She’d been so consumed with what her brother looked like, who he was as a person, that she hadn’t stopped to think about what her brother was going through. Being ripped from the only home and life he knew, thrust into court with parents he didn’t know, people he had no connection to, everything he knew and loved gone. Her chest tightened as she thought about it from his perspective. Would he hate Allyssa for doing this to him? Would he blame her? He probably didn’t even have a chance to tell the woman he loved goodbye.
When Allyssa was little, she mistakenly believed that things would get easier the older she got. How wrong she had been.
She said, “If I decide to return home—”
“You mean when.”
She almost rolled her eyes, but knew he’d yell at her, even though she was walking behind him. “If I return home,” she said again, “what happens to you?”
“Rema said we’d discuss it later.”
“What do you want to happen?” He could live at the castle and serve as an advisor to her father. That way, Nathenek would be closer to Savenek.
“I honestly don’t know. No one has asked what I want.”
A chill came over Allyssa. She knew exactly how that felt. “We are both tools to our kingdom. Now that we are not useful, we may be cast aside.”
***
Allyssa and Nathenek skirted around the outside of the village until they came to a field with horses roaming around. Allyssa waited at the fence, watching the beautiful animals while Nathenek went to the barn to speak with the caretaker. After a few minutes, Nathenek returned with two horses.
“You can ride this one,” he said, handing her the reins to the gray one with a white mark on its face. “That’s Savenek’s.” He mounted a brown mare.
Her brother’s horse. Another piece of him for her to know. “What’s its name?”
“Horse.”
She burst out laughing. “My brother named his horse Horse?”
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