“It’s not your fault.” She tilted her face to his neck, feeling the warmth of his skin.
His hand stroked her hair. “When the prince came for me, I had no idea he was bringing me to see you.”
“I asked him to.” And he’d listened. He brought Odar here for her.
“The thought of him touching you makes me sick.” There was a sharp edge to his voice.
She pulled away to see his face. “Prince Kerdan has fed and clothed me. That is all.” He needed to believe the truth of her words.
“He hasn’t…forced you to do anything against your will?”
“No.” Although Kerdan allowed everyone to believe that was the case.
“Why are you in his bedchamber if not to…service his desires?”
Allyssa’s face turned red. At first, she too had mistakenly assumed that was why he’d brought her here. “I’m here so he can ensure my safety.”
Odar’s eyes narrowed. “Explain.”
“The prince wants to get rid of Jana and her children. He’s hinted at forming an alliance.”
“Between Russek and Emperion?”
“No. Between him and me.”
He ran his hands through his hair. “When Prince Kerdan took you to his room, I felt utterly helpless.” He gazed into her eyes. “All my planning and training, and I couldn’t even protect you. If anything happened to you, I’d never forgive myself. I promise to get you out of here. You don’t need to form an alliance with your enemy.”
“Don’t you see—escaping Russek isn’t enough. If there’s a way to stop the war, I have to take it.”
“Your parents will find a way to stop the war. I will find a way to sneak you out of this castle and to safety.”
Why didn’t he understand the unique position she was in? “If I can do something to help my people, I’m going to do it.”
“You can’t help your people if you’re dead,” he snapped. “And what if Kerdan is just using you? I can’t risk you being hurt or killed.” He put his hands on her shoulders, as if he could shake some sense into her.
But this wasn’t about what Odar wanted; this was about doing what was best for her kingdom. Emperion—her people—would always come first.
“I love your loyalty and devotion,” he said. “I even understand it. But you must ensure your survival.” He dropped his hands from her shoulders.
She lowered her voice. “While I don’t trust Kerdan, we have a common goal—to dethrone Jana. I believe we can work together to accomplish that.” Although she had no idea how they would get rid of her unless they killed her. Which would probably result in Allyssa’s own death. But if it meant saving her people, it was a small price to pay. “What do you know of him?”
“Not much.” Odar paced back and forth before the hearth. “Has he truly not laid a hand on you?”
She wanted to question him about the rumors she’d heard about him kissing Shelene, but she didn’t feel like discussing that right now, so she said, “No, he hasn’t.”
He stopped pacing and faced her. “I thought if I dangled my arm in front of Shelene and Jana, the focus would be on Fren and not on you. I thought I could bargain for your freedom.”
Instead, Kerdan had beaten him to it. “It wouldn’t have made a difference.” This wasn’t about Fren, its army, or amassing power. It was about destroying Emperion. It was about revenge.
“Fine. I’ll continue to pretend I’m going to marry Shelene. You find out if Kerdan will formally align with us.” He emphasized the word us. “However, if you have an opportunity to escape, I want you to take it. Get on a horse and go east, straight to Fren. I will deal with the ramifications here. You just get yourself to safety. This family is crazy, and I can’t think straight when you’re in danger.”
She went over to him, taking his hands in hers and squeezing them tightly. Being in his presence grounded her.
“There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to see you safe,” he said. He leaned down to kiss her when the door opened, and Kerdan came in.
“Time’s up,” he said. “I need to take Prince Odar back to the royal wing before someone realizes he’s missing.” His eyes zeroed in on their clasped hands.
Allyssa let go of Odar, taking a step away from him. “You’re staying in the royal wing?” she asked. Why wasn’t he in the guest wing?
“He’s staying in a private bedchamber next to Shelene’s rooms,” Kerdan clarified. “I assume Jana wants to keep an eye on him.”
She nodded. That made sense. Although, it also made her want to claw Shelene’s eyes out. How far would Odar go to maintain the ruse?
“Stay safe,” Odar whispered as he leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Don’t forget what I told you—if you have the chance, take it.”
She watched him head toward the door. Kerdan withdrew the sack and put it over Odar’s head, once again concealing his identity.
***
Kerdan entered the bedchamber, carrying a tray piled high with food. He set it down on the low table and reached under the back of his tunic, pulling out a book and tossing it to Allyssa. She caught it and read the cover: A Secret Affair. She glanced up at him, raising her eyebrows. A romance book?
“I know what you’re thinking,” he mumbled, plopping on the chair across from her. “But it was all I could find that would be acceptable for you to read without raising suspicion.” Remaining in Kerdan’s room was rather boring, so she tucked the book on her lap, happy to have some form of entertainment for tomorrow.
He leaned forward and started slurping the soup. “Have what you want,” he said between bites, motioning to the tray.
“I take it you spend the vast majority of your time with your army and not at court?”
He nodded. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason.”
He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, his cheeks turning pink.
She grabbed a slice of bread and glanced out the dark window. Not a single star was visible. “Thank you for allowing me to see Prince Odar earlier today,” she said, peering at the tray. She wished Kerdan would bring hot tea; she was thoroughly sick of plain water.
“I hadn’t factored him into my plans,” he said around a mouthful of food. “However, if you want to include him, we can. He’s a good fighter and seems to be fairly intelligent.” He glanced up at her with a look she couldn’t quite discern.
He used the word we. Interesting word choice. Taking another bite of bread, trying to act as casual as possible, Allyssa said, “And what exactly is your plan?”
Kerdan leaned back in the chair, studying her. “What I say does not leave this room. Agreed?” She nodded. “If you so much as breathe a word of this to anyone, I will slit your throat.”
“Charming.”
“I don’t put on airs around you. There’s no need.”
“Airs? You just threatened to kill me!”
“Did I make my point?” he asked. She rolled her eyes and motioned for him to continue. “My father is besotted with Queen Jana. I’ve tried discussing my concerns with him—that she is here for Emperion and nothing more. My father, however, mistakenly believes she loves him. I told him that Soma attempted to kill me, but since I have no proof, he refuses to believe his stepchild would do something so reckless.” He smiled ruefully, and the irony wasn’t lost on her. “Despite my father’s actions, he loves me and wants me on the throne one day—not Jana’s offspring. That night I brought you before him was the first time I’ve seen him question Jana. It gives me hope that he’ll come to his senses. However, there is a war on the horizon, and I fear there will be another assassination attempt on my life…and on my father’s life, as well.”
She shivered, unable to imagine what would happen if Jana controlled the Russek Army. There would be no stopping her.
“As heir to the throne, there is little I can do without inciting a civil war,” he continued, tiptoeing around the line of treason. Even though he hated Jana, and for good reason, there was nothing he could do as the p
rince. Only the king had the power to dethrone her.
“Why seek my help?” Allyssa carefully asked, curling her legs up under her on the chair. The room suddenly seemed too quiet. Too intimate. Too warm.
He rubbed his tired face. “I’ve been searching for the right…opportunity. When I learned you underwent multiple interrogations without revealing the information Jana sought, a plan began to form. It wasn’t until I saw you fight my men that I knew you would be perfect for what I have in mind.”
When Kerdan didn’t extrapolate, she said, “What is it you think I can help you with?”
The lines in his face sharpened as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “I want you to kill the queen, her mother, and her children. In return, I will get you out of Russek.”
His words rang in her ears. A pure and simple negotiation. Luckily, her parents were master negotiators, and she’d learned a thing or two through the years. She couldn’t appear too eager, and she had to hold her ground. Folding her hands on her lap, she tilted her head to the side and replied, “How can I trust you? What if I kill them and you turn around and murder me in return to place the blame on me so you can keep your hands clean of treason?”
He smiled and leaned back, crossing his legs. His fingers drummed lightly on the arm of the chair. “Their deaths need to appear to be an accident. No one can ever know—or suspect—otherwise.”
While she liked his offer, it wasn’t enough. “I want to stop the war.”
“Once the queen is dead, my father will be stricken with grief. There is a high likelihood I can convince him to give up his quest to conquer Emperion.”
“That’s not good enough.”
He frowned. “What about on your end?”
“What do you mean?”
“You must promise me that you will stop the war on your end as well. I won’t have your father storming into my kingdom and killing everyone as retribution for your kidnapping.”
“And if I guarantee to stop the war on my end?”
“Then I will do the same. No matter the cost.”
She wanted to scream with joy. He was offering a way out of Russek and to stop the bloody war. There was only one item to clarify. “And Odar?”
Kerdan sat there for a moment before saying, “I thought he lied to you? Said he was Jarvik when he was really Prince Odar?”
Her face warmed, and she fidgeted with her hands. “He did.”
“I’m sorry,” Kerdan said. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
Allyssa removed her hair ribbon and unbraided her hair, allowing it to cascade down around her shoulders. “Your point?”
He blinked two times before replying, “Even though he lied to you, you trust him?”
“Implicitly.”
“Fine,” he whispered. “He can help. In exchange, I’ll see you both safely out of Russek and ensure we don’t attack Emperion or Fren. I give you my word.”
“And I will kill the queen and her wretched family.” She would gladly finish what her mother should have done twenty years ago. And she would revel in their deaths. “I also give you my word.”
Chapter Seventeen
Allyssa lay on the couch covered in a plethora of fur blankets trying, and failing, to fall asleep. Thoughts of killing Jana, Eliza, Shelene, and Soma consumed her. Kerdan had said they would make it appear to be an accident. While she wouldn’t be murdering them in cold blood, she would still be responsible for their deaths. One of her first conversations with the assassin came back to her. He said she was like him—a killer. That even if she didn’t actually do the physical killing, giving the order was the same thing. And he’d told her that one day, when she contemplated killing, she would remember that conversation. She truly hated Soma.
She rolled over, fluffing the pillow below her head. It was well past midnight, and Kerdan hadn’t returned yet. Could he be working at this late hour? Perhaps he was out with his friends. Although, she didn’t envision him as the sort of man who had a lot of friends. Maybe he was with a woman. That thought didn’t bode well with her. Regardless of where he was and what he was doing, not knowing made her realize how little she knew about the prince.
The wind howled outside. She had forgotten to close the curtains. Thick clouds dotted the sky; a yellow moon semi-visible cast odd, elongated shadows in the room. Burrowing under the blankets, she wished Kerdan would return soon and get a fire going in the hearth. If it wasn’t so bloody cold, she would do it herself. If she knew how to start one.
The light from the moon shifted, and something to her left moved. She remained perfectly still, eyes wide. Watching. Waiting. Keeping her breathing slow, she pretended to be asleep. And then she saw a ripple in the shadows of the room. Soma slunk along the wall, moving closer and closer to her. Panic flooded her. When Kerdan had left, he’d locked the doors and told her not to let anyone in. How had the assassin managed to gain entrance?
Her heart beat wildly. If only she had a weapon of some sort. To survive this attack, she needed the element of surprise on her side. She kept still, wanting the assassin to believe she was asleep and vulnerable.
Soma crouched next to her, a slow smile of triumph spreading across his face. She freed her left arm, reached out, and latched onto his wrist, squeezing in just the right place. He dropped his dagger, cursing. Allyssa tried to sit up, but he jumped on top of her, smothering her with the weight of his body.
“One of the things I admire about you,” he said, “is your desire to fight.” He dug his knee into her chest and pulled her arms above her head with his left hand. “I’m sorry to see you go.” His free hand snaked around her neck. “We could have had such fun together.” He squeezed.
She gasped for air, her eyes bulging. This could not be happening. After all she had endured, she would not die like this. If she could free a leg, she could kick him off her. However, between Soma’s body weight, the heavy blankets, and the lack of air, she could do no such thing. He squeezed harder, and her vision clouded. He readjusted his grip on her neck, his arm closer to her mouth now. Twisting her head, she bit him. His fingers loosened, and she sucked in some much-needed air.
“I’m glad you’re resisting and biting me to get free. It lets me know how badly you want to live.” He squeezed her neck again and leaned down close to her ear, his hot breath washing over her face. “I see the disgust in your eyes. And that overwhelming hatred is beautiful.”
She managed to pull one of her hands free and reached up, grabbing Soma’s hair and yanking a chunk of it out. He screamed, loosening his hold. She slammed her head against his. He released her, and she shoved his body. He hit the low table, tumbling to the ground. Gasping for breath, Allyssa climbed out from under the blankets and faced her attacker.
He grabbed her ankle and tugged. She fell next to him, landing on her backside. “You want to do this the rough way?” he sneered. “I tried to kill you quickly out of respect.” He nimbly sprang to his feet.
She twisted and kicked his leg. He lunged for her, and she rolled out of the way, a flash of pain ripping across her stomach. Soma stood hovering above her, chuckling, a dagger dripping with blood in his hand.
“You cut me,” she said, anger boiling inside of her. She could not lose this fight—not with so much at stake. Her people’s fate depended on her surviving this.
“It’s the first of many.” He darted forward, cutting her arm.
Bloody hell. She had never encountered an opponent who could move so fast. Scrambling to her knees, trying to put space between them, she looked for something to use as a weapon.
Soma took a slow, menacing step toward her. “Now don’t be shy.”
Suddenly, he flew across the room, his body hitting the wall and crashing to the ground.
“Are you okay?” Kerdan asked, his shoulders heaving up and down.
She blinked, surprised by the turn of events. He’d just thrown Soma. “I think so,” she croaked out, her voice hoarse, and her throat on fire. Climbing onto the couch,
she tried breathing normally. Her head felt like it was spinning.
Kerdan unsheathed his sword, pointing the tip at his stepbrother. “Get up, you filthy piece of slime.”
The assassin wiped the blood from his split lip as he stood. “I was just trying to have a little fun with her.” The dagger in his hand disappeared up his sleeve. “You seem to be overly concerned with her well-being. You know she is Russek’s enemy, don’t you?”
“I told you not to touch her,” Kerdan said, the tip of his sword still pointed at Soma. “I am the crown prince, and you will obey me.”
“I think Father will be very interested in hearing how you’re becoming soft over a girl. Perhaps he’ll give her to me instead.”
Allyssa’s vision blurred, her arm and stomach going numb. Something was wrong. “Kerdan.”
“Get out of my bedchamber.”
Soma spit a mouthful of blood on the floor and then waltzed out of the room.
Kerdan slammed the door closed and locked it. “There’s blood covering the front of your shirt.” He hurried around the room, lighting several candles. “Let me see.” He sat next to her on the couch.
With shaking hands, she pulled up the fabric of her tunic to examine the wound. “It’s not deep,” she assured him. “But it hurts far worse than it should.”
He sucked in a sharp breath and jumped off the couch, heading to the bathing room. He returned a moment later carrying a small tin.
“What’s that?” It reminded her of Soma’s poisons.
“Exactly what you think it is.” Sitting next to her on the couch, he examined the cut across her stomach. Under normal circumstances, she would never allow a man to see her exposed flesh—especially in such an intimate environment. However, if the dagger had been laced with poison, time was of the essence.
His fingers hovered over the wound. “Definitely poison.” Her skin started burning, and tears filled her eyes. “This is going to hurt,” he said. When he opened the tin, an odd smell filled the room. “If I don’t counteract the poison, you’ll be dead in less than ten minutes.”
Cage of Darkness (Reign of Secrets, Book 2) Page 14