Assassin's Crown (The Assassin and her Dragon Princes Book Book 3)

by Ivy Clyde

  “Something woke you too, Dari?” he asked, rubbing his eyes and looking at me.

  “Listen,” I whispered.

  Clang of metal hitting metal joined the shouts and screams. Heart thundering, I turned to face Cain. His eyes glowed in the dark.

  “Are they here for us?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “I don’t think so.” Climbing off the bed, he started gathering our clothes. Throwing my dress to me, he began putting on his trousers.

  We’d barely finished putting on our clothes when the door was thrown wide open. A large figure stood in the doorway, gasping and panting. It entered the room and shut the door tight.

  “Stay here.” It was Dalton’s tight voice.

  “What’s happening downstairs?” I asked.

  “It’s Finn,” said Dalton, shaking his head. “His family and the groom’s family members are being attacked and killed.”

  “What?”

  “Ssshh, wench!” he hissed. “The soldiers don’t know we’re up here. Your screeching will bring them up here. If you want to live, stay quiet!”

  “Why are the soldiers attacking him?” I whispered.

  “I told you about Finn having trouble with the nobility?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, things were bad already but his daughter refused to marry Lord Malnar’s second son and become his fourth concubine,” said Dalton, rubbing his head. He took several deep breaths before continuing. “She fell in love with a court scholar and married him. Malnar and Finn’s enmity goes long back. Over the years, he levied extra taxes on Finn’s inn. After his daughter rejected the proposal, the taxes were made so high, Finn decided to sell this place and live elsewhere. I suppose Malnar couldn’t be satisfied with that alone. He had to come and destroy his daughter’s wedding,” Dalton ended bitterly.

  The clash downstairs became louder than before. It was loud enough to attract the neighbors by now. However, I could only hear the screams of people. Something felt very wrong about it.

  “It won’t be long before they all die,” said Dalton, his voice wavering. He was sobbing openly now.

  “But why? Won’t the neighbors help?” I asked.

  “Are you thick in the head, wench?” he said, hitting me in the side of the head. Cain stepped forward at once but I held him back. “Who can dare to go against armed soldiers and Lord Malnar himself? They would all be dead.”

  I looked towards Cain. “We need to help them.”

  “Daria, not tonight.” His voice was thick with anxiety. “You can’t give yourself away.”

  “We can’t let them all die.”

  Cain grabbed my arm, whirling me around until I was pressed against his chest and looking into his face. “You are recovering right now. Other than the blade I gave you, you have no weapons. Stay back this time, Daria. Please…”

  It felt wrong but I knew what Cain was trying to do. He didn’t want the soldiers to know we were in the city and the news to spread to Ivan. We were in his domain now. Yet, the angst rising within me was impossible to ignore. Finn sheltered us for the night. He even invited us to attend his daughter’s wedding with open arms and fed us. A good man like that…he didn’t deserve such injustice.

  The cries of a woman cut through the sound of clashing swords, piercing the walls of the room. Dalton sobbed harder, sinking to the floor and cursing himself for being a coward. I could understand why he was hiding up here. He was a simple wine merchant, not a warrior who knew how to hold a sword. But I…Cain and I were different. We could fight.

  I strode towards the door. Cain grabbed my arm and yanked me back.

  “Don’t, Daria.”

  “I won’t sit back while those men rape her,” I said through gritted teeth. My voice was cold with determination. Throwing off his hand, I wrenched open the door. The first-floor landing was completely dark. It looked like Dalton had put out all the lanterns and candles before entering our room.

  I hurried down the stairs. Cain was right behind me. I knew he wouldn’t let me go alone. He probably wanted to help the people in distress but was forcing himself to stay back for my sake. I was able to breathe openly now that I was heading into the eye of the storm. There was no fear within me but an insane, hot rage flowing through my veins. First, the poor peasants who’d been denied of medicinal herbs and now, this innocent family was being slaughtered for no other reason than pettiness.

  My hands were balled into tight fists as I stepped out into the courtyard on the other side of the main hall. Corpses littered the ground. My gaze took in the bodies of the older women I’d seen earlier at the wedding. What kind of people would kill these soft-hearted women?

  I tore my gaze from the dead bodies to look ahead at the screaming woman. I hadn’t seen the bride’s face before. She was young and beautiful and still wore her bridal gown of red. Two men held her husband down on his knees before her. Finn lay on the ground nearby, writhing with pain.

  “Please don’t kill my husband,” the bride begged. “Please.” She was on her knees before an armored man. From the looks of the gold-carved breastplate, I knew it was the commander, Lord Malnar.

  At least, two dozen men surrounded the family and Malnar.

  “After the night is over, you’ll only be fit for a whorehouse,” said Malnar. “That is what you deserve for rejecting my son’s offer to marry into my family.”

  “No…please…”

  Malnar turned to glance at a man nearby and signaled him to move towards the groom. The soldier unsheathed his sword and slowly walked towards the struggling man in blue robes.

  “Don’t!” cried the young woman. “Please, don’t! Kill me instead!” Her screams pierced through the quiet night, shattering my heart. She was a stranger to me but her pain was mine now.

  “Don’t cry, beloved,” said the groom in a choking voice. “I will always be watching over you. I promise.” Tears ran down his handsome face as he kept his gaze focused on his bride. I’d seen the very same man beaming that evening as his bride walked towards him.

  “Stop!” I cried, my voice rising higher than the sobbing woman’s.

  They all glanced at me.

  “I thought you killed them all,” said Malnar, fixing his gaze on one of his men.

  “They must have hidden somewhere, My Lord.”

  Malnar sighed and gestured for the man to move forward. “Kill them.”

  Standing my ground, I focused my magic into the center of my palms. The soldier stomped towards me with his sword raised. I hated the expression on his face like we were just a pair of annoying insects who’d sat in his food and he couldn’t wait to squash us. Is that what it felt to be part of Malnar’s army?

  “Daria, draw your weapon,” hissed Cain from beside me.

  “There’s no need,” I whispered. “They are all men after all.”

  The soldier was a few feet away when his clothes suddenly caught on fire. Of course, it was my doing. His sword clattered to the floor as he screamed and beat at his body to douse the flames steadily spreading all over him.

  Leaving the soldier to shout for help, I walked forward, passing him by without glancing at him.

  “Who else wishes to meet the same fate?” I asked in a loud voice.

  Lord Malnar looked at me closely. His gaze swept me from head to foot before scoffing loudly. “I’ll believe you if you can do it again.” Malnar was in his late forties with a cruel bend to his mouth. The flames from the burning soldier reflected in his glassy, dark eyes as he sneered at me.

  “Shall I try it on you, My Lord?” I asked. “Or would you be kind enough to leave this place with your men without further bloodshed?”

  Malnar turned to face me directly. I could see the thoughts racing through his mind as he tried to determine whether I was truly a threat to him.

  “How dare a street rat like you think of looking me in the eye?” he shouted. “Kneel!”

  Both Cain and I stood our ground.

  “You dare?!” he unsheathed his
own sword. “I will kill you myself.” As soon as he stepped towards me, I lit his clothes on fire. Surprise flitted through his eyes as he saw the flames engulfing his entire body. His cry of shock and pain came a moment later.

  “Help me!” he cried, batting at his clothes and armor.

  His soldiers stared at each other nervously, not knowing what to do. A few came forward to throw him on the ground and stomp at his body to extinguish the flames, but it was no ordinary fire. It continued to burn the thrashing, screaming man on the ground.

  I walked past them to stand squarely before the other soldiers. Their nervous faces were illuminated by the flickering flames of the torches they held.

  “Let him go,” I said in a clear voice, glaring at the two men who held the groom by his arms.

  After a moment’s hesitation, they released him. The man hurried forward to embrace his bride. They both sobbed together, holding onto each other for strength.

  “Check your father,” I said.

  Slowly, still shaking, the bride crawled towards the man nearby. Placing her head on his chest, she waited. “He’s still breathing,” she announced in a wavering voice. “Father is alive.”

  Turning around, I looked at Cain. “Bring Dalton. He needs to leave with them.”

  With a nod, Cain hurried inside the inn.

  “Who are you?” asked one of the soldiers. They were no longer circling the family of the innkeeper and were lined up against the wall of the courtyard.

  “I am your savior and queen,” I said, looking at each of them. “Shouldn’t you be kneeling before me?”

  The soldiers glanced at each other. I knew they were fearful of me and that their kneeling meant nothing other than their hope for survival, but something deep within me commanded their absolute obedience. One by one, the soldiers dropped to their knees.

  “Thank you, My Queen,” said the soldiers. Smoke and the stench of burning flesh filled the night air as they chorused, “Thank you for sparing our lives.”

  Cain and Dalton came onto the scene.

  “Finn!” cried Dalton, rushing to the coughing man on the ground. His daughter rubbed his back but it was a relief to see him sit up.

  “We don’t have much time,” I said, looking towards them. “Get ready to leave. We will escort you out of the city gates.”

  “That’s impossible,” moaned Dalton. “We need a higher official’s seal to make the guards open the gates.”

  “That’s not a problem. Take what you need the most and prepare to leave.”

  Turning to look at Cain, I said, “Lock up the soldiers in the inn.”

  “My Queen!” chorused the soldiers in fearful tones.

  “I won’t kill you. Not tonight,” I said. “However, make sure you don’t step out of the inn until daybreak. If you do, you’ll meet the same fate as your commander.” Slowly, the soldiers rose to their feet, glancing at each other nervously. “I will keep my word if you follow my command,” I said in a cold tone. I watched the men pass by me. “Stop!” When they looked back fearfully, I said, “Two of you should leave your uniforms and armor here.”

  The men closest to me obeyed, stripping out of their armor and uniform. They were only in their long undershirts as they hurried to join their company.

  “What do you plan to do, wench?” asked Dalton, stepping close to me.

  “Cain and I will dress up in the armor and escort you and Finn’s family out of the city. Hide them in your cart among the wine casks and take them to safety. Do you understand?”

  “Child, who are you?” asked Finn, coming nearer to me. He was being supported by both his daughter and her husband.

  “You will know me soon enough,” I said. “In return for saving your lives, I want your complete silence on what happened tonight. Don’t speak of it until the right time.”

  “The right time?” asked Dalton. “When would that be?”

  “You’ll know when it comes. Until then, don’t speak of me to anyone.”

  “We won’t,” said the young woman. Her pretty face was covered in bruises and streaked with tears. “Thank you for saving my father and husband. I wish you’d appear sooner though…” A sob choked her as she looked around at the fallen bodies of her family and friends. She couldn’t speak for a moment. “You could have saved them too.”

  I glanced at Dalton who hung his head, not meeting my gaze anymore. “Forgive me,” I muttered.

  She nodded. Dalton moved forward to lead her away along with her crouching father and husband.

  Cain came back to the courtyard. “They are all inside,” he said. “What do you plan to do now?”

  “Let’s put on those clothes and armor,” I said, gesturing at the pile of uniforms and armor left by the soldiers. “And get Malnar’s seal. It should easily get us out of the city without any problems.”

  “We’re going back?”

  I nodded. “We have to get Dalton and Finn’s family out of here. Let’s meet up with Adal and wait for Norvin to get back. We’ll be back as soon as we’re ready to attack Tasher.”

  Cain moved to the burnt body of Lord Malnar. After a few seconds of searching, he pulled away the personal seal of the commander.

  “They’ll know it was you, Daria,” said Cain, looking at the charred remains of the commander’s corpse.

  “It doesn’t matter,” I told him. “They would have heightened the security in the city anyway.”

  “I suppose so.” He exhaled a long breath and suddenly moved towards me to pull me into a tight hug. “Thank you for not listening to me, Dari. It was the right thing to save the ones who sheltered us.”

  My shoulders relaxed as a smile hovered on my lips. “We’re the true rulers of the realm. We must exert our will more strongly from now on.”

  “Yes.”

  Movement in the corner of our vision alerted us. Stepping away from Cain, I looked at Finn and his daughter and son-in-law. They each carried a bundle in their arms.

  “You know what to do, Dalton,” I said. “Make sure to be discreet.”

  “Don’t worry about that. No one will dare peek outside their houses tonight.” He beckoned Finn’s family to follow him.

  Cain and I changed into the soldiers’ uniform and armor. We were both ready by the time Dalton signaled us. Leaving the courtyard behind, we crossed the main hall of the inn and stepped out into the street. As predicted, not a soul loitered there. Everything was quiet as Cain and I picked two horses among the ones stationed outside the inn.

  Mounting the horse, Cain signaled for Dalton to move. His horse-driven cart moved down the street with us following him. The wine casks were covered by a rug. Somewhere underneath, Finn and his family were hiding.

  Time seemed to speed up the closer we got to the city’s gates or perhaps, it was the absence of the crowd we saw earlier that morning. We passed the gold statue of Ivan’s dragon, ignoring its silent snarls.

  There were more soldiers this time of the night. They were alert and stared at us as we got closer to them. Blood thundered in my ears as one of the men came forward to talk to Cain.

  “We have the commander’s seal,” said Cain, handing him the seal we’d stolen. The soldier inspected it closely before giving it back. Turning around, he signaled for the gates to open. I heard Dalton’s faintly whispered curses as he made the horses trot forward.

  I exhaled a long breath as soon as we passed through the city’s gates, not realizing I’d stopped breathing for a moment back there. My heart slowed down as we moved further away from the city gates.

  13

  By next day, we were back in the camp for the sick.

  After following Dalton up to the outskirts of Okarijun, I got in touch with Tuto. My faithful familiar had kept a close watch on Adal. To my surprise, I found him back at the campsite, sleeping under the open sky with a small fire burning at his side. Bidding Dalton and Finn’s family a quick farewell, we headed to the woods which housed the sick.

  It was well before dawn when we reache
d the camp and sought him out. Adal’s astonishment at seeing us was clearly written on his face. After a moment’s hesitation, he brightened up.

  “You’re both all right,” he said, his blue eyes sweeping all over us.

  “We’re fine,” said Cain. “But what are you doing back here? Couldn’t you find an inn in town?”

  Adal shook his head. “It didn’t feel right to sit in an inn while everyone was away doing something useful. So, I came back here to help the two healers I met the other day.” A smile rose up on his face as he said, “Davin gave me a map of the city marked with Tasher’s warehouses. And we know the one that’s storing all the herbs.”

  “That’s amazing!” I whispered excitedly. “It makes our task so much easier.”

  “Are you sure it’s not a trap?” asked Cain. “How would a healer know what and where a noble is storing?”

  “Davin used to be a court healer,” said Adal. “He knows the nobles in the Drakhaven court quite well. He was also the one who spied on the carts of spices and herbs that were entering Tasher’s storehouses. That’s how he knew about the whole plot Tasher planned out.”

  Cain nodded. “That’s reasonable. And I suppose it makes no sense for a spy to be treating sick people at the risk of getting ill himself.”

  “No,” said Adal. “So, tell me. Why are you back here? And what’s with the soldier costumes?”

  I sighed, settling down beside Adal and leaning against him. “Cain will tell you all about it.”

  Cain chuckled. “Me? I followed in your wake most of the time, wondering when I might have to shift to save you from the men gathered in the courtyard. You should be the one to tell the tale so I can understand what was running through your head.”

  Adal glanced down at me. “You got into trouble there?”

  I shrugged, sitting up straighter. “Trouble followed us there.” Stifling a yawn, I narrated the incidents that happened at the inn that night. Even though I was tired, it was good to be in my mates’ company, feeling safe and warm after the heart-pounding escape from the city with Dalton and Finn’s family. For the rest of the dawn, we talked and planned the raid on Lord Tasher’s warehouse.