“No!” Marina gasped. Her hands wrapped around Narra’s and squeezed. “You can’t. If they find out you did it they’ll go to the ends of the world to find you.”
“I have no other choice.”
Narra stepped away. Marina’s gaze darted around the throne room, searching for something. While the princess thought, Narra released her fingers and walked to the entrance. She closed the thick doors and returned to Marina’s side.
“You don’t have to go,” Marina said, slightly breathless. “I have a plan.”
Narra raised an eyebrow, her pounding heart slowing now that she was free of Marina’s touch.
“We’ll pin it on them .” She spit out the word as if it were a curse. When Narra’s forehead wrinkled with confusion, Marina continued. “We’ll pin it on my sisters.”
“ Y our sisters?” Narra questioned.
“Yes.” Marina took her hands. “They’re both warmongers like my father. If they were to take charge of the empire we might have another Century of Blood on our hands.”
Narra’s eyes widened. She’d thought as much, but Marina’s confirmation was startling. If either Elena or Raeleen took charge of Rova upon the emperor’s death, then the same reign of tyranny would continue. Maybe it was time for someone else to take charge, a revolutionary like Marina. If she could better the empire, it’d be worth pinning everything on her sisters.
“Okay.” Narra squeezed Marina’s hands. “We have to make it look good. Calculated. There can’t be any room left for doubt.”
Marina nodded. “What should we do?”
Narra stepped away from the princess. She needed room to think. Staring at the blood pooling across the floor, a spark flashed through her mind. “The one stab wound is too precise. If your sisters were to kill Malek, it would be a crime of passion.” She stepped closer to the emperor, but not close enough for her boots to touch the growing pool of red. She crouched beside the emperor and plucked the dagger from his chest .
Marina gasped. “Narra, what are you doing?”
She glanced over her shoulder at the wide-eyed princess. “To make it a crime of passion, it needs to look like one.” Her fingers tightened around the hilt of the blade. She sunk it into his chest a second time.
“Oh.” Marina hovered by her shoulders.
“You shouldn’t watch, Princess.” Narra paused, waiting for Marina to look away.
After a few moments, she turned to the pillars lining the throne room.
Narra pulled the dagger free. It slid out, blood gushing from the newly inflicted wound. The body was still fresh, but soon the flow would stop. She had to be quick. Wielding the dagger, Narra stabbed the emperor’s body a dozen times, from his chest to his abdomen and bulging gut. Red lines scored his white shirt, and his sightless eyes stared at her accusingly.
She took a deep breath and stood. “It’s done.”
Marina nodded, but didn’t turn.
“We need to leave this dagger for the guards to find, somewhere associated with your sisters,” Narra continued.
“Their chambers,” Marina said. “They share several attached rooms.”
Narra’s brows rose. “That’ll do.”
“What about…” Marina’s voice trailed off and her eyes landed on her father’s still form. “The body?”
Narra stepped into her line of sight, blocking the way to the emperor. “We’ll have to remove it, make it look like your sisters tried to dispose of it.” She paused. “Do they have a carriage? A steamwagon? Something only they would use?”
Marina stared at the two-story windows for a long moment. Warm light from the sconces of the walls bathed her bronze cheeks, still purple with bruises. Narra’s heart clenched. She’d done the right thing in killing the emperor. He deserved to die for hurting his own daughter .
“Yes, they have a carriage stationed close to the gardens,” she said. “We can use the servant’s staircase to get the body out.”
Narra nodded.
“We should move the body first in case the guards stumble upon it.”
Marina agreed.
“I’ll need your help.” Narra’s lips pressed into a thin line. She hated to ask this of the princess, but she wouldn’t be able to carry the body alone.
The princess met her gaze with wide eyes. Her jaw hardened and she nodded brusquely. “Okay.”
Narra went to the shoulders of the emperor, avoiding the pool of blood. “I’ll take his shoulders. Can you lift his feet?”
“Yes.”
Marina marched to the boots of her father. The pool of blood didn’t quite reach there. She wrapped her thin fingers around his ankles before sliding them up to his knees. Smart girl. She’d be able to get a much better grip once his knees were wrapped in her arms.
Narra braced her legs and slipped her forearms beneath the emperor’s armpits. She lifted with her legs, her thighs burning as she pulled him from the ground. Marina lifted as well, her breath escaping her lungs as she pulled his knees beneath her arms, locking her elbows to keep him aloft.
Together they carried the large man out of the main throne room, pausing only to close the thick wood doors. Narra listened for the echo of boots and the rattle of armor. She heard none.
Luck had to be on her side once again.
Marina led the way to the staircase Narra had first entered. She paused only to step into the stairwell first. She wouldn’t have the princess falling down after all of this.
“Be careful,” she whispered.
Marina met her eyes in the dim light. She nodded.
Narra’s legs and back grew hot and tingled with pain as they carried the emperor downward. She gritted her teeth and took even breaths. Long minutes passed as she moved from stair to stair. She had to move slowly or she’d be certain to fall.
The warm light of the servant’s floor pulled a sigh of relief from her lungs. They paused at the mouth of the hallway. No voices, no footsteps.
The palace was quiet even for this time of night.
“Which way?” Narra whispered.
“Left,” Marina said. Her breaths came in quick gasps. “Follow the main corridor until you reach a four way intersection.” She paused. “Then proceed right, and then left again. Then we should be at the exit to the gardens.”
Narra nodded and led the way.
Marina’s heels clicked against the worn wood, the sound loud in the silence. They were nearly there. Stealth would get them far.
They reached the exit to the gardens in one piece. Sweat dripped down Narra’s temples and her back, leaving a trail of cold from the damp air. She shivered and adjusted her grip.
“I need a break, Narra,” Marina said. She set her father’s boots down with a heavy sigh and leaned against the wall. Her eyelids fluttered. She wasn’t used to the amount of strength needed to carry a body this large.
“All right.” Narra crouched and set the emperor on the floor. She needed a moment to check what lay beyond the door.
With Emperor Malek laid flat on the cobblestone, Narra pressed her ear to the thick wooden door. Wind whisked against its surface, a small draft brushing the hair from her face through the crack. She wiped the blood from her hands on a rag in her back pocket. Red stained her fingers, even with the wet wiped off. She frowned and stuck it back in her pocket.
“I’ll be right back,” she said.
“What?” Marina gasped.
“I’m just going to check for guards.”
Narra met Marina’s gaze. The princess nodded.
“What does your sisters’ carriage look like?”
“Dark wood with flowers carved into the sides.” She paused. “ Violet curtains in the windows and bronze metal plating on the driver’s seat.”
Narra nodded. It shouldn’t be hard to find.
Slipping into the cold night air, Narra shut the door behind her softly. The palace’s outer walls rose to block out the lights of the city. Guards patrolled the perimeter. She waited in the shadows, timing their movements.
They had two minutes between rotations in which no guard would see them leaving. She sighed. Thank Srah.
Stepping from the darkness, Narra padded around the perimeter of the dark smooth stone wall until she reached a cart-port, a fabric overhang hung between two stone columns. Three beautifully carved carriages and two expensive gold-plated steamwagons waited beneath. The furthest to the left was the carriage Marina had described. Perfect. It should take them the full two minutes to carry the body. They’d have to hide in the shadows until they could slip back inside.
Returning to the servant’s door, Narra stepped inside.
“Will this work?” Marina asked. Her face was clouded with worry.
“Yes.” Narra wrapped her arms around the emperor’s shoulders again. Wet blood clung to her fingers. “We only have two minutes to get the body into the carriage.”
“Will we make it?”
“I believe so. We may have to hide until we can return.”
Marina nodded.
Narra peeked from the crack in the door, watching the guards pace the wall. When the tall dark figure disappeared around the edge of the palace, Narra threw the door wide. “Let’s go.” She led the way down the short flight of steps and around the gardens.
She glanced from their gravel path to the outer walls again and again. Each time they remained clear.
Her shoulders and back ached under the weight of the emperor. Sweat slipped down her spine, and her breaths grew ragged. They only had a few seconds left.
The shadows of the cart-port weren’t quite as dense as she thought. They had to hurry. Bracing the emperor’s back on her thigh, she released one arm and slapped open the carriage door. The wood creaked and she winced.
She glanced at the outer wall. Nothing.
Slipping inside the velvet-upholstered carriage, Narra heaved the emperor’s upper body inside. Marina stuffed his legs in at the same time that Narra pulled Malek into a sitting position against the opposite wall.
“He’s in,” she said.
Marina sighed with relief.
“Get in,” Narra said. They were long passed their two minutes. They had to hide until the next guard disappeared around the bend.
Marina froze. “What?”
“The guard will be within sight any moment. We need to hide.”
Still, Marina hesitated, her gaze locked on her deceased father’s graying face. Narra’s heart beat loudly in her ears. They’d already come so far; she couldn’t have the princess caught after all this. Narra reached from the carriage and snatched the princess’s arm. She pulled her inside, grabbing her waist as she fell forward.
Marina yelped, but let herself be pulled inside. Narra closed the small wooden door behind them and waited.
At this distance she wouldn’t be able to hear the steps of the guards. She peeked from between the thick curtains. A shadow moved slowly along the outer wall, twirling his short sword in one hand. She sighed. They’d just made it.
Copper filled the air the longer they remained inside the confined space. Marina sat at the back of the carriage, her eyes wide, staring at her father. Narra glanced between the outer wall and the princess. She shouldn’t have asked for Marina’s help. She should have figured out a way to carry the body out on her own. How could she ask her to sit in the same space as her father? Even if he was an abuser, he was still her kin—just like Narra’s father had been. Her heart ached.
She shook her head. Narra would have plenty of time to dwell on this later.
The figure on the wall disappeared.
“Now.” Narra slipped from the carriage .
Marina followed, standing at the mouth. Narra helped her down, taking her hand as she descended the two steps to the cobblestone. Her heels clicked ever so slightly.
Following the path through the garden to the back door, Narra led the way inside, and shut the door behind them. The cold breeze disappeared. She pulled out her rag to wipe blood from her hands yet again, but paused. She could use this blood to further criminalize Marina’s sisters.
“Take me to your sisters,” she said.
Marina simply nodded and led the way back up the servant’s stairs. They reached the hall on the main floor. The palace was as silent as the grave.
Where were the guards? Surely they hadn’t all abandoned their posts.
From the main floor, Marina led her to another narrow staircase. The tight walls spun up until they reached the second floor, as equally lavish as the first. Again, no sounds emanated from within. Only the quiet clack of Marina’s heels and her own breaths broke the quiet.
She shook her head. Could this still be luck?
Marina led them down a short hall until she came to a stop outside large double oak doors with iron handles. No guards were posted outside.
“This is it.” Marina motioned at the doors.
Narra nodded. “You should wait outside in case they awaken.”
Marina’s brows drew together. “But, you’ll be caught if they do.”
“I know.”
“Be careful.”
“I will.” Narra slipped inside.
A dark sitting room with a single lantern lit the red velvet sofas and dark stone walls. Curtains in varying shades of red and violet decorated the windows, walls, and were draped around large mirrors. A dark wood coffee table sat at the center of the room, and a large armoire made out of the same material stood against the opposing wall. Two sets of doors led from the space .
Which one held the sisters?
Stepping over the thick burgundy rug, Narra placed her ear against the left set of doors. Nothing. She went to the right set.
Soft breathing.
Her heart raced as she drew the bloody dagger from her belt. Her fingers lay against the cold metal of the door handle. She pressed against it gently until it clicked.
She paused. The steady breathing continued.
Narra gently pushed the door open and dim light passed her shoulders to light a large room with marble floors, plush carpet, and two queen sized beds. Flowers were carved in each headboard. Matching duvets of fleur-de-lis—one in violet, and one in red—covered the sisters’ sleeping forms. Their chests rose and fell, dark hair amassed in halos around their heads.
Narra slipped deeper inside, thankful she had carpet to muffle her footsteps. She needed to hide the dagger, somewhere obvious where it’d be found. Two matching armoires graced each side of the room, two dressers, two long mirrors, and two identical tall windows.
She crouched between the beds. A small space beneath each of their beds would be a simple hiding place. She slid the dagger between the carpet and the dark wood of one of the beds, letting it peek from beneath the thick wooden feet.
She stood and surveyed the space once again. Dresses lay on a sofa beneath one of the windows, and others were stuffed carelessly into the armoires.
Narra raised an eyebrow. This was too easy. Using the blood on her hands, Narra swiped red across the dresses at the windowsill, covering the jeweled bodices in crimson. With the remaining blood on her fingers, she wiped them clean on a bit of nightgown sticking out from beneath the sisters’ duvets, next to where their feet stuck out.
She stepped back. A job well done.
Returning to the corridor where Marina waited, she closed each door softly behind her.
Marina met her gaze with wide, expectant eyes .
“It’s done,” Narra said.
A heavy breath fled Marina’s lungs. She nodded.
“What now?”
Narra glanced down each side of the long corridor. “Someone needs to find the blood in the throne room.”
Marina nodded. “We should return.”
Narra agreed.
Metal armor rattled down the hall. Narra glanced up with wide eyes.
“We must go,” she whispered, taking Marina’s wrist and fleeing the way they’d come. Footsteps grew closer. Damn. They’d never make it.
Narra flew for the darkness of the stairwell and leapt in
side, Marina at her heels. Instead of fleeing for the main floor, she plastered herself to the shadowed wall and held a finger to her lips. Marina’s teeth clacked together. She understood.
The rattling drew closer.
“The Winter Solstice is already upon us,” one of the guard’s said, his voice deep and raspy.
“Early this year,” another agreed, his voice higher, possibly younger. “But the festivities will be grand.”
“Aye.”
“Aren’t you excited for the ball?”
He scoffed. “We’ll be working.”
“So?” Their footsteps paused mere feet from the stairwell. “Don’t you enjoy watching the highborns dress in tight corsets with their bosoms for all to see?”
Narra rolled her eyes, though her heart pounded loudly in her ears. Why now, did the guards decide to stop outside their hiding place? They needed to return to the throne room before someone else found the blood staining the floor.
The older man cleared his throat. “I’m not a lecher like you, boy.”
The other laughed. “You’re no fun, old man.”
“Old man!”
The rattling of their armor retreated with their voices .
Narra sighed with relief. “Let’s go.”
Marina’s heels clacked all the way to the main floor, which remained as silent as it had before. She led the way back to the throne room, which remained untouched. Narra closed the doors behind them and joined Marina by the bloody stain.
“I can scream and call for help,” Marina said. “That will draw the guards, awaken the palace, including my sisters, and hopefully seal the deal.”
“They won’t be able to hide the blood on their hands,” Narra agreed.
“You should go.”
Narra started, her eyebrows pulling together. What ?
“We’ve already framed your sisters,” Narra said. “I won’t leave you alone again.”
Marina sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. “I knew this was too good to be true.”
“What are you talking about?” Cold seeped into Narra’s gut and clawed up her throat. Marina’s delicate jaw and innocent eyes hardened.
“For a thief, you aren’t nearly as smart as I thought you’d be.”
Clockwork Thief Box Set Page 28