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.”
Allyssa nodded and clutched onto the couch, holding it as tightly as possible.
“I’ll treat your arm first.” Kerdan shook the tin, pouring the fine powder onto her cut. Without hesitating, he quickly moved to the larger one on her stomach, completely covering it with the powder. It soothed her skin, taking away the sensation of being on fire.
“Thank you.” She sighed.
“Don’t thank me yet.”
She was about to ask him what he meant when the powder coating her wounds started to bubble as it interacted with the poison and her blood. It felt like an animal’s claws were shredding her skin to pieces. The bubbles grew to the size of grapes, breaking and reforming over and over. Bloody hell. Her skin turned bright red as black spots filled her vision. Kerdan took the tin, sprinkling the powder over her cuts once again. She thrashed, trying to escape the horrific pain.
“I’m here. You can do this. Don’t give up. It’ll be over soon.”
She clutched onto Kerdan’s hand, squeezing. It felt as if her skin was being peeled off her bones. She screamed, and everything went black.
***
Allyssa woke up in bed, a fire roaring in the hearth. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had the luxury of sleeping in a bed, even if the sheets were a little rough. The memory of last night and the poisoned dagger came flooding back to her. Her stomach felt as if it had been kicked by a horse. Her arm ached like it was broken. She groaned, turning her head to the side. Kerdan was sitting on the edge of the bed, a couple of feet away from her.
“You’re awake,” he murmured. His hair stuck out in several directions, and his eyes had dark circles under them.
“I feel like death.” Her voice came out hoarse. It hurt just to swallow. She couldn’t believe Soma had tried to kill her last night.
“Your body has been fighting off the poison.” He rubbed his exhausted face. “I wasn’t sure you would make it. You’ve been unconscious for almost ten hours.”
She was about to respond when a knock resounded through the room. His eyes widened with surprise. “No one ever comes to visit me.”
“Kerdan, darling,” the queen crooned from the other side of the door. “Are you in there?”
His entire body went rigid.
“Kerdan?”
“Hang on,” he called out. Leaning close to Allyssa, he whispered, “Stay in bed.” He straightened and removed his shirt, revealing his bare, muscular torso.
Her face flushed. “What are you doing?”
“Shh.” He loosened the string of his pants and glanced about the room. Rushing over to the couch, he grabbed the blankets, tossing them into the bathing room. He took a deep breath and pulled open the door, leaning lazily against the frame, looking like he’d just rolled out of bed. “Stepmother,” he said in a groggy voice. “To what do I owe this honor?”
“Is that…girl here?” Jana asked with a haughty voice, peering around the side of him and into the room. He moved his body to block the queen’s view of the bedchamber.
Allyssa pulled the blankets up around her neck, wishing she wasn’t so vulnerable with the evil woman close by. It dawned on her that Jana had probably ordered Soma to kill her last night. Jana was here to see if the job was done.
“By that girl, do you mean Princess Allyssa?” Kerdan asked.
“Yes, is she…here?”
“If by here, you mean alive, then yes, she is alive and well. I’m sorry to tell you your son failed. Again. He’s not much of an assassin, is he?” The pleasure in Kerdan’s voice was palpable.
The queen shoved him aside and swept into the room. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of Allyssa in Kerdan’s bed, her upper lip curling in disgust. Knowing she couldn’t appear weak, Allyssa summoned every ounce of energy she had and threw the blankets off her body. She slid out of the bed, trying not to wince at the pain in her abdomen as she did so. Her feet hit the floor, and she glanced down at her bare legs, realizing she wore one of Kerdan’s large shirts and nothing else. Her face flushed.
“This is what you’ve been doing?” Jana said to him. “You’ve turned her into your own personal harlot?”
Allyssa came and stood awkwardly next to him. She couldn’t hide under the sheets now.
“I’m sure Rema will be pleased to learn you’ve been reduced to this.” Her hand swept over Allyssa’s body.
It took sheer willpower to remain upright. “I am not a harlot,” she ground out, understanding her reputation was ruined. Odar’s parents would never sanction a union between their kingdoms if they believed she’d slept with Kerdan. Could the situation get any worse?
“As much as I enjoy seeing you lowered to a common wench, I’m here because I need information. Why does Fren believe that Prince Odar is dead?” The queen tilted her head to the side, waiting for a response.
Allyssa stood there, refusing to utter a single word.
“Answer me!” Jana shouted, making her jump.
“I’m sorry,” Allyssa said, trying to keep her voice pleasant. “If you are speaking to me, you will address me by my name and title.”
The queen wrinkled her nose in disgust. “You do not deserve the title you bear.”
“Neither do you.” Allyssa folded her arms over her chest, trying to maintain some sense of dignity while dressed in the flimsy white shirt.
“Tell me why Fren believes their prince is dead, or return to the dungeon.”
“I’ve been a prisoner in Russek for weeks. I cannot presume to know what is going on throughout the continent.”
Kerdan went to his dressing closet and returned with a long fur robe, draping it over Allyssa’s shoulders. She hadn’t realized she was shaking from her lack of clothing until the warmth of the robe enveloped her. The prince kissed the top of her head, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She forced her body to relax and not flinch from his touch. Why hadn’t he put a shirt on?
The queen’s eyes narrowed, watching the two of them. “I don’t know what game you’re playing,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper and sharp as a blade. “But I assure you, you cannot fool me, nor can you win.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the prince said, his fingers digging into Allyssa’s shoulder.
She had the distinct impression that he was using her to restrain himself from killing the queen. Reaching up, she patted his hand, trying to comfort him. As much as they might want to kill Jana right now, they couldn’t without serious repercussions. There had to be a squad of soldiers on the other side of the door ready to pounce.
“The only explanation I can come up with for Fren believing that Prince Odar is dead is if someone survived the attack,” Jana explained. “So tell me, did anyone survive?”
Allyssa held her chin high, refusing to be intimidated by her aunt. Marek, the sole survivor, didn’t know that Odar and Jarvik had switched places. Her father, on the other hand, did. What an interesting move on Darmik’s part to allow the deceit to continue. She would have to think on the matter in more detail when the queen wasn’t watching her. “I saw your son shoot an arrow into the back of every man present the day he kidnapped Odar and me.”
Jana clenched her hands together, her knuckles turning white.
“Anything else?” Kerdan asked. “Because if you’re done here, I have some unfinished business.” He pulled Allyssa’s body against his. This was not part of their deal, and she would speak to him about it later. But for now, she went along with the ruse.
A cold and devious smile similar to Soma’s slid over the queen’s face, turning her features harsh. “I will go and speak with the king. I’m not sure how he will feel about his son sleeping with the enemy. It might be time for the harlot to return to the dungeon.”
“Don’t waste your time. My father gave her to me. She’s mine.”
“He assumed she was a spoil of war and would be treated as such. She seems far too comfortable and at ease in your bedchamber.”
“You mean because I enjoy the prince’s company?” Holy hell, she couldn’t believe she just said that out loud.
The queen raised her hand to strike Allyssa, but Kerdan caught her arm mid-swing. “Don’t,” he said, a lethalness to his voice. “You need to leave. Now.”
“You can’t tell me what I can or cannot do,” Jana said, yanking her arm out of his grip and adjusting the sleeve of her dress. “I am the queen. I outrank you.”
“No, you don’t,” he answered. “I am next in line to the Russek throne, not you.”
Jana’s eyes flashed with fury.
Kerdan took Allyssa’s hand, kissing the top of it. Clearly, he wanted the queen to think they had something beyond a physical relationship. What she couldn’t figure out was why.
“And should you think about killing my father in order to rule Russek, don’t. After him, the throne goes to me, and then I have uncles and cousins you know nothing about. You can’t kill them all. It’s time you understand that the throne will never be yours.”
The queen bristled.
“Didn’t my father ever tell you the line of succession is through the men?”
Allyssa couldn’t help herself and said, “I guess you could say you are a harlot of sorts.”
Kerdan chuckled as Jana’s face drained of all color.
The queen took a step closer to them, lowering her voice. “How do you think I’ve managed to survive all these years? You have no idea who you’re up against and the lengths I’m willing to go to get what I want. So go ahead and threaten all you like because when this is over, I’ll be sitting on the throne and both of you will be begging for mercy that will never come from me.” She turned and swept out of the room.
Kerdan slammed the door shut, laughing.
“I hardly think the situation is funny.”
He shook his head. “She had armor on under her dress.”
“As protection from you?”
“Possibly. I’m sure her enemies are vast.”
“We need to talk about what just happened,” she said. “But first, put a shirt on.” Holding the robe tightly around her body, she gingerly sat on the couch, her stomach and arm stinging.
The prince slid a shirt on and tied his pants. “I apologize,” he said, combing his hair back with his fingers. “I thought it best.” He sat next to her on the couch. “Let me see your wounds.”
“They’re fine.” She clutched the robe firmly shut.
“You’ve inspected them to ensure they are healing properly and there is no sign of infection?”
Well, no, she hadn’t.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
She fidgeted with the sleeve of the robe. “Why did you remove my clothes? Did you know Jana would come here?”
“I had no idea she would show up. Not once has she ever visited here before.” He twisted toward Allyssa on the couch, reached out as if to take her hand, but withdrew, awkwardly placing his hands on his lap. “After you passed out, I removed your clothes for two reasons. First, to make sure you hadn’t sustained cuts elsewhere. Second, I feared there could be some residual poison on the fabric.”
She couldn’t even look at him. He’d seen her naked. Covering her face with her hands, she didn’t know what to say as shame coursed through her.
“Allyssa,” he said gently. “There is no need to be embarrassed.” He pulled her hands away from her face. “My main goal was to help you. You need to understand that I consider you a valuable ally on equal footing as one of my lieutenants. I can’t afford to lose you. I treated you as I would a member of my personal guard.”
Even though there was nothing romantic between them, she still didn’t like the idea of him seeing her naked.
He sighed. “I’m sorry if I offended you. My only concern was saving your life—not your modesty.”
“I . . .” she stammered. “No one can know. I can’t have my virtue called into question.” Staying in his bedchamber was bad enough. If she made it out of this alive, her reputation would be sullied. Her only saving grace would be that Odar wouldn’t mention it to anyone, nor would he hold it against her. However, if people found out, if Jana told someone, if the castle workers talked about what they saw and heard, there would be no salvation.
“I won’t tell anyone,” he promised. “Now, let me take a look.”
Her eyes widened, mortified. She held the robe closed, refusing to allow him to see her again.
“Fine.” He stood, turning his back to her. “Check yourself. Make sure neither cut has anything oozing from it and that there aren’t any black marks.”
She hurried and opened the robe, pulling up the shirt and examining the wound on her abdomen. There was a thin red line, no black marks, nor anything oozing from it. Closing the robe, she pushed up her sleeve. Again, the cut looked fine. “All clear.”
Kerdan turned and faced her. “I will go and make sure Odar knows you’re alive and well. I’ll also arrange a time for the three of us to meet so we can come up with a plan. I want Jana and her family dead in three days.” He went to the door.
“Why so soon?” Would that give them enough time to create and execute the assassination?
“If we wait any longer, I fear you’ll turn up dead.”
“Speaking of which, how did Soma get in here last night?”
“He stole my keys when I was in a meeting with my father. But don’t fret, I already changed the locks and added a few tricks of my own to ensure he won’t be able to enter this room again.”
She looked into the eyes of her enemy-turned-partner. “Thank you for tending to my wounds and ensuring I received the antidote.” If he hadn’t shown up when he did, she would be dead.
He gave her a silent nod and left.