30. I Did Not Put Ninjas in My Book!

Chapter 30

I Did Not Put Ninjas in My Book!

The day began with running.

Not my preferred way to begin the day, but when men dressed in black like goddamn ninjas showed up on your doorstep with swords drawn, you didn't have much of a choice.

We ran to lead them away from Adeline, Jasper, and Saida. Nylian reassured me that Saida knew how to use a sword—which I took to mean the princess had more skills than I—and could help Adeline keep Jasper safe. Right now, the wizard and his chipmunk mentor were the last barrier to the poison recipes we took from Lady Covington. If there was something wrong with the antidote we'd made for Orian, those books were our only chance of correcting it.

Plus, there was still the fallout to come from killing the King's Poison Maker and burning her house to ash. I had a feeling the books would come in handy for smoothing over that little ripple with the kingdom of Lockeheim.

The early-morning sky was growing lighter, taking on hints of pink, orange, and pale blue, promising to be a wonderful day. The streets were still empty. Here and there, vendors were setting up their stalls and pulling back the curtains on their shops. A hint of baked bread and other tasty breakfast treats were filling the air. My stomach would have been grumbling if it weren't for the mad dash we were on to the castle.

It was like they were trying to herd us. Every turn we made toward the palace was met with more fighters. Sometimes we would push through, cutting down the assassins and surging forward a few blocks, and others we would have to detour when there were more than we could manage.

Twice we ran into the City Watch and Nylian retreated. Killing assassins was one thing. Hurting the soldiers in the place he called home wasn't something he was willing to do.

After defeating one small group, we ran two blocks and darted into an alley to catch our breaths. I leaned against the wall, panting for oxygen, while sweat trickled along the side of my face. Each gasp was a razor blade to my throat. Wolfrest was in the tight grip of fall as the air carried a crisp chill, but I could barely feel it as the heat rose from my exhausted body.

Nylian leaned on the wall beside me, his chest rising and falling as heavily as mine. In his defense, though, he was doing most of the fighting. I was in there with my sword, deflecting and striking as he taught me. But I also wasn't above fighting dirty, since I didn't have the skill and speed they had. I hadn't lost a limb or an organ yet, so I took it as a win.

"You still glad you haven't been sent home yet?" Nylian huffed.

"Fuck you! I'm having the time of my life," I replied with a laugh. "Wouldn't trade it for anything."

Nylian wheezed a rough laugh. "I always knew you were crazy."

"Just crazy for you, baby."

We were both flushed, sweaty, and exhausted, but I wouldn't have missed Nylian's smile at that moment for anything in the world. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, and I was determined to wake up to it for the rest of my life.

"Once this is over, I swear I'm going to fuck you until you can't walk," Nylian threatened.

I pushed away from the wall and patted his stomach. "Don't make promises you can't keep." I eased over to the entrance to the main street, peering down it. No sign of those ninja wannabes yet. Just a few workers carrying loads of goods to the shops and residents. "How much farther is it to the palace? And do you have a plan for getting inside?" I turned to face him and shoved my hand through my hair, pushing sweaty strands away from my eyes. "I can't imagine the royal guards are going to let you waltz right up to Orian's bedroom."

"Palace is three more blocks away, and you're going straight through the front door."

"What?" I hit one of my ears with the heel of my palm. There was no way I'd heard him correctly.

Nylian reached under his tunic and pulled out a folded piece of paper, which he handed to me. I opened it and scanned its contents. It gave the bearer a direct pass to the king. The most important part was that it contained the official seal for Duke Thallan Elrich.

"Something Uncle gave me before we left Blackscar. He thought it would clear the path for us. Just get to my father and tell him you have the antidote."

As we left his secret residence, Nylian gave me the antidote to carry because he was sure all the assassins would expect him to have it. Now it looked like he'd always had another plan for me.

I stepped closer to him, panic growing in my chest to where it was nearly impossible to breathe. "Why aren't you going to the palace with me?"

"Because I'm expecting to meet up with someone when we reach the palace, and Orian can't suffer through any more delays. Word has spread that I'm in the city. It means the killer is going to be more desperate and take more risks."

"I don't like this."

Nylian reached up with both hands and cupped my cheeks as he pressed his forehead against mine. "I won't die. We have a very long life to build together that will scare and confuse so many people. I'm not willing to miss out on that. You carry all my hope and trust with you. Please, save my brother for me."

A thousand and one curses climbed over the sudden lump in my throat, but I didn't utter a single one of them. How was I supposed to deny him anything when he said something like that?

"Okay," I choked out. "I'll do it. For you."

"Thank you."

Nylian released me and I took a step back so that I could look him in the eyes. "But I'm warning you, if anything happens to you while I'm in the castle, I swear to whatever gods may be that I will destroy anyone who touches you. Fire and brimstone. Death and destruction. Even if it means using the rest of my life to learn the darkest magic in existence, I will burn down this world if I lose you."

My lover didn't even blink an eye at my threats. "Agreed."

With nothing more to say, we left our temporary hiding spot and continued to the castle. We encountered more assassins, but far fewer than we'd run into so far. The elegant palace that stretched higher than every other building within the city shone like a great white beacon in the rising sunlight. Crystals sparkled from some of the tree limbs, catching the light and reflecting it as if the tree had given birth to tiny stars and had yet to cast them into the heavens.

And in front of the castle stood an elf with long brown hair and a grim expression. He gripped a sword in his hand. Four other palace guards flanked him, proving in an instant where their allegiance lay. There was a faint similarity in his eyes and nose to Nylian, but the elf appeared younger, as if he were barely out of his teens. His features were sharp, but held almost a rough and ragged edge to them, unlike the clean lines of Nylian's visage. It left me feeling that the artist who'd carved this elf hadn't been done when he was born.

"Jandar," Nylian called out as we drew closer. "I had it narrowed to you and Lorsan as Orian's murderer, but you were always my favorite choice. When it comes to underhanded tricks like poison, that seems most like your kind of weapon. Killing a person face-to-face takes a bit more bravery than you possess."

This was Nylian's so-called plan for luring out the killer? Making himself a target?

The elf was getting such a shaking the moment this was fucking over.

"Exile was too good for you. Just more proof that you're Father's favorite son," Jandar sneered. He sliced his blade restlessly through the air. "But that's okay. Rumors have spread that Orian isn't dead. Hanging on by a thread, actually." His wicked grin twisted his features, making him hideous to behold. "A thread that is getting cut as we speak. And after I'm done with you, the king will have lost two sons and the queen will be rendered a useless old relic. I wouldn't be surprised if she tosses herself from a tower before the day is out."

"Lockhart, go now," Nylian ordered in a low voice.

"What?" I gasped.

"I'll protect you. Go!"

I didn't argue. There was no point. We were out of time. Someone was trying to kill Orian while we were stuck outside with Jandar. If I didn't get inside now, he wouldn't have a chance to wake up.

But leaving meant abandoning Nylian in a fight of five against one. Even as weak as I was in swordplay, I was at least a little help. My heart screamed at the unfairness of it all, but I could only do what my love asked of me. And right now, he was asking me to save his brother's life.

With a roar ripping from my throat, I ran straight for the entrance the guards were stubbornly blocking with Prince Jandar. Nylian was right at my side, moving to intercept them as they raised their swords to cut me down.

Thankfully, I had one trick up my sleeve, courtesy of Adeline. While blocking two attempted strikes, I reached into a hidden pocket and pulled out a tiny piece of folded white paper. As I ducked under a slice aimed at my neck, I flung the paper at two guards so that it opened just as it neared their faces. A yellowish-white power filled the air in a toxic cloud, smacking them in the eyes.

Their screams rang out across the square, and their swords clanged on the stone street. I dropped to my knees and slid under the cloud while covering my eyes with my arm. As I popped up to my feet, I chanced a quick glance over my shoulder to find the two guards had blood pouring from their blinded eyes while a third guard was backpedaling away, fiercely wiping at his face as if he were afraid that he might have gotten hit with it as well.

That was some very nasty stuff Adeline had given me. I couldn't say that I felt a single ounce of remorse, though. They stood with a killer and paid a price for that decision.

And if anything happened to Nylian, blinding seemed like a very small price.

For now, three attackers were taken out of the equation. Only two left for Nylian. I could live with those odds for now.