Chapter 15

Chapter

Fifteen

CRUX

T he word fury doesn’t hold enough weight to describe my feelings, but it’s what I settle on, especially last night when I watched her walk into the palace. She knew I was there, yet she didn’t call out or change her mind like I hoped she would.

She turned away and went inside.

I spent all night switching between feeling angry and proud and finally settled on infuriated, but despite how upset I am at her, I can’t leave her alone in there. Regardless of what Alyx thinks, she is the reason I have done and built everything, and I will not let this argument be our downfall.

If she is determined to do this, then I know there is no changing her mind—it is one of the many qualities that both exhaust and humour me about her—so as the darkness changes to the bright colours of dawn, I put my plan into motion.

After greasing hands, forging papers and lineages, and breaking into official offices to plant information, I am ready.

All the while, I can’t help but wonder why she is doing this. It can’t just be for money. She has more than she could ever need, and even if she didn’t and doesn’t know it, she has half of everything I own. It leads me to question if it’s the king.

That sour thought puts me in a bad mood all morning as I am shown to my new lodgings within the palace walls. They are much too open for me and shared with many other men all in the same position as I am. My back feels exposed, the light is too bright, and the creaking floor is too loud, but it’s what I have to put up with as I change into the supplied gear. It is worth it to ensure she is safe.

Frowning down at the form-fitting bright colours of the palace guard uniform, I almost laugh at myself. Who would have thought I would end up here?

The fabric is itchy and tight and not easy to move or fight in, which is not a good thing for a profession such as this. It offers hardly any protection from the elements or blades and has nowhere to hide hidden weapons. The fools, it is clear the guards are mainly for show. When I find a hidden corner and make sure I’m alone, I cut away some of the material, hide daggers and wire within the uniform, and give myself more room for movement.

Despite being new, my forged lineage and papers afford me a higher rank, leaving them unsure what to do with me. It’s perfect and means I am able to wander around the palace as they figure out my position. I don’t see Alyx or the king, so I make a map in my head of every exit, entrance, hiding spot, and darkened corner or secluded area while wandering around, trying to force my expression into one of awe and neutrality when all I feel is rage.

I was never good at lying with my expressions, but I didn’t need to be, not in my role as king of the thieves, but it’s a skill I try to utilise now. I’ll need it if this is going to work.

Does she even know I would put myself in this position to keep her safe?

I guess she will soon. Once more, my mind circles back to her reasons, unable to stop thinking about the decision that brought us both here.

Alyx has always had a mind of her own. I had no hopes of taming or breaking it, nor did I ever want to. It’s one of the reasons I care so much for her. She challenges me, thinks for herself, and utilises her brain as another weapon in her arsenal, but for a moment, I can’t help but wish she were a little less ambitious and calmer.

I almost snort. Alyx? Calm? The thought is comical, and I find myself smiling.

She would gut me for thinking so.

Unlike the night I first met her, Alyx has grown into a formidable woman, but even then, on that dark, rainy night when I followed the sounds of sobs into that darkened alley in the province and found the small, red-haired girl covered in blood, there was already a flame in her eyes. When they lifted to mine, an emerald hue brighter and rarer than any gem I’d ever stolen in my short thieving career, they glittered with glassy tears and pain, but under it all was a flame, a will to live, and a determination to right wrongs.

That flame grew into an inferno until I was left breathless when I peered into them.

It doesn’t stop the protectiveness that rises within me, though, one that began that stormy night. Alyx has grown, but part of me always sees that blood-covered rich girl who was lost and alone, looking at me like she waited for me to end her life.

She was so small back then, so defenceless, but as she peered into my eyes, waiting for the blow to land, there was something there.

Before my mother passed of Cregin’s disease, she’d often told me stories of the old gods, and one has always stuck with me—a person created in their guise with their blessing, possessing knowledge beyond their years and a destiny, a soul to rival even the gods themselves.

A blessed soul.

As I stared into those bright orbs, I knew instantly that what my mother had spoken of was true, even if I hadn’t understood until that night.

Alyx changed my entire life, even if she didn’t know it. I had been alone since my mother passed when I barely reached my tenth name day, but that night, I had a new purpose, a new person to protect, and that’s exactly what I did.

I just never expected that person to become the sword behind my shield or come to mean as much to me as she does.

A platoon of soldiers passes me by, saluting me since the stripes on the shoulders of my uniform mark me as a higher rank. I keep my eye roll to myself and nod at them, and when the sounds of their heavy, booted feet no longer fill my ears, one of my little rats pops up in front of me.

I flooded the palace with them. If she is determined to do this, then she is going to need intel to keep her safe.

Hence the flickering eyes and nervous twist of the lips of the man before me as he lowers his gaze out of respect.

“Sir,” the rat hisses as he glances around anxiously. It seems I’m not the only one unused to working within the bright light and open green areas of the palace versus the darkened alleys of the Lowers. “I have found her.”

“Where?” I demand.

“Behind the throne room.” I dismiss him with a flick of my hand and head back that way. I only get lost once, the internal map I created helping in the sprawling palace. Unlike the Lowers or provinces, I never had reason to learn this area. I never needed the intel, but I kind of regret that now as I slow my steps.

I walk out of a sheltered building, facing the back of the throne room, only to freeze.

For a moment, Alyx is all I see.

I have seen Alyx in many costumes to complete her jobs, but this might be my favourite. I love her leathers, since they remind me of home, but seeing her glide in a long, sheer cream gown dotted with flowers, I realise just how truly beautiful she is.

The old gods definitely created her in their image because standing in the sun is a goddess wearing the face of my oldest friend, my family . . . my love.

She turns for a moment, and I swear our eyes meet. My heart stops, restarting only at her grace. I want to drop to my knees and beg her to run away with me back to our home so no other can ever see the beauty that is my Alyx. When she frees me from her gaze, however, I stagger back and suck in a harsh, uncertain breath.

The possessiveness inside me is not letting up, just as it hasn’t since that night.

I wonder what she would think if she knew everything I did for her. She would probably kick my ass, and I can’t help but smile at that.

When I force my eyes away, I realise there is someone else with her—Queen Mother and her guards.

I watch as Queen Mother pats Alyx’s arm. Her smile is more akin to the venomous snakes one would find in the Lowers than anything sweet, but Alyx flutters her lashes and smiles stupidly at the woman as she turns and wanders away, taking her guard with her and leaving Alyx completely alone.

For a newly betrothed queen, it’s an insult, but for me, it’s perfect.

When Alyx turns, she rolls her eyes, her true expression showing as she picks up her skirts in annoyance and stomps past me on her way back to the king. “Fucking bodices. Why do they want to make it so hard to breathe?” she mutters, and I have to swallow my laugh, even as I step forward.

My arm slips around her throat and drags her into the shadows with me. She struggles, her dress getting in the way and slowing her down, which is the only reason I manage to pin her to the wall, my mouth going to her ear. “Hello, little assassin,” I purr.

She softens at my voice but recovers quickly, and her elbow meets my gut with such force, it actually pushes me back a step, and within seconds, she spins and produces a blade from gods knows where, pressing it to my neck as she glares at me.

“Crux.”