Chapter 40

Chapter

Forty

CRUX

T he noble’s body isn’t too heavy, so I manage to cover the distance quickly. I wait for the other guards to look away, and then I duck behind the building and into the trees. I want privacy for what I’m about to do. When I heard from my little rats that something was happening, it had been too late, and Alyx had almost paid the price.

I know she can look after herself, but there are so many enemies here that not even my assassin can take them all. The fact that I know she is okay is the only thing keeping me calm, that and she isn’t their main target. However, to get to the king, they would gladly go through her. What was once just a game for me is now real. I can’t let anything happen to her, which means helping her figure out who is trying to kill the king.

How many times will we have to save his life?

It baffles me that Alyx could like such a weak man. He might have power in name, but not in body. Tugging off the stupidly uncomfortable helmet, I kneel by the body as Alyx appears around the building, having escaped the guards protecting her at the palace. She’s panting slightly as she kneels on the other side of the body.

“Well?” she prompts.

“I waited for you. Do you want to do the honours?” I ask, leaning back.

“So romantic, saving desecrating a corpse for me.” She winks as she laughs.

I chuckle. “I have a feeling he would like it more than if I did it.”

Her nose crinkles in disgust as she rips his robes open and shoves her hands into the pockets, searching quickly. Despite my words, I take off his boots and check inside, knowing that’s one place where most people hide things. While we search, I look her over, double-checking she’s okay.

“I’m fine, stop staring,” she snaps, no doubt feeling my gaze. “Ah, what’s this?” I lean closer to see her running her fingers along the front of the robe where it seems more padded. She flips it over to reveal a secret pocket within. Slipping her fingers inside the shallow pocket, she extracts a small square of parchment before leaning back from the body.

“Idiot, why hide it on his body?” I murmur.

“They thought they would succeed and not get caught. It’s called being cocky, and it will be their downfall, but it’s good for us.” Opening the parchment, she scans the contents before showing me. “Orders with time and place. It seems they wanted him to know as little as possible, just a promise for a payment if he could lure the king there, and see that? That is a noble’s family crest. If we can figure out whose and talk to them, then we might be able to connect it back to who is pulling the strings.” Standing, she brushes off her dress. “Let’s go.”

Taking the parchment, I shove it into my pocket. “I’ll go. Stay and protect the king. It will look odd if you suddenly disappear. We need to avoid suspicion.” Her face clouds with anger as I smirk. “I know you hate sitting still, but I will handle all the boring stuff, and when the fun starts, I’ll get you. I promise.”

Sighing, she glances at the body and then me. “Fine, I know you’re right. Princesses never get to have fun killing. What’s the point of all this power if I can’t get away with murder every now and again?”

Laughing, I cup the back of her neck and drag her closer as her eyes widen, her mouth parting on a moan as desire takes over her expression. I lean down and steal a quick kiss. The need to deepen it, to taste her moans fills me, but I pull back as her eyes flutter open. “You did good. Now go play with your king while I hunt for us, and when I come back with answers, I will tell you everything with my head buried between your thighs. After, this pretty princess can come play murder with me, okay?”

“Okay,” she murmurs before blinking. “I’ll hold you to that.” With a flick of her hair, she starts to walk away before glancing back. “Oh, and you deal with the body. He smells like oils and ball sack.”

I can’t help but laugh as I watch her go, my eyes drifting to the body. “She’s something, right? Consider yourself a lucky bastard. If anyone else had her hands on them like that, they would die a very slow and painful death.”