Chapter 67

Chapter

Sixty-Seven

ALYX

T he night is alive with excitement and a kaleidoscope of colours, and I know Joha was right—the kingdom needed this. Rumours have spread far and wide about Queen Mother’s betrayal and plans, and everything is unbalanced, most waiting for it to fail. They needed hope, a new start, and so did we.

Sang Pram is a celebration of life, of welcoming in another year. It’s a huge gathering, and everyone from the kingdom is welcome. There are fireworks, parades, dancers, and feasts being held across the kingdom. It’s a perfect diversion, and this year, I am part of it, not just sitting on a roof in the Lowers with Crux watching the fireworks from far away. No, this time I am in the midst of it, and it’s far different in the Uppers than in the Lowers, but the feeling it gives me is the same—hope.

These last few days have been stressful, and everyone needs this, including Joha. We needed to show the kingdom we are united and stronger than ever.

Fireworks shoot into the sky, discharged from the boats in the harbour just out from the docks. The explosions fill the air with bright colours, forming shapes, a story being told of our kingdom. People turn their eyes up in awe, and kids laugh and clap, demanding more. Even I am not immune, a smile on my lips as I watch flowers explode in the sky before I turn my eyes back to the road we are slowly making our way down.

Joha’s subjects line each side of the street, some peering from houses and shops windows or perched on roofs to get the best view of the parade as it follows us. We are slowly making our way through the Uppers towards the docks where Joha will welcome in the new year for everyone to see. It’s tradition, one I am happy to be a part of. I smile and wave alongside him, throwing out traditional flowers for the crowd, a sign of prosperity and happiness.

Joha holds my other hand, shooting me a wide, unchecked smile. His robes catch the light, a deep flowing purple that fades to a pure white at the end, embroidered with flowers and fireworks of all colours, and his crown sits perfectly on his head. My dress is a reflection of his, only inverted. It begins white over my chest and stomach and fans out to a full, deep purple skirt.

Orion walks at the side of our palanquin, scanning the crowd, and Crux is on the other side dressed as a guard. Neither of them is willing to put the king or me at risk.

Despite everything that has happened, I find myself enjoying the night. I grin and wave to the excited crowd, spinning and dancing with Joha on our open-top palanquin.

My eyes catch on something shiny, and my smile drops as Joha spins me again, my head jerking around to seek out that light.

There.

I stumble from Joha’s arms, squinting to see as we draw closer. When my eyes finally make sense of what I am seeing, my heart lurches and then stops. Terror races through me, flooding my veins with adrenaline.

Sitting atop a balcony of the last large house before the street turns left towards Cairns is a wooden crossbow. It’s massive, the size we use to take down ships, and it’s armed with a metal bolt aimed right at us . . . at Joha. A cloaked figure holds it, blending into the darkness. The guards are absorbed in the frivolity, the crowds too much for them to handle.

They do not notice the threat aimed at their king, but I do.

“It’s not over,” I whisper in sudden understanding as everything Constance said comes back to me. I glance at Joha, my eyes wide as he frowns at me even as he waves.

“What, my love?” he asks happily.

“It’s not over. Whoever is behind this . . . It wasn’t just Constance. It’s a trap. This is a trap!”

Grabbing Joha, I throw him towards Crux, letting gravity take hold. I am trusting him with one of the most precious things in my life. “Get the king to safety!”

I duck under the arrow that flies through the air, imbedding where Joha just was, and then I gape in shock. It would have speared him to the wood, and he would have been dead on impact. They planned to kill him in front of his people and display his bloody corpse for all to see.

This isn’t over.

I can sense the attacker readying another arrow, so I take a running leap from the palanquin, rolling across the packed dirt. I ignore the screams and chaos erupting around me as I run to the closest horse. Yanking down the guard with an apologetic look, I throw myself onto its back. My dress spreads out around me as I kick the horse into action and gallop towards the house. I hear Orion and Joha yelling after me, but I am focused on the assailant as another arrow is released. I jerk my horse to the side and narrowly avoid it. Unable to spare a look back, I send up prayers that no one is injured as I bear down on the house. I speed up, then I clamber to my feet on the horse’s back, crouching as we gallop. When we reach the balcony, I push myself off its back, leap up, and catch the railing. My legs swing before I use my upper body strength to yank myself up and over. I tumble over the rail in time to see the attacker racing towards the back window before throwing himself out of it and into the chaos of the streets on the other side. It will take Orion or the guards too long to get here, so I push off, racing towards the open glass.

I throw myself out, landing with a groan on a cart below. As I roll from it, my dress catches on the wood, so with an annoyed snarl, I tear off the skirt, ending it just above my knees so I am free to run.

My head jerks up, and I see the dark shadow moving quickly through the screaming crowd. The chaos of not knowing what’s happening causes people to run in every direction, making it impossible for the guards to get through the masses—me included.

I scan the area for a faster option before I see the pitched roofs of the shops to the left. Racing towards the wall of the first house, I jump up and catch the edge, throwing myself up and over. I flip and land on my feet, and then I race across the joined roofs, light on my feet so I do not slip off. I ignore everything, my eyes focused on that cloaked figure as I reach the last shop and throw myself off, diving into the next street after them.

It’s an empty row of shops, since everyone is at the parade, and the sudden silence bar the random fireworks makes my breathing seem loud.

The figure glances back, showing slitted, dark eyes between the gap in the cloak and the mask. Grabbing a crate from the empty stall next to them, they turn and fling it at me.

I lift my arm and block the box flying towards me. It shatters, making my arm throb, but I keep moving, refusing to let it slow me down.

What they don’t realise is this street ends in a dead end, and as they reach it, they glance back, noticing I’m getting closer. With no other choice, they rush at the eight-foot wall.

The figure leaps over it. Stepping back, I take a running jump at the wall and hit the side of a building to the left, using it to push off and then flip over the wall. I land on my knees on the other side, now in Cairns Province, and jump up into a run.

We duck and weave, taking all the side streets in Cairns Province, which tells me they know exactly where they are going. It’s probably a trap, but I have to stop them or they will just come back and try to kill Joha again.

Constance was right.

It’s not over, but it will be tonight.