Chapters (46)
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Twenty-three
- Twenty-four
- Twenty-five
- Twenty-six
- Twenty-seven
- Twenty-eight
- Twenty-nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-one
- Thirty-two
- Thirty-three
- Thirty-four
- Thirty-five
- Thirty-six
- Thirty-seven
- Thirty-eight
- Thirty-nine
- Forty
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
“I’ve never heard of a woman involved with them before, so you must be ambitious. Ruthless.” He watched her carefully, as if he were trying to see through her eyes and glean the thoughts behind them. “You must have had to work twice as hard to get where you are. How many people did you kill to get them to accept you?”
Ambitious? Ruthless? Had he ever, even once, had to worry about his next meal or where he would sleep? Had he ever watched assassins stalk his family? “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” she hissed. She didn’t realize she had stood up until a guard pushed her back down. She sat, trembling, mouth clenched shut.
Malikel put a hand on Tristam’s arm, gently pushing the young knight back. “You’re right, Kyra. We don’t know very much about you,” said the older man. “But you’re not helping yourself by staying silent. I don’t know how strong your ties were to the Guild, but they’re outside the walls, and we have you right here. I would think hard about your allegiances.”
The perverse irony of the situation struck her. What would her interrogators think if they knew how much she hated James right now? But the assassin’s threats were too fresh in her mind, and Kyra wasn’t naïve enough to think the Palace would show her any mercy if they knew the truth. Time. She needed time to think.
“We’ll give you some time to think things over,” said Malikel. Kyra almost jumped. Had she said that last thought out loud? The official turned toward the guards. “Take her to a cell. We’ll continue tomorrow.”
Twenty-one
T W E N T Y - O N E
The girl squirmed in Bacchus’s grasp, her face smeared with tears and dirt. The two stood in a thick mist. Menacing shadows moved in the fog around them.
Bacchus grinned as he took out his knife. “Which finger do we take off first?”
Kyra turned to see James beside her, arms characteristically crossed over his chest as he watched Bacchus with approval.
“She’s weak,” the head assassin observed. “Not like you, Kyra. Children are entertaining from time to time, and useful. The key is knowing when they need to die.”
Kyra found that she agreed. The girl did seem rather pathetic. As if to agree with her, the shapes in the mist moved closer.
“Bacchus,” called James. “Let her do it.”
Kyra felt her excitement build as she closed in. This would prove once and for all that she belonged with the Guild, with James. From the mists, Kyra heard growls of approval. Teeth flashed in anticipation.
Lettie didn’t struggle when Kyra raised the knife for the kill. Instead, she looked up at her with wide, trusting eyes.
