Chapter Thirty-Six
Analleia
Desmond and I spent the days leading up to the sixth ball forming a plan.
It wasn’t much of one. We had no way of figuring out Athello’s schedule, but it was better than nothing.
We had located his office and Desmond knew he had a meeting scheduled during the ball.
A short window, but we could make it work.
Voluminous skirts were not an option tonight. I wore a slim green satin dress with my assassin’s garb underneath and a mask ready for when we entered his office.
Eager guests pressed and packed themselves into the main ball room, all waiting to get their first clue for the mystery to be solved tonight.
I had no interest in it.
Dread clutched at my stomach, ripping it to shreds, but I was anxious to get this over with.
To finally be done with it. Desmond matched step beside me in a dark suit, a matching mask tucked into his coat.
I didn’t like being out in the open like this with such sinister plans, but there would be no scaling walls or sneaking about tonight.
The nature of the sixth ball left people crawling all over the palace, and it was dangerous with too many eyes.
We would break into Athello’s office and hide until he arrived.
Once alone, we would reveal ourselves and do what the Enchantress was forcing us to carry out.
I knew Desmond would wield the blade for me, but it didn’t make it any easier.
In any sense. Even if Athello was as horrible as the Enchantress claimed, it didn’t change the fact I was about to take Valeris’s uncle from him.
“What if he doesn’t show tonight?” I asked.
Desmond glanced at me, and I knew he could detect the hidden fear in my voice. “He’ll show.”
I held on to his words. They were all I had, but they were not as reassuring as I needed them to be.
We were the only two walking the corridors, making our way through the palace like ghosts. We passed the wing that led to the royal apartments. We were close.
“Analleia!”
I froze at the voice, giving Desmond a subtle signal to stay hidden. He backed into the shadows as I turned to offer the prince a small smile, my heart beating erratically within me.
I had to get rid of him.
And fast.
“Your Highness, are you not at the ball yet?” I asked.
His green eyes swept over me. “No, and it’s Valeris, not Your Highness. No use for formalities when we’re not in a political setting. I need your help.”
“Help with what?”
“Winning the puzzle ball, of course.”
He couldn’t be serious. “I’m afraid I won’t be participating tonight. I came to watch the beginning and then planned on retiring. I’m not feeling quite well.”
Valeris shrugged. “Then feel better, because I need your participation. Your mind is the only one here as sharp as mine. Besides, you look far from unwell.”
He went about making demands and then expected those demands to be followed without hesitation. There was no sign of the person I had danced with in the city streets standing before me. I had met many of his personalities and all of them contradicted each other.
Irritation boiled within me. “Sometimes one may look fine on the outside and still feel unwell within. You will have to accept my apologies as I will not be participating tonight.”
“Why do I feel like you’re using it as an excuse to get out of our bargain?”
“I have fulfilled every request you’ve had of me thus far, but I must decline this one.”
He studied me for a moment, and my stomach dropped as I watched suspicion pool. “Do you have something better to be doing tonight that I should know about?”
“No.” I tried to keep my voice even, but my annoyance was rising—and he could tell.
“Need I remind you that you owe me? I need you to help me win this. If you’re unable to walk on your own, I will gladly have someone bring a litter. Whatever makes you more comfortable. I can even call for the physician.”
I sought a response but couldn’t find a way out of this. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. This idiot of a royal was disrupting all of our plans for the night. I couldn’t argue further without suspicion driving him to follow us.
“Fine,” I ground out. “But I can’t stay late, only long enough to help you win.”
He turned on his heel. “I appreciate your willingness and enthusiasm.”
I checked to make sure his back was turned and then signaled to Desmond hiding in the shadows, urging him to wait for me and not do anything stupid while I was gone. The last thing I saw was his angry face before I hurried after Valeris, who had turned at the silence behind him.
“Coming?”
I strode past him, walking as fast as my healing wound would allow. “Let’s get this over with, Your Highness.”
He was threatening everything.
I’d had enough of this prince for a lifetime.