Chapter 4
Gripping the ship’s steering wheel, Sabine kept them heading in a northerly direction. Manning the wheel turned out to be rather enjoyable. It gave her the opportunity to watch Evander run around the deck, cursing as he turned the mast to move the sail. When they first boarded the ship, he noticed the hook on the mast had broken. After he spent a couple of hours trying to find a replacement one, he gave up and they set out. The result was him having to manually move the sail. Sabine was thankful she didn’t have to do anything beyond steer. She tilted her face to the wind, reveling in the feel of it across her skin.
“We’re going to have to stop at the next port,” Evander said as he came over and stood before Sabine with his hands on his hips. “I need to repair that part on the mast and from the looks of it, it’s going to start raining. Normally, I’d still sail in a storm but since the rope isn’t holding, I don’t want to get stuck.”
“I think that’s a wise decision.” She’d rather be safe than sink. “Is the port in Nisk?”
“No. We’re north of Nisk. We’ll pull into an Avoni port.”
Which meant Sabine would get to see a new kingdom. Since she’d seen so little of the world, she wanted to experience as much as she could when she had the opportunity.
Evander sighed. “It’ll take us longer to get north to Cusp where my guards are, but I don’t see a way around it. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine,” she assured him, unable to hide the smile on her face.
“It won’t take long to repair, and then we’ll be on our way.”
As if on cue, a light rain started to fall.
Evander moved to stand behind Sabine. “We need to head east. Do you know which direction that is?”
With thick clouds concealing the sun, Sabine had a hard time keeping her directions straight. Since she spotted a bit of land to the right, she pointed at it.
“Good.”
She turned the wheel, steering the ship that way. “Are you just going to stand behind me?” she asked. “Don’t you have a rope to tie or a mast to move?” The idea of having an assassin standing at her back made her uncomfortable. Like a spider crawling on her neck.
He sighed. “I do.” He ran over and started bringing in the larger sail, then rolling it up.
The ship quickly made its way closer to land. “I see a red flag ahead,” she called out.
“Head toward it.”
She did as he said. When she got closer, she realized the flag was at the tip of a point, marking it so ships didn’t run into it. “Now what?”
“There should be an inlet right past the flag. Steer the boat that way.”
The rain came down harder, making it difficult to see. Sabine did as Evander said and turned the ship just past the flag, entering the inlet. It opened to a large bay. Her arms shook from a combination of being cold and from fear of crashing. As to why Evander trusted her enough to steer this thing was beyond her.
The choppy water rocked the boat. Through the rain, she could barely make out several docks jutting out from land.
Evander came over and took the wheel from her. “You did a great job,” he said. “But I’ll take it from here.” He turned the ship and steered it directly toward one of the docks where there was an empty slip. When they got close enough, he dropped the anchor then ran to the side, tossing a long rope onto the edge of the dock. Evander expertly jumped over the side, landing with grace on the dock where he proceeded to tie the ship up as if he’d done this hundreds of times.
Sabine noticed Evander’s movements were always smooth and graceful. And silent. He barely made noise when walking around the ship or jumping onto a wooden dock.
“Grab the bags,” he called out.
She ran below deck where she found it much warmer since there wasn’t any wind or rain. After getting their bags, she went back up.
“Toss them over,” Evander called out when he saw her.
She threw each bag to him. He expertly caught the bags as if they weighed nothing.
“Your turn,” he said.
Too wet and cold to argue, she climbed up and over the side. Evander reached out, grabbing her around her waist and setting her on the dock.
He looked at her, his brows drawn together, as if she somehow surprised him.
“Now what?” she asked, glancing around. A warm fire sounded lovely. And a hot cup of tea. Preferably that stuff Evander made and not her plain Bakley tea.
“Let’s go to an inn,” he said. “Once you’re settled, I’ll come back and fix the broken part.” He lifted their bags, hoisting them over his shoulder.
“I can wait below deck while you fix it,” she suggested. She’d never been to an inn before and had no idea what it entailed.
He eyed her. “I have to get the part. I don’t want to leave you alone on the ship.”
“But you’ll leave me at an inn?”
A smile slid over his face. “I’ll leave you at the right inn.”
She had no idea what he meant by that. However, she was too cold to argue with him. Besides, if going to an inn meant seeing Avoni, she would do it. “Fine.” She gestured for him to lead the way.
Evander headed along the dock toward the land. Turning to the left, he walked along the road parallel to the water. Sabine followed him, taking in the small town. Most of the buildings were brown and black single story structures with oddly shaped green roofs. There were people out and about as if it weren’t raining, heading to the docks or in and out of the businesses.
After three blocks, Evander stopped before a building with an odd sign hanging over the door. It had symbols instead of words, so Sabine had no idea what it said or meant. There was an odd similarity to the papers she’d gathered from the Avoni delegation’s rooms. “Do people in Avoni use another language?” she asked. The members of the delegation had all spoken the same language as her, so she never thought to ask about it.
“Some still speak an ancient tongue. However, everyone knows the common language.” He went to the door, holding it open for her.
Sabine stepped into a rectangular room with only a counter on the one side, a young woman standing behind it. There were no pictures, no furnishings, and no decorations. Just dark brown wood walls and a ceiling to match.
Evander went over and spoke to the woman so softly that Sabine couldn’t hear what they were saying even though the room was rather small. When their whispers became harsh, Sabine wondered if there was a problem. She was just about to ask when Evander came over and took hold of her elbow, pulling her toward the back wall. He reached out and touched what looked like a knot in the wood, and a door swung open, revealing a long hallway.
“What’s going on?” Sabine asked, her heart beating quickly, sensing something amiss.
Evander ushered her into the hallway, closing the door behind them. He led the way down the corridor, stopping at the third door on the right. After unlocking it, he grabbed the handle and slid the door sideways, gesturing for her to enter the room.
Evander came in after her, closing and locking the door before dropping their bags on the floor. He began pacing, his hands on his hips.
Since Sabine had never been to an inn before, she ignored him and observed her surroundings. A large bed took up the middle of the room. But it wasn’t like the beds she was used to because this one was on the floor, leaving no space beneath it. No other furniture was in the room. The pale yellow walls held no artwork, and there wasn’t even a curtain at the window. She imagined this was what the servants’ rooms at her parents’ castle looked like—simple, small, and clean.
She removed her wet cape, setting it aside so it could dry. While she wanted to change, she refused to do so with Evander in the room. She sat on the edge of the bed and watched him, waiting for him to finally tell her what was bothering him.
He stopped and looked at her. “We have an issue.”
She’d gathered that. When he didn’t extrapolate, she asked, “What is it?”
“About an hour ago, a man was here in town asking about someone matching your exact description.” He folded his arms.
“It probably doesn’t mean anything,” she assured him. “Or it wasn’t even me he was asking about. We hadn’t even planned on coming here, so no one would be here looking for me.” She reached down and removed her wet boots.
“He’s from the Black Daggers,” he said as if speaking to a child.
She had no idea what that was, so she shrugged.
“It’s one of the five assassin guilds here in Avoni.”
“Are you certain?” she asked as terror gripped her chest.
He tilted his head and looked pointedly at her.
She hadn’t realized her question was that stupid to him. “Do you think it was the man Lottie sent after me?”
“That would be my guess.”
“I thought he would be following Anton and the decoy.”
“He probably was. When he realized it was a decoy, he changed course and set out after us.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “We did spend that extra time in port, so it makes sense he would have arrived here before us.”
“But why here?”
“Because this is a major trading port in Avoni. It’s a place we’d stop for food or supplies. He knows I prefer sailing over walking.”
Then she asked the question she feared the answer to. “Is he still here in town?”
“No. He immediately moved on. But…”
“But?”
“I know him. His name is Ex. He won’t stop until you’re dead.”
The room seemed unnaturally quiet. Sabine was afraid to move. “What are we going to do?” she whispered, hoping there was a we in this and Evander wouldn’t abandon her to save his own skin.
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ex is hunting you. He wont stop or give up.”
Cold fear like ice slid over her. “Let’s head back to the ship and go to a different port.”
“We can’t sail in this rain with the latch on the mast broken.”
At first she’d assumed being here would give her a chance to explore the town and experience its culture. Now, being here terrified her. “Is there another ship we can take?”
“Yes, but he’ll just track us.”
She couldn’t hide at this inn for the rest of her life. “What are our options?” Her voice came out softer than she’d intended.
“Given the situation, I’m not comfortable traveling north to Cusp. I’m certain that route is being watched. Our best bet is to do something unexpected. And I’d like to get you someplace where you’ll be safe.” He went over to the foggy window and peered outside.
Sabine sort of thought she was already doing something unexpected. She stood and started pacing, trying to think of what she could do to keep herself alive.
Evander snapped his fingers. “I’ve got a plan.” He twisted his head and looked at her, a smile on his face.
“Are you going to tell me this plan?” she asked, wary of his grin. Nothing about this situation called for that sort of reaction.
“The safest place in Avoni is at my family’s compound.”
Sabine blinked, trying to understand what he was saying. “The royal palace?” she asked, just wanting to be sure she understood him.
He nodded.
Which meant the king and queen of Avoni would be there, Sabine would be at a compound filled with assassins, and it would delay her journey home to Rainer.
“You look like I just suggested I kill you for Ex,” Evander mumbled. Then louder, “Look, at my family’s home there will be plenty of highly trained guards to keep you safe. And, if Ex does come after you, it’s the perfect location to deal with him. Once he’s out of the way, we’ll take the necessary guards and a much larger, reliable ship, and we’ll sail to Lynk.” He made it sound simple and easy. As if there weren’t any risks involved.
Sabine sat on the edge of the bed again, massaging her temples. She should have just gone with Anton. However, if she had, the assassin would have already found her by now. She hoped her decoy hadn’t been killed. “Okay,” she said, “if we do go through with this plan of yours, how are we going to get to the palace?” In one piece and without being hunted or assassinated along the way.
Evander came over and sat on the bed beside her. “We’ll have to travel as quickly and discreetly as possible. We want Ex to catch wind of where we’ve been, just not until we’ve left. We’re going to have to deal with him, and I’d rather it be here in Avoni, specifically near my palace, rather than someplace with unknown factors I’ll have to account for.”
She slowly nodded as everything began to make sense. “You want to lure the assassin after us.”
“Yes.”
“So you can kill him?”
“Yes.”
His plan was insane. “Why are you helping me?” she asked, peering into his green eyes, wanting and needing to understand his motives. Because she didn’t trust this assassin-pirate-prince.
“I’m doing it for me and my kingdom.”
“I don’t understand.”
He sighed. “If I don’t return you safely to Lynk, Rainer will have a reason to turn his army toward Avoni. Even if I get you home, if you’re killed shortly thereafter by an Avoni assassin, Rainer will take it out on me and my family. Therefore, helping you is really self-preservation.”
She turned his words over, trying to see if she was missing anything.
“So?” Evander said. “What do you think?”
“I think you’ve got yourself a deal on one condition.”
“And that is?”
He was going to laugh at her. Steeling her resolve, she said, “I want you to train me. Not self-defense necessarily, but more along the lines of helping me stay alive. I want to learn how to be stealthy, spot someone following me, lose a tail, and know the best places to hide. Things of that nature.” She hoped he didn’t think her request was too outrageous.
“Given who your husband is, I think that is a wise idea. I’d be happy to train you.”
Sabine relaxed her shoulders. “I think this is a good plan so long as it doesn’t take me too long to return to Lynk.”
“Anton knows you’re with me. Maybe we can send word to him that you’ll be away another week or so?”
She was glad she’d written that letter to Rainer so he knew she was safe.
“Since we’re not taking the ship, I don’t need to repair it. Let me go to the kitchen and get us something to eat. You can change while I’m gone. You look like a fish out of water.” He stood and went to the door, the corners of his lips pulling into a wicked smile, lighting up his piercing green eyes. “We can have our first lesson tonight.” He winked before leaving the room.
Sabine grabbed her bag and found dry pants and a shirt. After she changed, she felt warm and safe. As if wrapped in a fuzzy blanket. Contentment filled her.
A few minutes later, Evander returned carrying a tray loaded with food and tea.
The two of them sat on the floor, facing one another, the tray between them.
The bread had a wonderful rosemary flavor to it, the salted fish she found a little bland, but the tea was perfect.
“First rule,” Evander said around a mouthful of food, “is to never eat food someone gives you.”
She nodded, thinking back to what her mother had said about that as well. “I’m eating the food you gave me,” she said, suddenly not hungry.
He glared at her. “I didn’t poison you.”
“I thought maybe you were going to make a point. You know, teach me a lesson.”
He shook his head. “Me, you can trust. Everyone else, you don’t trust.”
“Okay.” She wondered if there was anyone Evander trusted. “What else?”
“Assassins love to use methods that physically keep them away from their targets if possible.”
“Like poison?” she asked, thinking of Alina.
“Exactly. It allows an assassin to place a lethal dose somewhere and then watch from a distance. It gives them the opportunity to get away quickly once the death occurs.”
“Anything else?” she asked.
“Bugs.”
“What?” Her eyes widened in horror.
“Did you notice the towel I placed under the door?”
She hadn’t seen him put it there. “I take it there isn’t a draft from the hallway?”
“No. It’s so no one can slip a venomous scorpion, snake, or spider under the door.”
“I’m never going to be able to sleep again.” She shivered. The thought of a spider crawling onto her arm or face and biting her was horrid enough. But to have it bite and kill her was another level of torture she didn’t want to think about, much less consider.
“Speaking of sleep,” Evander said, “we need to get some. I want you rested and ready for the journey ahead of us.”
Sabine glanced at the bed. It was large enough for the both of them, but highly improper for them to share. “Are you staying in here with me?” They shouldn’t share a room, but she didn’t want to be by herself knowing a man was out there hunting her.
“Yes. It’s not safe for you to be alone.” He placed the tray out in the hallway, then closed the door and put the towel back along the bottom of it. “Don’t worry that pretty little head of yours. I’ll take the floor. I prefer it anyway.”
Not having nightclothes to change into, Sabine pulled back the covers and examined the blankets before crawling under them. The thought of a bug hiding in there made it hard for her to relax, even after she’d looked with her own eyes.
Evander snuffed out the single candle illuminating the room then laid on the floor next to the bed. “Goodnight.”
“Night.” Even though Sabine couldn’t imagine sleeping after everything he’d told her, she rolled onto her side and her eyes grew heavy. Somehow this assassin-pirate-prince made her feel safe.
* * *
“Sabine,” Evander said, shaking her shoulder.
“I’m sleeping,” she mumbled, swatting his hand away.
“We need to get moving, little butterfly. Let’s go.”
She rubbed her eyes and sat up. “It’s still dark out.” Knowing she was being hunted like an animal, she’d much rather travel during the daylight when she could see.
“It’ll be light in an hour. Let’s go.”
She flopped back on the bed with a dramatic sigh. She was exhausted and could easily sleep for another hour.
Evander yanked the pillow out from beneath her head.
“Oye,” she said. “What was that for?”
“I said to get up. Now.”
“I was. I don’t just jump out of bed like a grasshopper. It takes me a minute.” She swung her legs over the side and stood.
“Grasshopper?” he said, one eyebrow raised. “Have you seen a grasshopper before?”
She rolled her eyes and stretched. “It is far too early in the morning for this.” She stepped around him and grabbed her cape, putting it on before shouldering one of the bags. “Well?” She gestured for him to lead the way.
He picked up the other bag and opened the door, peering into the hallway, then waving for her to follow. They exited the inn.
Much to Sabine’s surprise, dozens of people were out and about already. “Does no one sleep?” Maybe it was some sort of assassin thing. Or a cultural thing. People were on the docks loading up ships while others were hurrying from one place to another. Thick clouds covered the sky though it wasn’t raining anymore.
“Keep your head down,” Evander murmured. “Walk with purpose, and don’t look around.”
Since Sabine wasn’t fully awake, she had no problem doing that.
Evander never left her side as they made their way through the town. He expertly guided her around people and put his hand to the small of her back when they needed to turn onto a different street.
After traveling half a dozen blocks, they stopped before a store that had an open window with a person standing on the other side of it.
Evander handed the man a few coins. The man glanced between the two of them before turning and leaving. He came back a moment later, handing two cloaks to Evander.
After thanking the man, Evander handed one of them to Sabine.
“I have a cape,” she pointed out.
“These are waterproof and have large hoods.” He put his cloak on. “They’re far better than what you have.”
Sabine quickly removed her old one and put the new one on. It was heavier and warmer.
“Let’s go.” Evander took her elbow, guiding her down a different street that brought them to a narrow canal. There were several short docks with tiny boats tied to them. He stopped before one of the boats. “Get in.” He tossed his bag in the back.
Sabine stepped into it. There were only two benches, so she sat on the front one, shoving her bag beneath it. The sky was starting to lighten, and the streets were becoming more crowded.
“Put your hood up,” Evander said, pulling his own hood on. He reached down and untied the boat. Before it had a chance to go anywhere, he stepped in, sitting on the back bench. He grabbed a long pole that was attached to the outside of the boat and used it to push them farther out into the water.
There were several other boats of similar size out on the canal, all heading in the same direction.
“Do you not know how to ride a horse?” Sabine asked, trying to figure out why he preferred being on the water as opposed to land.
“We don’t have a lot of horses in Avoni.”
“Why is that?” she asked. While she hadn’t seen much of the kingdom, so far, she hadn’t noticed a single horse.
“We have hundreds of waterways that we use for travel and transporting goods. There’s no need for horses. Besides, they’re expensive to maintain. And they’re loud. Not an assassin’s ideal choice of transportation.” Evander used the pole to steer them to the middle of the canal, then he hooked the pole back to the side of the boat. The strong current carried them along.
“We’re moving faster than I thought we would.” As they made their way along the canal, Sabine watched the shoreline pass by. Single story structures with oddly slanted roofs lined both sides. She wondered if they were homes or stores. “Does it rain a lot here?”
“All the time. Why do you ask?”
“The roofs.” She figured they had to be designed that way to keep water from pooling on them. Plus, a lot of the buildings had a hint of green mold to them, as if they never dried out.
When Evander didn’t respond, she asked, “How long will it take us to reach the palace?”
“A couple of days.”
“What are we going to do if the assassin finds us before we arrive?”
He groaned. “Do you normally talk this much?”
She narrowed her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she replied curtly. “Would you rather I quietly sit here, not speaking the entire time we travel, so I don’t bother you? Let’s not forget you’re the one who kidnapped me and got me into this situation in the first place.” She folded her arms, pouting, though she wasn’t actually serious. She was just teasing him because it was so easy and fun to do.
He sighed. “Since we’ll be stopping at night, I plan to leave a clue for Ex. He’ll eventually figure out where we’re headed. I expect he’ll be a day or two behind us by the time we reach the palace.”
“Aren’t you worried about luring this assassin to your family’s home?” While she understood this was a kingdom known for producing assassins, and Evander had said the palace was well-guarded, it still seemed dangerous to bring this man there on purpose. It didn’t seem right to endanger the royal family.
He chuckled. “Trust me when I say that no one in my family is afraid of a single assassin.”
She supposed that when one was trained in the art of killing, a single assassin wouldn’t be as much of a threat as he would be to a commoner. “What about two assassins?”
He considered her. “Personally, I’d be concerned if I encountered six or seven. That’s where I have difficulty protecting myself.”
“Is everyone in your family trained like you are?” She recalled Otto telling her that Evander was the leader of the Crimson Cloaks. At least she thought that was what Otto called the assassin league. She didn’t know how that worked with regards to the royal family. She also knew that the Avoni kingdom had originally been ruled by five families until one managed to take over and establish control. To this day, there were still five assassin guilds.
“Yes. And each of us is trained to handle a situation such as this one. You have nothing to worry about.”
She found his situation fascinating. While her brothers had been trained to either be the future king, leader of the army, a League member, or simply be a flirt, Evander and his siblings had learned the art of killing. She shivered and pulled her cloak tightly around her. She wanted to ask him how he came to be the leader of his assassin guild. However, she wasn’t sure she was ready to hear the answer. She’d have to ask him another time. Maybe once Ex was taken care of and she was safely in Lynk.
“To be honest, I’m not sure my family will be at the main palace,” he said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a round loaf of bread. He tore it in half and handed a piece to Sabine. “We have several palaces and we move around constantly. I chose to go to the main one simply because it’s the closest to our present location.”
She took a bite of bread.
“Are you ready for your next lesson?” he asked.
She nodded, eager to learn more.
He angled his head so she could see directly into his green eyes. “Today’s lesson is to learn the art of being quiet.”
She huffed as she ate her bread, glaring at him.
“Instead of talking to fill the silence, I want you to learn to listen to your surroundings.”
She suspected he just wanted her to stop talking. Maybe he truly enjoyed it being quiet. What a strange man.
“If something sounds off, then there’s a problem. For example, if you’re outdoors, and the birds are suddenly quiet, you’d better hide. It means that someone is near and has probably already spotted you.”
Sabine shivered.
“Also,” he continued, “pay attention to what’s around you at all times. Like now, what do you see?”
She shrugged. “A few boats in the water, some homes on the shoreline.”
“Good. So, if all of a sudden, there’s an increase or decrease in the number of boats, you’d want to take note. Right now, I know without looking, that there are three boats behind us and two ahead. I know the number of people in each one, whether they’re male or female, and if they’re carrying supplies.”
She hadn’t noticed any of those things.
“Your lesson for today is to start paying attention to everything around you. Not only what you see, but what you hear as well.”
“I can do that.”
“It’s harder than you think,” he said. “It means you have to clear your mind from thinking of other things and just be in the present moment.”
She nodded.
“Shall we give it a try?” he asked.
“Yes.” Sabine sat there, observing her surroundings and listening to the water lapping against the boat, the frogs on the shoreline, and the birds overhead. She didn’t know how long they’d been traveling, but the homes and stores on both sides of the canal hadn’t stopped yet. She supposed most people would want to live close to the canal since it was used for transportation and exchanging goods. She wondered how many blocks deep the towns were. And if this was one large town or several all lined up next to one another.
A piece of bread hit her on the forehead. She blinked, startled.
“Focus,” Evander hissed.
Sabine just ignored him because he was right. Paying attention to her surroundings proved to be rather difficult when her mind kept wandering to other more interesting topics.
* * *
They traveled all day without any additional conversation. Every time Sabine went to say something, Evander would pelt her with a piece of bread and tell her to focus on her surroundings. He said it was not only for her benefit, but his as well. He didn’t want her distracting him since he knew Ex was tracking them. To catch an assassin, they had to think like one. She honestly couldn’t tell if this was the truth or he just didn’t want to deal with her. It wasn’t like she was all that chatty. But seriously, it was boring sitting in a boat all day floating along a canal. Not talking.
At sunset, Evander used the pole to steer them to one of the docks jutting out from the land. After tying the boat up, they got out.
“Stay right next to me,” he said. “And keep your hood up and head down.”
They entered the town. All of the structures were made from similar dark wood and had those oddly slanted green roofs. Signs hung above the doors to the buildings. They had strange markings Sabine couldn’t read, so she had no idea what they were looking for as they made their way along a narrow wooden pathway, a stream next to it. Evander had mentioned that there were a lot of waterways, and Sabine was beginning to think that Avoni had been built on water.
Evander guided her along with purpose, as if he knew exactly where they were going. He’d said he wanted to travel where he was familiar, so perhaps he knew these towns well. He led her across a narrow bridge and to one of the taller buildings. Inside, lanterns hung from the ceiling, providing just enough light to see. There were about three dozen tables, most full with people. Evander reached out, taking hold of Sabine’s hand, and leading her to the back wall where they sat at a table next to one of the open windows.
Sabine peered out, seeing another stream directly below. “Do boats travel through these waterways as well? Or only in the larger canal?” She hoped she was permitted to talk and she didn’t have to make it through supper doing another exercise in observing her surroundings.
“Just the larger canals,” he said, waving a server over. “I’ll order food for the both of us.”
Sabine nodded. She’d never eaten in an establishment such as this and had no idea how one went about deciding what to eat. While Evander spoke to the woman, Sabine examined her left hand. The one Evander had held. It meant nothing, of course. But the feeling of his skin against hers had been warm and comforting. Strange that a simple touch could feel that way. By an assassin no less.
Once the server left, Evander leaned back in his chair. “These waterways are too narrow for boats. There are thousands of them crisscrossing the towns.”
“Avoni is a fascinating kingdom.” It was beautiful and unlike anything she’d seen before. So different from the flat, farming land in Bakley and the mountain towns in Lynk. Sitting there, she scanned the room, looking at the faces of those around her. There was a mixture of skin tones and hair color. While she hadn’t seen many people with red hair before, Evander didn’t stand out as much as she thought he would since there was such a variety here.
Like the delegation that had visited Lynk, most of the people here wore long-sleeved shirts, pants, and many even had on gloves. Granted, it was colder here so it made sense, but she still found it strange. “Do women not wear dresses in Avoni?”
He leaned forward, closer to her. “They do. But it’s not necessarily practical. Women mostly wear dresses for special occasions.”
The server returned with two bowls of soup. After she left, Evander examined and smelled both of them. “It’s safe,” he mumbled, shoving one of them in Sabine’s direction.
“I’m surprised you can eat anything you didn’t prepare yourself.” Lifting her spoon, she took a small bite. It tasted wonderful, though she had no idea what kind of soup it was.
“I’m trained to detect most poisons,” he said. “I also carry a handful of antidotes with me. And I know the owner of this establishment. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be eating here.”
She remembered seeing him in the kitchen at the house in Nisk. She’d assumed he’d been making poisons, not something to neutralize them.
As they ate, along the waterway, people began to light the lanterns hanging outside the buildings. The light reflected on the water like stars, giving the town a magical feel.
When they had finished eating, the server approached them again. She said something to Evander in a language Sabine didn’t understand. He thanked her and she left.
“What was that about?” Sabine asked.
“She said, as of now, Ex hasn’t been spotted in this town.”
“Did you ask her about him?”
“When I ordered the food I did.”
“Does she know who you are?”
“Yes, but not in the way you think.” He leaned forward on the table, closer to her. “This establishment is loyal to my assassin guild.” He tapped his wrist, where his tattoo was, hidden by his long sleeve. “The information I receive, and the loyalty of this place, is from being a part of that guild and not because I am a member of the royal family.”
She reached out and took hold of his hand, pushing his sleeve up just enough to catch a glimpse of his tattoo. She traced her finger over the marking. She’d never seen anything like it. It was a deep red line encircling his wrist with thorns on it. So many questions she wanted to ask, but she knew now was not the time or place.
“It’s one of the reasons we wear long sleeves. We only reveal our association as needed.” He pushed his sleeve down then twisted his hand, taking hold of hers and pulling her up. “Let’s be on our way.”
The two of them wound their way past the tables and toward the door. Sabine noticed a few people glance at Evander but quickly look away. She wondered if they knew who he was.
Outside, he tilted his head to the left, and they headed to the building next door. “We’ll stay here for the night.” He opened the door.
Like the previous inn, this one had a plain room for receiving guests. After Evander paid for a room and got a key, he took Sabine down the hallway to the last door on the left.
The tiny room contained a bed on the floor and nothing else. There was barely enough space for the two of them to move around the bed.
Evander shut and locked the door. “I’m sorry, but this is all they have available.”
“There’s no room for you to sleep on the floor,” she pointed out.
“I know. We’re going to have to share the bed.”
“But…” She couldn’t share a bed with another man. It wouldn’t be appropriate. The ramifications if someone found out were astronomical.
“You can try to sleep on the floor if you don’t trust me to keep my hands to myself,” he said. “You’re smaller might fit between the bed and the wall.” He removed his cloak, rolling it up and placing it along the bottom of the door.
“That’s not it.” If Rainer found out, her reputation would be called into question and he’d never forgive her.
“Ah,” Evander said, a smile on his face. “You’re afraid you won’t be able to keep your hands off me.”
Her eyes narrowed, not having expected him to joke with her in such a way. She removed her cloak. “We can’t share a bed,” she said. “If people find out…” Rainer could have her killed. Just like his father had done to his mother. Her hands began to shake.
“We’re sharing a room,” he pointed out. “If anyone discovers that, it makes no difference if we’re in the same bed or not.” He sat on the edge of the bed, removing his boots. “It’s not safe for you to be alone.” He stretched out on the bed, on top of the blankets. “If you’re worried about your husband, I’m sorry. It’s unfortunate he doesn’t trust you or believe what you say. The fact of the matter is I am here as your protection. If Rainer values your life, and I think he does, he has to understand I am only here to keep you alive. If something happens to you, I’m sure he’ll make it his mission in life to kill me for your death.”
Everything Evander said made sense. However, she’d been brought up knowing how important perceptions were. Not seeing a way around it, she removed her shoes, she snuffed out the candle, then slid under the blankets, keeping her back to Evander.
“Goodnight,” he said, amusement dancing in that one single word.
“Night,” Sabine mumbled, trying not to let her frustration seep through. It wasn’t his fault they had to share a bed.
Lying there, a strange sensation filled her with the realization that she’d never been in bed with a man before. She’d assumed she would have slept at Rainer’s side on their wedding night. However, not only had they not shared a bed, they hadn’t even consummated their marriage.
She couldn’t help but think of the stark contrasts between Rainer and Evander.
* * *
Sabine peeled her eyelids open, finding her left arm draped over Evander’s chest, her leg on top of his. “Oh,” she murmured, wondering how that had happened with him on top of the covers and her beneath them. She glanced up at his face and saw him staring back at her. “I’m sorry.” She extricated herself from him and sat up.
“No need to be sorry,” he said, his voice gravelly. “But we should get going.” He rubbed his eyes.
Horrified she’d been the one cuddling with him, Sabine went over and gathered her cloak and bag.
Evander stood and did the same.
She put the cloak on, pulling the hood up. “I’m ready.”
He tilted his head to the side, stretching his neck.
“What’s the plan for today?” she asked, not really caring but wanting to break the odd tension between them.
“Same as yesterday.” He opened the door.
The two of them went down the hallway and exited the inn. The sky was just beginning to lighten. However, dark clouds covered the sky, promising rain. The two of them headed along the wooden walkway.
Sabine lifted her hands to her mouth, blowing hot air on them, trying to warm up. “It’s vastly different here than in—” She didn’t get to finish her sentence because Evander yanked her to the side and into an alcove.
He shoved her against a door while covering her body with his. His green eyes turned furious, making her cower with the intensity and hatred in them. He released her and turned so his back was now against her front.
She was about to ask him what was going on when he removed his hood, exposing his face.
“The only way to her is through me,” he shouted. “Would you dare kill your own prince and commit treason?”
Cold terror slid through Sabine. The assassin had found them.
The door she was leaning against opened, and she fell backward.