Chapter 34
Corinne’s eyes flew open, and she was disoriented for a moment at the sight of Aryel’s bedroom ceiling.
A breeze blew through the room from the open balcony doors.
Aryel was still asleep beside her, one arm draped over her middle, but something had woken her, put her on edge.
She sat up, scanning the room, and Aryel stirred, his hand grasping at the fabric around her waist.
“Sleep, Sunshine,” he murmured, eyes still closed.
Movement to her right. The gleam of a knife and—cold metal at her throat. A rough hand grabbed her by the hair and hauled her away from Aryel, who sat up with a jolt as she yelped. Aryel froze as Corinne tried to focus her panicked thoughts.
A man’s voice, low and sinister as he forced her upright near the edge of the bed, crept into her ear. “Make a sound and she’s dead.”
Aryel raised his hands slowly, his eyes widening at the knife pressed against Corinne’s neck. She grasped at the man’s arm, and he pressed the blade harder into her skin.
“They said you’d be alone,” the man growled, his breath hot against Corinne’s ear. “I wasn’t paid to kill two, so come quietly and I’ll let her live, Prince.”
“All right,” Aryel said carefully, locking eyes with Corinne. “I hear you. Don’t hurt her.”
“Are you with the Nightrenders?” Corinne growled.
The man’s grip on her hair tightened.
“I’m not telling you anything, noble trash,” he sneered.
So he didn’t know who she was. What she was.
Focus, Corinne. A breath in. On her exhale, she moved.
Her magic burst to life, and she sent it blasting into the man, who swore and stumbled backward, releasing her hair and dropping the knife.
Corinne leapt from the bed, light blazing at her fingertips as she stood between him and Aryel.
She didn’t give him time to react—she hurled another blast of light at him, and he dodged, rolling on the floor and nearly colliding with the wall.
Corinne ran at him, ducking a second knife he’d pulled from his belt and swiped at her. She caught his arm, but he was faster than she expected, using her momentum to send them both to the floor. He gained the upper hand and plunged the knife downward.
The furious face of a young man scowled at her, lit by her magic as she gripped his arm to stop the knife from piercing her heart.
“You all said he’d be alone!” he hissed.
Corinne snarled up at him, preparing to hurl him off her, but a pair of hands grabbed the man’s shirt and yanked him backward.
Corinne landed a kick to his sternum as Aryel heaved their assailant away from her.
He gasped for air but still tried to stab the prince, who danced out of the way just in time.
Corinne flung light at him again, this time landing a blow squarely in the center of his chest. He crumpled to the ground.
“Corinne!”
She turned to her right as Aryel tossed her sword to her. The moment she caught it, her magic illuminated down the blade. Doggedly, the man got to his feet again and ran at Corinne.
She caught him on the tip of her sword. It ran him through with ease, and the knife fell from his hand, blood blooming along his front and dribbling from his mouth. Corinne yanked her sword out of him and let his body slump to the floor. Blood pooled across the stone.
He twitched, then stilled.
Her arm went limp at her side, her sword suddenly impossibly heavy, and she stumbled. Aryel was at her back in an instant, arms around her middle as he helped her gently sink to the ground.
He was here to kill Ari. And might have succeeded had Corinne not been there. She began to tremble as she stared at the dead man, gripping Aryel’s arm to remind herself he was there, he was safe.
Reason slowly returned as she forced herself to take one, two, three breaths. She was covered in blood, her magic still glowing along her skin, and she was wearing nothing but Aryel’s shirt as he held her in the darkness.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
“No,” Corinne said hoarsely. “You?”
“No.”
They sat in silence for a few more moments before the reality of everything barreled into Corinne like a tidal wave.
“Ari,” she said, her voice thick. “We can’t hide this.”
He took a moment to respond, his heart thudding against her back.
“Put your own clothes back on,” he said, tugging her upward with him as he stood.
“They’ll find out,” Corinne said, panic squeezing her chest. “The Lightguards, your parents—”
“No, they won’t,” he said, taking her face in his hands. “We’ll tell them I woke and called for help. You were outside my door.”
With a shaky breath, Corinne nodded. She quickly retrieved her shirt and trousers from the floor, as well as the wrap for her breasts. Aryel’s shirt barely reached her mid-thigh, and she quickly pulled it off.
“Here,” he said, holding out his hand, and Corinne handed him the shirt, her eyes lighting on his forearm.
“You are hurt,” she said, pulling her trousers on as quickly as she could.
Blood ran down his skin from a slice across his forearm.
“It’s nothing,” he said, tugging the shirt over his head and grimacing at the blood on it.
Corinne wrapped her breasts and redonned her shirt, trying not to think about how her clothing had come off. The bliss of that moment was so far removed from the present that she felt queasy.
“Okay,” Aryel said once they were both fully clothed, looking down at the dead assassin. “I called for help, you rushed in, fired your magic at him, and ran him through.”
Corinne’s mouth twisted as she nodded, fighting panic and dread again. She reached for Aryel’s injured arm, turning him toward her. Without a word, she called her magic to her fingers and let it run into him, healing it in moments.
“Thank you,” he whispered, touching his forehead to hers.
“We have to alert the castle guard,” Corinne said, her voice small.
“All right,” he said, breathing deeply. He leaned in to kiss her, just once, and it wasn’t fiery or passionate this time, but more like a reminder that she was there, that they were both alive and both still them. “Let’s go find Captain Ekhana.”
“Double the guards at every entrance, and have them do a sweep of the perimeter,” Captain Ekhana barked to several subordinates. “Find out how someone got into the castle undetected now.”
Corinne fought the instinct to take Aryel’s hand as they followed Captain Ekhana through the corridors, headed for the prince’s chambers with two other guards behind them.
The king and queen had been sent for, and soon everyone in the castle would know an assassin had breached the walls and tried to kill the prince.
Corinne was sick with rage and disbelief.
All the extra security measures, including the new implementations from the Lightguards, and still someone had slipped through and climbed the wall leading to Aryel’s balcony.
She couldn’t dwell on what might have happened if she hadn’t been in Aryel’s bed, if she’d insisted she stand outside his door.
“Are either of you injured?” Captain Ekhana asked, opening the doors to the breezeway for them.
“I had a small cut, but Corinne healed it,” Aryel said.
Ekhana nodded, allowing Aryel to lead the way to his chambers and inside. The captain stepped around Aryel’s bed and stared down at the dead assassin.
“Goddess,” he muttered. He turned to the guards who had followed them. “Get this body out of here.”
They came forward immediately, heaving the body between them. Sticky, half-dried blood remained on the stone floor.
A shriek made Corinne turn abruptly, and the king and queen stepped into Aryel’s bedroom. Queen Erina had a hand clapped over her mouth. Her eyes darted from the dead man to Aryel, and she rushed forward to embrace her son.
“I’m fine, Mother,” he said quietly, wrapping one arm around her.
King Theo watched with rageful eyes as the guards toted the dead assassin out of the room. “What in the name of Helaera happened?” he demanded.
“I woke up right before he attacked me,” Aryel said as his mother released him. “I avoided injury besides a cut to the arm before Corinne rushed in.”
“Captain Ekhana, how did this happen?” the king asked, his voice rising. “We have made every effort to increase security of the castle, have we not?”
“We have, Your Majesty,” Captain Ekhana said, bowing. “But clearly something has failed. We will not rest until we discover how this man entered the castle grounds undetected.”
“It was bad enough that Aryel was attacked in the streets, and now this,” the king said. “You implemented the suggestions of the Lightguards, yes?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Summon them back immediately,” King Theo said, and Corinne’s heart sank. “I demand an explanation for this. You.” He looked to Corinne, and she stopped breathing. “I thought your kind was supposed to be unmatched in your power to protect and fight. Has our faith been misplaced?”
“She just saved my life,” Aryel said, stepping in front of Corinne, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “For the second time.”
“She wouldn’t have had to if someone hadn’t made a grave error,” King Theo said, his voice menacing. “I will find out who is responsible, and they will face punishment. I want everyone in the council room now.”
The king stalked off, slamming Aryel’s door as he went. Queen Erina hesitated, her face pale.
“Perhaps take a few minutes and clean yourselves,” she said, gesturing at Corinne and Aryel’s bloodstained appearances. “Captain Ekhana, I want two extra guards trailing Aryel alongside Corinne at all times.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Ekhana said with a bow. Queen Erina headed outside, and the captain sighed. “I’m sorry. To both of you.”
“This wasn’t your fault, Captain,” Aryel said.
“Well, we’ll hopefully discover the truth soon enough,” Ekhana said. “I’ll have two guards remain here while Corinne gets that blood off.”
Swallowing hard, Corinne nodded. Aryel’s fingers brushed her arm lightly as she passed, following Ekhana. She let herself hold his gaze for a second longer than was wise before the guards stepped inside. Aryel disappeared into his washroom, and Corinne made for the door.
“…want her there now. I don’t care about blood.”
Corinne halted by Captain Ekhana in the alcove, met by the king and queen having a quiet exchange. Their heads turned, and the king beckoned to Corinne.
“I don’t give a damn about bloodstains, and I expect as a warrior you shouldn’t either,” he said. “You can bathe later. Council room, now.”
Corinne bowed once and followed the king and queen, Captain Ekhana just behind her.
The blood on her body and clothing wouldn’t hurt her, but it did turn her stomach to leave it there.
She glanced at the sky as she walked down the breezeway; it had started to lighten, dawn fast approaching.
Corinne steeled her heart against whatever the day would bring.