Cage of Deceit(42)

The rest of her guards rushed toward the man. Jarvik ordered the Fren soldiers to hold their position. Marek was still clutching onto her arm. The man had all three of her guards on the ground in no time at all. Jarvik yelled at Marek to take her away from there. Allyssa knew she shouldn’t turn and run because then the man could overpower her from behind. She removed her daggers and stood her ground.

Marek cursed when he realized she wouldn’t cooperate. He bent down to pick her up.

“Don’t touch me,” she said. “That’s a direct order.” He hesitated. “If you don’t listen, I’ll have you dismissed.”

The man ran forward, directly toward her.

Jarvik yelled at her for not listening while Marek stood in front of her, attempting to shield her from harm. When the man was only five feet away, Jarvik’s men surrounded him, but the man was able to render them all unconscious in less than thirty seconds. The only ones left were Allyssa, Jarvik, and Marek.

“Like I said before,” the man sneered, not even winded, “I want to speak to the girl alone.”

“Who are you?” Jarvik demanded.

“If you don’t allow me to speak with her, I’ll kill the two of you, and then I’ll have her all alone, unprotected. The choice is yours.”

Allyssa knew Marek would rather die than leave her side, so she stepped toward the man, still clutching her daggers. Marek went to grab her, but she quickly swerved out of his reach and moved closer to the man.

“Don’t go any nearer,” Jarvik said. “He’s an assassin.”

Allyssa stood still. If the man meant to kill her, he would have done it by now.

“I want to speak with you privately,” he quietly said so only she could hear. His face remained hidden under his hood.

“This is all I can offer you.”

He reached for her arm, so she twisted and smacked his wrist with her dagger. “Keep your hands off me,” she said. “You can speak softly and no one will hear. Now hurry up, you have one minute.”

“What is your name?” he demanded.

Her heart thudded in her chest, and relief filled her. He didn’t know who she was. Still, she needed to proceed with caution. “What’s your name?” she countered, unsure where her bravado came from.

A few of the guards on the ground started to moan as they came back to consciousness.

“Do you work in the castle?” he asked. She nodded. “I have a proposition for you. Meet me in three days’ time. Come to the tavern at the Wooden Inn. Alone.” He turned and strode away without waiting for her response.

Marek was immediately at her side. “I don’t know if I should hug you because you’re alive, or kill you for not listening. You’re infuriating.”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one who wants to kill her,” Jarvik said. “Seems there’s a long list. I’ll get in line.”

Allyssa ignored them and replayed the encounter with the assassin in her mind. He wanted to meet her alone in three days. She rubbed her tired face and realized her arms were shaking.

Marek went over to the men on the ground, helping them to their feet.

Jarvik stepped closer to her. “What did the assassin want?”

“We’re in the middle of a public street in the city. Is that really what you think we should be discussing right now? Especially when you have men lying on the ground?”

He glanced around. “You’re right.” He bent down, checking the pulse of one of his men.

Allyssa was too stunned to respond. Did Jarvik just say she was right?



Sitting in the alcove, Allyssa kept the curtains drawn shut, hoping no one would find her. She’d even instructed her guards to stay out of sight so they wouldn’t announce her presence in the library. Reading through a book on wooden jewelry, she found one paragraph that mentioned an old peasant tradition where a wooden ring was given from a man to the woman he wished to court. If she fancied the giver, she would wear the ring on her finger. It was an ancient tradition from centuries ago, before the reigning kingdoms of today even existed.

“I thought I’d find you here,” Jarvik said, slipping between the curtains and taking a seat across from Allyssa.

“I’m busy and wish to be left alone,” she said, not bothering to look up.

“What are you reading?” he asked, tilting his head to the side so he could see the title better.

“I’m supposed to be reading books my tutor assigns me,” she said, trying to avoid answering his question.

“And your tutor assigned you books on wooden jewelry and the rivers of the continent?”

Why did he have to be so observant? It was highly annoying. She slammed the book shut.