Page 1 of A Rose Among Snakes

Prologue

The door swung open with a rattling creak and slammed against the wall, jarring the prisoner awake. A man dressed head to toe in black stormed in, a hood pulled tight over his face shielding his identity. The disguise was not for the prisoner, though. Stomach sinking, he recognized the visitor the second he opened his eyes, even in the dimly lit room. The guard assigned to keep watch over him stood in the corner, sinking into the shadows with arms folded across his chest. The hooded man stopped directly in front of the cell bars.

“Key,” he demanded of the guard, sticking out his hand.

The guard shuffled across the wooden floor and fumbled through a set of keys attached to his belt. The hooded man tapped his toe but kept his attention on the prisoner. Once the correct key was located the guard placed it in the hooded man’s open palm, then retreated to the shadows.

He turned the key slowly in the lock, the gears grating as they rotated. The door opened with a rusty, metallic shriek as the hooded man entered the cell. Swallowing his fear, the prisoner got to his feet and stood tall, glaring at the face he despised still concealed by the hood. Without warning, the hooded man’s fistcollided with the prisoner’s jaw, sending him sprawling on his backside. He shook his head in an attempt to clear the stars from his vision, only to be met with another blow, this time a crushing kick to his windpipe.

Flat on his back and gasping for breath, the prisoner was unable to fight back when the hooded man grabbed him by his shirt and threw him into the wall. He lay slumped in the corner, disoriented and stunned, but he still recognized the metallic ring of a short sword being unsheathed. He turned his head to face the hooded man and could only watch as a flash of moonlight glinted off the blade as it sliced through the stagnant air. The guard in the corner gasped and stepped forward, eyes wide with horror, his hands limp at his sides.

The hooded man shoved his sword in so swiftly the prisoner didn’t have time to prepare. Searing, agonizing pain radiated from the wound, heat and ice spasming through his veins. Impulse had his lips forming a plea, but pride kept the word from escaping. Still holding the handle, the hooded man knelt and grabbed the prisoner by his hair, bringing their faces close together.

“This is what traitors get,” he hissed, spit flying from his lips and landing on the prisoner’s cheek as he pushed his hood back. The prisoner stared into merciless black eyes as he slipped into oblivion, his last thoughts of his family and all the ways he’d failed to protect them.

Part One

Chapter One

“So, you’re really going to do it?” Taz’s deep-blue eyes fixed on mine. Her brows were crumpled in disbelief, tan arms crossed over her chest.

I glanced around and kept my voice steady despite the twinge of guilt in my gut.

“I am.”

Taz continued to hold my stare, sipping wine from a clay goblet, as if testing my resolve. When I didn’t cave, a smile spread across her face. “Well, it’s about time, honestly. When do you leave?”

I shushed her. “Keep your voice down. I haven’t told anyone yet.” I grabbed her by the elbow and steered her away from the open field toward the deserted tree line.

“Alright, ease up, Mihrra. I get it.”

I released my grip and sighed. It wasn’t her fault I was so wound up. Besides, in all the years I’d known Taz, she had never once revealed any of my secrets. We stood in silence, watching the revelry of the celebration following my younger sister’s nuptials. The villagers of Roben were unveiling the dishes they brought to share, placing them on the long, wooden tables standing inthe grass. The scent of roasted meats, herbed vegetables, pies, and cakes wafted through the spring air, mingling with Roben’s usual aromas of freshly tilled earth and livestock to create a perplexing bouquet for my nose. I could hear the rhythmic pounding of a drum accompanied by fiddles and a flute, guiding our guests through a dance that rotated around the besotted bride and groom.

Taz brushed a hand down the front of her rose-colored gown. “Remind me again what exactly it is you’ll be doing?”

“I accepted a position as Lady’s Maid for Kezara Blaise.”

Taz’s head snapped up, her rich brown hair swaying. “I beg your pardon?”

I furrowed my brow in confusion, unsure how to respond, and opted for a sip of wine instead.

“Did you say KezaraBlaise?”

A morsel of impatience crept into my tone. “Yes?”

“Mihrra, do you have any idea what you’ve stumbled upon?” Her eyes were nearly popping out of her head.

“Should I?”

Taz threw her free arm up in exasperation. “I forget you’ve never left Roben.”

I frowned, fully irritated now. “Not true. I’ve been to Frommhelm.”

“The neighboring village does not count. Mihrra, the Blaise family made Port Deering what it is today. They are practically royalty.”

I contemplated the new information, a sinking feeling settling in my belly. Taz was right, I’d never left home; who did I think I was, applying for such a lofty position? I had spent the last six years as a Lady’s Maid to an elderly woman in Frommhelm. However, a month ago she told me she had run out of funds and was moving to live with her son in Clavo, the capital city of Terrune. The close proximity of her home and her dwindling funds allowed me to sleep at home every night. My days were spent tending to her every need, but she was just a woman, not a prominent member of society.

I swallowed my doubt and flung my heavy, golden braid behind my shoulder. This new position was worth a shot if only for the generous wage offered, and I wasn’t going to let insecurities take that from me.

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