Page 6 of The Shadow & the King
The sheen of sweat that had covered Lunette's skin during her encounter with Basil evaporated into the cool night air as she walked through the streets of Delkos. The deep blue of the night sky blanketed the city, and warm puddles of firelight spilled out of windows along the street.
Her mind was in turmoil. Starting a tryst with the king of Delkos was certainly not the job she'd been hired for. She had talked herself up for her second attempt, and had immediately gotten so intoxicated by his presence that she had given in to her desires. She couldn't believe herself. What a failure of an assassin she was turning out to be.
She'd even asked to go back the next night, to see him again. What had come over her? She just wanted to be with him, more than she'd wanted anything ever. There were a few more nights before the solstice. She still had time to salvage this. The problem was… she didn't want to. She didn't want to kill Basilious. She liked him. She had no idea what a future would even look like with him—he was a king, and she was ridiculous for even entertaining that line of thinking. Even if he wanted her in the way he'd shown her last night, he couldn't possibly want anything more with her. She had heard whispers across the city that he was to announce his engagement in a few days, so whatever they were doing could be no more than a dalliance.
One particular building on the quiet end of a side street caught Lunette's interest; it was surprisingly quiet for a tavern. She desperately wanted a glass of wine, so she stepped into the cozy space. People huddled in twos and threes at small tables scattered around the main room. A massive hearth blazed on the far wall, and a harpist sat in the corner playing a lively tune.
Alcohol didn't affect vampires the same as humans, but Lunette enjoyed a glass of wine every so often anyway. Rather than causing intoxication, she found it relaxed her. In all her 300 years, she'd never been quite as confused about what she should do as she found herself now.
Lunette surveyed the room, and was immediately drawn to a massive pair of folded wings. They appeared to belong to a large feline creature that sat alone at a low table not far from the hearth. Lunette stepped up to the bar and ordered a glass of a spicy red wine favored in Sartya before sauntering over to the winged figure. Now that she had a better view, she could tell this person was a manticore, one of the elusive non-human natives of Sartya. Perhaps some interesting conversation would distract her from her troubles.
"Room for one more?" Lunette asked, and the manticore looked up at her before gesturing to the empty seat at the table.
"Sure," the manticore answered simply, waving a massive hand in invitation.
"My name's Lunette, I use she and her. You're not from around hereeither, are you?"
"What gave it away?" The manticore's eyes crinkled slightly with mirth, and Lunette instantly liked them.
"Well, I know Delkos is a bit of a haven for us non-humans, but I can't say manticores are particularly common outside of Sartya as far as I'm aware."
"I'm surprised you've heard of us at all, to be honest. We're not the most social bunch. My name's Mav, I also use she and her."
"It's wonderful to meet you, Mav. What brings you to Delkos? Is it your first visit?"
"It is not my first visit. In fact, I'm here rather frequently. I'm the captain of the king's guard in Zhava City, so I'm here on business quite a bit." Mav took a long pull from her frothy ale before continuing. "And you?"
"It's my first time here—also for work, but of a less savory sort I'm afraid." Lunette's lips tilted up in a smirk as she spoke and Mav let out a chuckle.
"I see, a woman of secrets, then. You remind me a bit of my wife, Colette. She was a jewel thief when we met, and the most wanted criminal in Sartya. A real thorn in my paw, to be honest." Mav spoke with obvious affection tingeing her voice.
"She sounds like my kind of person. Though, I think I'm finding myself in a rather similar bind right now. I… think I'm developing feelings for someone I've only met recently, but they just feel right. They are, conveniently, the last person in Domhan na Rùin I should be romantically involved with."
Mav laughed knowingly at Lunette's words, and sighed.
"That does indeed sound very similar to the problem I faced when I fell in love with Colette. It helped that she's my mate—obviously if either of us had not wanted the partnership, it would have been different, but it made us more open to taking our feelings seriously. I think if you’re finding closeness, attraction, and understanding with someone, you shouldexplore it fully before you turn away because of circumstances outside your control."
Mav's advice hung in the air between them. Lunette sipped her wine, the tannins dry on her tongue. She pulled air into her lungs, savoring the scent of warm bread and sweet mead that filled the tavern. She knew Mav was right—knew it deep down in her bones. She needed to see what could become of her and Basil, no matter how rushed or ill-advised it might seem. All of the reasons not to could be navigated if she really wanted to try, and she did.
"You give sage advice. Colette is a lucky woman," Lunette smiled and raised her glass to her. Mav returned the gesture, and Lunette felt some of the tension drain out of her body now that she knew what she was going to do. She resolved to tell Basil who had hired her, and to call off her contract. Her trip to Delkos would be extended if all went to plan.
After a few roundsof drinks spent in Mav's pleasant company, Lunette bid the captain goodnight and slipped into the now empty street. She found herself eager for the following night, when she could seek out Basil again and tell him what she wanted.
As Lunette rounded a corner, a strong hand grasped her by the shoulder. In barely a second, she had one of her daggers unsheathed and pressed to her attacker's throat. The man had fear in his eyes, and his grasp on her loosened instantly. A throat cleared from the shadows nearby, and a gnarled older man stepped toward her.
She recognized him as one of the advisors that had been with Basilious at his public session that day.
"Madame D'Ancienne, I am sorry to say I am quite frustrated to meet you. I had thought our business was of the sort that would not require us to speak in person. However, since we're here, I'll introduce myself. I'm Chief Advisor Turios, your employer during your stay here in Delkos." Turios—the man who'd hired her. She'd not known he was one of Basil's advisors; they’d never met face-to-face, only through coded letters. The fact that he worked so closely with Basilious piqued Lunette's curiosity—what cause could one of Basil's most trusted colleagues have to plan his demise?
Lunette decided she didn't particularly care why, and was about to take the opportunity to strike him down, when she felt the sharp point of a blade against the back of her neck.
"I think we'll remain civil here, Lunette. May I call you that?" Lunette bared her fangs at him.
"Lunette, we had a contract, and you are behind schedule. Did you not think my eyes would see that you've made it into Basil's chambers twice now? I didn't hire you to sleep with him, you vampire harlot. You will kill him by tomorrow night, or you will find yourself in a rather inescapable position. Do we understand one another?"
Lunette knew if she tried to strike again that blade would go straight into her lungs. She wouldn't be caught so unaware next time, but for now, she nodded.
"Very well. Good evening, Madame D'Ancienne." Turios turned to walk away into the night, his pair of guards following close behind. She watched them disappear, feeling even more resolved to tell Basil about this awful man. She would enjoy watching him be brought to justice.
