Page 26 of Sword of Desire
“Can you sneak into his room and slit his throat?” They were only a few rooms away. Maybe if the two of them worked together, they could overpower Lyle.
“If I could, I would. Why do you think Ackley allowed you to come here?”
She already knew the answer.
Seeing the understanding on her face, he continued, “When Lyle goes to sleep at night, he sets a series of traps. If I so much as turn the door handle, a knife will be embedded in me. If I climb up the side of the castle to go in through the window, a guard will see me. Even if I go through your room to the adjoining room, the second I turn the door handle for Lyle’s room, I’ll be impaled by a sword. The man is paranoid. And for good reason.”
She shivered, thankful she’d never tried going into her husband’s room when he was in there. “Truly, the only way to kill him is for me to do it?”
He nodded. “When you’re lying next to him while he’s sleeping,” he said dryly. “Assuming he even allows that.”
Back in Penlar, they’d shared a bed nightly. Here, since they had separate rooms, she didn’t know what would happen once they reestablished marital relations. He very well could send her back to her room once he finished with her.
“Have you ever killed someone before?” Rikter asked.
“No.” When that man had grabbed her in Penlar, threatening her with a knife, she’d tried stabbing him to get free. However, she’d been so consumed with fear that she hadn’t thought properly about where to strike the man and how much force to use. She’d barely made a scratch. She didn’t know if she could stab Lyle hard enough, deep enough, to kill him. She didn’t know if she could murder someone—even someone she hated.
“Are you okay?” Rikter asked.
“How did you learn to tolerate killing another person?” Maybe if she detached herself from the situation, she could manage it. However, that almost made it worse. Somehow, the rage was what fueled her to do something so violent.
He pursed his lips. “Why do you think I’m able to tolerate it?”
“I just assumed.” She hugged herself, considering what had to be done in order to save her cousin and her kingdom. “Why would Ackley send me here to kill Lyle?” She wasn’t physically or mentally strong enough to do it.
“Because you’re the only one.”
“I don’t know if I can.” Tears filled her eyes.
He nodded, as if he understood the emotions twisting through her head like a windstorm. “Consider this. If you don’t kill Lyle, then it’ll have to be on a battlefield with hundreds of lives lost.”
Her shoulders drooped, as if the weight of the kingdom rested on them.
“I must go.” He turned and left the room.
Harley stood in the middle of Oriana’s room feeling utterly useless and alone. Ackley should have prepared her better. He should have trained her how to kill, how to spy, how to take down a monarch. Throwing her in here like he did…did he even love her? Or did he love the idea of her? Maybe she was simply a means to an end, and he was only using her.
She wiped the tears already falling. Her night was not over. She needed to enact the second part of her plan. She exited Oriana’s room and headed back to hers. Inside her own bedchamber again, she ruffled her hair to ensure it appeared she just woke up. Then she went over to her door, throwing it open. She didn’t want to make too much noise—as if she were trying to, but she couldn’t be too quiet either. Then she went through the antechamber and opened the door to the hallway. She rushed to the guards.
They both stood straighter, startled to see her.
“Is something the matter, Lady Harley?” the one closest to her asked.
“I just had a terrible nightmare and am in dire need of some warm milk.” She hugged her body.
“I’ll go and get you a cup. Wait here.”
She nodded, hiding her smile. Now when Lyle questioned why the antechamber door had been opened in the middle of the night, she’d have a verifiable reason.
* * *
Harley tossed and turned, thoughts of killing consuming her. Unable to sleep, she finally gave up and got out of bed. She dressed and went downstairs just as first light approached. One of the sentries on duty led her to the stables where Lyle was saddling two horses.
“You’ll use this one,” Lyle said as he tightened the girth strap of the smaller animal.
Harley took the reins, and Lyle helped her mount. She settled on the saddle as Lyle climbed onto his horse. He took hold of her reins and led them out of the stables to where a group of three dozen mounted soldiers waited.
“Where are we headed?” Harley asked. The sky had cleared, not a cloud in sight as the sun crested the land.
