Page 98 of The Queen's Crown
“She can’t be touched now that she’s been crowned,” someone whispered. “At least not by anyone here in Lynk.”
They were talking about her—and not many knew she’d been crowned. She leaned closer to the door, straining to hear the people whispering.
“No one knows she’s the queen. I can still arrange for her to be killed in a way that can’t be traced back to you. I promise.”
“It was supposed to be done the first time.”
“Technically it was when we took care of her sister. When you hired me, it was one person, not two. The fact that things have changed is not my fault. Besides, if you’d let me handle her death the way I wanted to, the mess in the sewing room wouldn’t have happened. That’s on you.”
Red filled the corners of Sabine’s vision as rage inundated her. She had to force herself to breathe slowly, trying to calm herself down, so she didn’t do something stupid like run out there and confront the murderers. If these were people from Avoni, they’d enter their rooms soon and she wouldn’t get another chance to see their faces. She had to look so she could identify them.
“Why did you want to meet me here?” the one whispered.
“To arrange a new deal,” the other answered. “I will plant evidence here that Avoni is responsible for her death.”
A ruffling noise sounded, though Sabine had no idea what it was.
A low chuckle filled the room. “Oh, that is good. I can see why your services are so valued. Yes, right there is perfect.”
“I want double my payment.”
“Done.”
“And now that this has been put in the room, we can go. I’ll take care of Sabine tonight.”
If Sabine didn’t look now, she’d never get the chance. She pulled the door toward her more, leaning her head out into the hallway.
She caught a glimpse of long, dark brown hair. The woman wore a navy-blue dress with a matching mask covered with feathers. The man at her side wore traditional Lynk clothing. The two of them exited the suite.
The second the door clicked shut, Sabine hurried from the room. She scanned the sitting area, looking for whatever had been left behind and not seeing anything. Not having time to lose, she turned, about to leave, when she spotted something on the floor, sticking out from under one of the sofas. She knelt and picked up the paper. It was a letter and written in her language. Not wanting to take the time to read it now, she shoved it in her dress and hurried from the room.
She used the servants’ passageway, counting the doors until she reached hers. She opened it and went inside. If an assassin was coming for her, she needed to return to the party and let Rainer know. She had to tell him everything she’d overheard. Not bothering to fix the bed, she exited the room and found her guard across the hallway, sitting on the floor beside a different door, slouched over. Sabine knelt and examined him. He had odd spots on his skin and his eyes were lifeless.
Bile rose in her throat. He was dead. The assassin must have killed him on his way to the guest suite. Thankfully the guard wasn’t at the door to the room she’d been in. However, that didn’t mean she was safe. The assassin could be searching the passageways right now. And Sabine was all alone.
She stood and ran. She had to get back to the masquerade and find Rainer.
The palace seemed oddly empty at this hour. She sprinted past the library, down another corridor, and then turned down the hallway leading to the throne room. The sound of music filled the air, and she spotted several sentries up ahead, putting her at ease.
She forced herself to slow.
“Princess,” one of the guards said, “is everything all right?”
Holding her head high, she assured him that it was.
“Princess Sabine,” Lottie said from behind her. “I was just looking for you.”
Relief filled her at Lottie’s presence. Together they could find Rainer and tell him what was going on. She wasn’t alone in this.
She turned around, about to tell Lottie everything, when she froze, unable to utter a single word.
Lottie was wearing a navy-blue dress and a mask covered with feathers. She was the woman with the assassin from the guest suite.
ChapterTwenty-Two
Sabine forced herself to maintain a smile as she faced the woman responsible for her sister’s death. Her entire body shook as she tried to grasp the fact that Lottie had hired an assassin to kill Alina. Questions swirled in her mind as to how and why. Then she remembered learning that Lottie was next in line for the throne. She had to find Rainer and tell him his sister was trying to overthrow him. And then another unwelcome realization hit her. Rainer already knew it was Lottie. That was why he’d secretly married Sabine. It felt as if her world tilted to the side.
“Are you all right?” Lottie asked.
