Page 39 of The Royal Throne
Jemes bowed again then left.
“Forgive me for asking,” Sabine said, “but what murders?”
“You don’t know?” Sarak said, leaning in closer and dropping her voice.
Sabine shook her head. “The king doesn’t confide in me.”
A new card game started.
“My husband said that everyone is scared. In the army camps, when they go to sleep, people are being murdered. It’s like a ghost. No one has seen or heard anything. But only the officers are being murdered. My husband thinks it’s someone who wants to prevent Lynk from going to war.”
Dread filled Sabine. It didn’t sound like a ghost—it sounded like an assassin.
The card game ended and the whistle blew. When the men stood to switch tables, Sabine stood as well.
“Are you leaving already?” Karmen asked as she came over to Sabine.
“I am. I have a lot to do tomorrow, and I’m exhausted. Thank you for inviting me.”
“I hope you’ll join us again,” Karmen said, walking her to the door.
“I will.”
Out in the hallway, surrounded by her guards, Sabine couldn’t think straight. Instead of even trying to sort it all out, she rushed to her room and dismissed Harper for the night. Once she was finally alone with only Harta for company, she let the memories bombard her. King Kai had told her he’d sent a unit of assassins to Lynk along with the Avoni delegation. He’d also explained that though the delegation had been murdered, his assassins were still in the kingdom. Missing and possibly stuck. Then she recalled both Evander and Kai telling her that their kingdom had plans of its own and that things were already in motion. She wondered if this was it. Kai had insisted he’d stop at nothing to prevent Lynk from going to war.
Sick to her stomach, Sabine changed into her nightclothes then went out onto her balcony, gazing up at the full moon and letting the cool air caress her clammy skin. If, as she suspected, there was a group of assassins in Lynk, she wondered what their specific orders were. While Kai ruled over Avoni as its king, Evander ruled over one of the kingdom’s assassin guilds. If these men belonged to Evander’s guild, then he would be the one calling the shots. She rubbed her temples, realizing she was in over her head. How she thought she could handle this on her own was beyond her.
It seemed as if there were a dozen different plots going on at the same time, and each plot had a different puppet master. Given the stakes, this was not a game she could afford to lose.
A light thump sounded behind her. She turned, expecting to find Harta, but a man stood there dressed in solid black. Harta began sneaking up to him from behind. Sabine reached down for the dagger she normally strapped to her thigh, only to remember she’d taken it off.
“Are you going to call off your dog so I can properly greet you?” a familiar voice asked.
A little cry escaped Sabine’s mouth, and she gave the command for Harta to hold. The dog stopped advancing.
Evander pulled off the mask covering his face. It was the most beautiful sight Sabine had ever beheld. She ran at him, throwing her body against his, her arms coming around his neck.
Evander kissed her cheek, sending a jolt of warmth through her.
“You’re here,” she whispered, clutching onto him.
Chapter Ten
“I’m here,” Evander said, one hand against Sabine’s lower back and his other hand gently holding her head against his shoulder.
Sabine breathed him in. When he kissed the top of her head, she pulled back, looking at him. “What are you doing here?” Not only in Lynk, but on her balcony.
“I had to see you.” His eyes roamed over her body, examining her. “Are you all right?”
“I am.”
He let out a big breath. “I’ve been so worried about you.”
She grabbed his shirt and pulled him into her bedchamber. She didn’t think anyone would be able to see them out on the balcony at night, but she couldn’t be sure. Since no candles had been lit, her room remained dark and it felt safer in there.
When Sabine had said goodbye to Evander in Avoni, she didn’t think she’d be seeing him any time soon. “I’ve missed you.” More than she’d thought possible.
“I’ve been so worried about you.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Are Markis and your brother here with you?”
