Page 83 of The Royal Throne
“What’s the matter?” Sabine rubbed her eyes, sitting up. A heavy fog coated the land outside, hiding everything beyond her balcony.
“There’s all kinds of commotion in the palace. Drew went to find out what’s going on, but he said to get you up and dressed in case he needs to take you somewhere.” Harper yanked Sabine’s covers back.
She got out of bed and hurried to her closet, putting on the first outfit she came across. A few minutes later, someone banged on her door.
“Captain Drew is here,” Harper said as she admitted Drew and two additional guards into the bedchamber.
“What’s wrong?” Sabine asked.
“There’s been another death,” Drew said through clenched teeth. “Captain—I mean Commander Neron.”
Dread filled Sabine. That was the man chosen to replace Felix. “This can’t be a coincidence.” This second death in the palace indicated that they had an Avoni assassin in their midst rather than Rainer ordering the deaths. “How was he killed?”
“I don’t have the details,” Drew said. “But a targeted assassination in the palace is madness.”
“Does the king know?”
“Someone just went to find him,” Drew said.
Sabine wanted to talk to Evander but knew she couldn’t seek him out. “I wish to see my dog.” Not only did she want the comfort of something she loved, but she needed to get out of her room. The walls felt like they were moving toward her. If she stayed here, she’d be crushed.
Harper stayed behind to try to find out more details about the assassination. Drew and the rest of Sabine’s guards escorted her to the military cavern. When they reached the corridor where the kennels were located, her guards remained there while Drew escorted her down the hallway, stopping before a door. He opened it, revealing a long, rectangular room with at least three dozen cages along one side, a dog in each one.
“There are more kennels through there,” Drew said, pointing to one of three doors at the end of the row.
Sabine didn’t say anything as she walked past cage after cage, looking for Harta. Each kennel had a bowl of water and food. Some even had chew toys. The dogs all looked well kept and healthy. When she reached the end of the row, she spotted Harta wagging her tail in the last kennel.
Kneeling on the ground, Sabine let Harta lick her through the bars. Joy filled her and she laughed. “I’m sorry you’re stuck back in here,” she whispered. Other than Rainer wanting to punish Sabine, she didn’t know what other possible reason he had for taking the dog away from her. While she’d considered bringing Harta back to her room with her, she’d decided against it. Since there had been another murder in the palace, it wasn’t safe for Sabine to spend the night in her room. She’d have to find somewhere else to sleep—somewhere the assassin wouldn’t be able to find her in case he came for her. While the dog could offer a level of protection by warning her if someone was approaching, she wanted to have the freedom and flexibility of moving swiftly and quickly without having to worry about Harta.
Drew unlocked the kennel door, opening it. Harta jumped on Sabine, licking her face.
“There’s a room where you can play with her,” Drew said, indicating the door on the right.
Sabine went into the kennel and snatched Harta’s ball. “You want to play?”
Harta wagged her tail, running circles around Sabine.
Drew opened one of the three doors at the end of the hallway, revealing a large room filled with agility equipment for the dogs. Harta ran into the room, eager for Sabine to throw the ball.
Smiling, and feeling lighter than she had in days, she was about to enter the room when she paused. “If there’s another kennel through the door on the left, and this is a training room, then what’s beyond that last door?”
Drew hesitated. “I’m not sure. Why don’t you open it and see?”
Perhaps he wasn’t allowed to tell her and this was a way around that order. She moved to the door in the middle and opened it, peering inside. A tube stretched out before her, the ceiling low. About fifteen feet away, another tube intersected this one. Only that tube had water in it, reminding Sabine of the time the Lynk soldiers had taken her and Markis in the boat through the mountain’s lava tube.
“Where does this go?” she asked.
“I don’t know.”
Off to the side, dozens of boats were stacked. There were also empty bowls and dozens of leashes. These boats had to be used for transporting the dogs. The water in the lava tube smelled salty. “Is this water coming from the ocean?”
Drew shrugged before peering over his shoulder. The hallway behind him remained empty. “We should go.”
Sabine exited and shut the door. She’d have to think about this more later. Entering the agility room, she found Harta in the middle, eagerly waiting for her to throw the ball. She chucked it and the dog sprinted after the ball, jumping over the small walls and logs that were in her way. Sabine spent the next thirty minutes tossing the ball, smiling as Harta bounded after it again and again.
When her stomach growled from hunger, she finally took Harta back to her kennel, locking her inside and promising to visit again. Drew led her out of the kennels and through the corridor to the main training room.
As she skirted along the edge with her guards in tow, she spotted a man training with two other men. Her feet stopped of their own accord and she stood there, watching the one guy. Shirtless, sweat covering his torso, he sparred with two opponents at once. He jabbed at one, ducked a strike from the other, then swiped his leg out, taking one down. He grappled on the floor, his back muscles moving.
