Page 83 of The Assassin's Dancer
“Well if someone hadn’t shot at my fiancé,”Stars, I hate that’s what Orion is to me now,“then maybe I wouldn’t have to sneak out of my room.”
Kaz is silent after that. Moonlight lights the way while I continue climbing down the wall, my fingers stinging with each new brick I grip. I won’t be able to last for much longer. My forearms are already shaking.
“Need some help?” Kaz asks after a few minutes of pain.
“No.” Carefully, I lower one foot onto another brick. But just as I move my other leg, my hands slip out of their holds and I plummet backwards.
I scream. Red hair whips past my face.
“Got you!” I hear moments before I land roughly in a pair of warm arms. Darkness engulfs me. Heart racing, I’m held tightly against Kasimir’s warm chest until finally, I come to my senses and scramble out of his hold.
Kaz places me down onto the grass with a chuckle. “You’re welcome,” he laughs. My chest heaves under my bodice as he looms over me.
“Thank you,” I say, backing against the wall. “I’ll be on my way now.” I glance towards the hedges hiding my dance circle and step towards them, but his arm blocks my path, making me gasp.
“Not so fast, Princess.” He lifts his other arm, pressing his hands against the wall and trapping me in place. “You and I need to talk first.”
“I have nothing to say to you.” I do, actually. I have many things to say to him including: ‘Why did you shoot Orion?’, ‘Why didn’t you kill him?’, and most of all ‘Why, even though you’re a monster, do I keep wishing you’d save me from my prince?’.
Kasimir’s lips twitch into a smile. “You ran from me this morning,” he starts, voice dark.
“I did.” My stomach dips.
“Why?”
I shudder as he draws closer, but I keep my chin high. “Why did you come after me?”
His gaze drops to my lips, eyeing them hungrily. “Because I can’t stay away.”
My breath catches. He’s so close all I can see is him surrounded by a black sea of stars. Night swims around him, andI so desperately want to drown in that darkness. But the heavy ring on my finger pulls me back to the present, so instead I say, “You know I’ll be married soon.”
Kaz pauses, our lips mere inches apart. “But do you want to be?”
“It doesn’t matter what I want.” I scowl. “My father’s already made it clear that I’m to marry Orion. And he won’t listen to anything I have to say on the matter. I don’t have a choice.”
“But what if you did?” he offers, cupping my cheek. “You can come home with me. I’ll keep you safe.”
“I can’t just run away,” I scoff, pushing his hand away. “Father will send guards after me. I’m a princess. He won’t stop till he’s searched the entire kingdom, and when he finds me, he’ll kill you.”
“I’d like to see anyone try to take you from me.” His hand slams against the wall with such force that I jump.
“And what about my sisters?” I swallow, trying to ignore the way my heart flutters. “I can’t just abandon them here. What if Father gives Blossom to Orion instead? They’d be lost without me. There’d be no one to protect them.”
“Then I’ll kill Orion. I would’ve done it already had your sister not gotten in the way.”
Confusion tugs at my features. What? How did one of my sisters get in the way? And who… But then I just shake my head.Focus on what’s important, Ami.
“You can’t kill every suitor who walks into this palace,” I reply, my voice tired.
Kasimir just watches me with darkened eyes. “I’ll kill anyone who’s a threat to you, Ruby. And I mean that. No one touches what’s mine.”
His words make my thighs shake, but I force down any traitorous feelings.
“I’m not yours. Now please, let me go.” My fists clench. “I came out here to dance and if I don’t get to my dance circle soon, thenImight be the one killing somebody.”
Kaz raises an eyebrow, his lips pulling into a smirk. “And how might you go about doing that, Princess?” He draws closer, dropping his gaze to my bodice. “You got a tiny dagger in here that I don’t know about?” His hand leaves the wall to gently trace his knuckles between my breasts as I shudder.
“Stop that,” I whisper.
