Page 95 of The Assassin's Dancer
The guard chuckles with him as I follow them into a wider hallway. “Shame the prince couldn’t find her after that. Just ended up stomping around the palace for a few hours until he decided to deal with it today.”
“Either way, I wouldn’t want to be in the princess’s shoes right now.” The driver smirks as something inside me snaps.
“Do you think she’ll still be able to walk once he’s done with her?” the guard adds with a grin.
“I suppose we’ll find out later.” The two of them walk off together, cackling, while I stand frozen in the hallway.
Orion isn’t hiding. He’s furious. And if he’s not already killed her, he’s heading straight for Ruby.
33
KASIMIR
My chest heaves as I sprint down the golden hallways of the palace.
Ruby wasn’t in her bedchamber. She also wasn’t in her dance circle. In fact, I was moments away from charging headfirst into Sol’s quarters and demanding he tell me where she is when I catch a flash of ruby-red hair from inside the ballroom.
Halting, I peer around the arched entrance. It looks like some kind of ballet lesson. Training barres are set up around the edge of the ballroom while all twelve princesses, in their multicoloured dance gowns, leap across the floor. In the corner, a woman with a stern face taps her cane in time with the piano music, barking out instructions and critiquing their steps. Most importantly, Amaryllis looks fine. She’s smiling while she dances with her sisters, not a furious prince in sight. But I doubt that’ll last long.
I barrel into the ballroom. “Ruby!”
The music stops with a crash of piano keys. Around me, the princesses gasp, and the woman with the cane lets out a yelp, but I ignore them all and charge straight for Ruby.
“Kasimir? What are you doing here?” she panics.
“We need to go. Now.” I tug her towards the archway.
“Wait.” She squirms against my hold. “I said wait! Where are we going? What’s happening?”
“There’s no time to explain.” Shoving past the other princesses, I keep us moving. But just when we’re metres from the exit, I’m forced to stop.
A wall of pink tulle blocks my path.
“Take your hands off our sister.” Blossom glares up at me in her fluffy pink tutu.
Another girl, dressed in white, stands beside her – Camellia, third eldest, if I’m remembering this right. “You need to let go of Ami right now unless you want us to scream for the guards,” she snarls.
I slide Ruby a look. “You gonna make your sisters move or shall I?”
“Just wait a moment,” she wheezes. “Tell me what’s going on and why you’re here!”
I narrow my eyes, then glance back at her still-unmoving sisters. Finally, with a sigh, I release her hand and drag my fingers through my hair. “Orion knows.”
Ruby pales. “What?”
“He saw us together last night in the gardens, and now he’s looking for you.”
“Ami, you need to tell us what’s going on right now,” Blossom cuts in. “Do you know this man?”
“Yes.” Ruby’s cheeks flush pink. “Well, sort of.” I raise an eyebrow as confused murmurs bubble around us. “He’s… um… he’s?—”
“He’s the Scorpion.”
Gasps fill the ballroom. Both Ruby and I turn to see Dahlia marching past her sisters.
“That’s the Scorpion?” Blossom squeals, stepping back.
“Yep.” Dahlia stands beside us, a proud smirk on her face. “And I suggest you let them pass because yesterday I watchedhim almost kill Prince Orion.” She grins as the ballroom turns into a panicking frenzy.
