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“What?” I asked, feigning boredom as I buckled my mask into place. If he’d been expecting to break the door down and find an empty room, I wanted to throw him off.
“The king doesn’t have long. Lord Aaron sent me to find you.”
Of course he did. “Well? Let’s go.”
He led the way and I followed behind, trying desperately to think what my next move should be. Giles had to die, and fuck it had to be at my own hand. But doing it and then getting back to Iris would be difficult. I was good at disappearing in the shadows, but even I couldn’t kill a man with his guards standing watch and then slip away before they took revenge.
“In there,” Erik said, standing to one side outside the door to Giles’s quarters. Another guard stood to the other side of the door, but neither of them moved to enter the room with me.
That took me by surprise. “You’re not coming in?”
“He said this conversation is for the two of you alone. No other ears.”
What the fuck was his plan then? He had to know that he was handing himself to me on a plate, if he knew I was alive as I now suspected he must. He wanted me brought here, not just looked for.
I entered cautiously, still half expecting another attempt on my life, and found Giles sitting at his desk already, looking like he’d been awake for hours. Did the fucker ever sleep, or just spend all his time plotting murder?
“Ah, Randal, good,” he said, not even looking up. I glanced around, looking for any weak points in my own assessment of the situation. To all appearances, it looked like we were alone and I could kill him with impunity.
There had to be something I’d missed.
“I’m told your father has hours left, so we need to move fast. I assume you’ve come around to my suggestion by now?”
“Motherfucker,” I muttered, as it all became clear.
The assassins were too easy. He should have sent a dozen, not four, which meant they were never supposed to kill me. They expected me to show up, of course. No doubt he leaked the information to someone that would tell Patara, knowing she’d tell me. But Giles knew I’d dispatch them easily, he’d even told me he’d been watching me. He knew I was skilled with a blade, knew I spent time in the castle training rooms when they were empty. He’d taken a calculated risk to show me how dangerous the world was for anyone I cared about.
It was brilliant, in a way. I had a weird sense of admiration for his cunning. But I was going to fucking kill him.
“Excuse me?” he asked, looking up, but I was already on him.
“Did it matter if she died, or was she just a playing piece to you?” I drove my fist into his face, the look of surprise turning to terror as I clambered onto his desk, bearing down upon him. “Do you care about anyone or is it all about you?”
“Randal, stop, I have no i—ahh!” He put his hands up to protect his bloodied face, and I growled as I swung at his arms instead. I didn’t care, I’d destroy him. “I have no idea who or what you’re talking about!” He cried out as my fists landed against his scrawny arms. “Think, man, I know you’re no fool! Rage is clouding your judgment. Why would I do anything to upset you? What would I have to—ahh!—to gain?”
I was dimly aware of strong hands around my arms, pulling me back. Right then, I didn’t care. I turned with my whole body, slamming Erik into the other guard and throwing them both back into the wall. Why weren’t there more? Why only these two?
It didn’t make sense.
Giles Aaron was a strategist, he was no fighter. The first punch I’d thrown had caused serious injury to his face, and I could easily kill him right now. Two guards weren’t enough to protect him and he had to know that.
I stepped back, shaking my head.
None of it made sense.
It was a fucking piss poor plot and he was right, he gained nothing by it. Too much risk, not enough reward. He wasn’t behind this.
Erik regained his composure and started to draw his sword, but Giles was on his feet.
“Don’t you fucking dare!”
The room fell so quiet it was eerie. I’d never heard Giles Aaron swear before, and I doubted any of my father’s guards had either. Erik turned to him with a look of confusion in his eyes.
“My lord?”
“Just get out. Both of you. I’m fine, it’s just a bit of blood. Randal and I have things to discuss.” He turned to me. “Correct?”
I nodded, and watched the two guards file out. Bile was in my throat. I could have killed him. A wrong word and I felt like I still would. But he was not my enemy.
