Cage of Destiny Read online

  “Please promise me you will use this time to heal. If you decide to walk away from the crown, I’ll understand. I don’t want you to feel pressured. The choice is yours, and I’ll support whatever you decide.” Rema kissed her cheek and stood.

  Allyssa wasn’t ready for her mother to leave.

  “Everything will work out the way it should. You will accomplish remarkable things and make a difference in this world. Whether that be as an empress or a commoner, I don’t know. But your destiny awaits. When you’re ready, you will fulfill it.” Rema leaned down, hugging her daughter one last time. Then she readjusted her hood, concealing her face, and silently crept out of the dark room.

  It was hard to watch her mother leave. Hard to think about her destiny when still caged by her past.

  She lay down, crunching something underneath her back. Reaching for it, she felt the envelope her mother had given her. She broke the seal and pulled out the letter.

  Princess Allyssa,

  I understand your engagement to Prince Odar is no longer in place; however, I know you care for him. Shortly after Queen Jana put a bounty on your head, my men spotted Odar in Russek. I believe he means to assassinate her. I fear he’ll be killed in his attempt. If you wish to save his life, come to Jontis—a small border town where Fia, Telmena, and Russek converge. I will meet you there.

  Sincerely,

  Prince Kerdan

  Bloody hell—Odar was going after Jana to finish what Allyssa failed to do. Well, she couldn’t let him die on her behalf. Jana was her responsibility, not his. She went over and unlocked the window. Sliding it open, she came face to face with Nathenek. “What are you doing outside?” she asked, startled to see him.

  “I believe the question should be: Where do you think you’re going?”

  Chapter Two

  Allyssa slammed the window closed. Damn Nathenek. How was she going to save Odar if she couldn’t sneak away?

  The front door banged shut. “Get in here,” Nathenek said, his voice low and angry.

  Exiting Savenek’s room, she entered the one and only sitting room.

  “Sit.” He pointed at the couch.

  She obliged, folding her arms across her chest while he stood there and stared at her. She could see the entire house from here. Nathenek’s room was to her left, Savenek’s to her right, and the kitchen behind her. There wasn’t even a fireplace. And the décor… The couch didn’t have a single pillow, the walls were bare, no books, no knickknacks. “How long have you lived here?”

  “What?” He seemed caught off guard by the question.

  She waved her hand at the walls. “Everything is so plain. It doesn’t feel like a home.”

  A ghost of a smile flittered across his face. “Savenek and I travel a lot.”

  “Throughout Emperion? Or do you go to other kingdoms?”

  He shook his head. “That is a conversation for another day. Now, tell me where you’re sneaking off to.”

  This man was sharp—he knew she intended to leave and catching her tonight wasn’t the end of it. Not seeing any reason to conceal the truth, she pulled out Kerdan’s letter and handed it to him.

  He quickly read through it. “You’re rushing out of here with no plan? No supplies? Were you going to bother leaving a note telling me where you went?”

  Interesting that he wasn’t yelling at her for wanting to leave unaccompanied or about the dangers of a princess in a city as big as this one. “Are you implying I’m free to go?”

  “You are not a prisoner here.” He slid the letter in his pocket.

  She started to stand, and his face hardened. She sat back down. What did he want from her?

  “Answer two questions, then you may go.”

  “Very well.” She leaned back on the couch, waiting for him to continue. She appreciated that he didn’t treat her like royalty. It reminded her of Grevik.

  “First question, what is it you plan to do?”

  “Go to Jontis and save Odar.”

  “Why?”

  “So he doesn’t die.” She couldn’t live with his death hanging over her head. Besides, Jana was Emperion’s problem, not Fren’s. Allyssa would find a way to fix this mess. The war was at a standstill while Kerdan and Jana battled over the throne. However, if Jana won, she would send Russek’s army into Emperion. There would be no mercy, and it would be a bloodbath.

  “That isn’t what I meant.”

  Allyssa stood. “I answered two questions.” She was eager to be on her way.

  “I asked the second question to ascertain the reason you wish to save Odar’s life.” He sat on the couch, crossing his legs and patiently waiting for her to explain.

  How could she make him understand that she felt responsible for Odar? That she didn’t want him to die trying to kill Jana on her behalf. She was the one who struck the deal with Kerdan, and she would be the one to finish it.

  After a minute of silence, Nathenek sighed. “The letter states that you and Odar have a history.”

  She raised her eyebrows. He wanted to know about her relationship with Odar? She blinked several times, not sure how to answer. Damn the tears that threatened. Biting her bottom lip, she forced her emotions under control. She didn’t want Nathenek to see the hurt and rage she felt.

  His eyes narrowed. “What I’m asking is if you’re going after Odar to save his life because he is your friend? Lover? You owe him something? That is the why I’m seeking. Until you answer that, you will not leave this house.”

  “Why do you need to know that?” What difference did it make?

  “I can’t help you until I understand your motivations.”

  She wasn’t ready to explore her motivations right now. That would force her to face everything that had happened, and she was barely holding it together. Besides, she didn’t need this man’s help. She turned to go to Savenek’s room.

  “Did your mother tell you anything about me?”

  With her back to him, she paused at the doorway. “No.”

  “Twenty years ago, I was the best assassin Emperion had. Emperor Hamen chose me to go to Greenwood Island to eliminate Rema. I went and hunted her for weeks. I eventually tracked her to a fortress hidden in the mountains. Despite there being an entire army to protect her, I snuck in and abducted her, threw her on a ship, and brought her to Emperion to be executed.”

  Allyssa turned around to face him. “I didn’t know any of that.” Her mother had only told her bits and pieces over the years. He pointed at the couch and she sat down, curious to hear more about her mother’s past. Maybe it would shed some light on why she faked Savenek’s death and why Nathenek raised him.

  “During the voyage here, I taught Rema to fight and how to throw a dagger. We became friends.”

  “Why?” What happened that made him treat her mother with kindness?

  “I was secretly working with a man named Trell. We planned to restore your mother to the throne.”

  Her mother never mentioned any of this.

  “I fought alongside Rema and Darmik,” Nathenek continued. “I killed Emperor Hamen for your mother.”

  For some reason, she always assumed her father had killed Hamen.

  He leaned forward, invading her personal space. “I will not allow you to throw away everything your parents have worked so hard for.” He watched her, and she squirmed under his scrutiny. “Do you understand what I’m saying?” he asked. Allyssa nodded. “Good. It is important for you to know about me and my motivations.” He looked pointedly at her before leaning back on the couch again. “I also raised your brother for sixteen years. If you think for one second you can flee from me, you are gravely mistaken. I know every trick in the book. I can be a valuable ally or the biggest pain in your arse. The choice is yours.”

  She must have heard him wrong. One minute, he was schooling her about the past. The next minute, he was possibly offering to help her.

  He folded his hands on his lap. “What will it be?”

  To secure his help, sh
e had to answer his question. Explain why she needed to save Odar of Fren. And Nathenek had made a good argument as to why he would be a valuable ally. An assassin—and maybe even a friend—would make the task infinitely easier. Kerdan had shown her the power of the right ally. Taking a deep breath, she said, “He’s going after Jana to protect me. I can’t let him die on my account. I still… care about him.”

  He rubbed a hand over his face. “It is my understanding that he severed the marriage contract with you.”

  His words were like a knife stabbing her already-broken heart. “It’s not what you think.” It wasn’t just a political marriage no longer deemed necessary. There was so much more to it than that.

  “Explain it to me so I understand.”

  “Odar ended our engagement because he loved me too much.” Blasted. She was supposed to have this conversation with her mother, not a stranger.

  Nathenek pursed his lips, considering what she’d said. He looked skeptical, making her feel like a lovesick puppy.

  “Odar told me that all his enemy has to do is point a sword at me, and he would give them whatever they wanted to save me. Even if it was to the detriment of his own kingdom.”

  “He broke up with you because of his own selfish fears?”

  She nodded. Odar was afraid to love her. The reality of it hurt worse than it should.

  “Do you still love him?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m confused about how I feel. He destroyed my faith and trust in him, but I can’t just turn off my feelings.”

  “He has chosen to move on without you. To go into Russek without telling you. Have you considered that he wants you here in Emperion where you’re safe?”

  Odar didn’t dictate what she could or could not do. She was her own person and would make up her own mind.

  “If he loves you, even broke up with you because he loves you so much, how can you disregard his feelings and wishes?”

  “He disregarded mine.” She stood and started pacing about the room. “Jana is my responsibility. Not his. And he doesn’t get to tell me what to do. He lost that right.”

  Nathenek chuckled. “I’m not sure he ever had it.”

  She stopped and looked at him. “You’re growing on me.”

  “The feeling is mutual. If you wish to save Odar, I will go with you. However, I do not want to rush into anything.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “The story of my life.” She always leapt before thinking.

  “I do have a few requirements before we go into a hostile kingdom in the middle of a civil war to save a man who you may or may not love.”

  She eyed him. “What are your requirements?” Plopping on the couch, she pulled off her boots and chucked them into Savenek’s room.

  He raised his eyebrows. “Go pick those up right now.”

  “My boots?”

  “This is my home. You will not throw your boots, clothing, or anything else for that matter.”

  “Sorry,” she muttered, getting up. After grabbing her boots, she set them carefully on the ground with extra emphasis. No wonder her brother’s room was in pristine order. At first, she’d thought he wore masks like Kerdan, showing the world a clean and orderly person on the outside while being a mess on the inside. That wasn’t the case at all. Nathenek simply required cleanliness, which she understood. An assassin of his caliber had to be meticulous, and he probably lived with the army in his younger years.

  “Thank you.”

  She smiled sweetly at him. “You’re welcome.” He was starting to make sense to her. “What are your requirements?”

  “You will work with me so I can assess your strengths and weaknesses. If I feel you need additional training, you will accept my instruction without complaint.”

  “Deal.” She could fight so there would be no delay in them leaving.

  “Once I deem you’re ready, we will make a plan together. I won’t have you rushing off to Russek without a plan, a contingency plan, and a contingency plan for the contingency plan. Is that understood?”

  She could live with that. “Yes.”

  “One last thing.” She rolled her eyes. “Make that two,” he said. “One, you will not roll your eyes at me.”

  “You can’t be serious.”

  “Does it look like I’m joking?” She shook her head. “And two, we need to use different names so no one discovers our identities.”

  She smiled, ready to welcome her secret persona back. It had been far too long. “I’ll go by Lilly. What shall I call you?”

  “Captain.”

  ***

  How did Allyssa continuously get herself into these situations? First, she agreed to work with Jarvik against her better judgment. And look how that turned out. Jarvik ended up being Odar. Then, she struck the deal with Kerdan, agreeing to kill the Russek royal family for her freedom. And he proposed to her at the end of that one. Now, she was in cahoots with an assassin who killed the previous emperor and put Rema on the throne.

  She rolled over in bed, eager for the sun to rise so she could show Nathenek her skill in hand-to-hand combat, knife throwing, and archery. She smirked. He probably thought he’d have to teach her how to hold a sword. Maybe that was his plan all along—he assumed she was ill-equipped and they’d never leave Emperion. Well, her father had trained her, Marek—the head of her personal guard—had worked with her every day, and even Kerdan had taught her some combat skills. Thoughts of sparring with Odar hovered at the edges of her memories, but she shoved them down, refusing to relive them.

  “Are you awake?” Nathenek asked, poking his head in the dark room.

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Get dressed.” He left.

  The sun wasn’t even up. What did he intend to do at this hour? Marek woke up early to train with the soldiers who lived on the castle grounds. Perhaps Nathenek had a similar routine.

  Once out of bed, Allyssa threw on trousers and a tunic, braiding her hair and wrapping it around her head to get it out of the way. After stretching her arms and legs, she went into the sitting room. Nathenek stood by the door, unrecognizable in his brown pants and tunic with a strip of fabric wrapped around his head, which left only his eyes exposed. Many people in this area wore such clothing since the land was sandy and harsh winds kicked up in the afternoon.

  “I don’t suppose you have any weapons?” he asked, his voice muffled by the fabric.

  “Just a knife.” The one Neco had given her.

  “That will suffice.” He opened the door and stepped outside in the predawn morning.

  This time, Allyssa paid attention to her surroundings. Nathenek’s house sat by itself on a bare hill overlooking Emperor’s City. There wasn’t a barn or any other buildings nearby. Not even a paddock with horses. They took a well-worn dirt path that wound back and forth down the hill. How many times had Savenek walked this very way?

  She was going to ask about her brother when Nathenek said, “We’ll enter the city at the south end.”

  The sky started to lighten and the wind picked up, whipping against her back. “What are we going to do in the city?”

  “I’m going to give you a series of tasks, and you will perform them. Task number one, run.”

  She eyed him and realized her test had just begun. He probably wanted to know how well she listened to direct orders. Thankfully, her father had drilled it into her not to ask questions in certain situations. Darmik had said, If I say duck, you duck. Don’t ask me why. When your head is still attached, you’ll know. So she ran, estimating the city started in about a mile. There were hundreds and hundreds of streets, crisscrossing in a maze she had yet to figure out. Various markets were sprinkled throughout—bright, vibrant spots in an otherwise colorless city.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Nathenek jogging not far behind her. She ran faster—almost sprinting—wanting to prove she was more than capable of following orders and handling the physical exertion. Even though she had spent time in the dungeon, her body severely
neglected and abused, she’d healed enough. Her legs had no problem carrying her forward. The fresh air filled her lungs, and she controlled her breathing, keeping her eyes focused on the road ahead. The task came easily to her from years of running with her father. When she reached the first street lined with two-story buildings, she stopped, waiting for her next order.

  Nathenek stopped next to her, glancing at her sidelong. With the fabric covering his face, she couldn’t discern his thoughts or feelings; although, she suspected it didn’t matter because he was a master at concealing such things.

  “I want you to go to the Bilarie Market,” he said. “Find a man selling tangerines at a cart with a red awning. Steal six. Then proceed to the main guard station in the center of the city. Wait for me there.”

  She must have heard him wrong. “You mean purchase six tangerines.”

  “Is that what I said?”

  “No. You said to steal them. But you can’t possibly want me to take something without paying for it.”

  “Isn’t that the definition of stealing?”

  She wanted to rip the fabric off his face so she could see him. “Why do you want me to commit a crime against my people?” She folded her arms, gritting her teeth. There were other ways for him to test her without forcing her to do something illegal.

  “You failed.” He turned and headed back toward the house.

  This man was insufferable. Why couldn’t he explain the reason for this task? Because he doesn’t have to. Part of working with someone was being able to trust them explicitly. While she didn’t trust Nathenek yet, her mother obviously did. That needed to be good enough for her. She took the leap.

  “Wait.” He turned back to face her. “I’ll do it. But I want you to know I don’t agree with your tactics.”

  “I don’t care whether you agree with me or not. I gave you a job. Now get to it. You have two hours.” He walked away, leaving her alone.