Cage of Darkness (Reign of Secrets, Book 2) Read online

  Allyssa couldn’t believe the grueling pace the assassin managed to maintain. They rode hard all day, only stopping once it was too dark to go any farther. He woke them at the first sign of dawn, and they were on the horses traveling again.

  Since that first night, they hadn’t been lucky enough to find another cave. They were forced to sleep tied up under the stars in the frigid air, without a fire. She kept a close eye on the assassin and remained alert, waiting for Jarvik to signal it was time to act. If he didn’t make a move soon, she would.

  The assassin pulled the lead ropes tighter, forcing the horses into a single-file line. When she glanced over her shoulder at Jarvik, he looked away from her. Every time they stopped to eat or sleep, he ignored her. It was almost as if they were back to when he first came to Emperion and they hated each other. The act was necessary so the assassin wouldn’t discover their feelings for one another. Still, it hurt to be so alone and helpless.

  They entered the Bizantek Forest, and the temperature plummeted. The horses’ hooves sank into the soft mud from the sun not reaching the forest floor. Bright green moss grew on the tree trunks, making them look like living giants ready to swoop down and crush them at any moment. The assassin pulled the horses to an abrupt halt and unsheathed his dagger. Nothing appeared disconcerting. Birds chirped and leaves rustled.

  And then she heard a person humming a joyful tune.

  The assassin dismounted, not making a sound. A shiver ran through her body. As if sensing something was amiss, her horse snorted, becoming restless. The assassin tied all three horses to a nearby tree and slunk away, blending in with the forest.

  As soon as he was out of sight, Jarvik yelled, “Run! Get away from here!” His voice rang out loud and clear, making several birds take flight. He fought against his restraints, cursing.

  “Surely he won’t kill someone for being in the forest,” Allyssa said, a sick feeling overcoming her as she heard the absurdity of her own words—this man was an assassin.

  Jarvik frantically worked on undoing his bindings. A moment later, his hands came free. Reaching down, he untied the rope around his ankles. Allyssa attempted to do the same. The rope chafed the tender skin around her wrists as she worked. A scream shattered through the forest. Everything went eerily still. Jarvik freed himself and slid off his horse. Rushing over to her, he undid her bindings and helped her off the horse.

  A second scream rang out, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Jarvik grabbed her arm, dragging her in the opposite direction the assassin had gone.

  “Wait,” she insisted. “There could be more people who need our help.”

  His grip tightened. “We can’t risk it.”

  “I beg to differ.” She knew this could be their best chance to escape. However, what kind of ruler was she if she left her own people at the mercy of an assassin? “Release me.”

  He hesitated a moment and then complied. She ran after the assassin, Jarvik close behind. After thirty feet or so, she came upon the assassin. He was crouched on the ground, bent over the body of a small child who appeared to be only eight or so. The child’s neck had been slit, and blood coated the ground. A man lay a few feet away with his arm outstretched toward the child, a knife embedded in his chest. The assassin reached over and plucked the weapon free, wiping off the blood with a leaf.

  Allyssa fell to her knees and vomited.

  Chapter Two

  Allyssa clutched the moist dirt and leaves, heaving in deep breaths. The assassin had just killed two of her people for no reason. As the initial shock wore off, pure fury filled her. How dare he? “Have you no heart? No soul?” She stood on shaky legs.

  “Killing bothers you?” The assassin sheathed his knife. “I find that quite ironic.”

  “Allyssa,” Jarvik said, forcing her attention to him. “What are you doing?”

  While speaking, she had unknowingly drifted toward the assassin. Now, they stood only three feet apart, her hands balled into fists. Ignoring Jarvik’s pleading expression for her to be cautious, she said, “I have never taken the life of a person before.”

  “You are a princess,” the assassin stated. “You execute people, send soldiers to fight, and kill anyone who threatens you.” He shrugged. “Giving the order to kill is the same thing as killing.” Grinning, he took a step toward her. “Just because you keep your hands clean doesn’t mean your soul is.”

  She spun and kicked, aiming a bit lower than the assassin’s head, knowing he would duck. Sure enough, her foot connected with his ear, and he flew to the ground. She pounced on top of him, punching his stomach and head, wanting to hurt him for what he’d done to Grevik and these two innocent people. He thrust the tip of his knife into her side, and she grunted.

  Clarity replaced anger and grief. She couldn’t outfight him. “You disgust me.”

  In one fluid motion, he withdrew the knife, grabbed her wrists, and flipped her body off his and onto the ground, so he straddled her. They stayed in that position, staring at one another with undiluted hatred for a full minute before the assassin sprang to his feet. “You’re just like me, even if you don’t understand it yet. And when you make the decision to kill to protect someone you love, you’ll remember this conversation.”

  Allyssa scrambled to her feet, brushing herself off. The assassin cursed. Jarvik was nowhere to be seen. He wouldn’t escape without her, would he? The assassin grabbed her arm harder than necessary, dragging her back through the forest. When they reached the spot where the horses should be, Jarvik stood there, the animals nowhere in sight.

  “Where are the horses?” the assassin demanded, his voice low and deadly.

  “Gone,” Jarvik answered, folding his arms across his chest. “Guess we’ll have to walk the rest of the way to Russek. It’s a shame it’ll take us a lot longer to get there now.”

  The assassin released her arm and stalked over to him. “Where is my saddlebag?” He kept all his medicines, along with his paralyzing substance, in that bag.

  Jarvik shrugged. “Don’t know. Was it strapped to your horse?”

  The assassin roughly patted him down, searching for anything that might have been stolen from the saddlebag before the horses were cut loose.

  Allyssa took a step back, preparing to escape while the assassin was distracted. Jarvik shook his head infinitesimally. Instinct told her to run; her heart told her to trust him. He had to have a plan, although she had no idea what it was.

  “Well played,” the assassin said. “Except…you should never attempt to outsmart me. I don’t take well to such situations. Let this be a lesson to you.”

  Cold fear slithered down her spine as he turned to face her. She took a step back, away from him, cursing herself for not running when she had the opportunity. Jarvik lunged for the assassin, but he stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding him. Quick as a rattlesnake, the assassin’s hand shot out, grabbing her upper arm. He twisted around so his chest was to her back. His free hand wrapped around her neck, squeezing. Her foot smashed down on top of his. His grip loosened, and she rammed her elbow into his stomach. Jarvik dove for the assassin’s legs, snatching one of the small daggers strapped to his boot.

  The assassin unsheathed his sword, the sound of metal slicing through the air. He dug the tip into her stomach, and she cried out in surprise as the cold steel pressed against her skin. “Freeze,” the assassin demanded.

  Lying on the ground, Jarvik had the dagger in hand, poised to throw. She saw him weighing the risks, calculating. The assassin dug the tip in deeper, puncturing her skin.

  “Drop the dagger and stand up.”

  Jarvik did as instructed.

  “Don’t listen to him!” she yelled. “Fight!” The assassin might hurt her to keep Jarvik in line or to prevent him from escaping, but he wouldn’t kill her.

  Jarvik shook his head.

  “Take another step back,” the assassin demanded. Jarvik complied. The assassin chuckled. “I’m not blind,” he purred, a slow, devilish smile
spreading across his face. He grabbed Allyssa’s hair and forced her head to tilt to the side. “I see the way you look at her.” He pressed his lips to her neck, making her want to vomit. When she tried to move out of his grip, the sword dug deeper into her stomach. Blood dripped down her skin.

  “Get off her,” Jarvik snarled. He stepped forward, and the sword went further into her flesh. She screamed from the searing pain, and Jarvik took a step back, raising his arms in surrender, his face turning white.

  “I only have to deliver her alive,” the assassin crooned. “If I want a taste, I’ll take it.”

  “I’ll kill you.” Jarvik’s voice shook, enshrouded with a mixture of terror and fury.

  The assassin laughed. “Like I said before—I’m the one in charge, not you. If you try to escape or say something I don’t like, she pays for your mistake. Are we clear?”

  Jarvik nodded.

  “She is quite beautiful,” the assassin mumbled before kissing her neck again. Tears slid down Allyssa’s cheeks. How could she be at the mercy of this evil man? His lips moved to her ear. “And you, my dear,” he whispered, nibbling on her earlobe. “If you don’t cooperate, if you try to harm me in any way, I will have my way with you.”

  “You’re a pig,” she growled. “One day, you’re going to die like one, and I plan to be there to see it.”

  He chuckled as he removed the sword from her stomach and pointed it northward. “Start walking,” he ordered. Without hesitating, Jarvik obeyed. “You next,” he said to Allyssa, shoving her away from him. “Keep at least five feet between the two of you.”

  Gathering the fabric of her shirt, she pressed it against the puncture wound in her stomach, trying to stop the bleeding. The three of them walked in silence for the remainder of the day as they traveled north along the edge of the Bizantek Forest.

  ***

  Allyssa rubbed her blistered and swollen feet. Walking for the past eight days had taken a toll on her body. She leaned against the tree trunk, thankful to be sitting. The sun had already set; night encroaching upon them.

  The assassin tied Jarvik’s hands and feet together and then wrapped the rope around the tree, securing him in place. Once finished, he did the same to her before slinking away between the trees. They only had ten minutes or so until he returned with whatever animal he managed to catch for food.

  She coughed, wanting Jarvik to look at her. When he finally did, she murmured, “Tonight.”

  “Not until we’re closer to a town or village,” he whispered.

  “We are almost at the Emperion border. Fia is just over that ridge. It has to be tonight.”

  He nodded and looked away again. That was the most they’d spoken since the assassin threatened her with his sword.

  She had just started to nod off when the assassin returned. After skinning a fat rabbit, he cooked it over the fire. Allyssa’s mouth watered, and her stomach grumbled. While he made sure to feed them, it was by no means enough considering the amount of walking they’d been doing over the course of the past week. Once the meat was done, he handed one small piece to her and one to Jarvik. She ate her portion, licking her fingers clean.

  After the assassin finished eating, he put the fire out. She wished he’d let it burn while they slept since he’d discarded her cape so he could see her hands at all times. Wearing only pants and a tunic wasn’t nearly enough to keep the chilly air at bay through the night. At least the wounds on her neck and stomach had scabbed over.

  The assassin came over to Allyssa and untied her from the tree, securing the rope to his waist instead.

  “Is this really necessary?” They’d been sleeping this way ever since they lost the horses last week. However, if Allyssa and Jarvik were to escape tonight, she needed to be away from the assassin—not tied to him so he could sense when she moved. “Why not keep me secured to a tree like Jarvik?”

  “Because I enjoy making Prince Odar jealous.”

  “You’re mistaken,” she said. “Jarvik doesn’t care.”

  “It is you who are mistaken,” he said. “I see the look of pain on the prince’s face, and I relish in it.”

  Did this man have no morals? She couldn’t understand what had happened to make him so cruel and vulgar. Or was he born this way?

  “Do you think it wise to sleep so close to me?” she asked, sidling up next to him. “What if I manage to unsheathe your dagger and kill you in your sleep?”

  “I’m certain you won’t,” he replied, a cocky grin spreading across his face. “Or else you would have done it by now.” He grabbed her chin, pinching it. “You don’t have it in you to murder someone who is peacefully sleeping.”

  “I think that’s a theory we should test.” She had an overwhelming urge to head-butt him, but refrained from doing so.

  He released her chin and removed his daggers, throwing them into a nearby tree, high enough so she couldn’t reach them. She raised her eyebrows and chuckled—he’d never removed them before.

  The assassin laid down, smiling at Jarvik as he pulled Allyssa next to him on the leaf-coated ground. She remained as far away from him as the short rope would allow.

  Chapter Three

  Allyssa startled awake from a light squeeze to her arm. Jarvik was crouched next to her, a dagger in his free hand. She nodded and remained still, not wanting to wake the sleeping assassin. As to how Jarvik had managed to undo his own bindings, climb the tree to retrieve the assassin’s dagger, and cut her ties, all without rousing their captor, she had no idea.

  He pulled out a small tin from his pocket. He must have stolen the assassin’s paralyzing substance before he’d set the horses free. Twisting the lid off, he poked the tip of the dagger into the gooey gel and silently moved to the assassin’s side. Allyssa held her breath while he slid the knife down the man’s leg, cutting him to ensure the ointment penetrated his blood stream.

  The assassin’s eyes flew open, and he reached out, latching onto Jarvik’s wrist. The dagger fell to the ground. Allyssa slammed her fist into the assassin’s stomach. Grabbing his free hand, she yanked his arm across her chest while she twisted her legs over his body, pinning him down. Jarvik punched the man’s jaw. The assassin clutched onto Jarvik’s hair, yanking him down. Allyssa pulled the assassin’s arm harder, and there was a sickening pop. He screamed, his arm going limp. She scrambled away from him. He released Jarvik, clutching his dislocated elbow against his chest. Jarvik picked up the dropped dagger, cutting the assassin’s other leg.

  “Do his arms, too.”

  Jarvik pricked the assassin’s arms, paralyzing them as well.

  “I’ll get you for this,” the assassin snarled, hatred flaring in his eyes. “You won’t be able to escape me.”

  “We should kill him,” Jarvik said to Allyssa.

  “You should,” the assassin said, seething with rage. “Because if you don’t, I’ll eventually catch you. When I do, you know what I’ll do to the princess.” The paralyzing substance must have taken effect because his arms fell to his sides, unmoving.

  Allyssa ignored his threat. She was pretty sure she knew where they were. “We have ten hours to reach a town and send soldiers here to collect him.”

  “He’s an assassin. By killing him, we will be saving countless lives.”

  “But we’re not assassins. We can’t stoop to his level and behave in such a way.” She wanted him rotting in a dungeon, regretting everyone he harmed.

  “What if soldiers don’t get here in time?”

  She nodded toward the forest, and Jarvik followed her. When they were far enough away so the assassin couldn’t overhear, she said, “Do you remember before we left the castle, I sent a squad of my elite soldiers after the Russek men who set up a military base in the Romek Mountains?” He nodded. “That cave is roughly five miles from here. My soldiers are more than qualified to handle the assassin and escort us to Fren.”

  “That’s an excellent idea. Let’s tie him up and drag him along.”

  She rolled her eyes.
“The base is at the top of the waterfall we saw earlier today. We can’t climb that with someone in tow. We’ll leave him here and send my men back for him.” They had more than enough time.

  He ran his hands through his hair. “Fine. But we’re still tying him up as a precautionary measure.” He tucked the dagger in the waist of his pants. “Let’s move quickly.”

  Moving fast was the last thing she felt like doing right now—it was dark and exhaustion consumed her. However, the prospect of being away from the assassin was enough to fuel her on. “Let’s secure him to the tree and go. Our time is already running out.”

  When they returned to the assassin, Jarvik pulled the man’s limp body to a tree and expertly tied him to it. Even if the paralyzing substance wore off before someone returned, it would take quite some time to undo the knots to free himself. Not to mention the fact that he was injured—his dislocated elbow hung at an unnatural angle.

  Allyssa pulled her long hair back and wound it into a knot at the base of her neck. The assassin didn’t say another word as he watched her with a hatred that made her hands shake and her stomach churn. She started walking in the opposite direction they needed to go. After thirty yards, they turned and headed south, walking in silence.

  A mile into their journey, they came to a river. “We need to cross.” The sun had not yet risen, making it impossible to see the depth of the fast-moving water.

  “Can you swim?” Jarvik asked.

  “Yes.” Although the strong current intimidated her.

  Jarvik threw a rock into the water, trying to determine its depth. “I doubt anyone would have established a military camp here if the water isn’t crossable.”

  Gazing up and down the bank, Allyssa searched for a bridge, not seeing one.

  “What’s that down there?” Jarvik asked, pointing south.

  She squinted, trying to see in the moonlight. “Just some fallen trees along the edge of the river.”