Page 249 of A Touch of Poison
I exchanged a look with Bastian. “Not exactly.”
One of the Kingsguard approached. “We’re ready, ser.”
“Right. Thanks for the help. We’re going to—”
“We’ll go.” Bastian circled them, guiding me to the throne room’s double doors.
“You and…” They glanced up the corridor. “Just you two?”
I gave a reassuring smile. “His shadows can kill big groups more easily if they’re not worried about friendly fire.”
Bastian nodded, hand slipping to the small of my back. “We’ll come back for you once it’s clear.”
“Very well.” Their eyes narrowed. “Wouldn’t want to lose more of my people—especially not to friendly fire. We’ll await your signal.”
We approached the huge doors. No sound came from the other side, but lodestones were like that—no sight or sound escaped them.
“Ready?”
Shoulders squared, magic humming on my skin, contained for now, I nodded.
95
Kat
Ientered with bow drawn, poison ready to spread across the room, and found a scene of carnage. Near the royal doors behind the dais came a flicker of movement, but when I lifted my head, I found only more of the same.
Blood and bodies.
Kingsguard with their beautiful armour. The prince’s guards with their cerulean blue cloaks. Fake Ascendants in grey leather. Servants in nothing but cloth—no armour, no weapons. The nearest lay in crimson pools, their throats slit.
Eighty, maybe a hundred people in total, all still and silent.
My eyes burned at the sheer scale of the massacre. Because that’s what this was—the servants. They’d stood no chance. “What happened here?”
Bastian’s brow set low, shadowing his eyes. “We need to check them. If anyone’s alive, they can tell us.”
I glanced back. “Should we call the others in?”
Jaw twitching as he surveyed the room, he shook his head. “Not until we know we don’t need to use your magic. False Ascendants could be hiding among the dead.”
I swallowed and nodded, then started picking my way through the bodies. The chairs from the ceremony had been cleared ready for more folk to file in for their chance to see the king and queen together for the eclipse. That couldn’t be far off now.
As for the people—their glassy stares told me enough.
It looked like the fighting had been thickest by the main door that led to Dusk—the one most people entered through, whereas the queen and her officials used the one behind the dais. Bodies piled upon bodies, almost blocking the door. Blood completely hid the marble floor, making it slick and treacherous.
“Anything?” I called to Bastian as he worked on the other side of the room.
“No.”
The word echoed off the high ceiling, making the hairs rise on the back of my neck.
Hours ago, I’d walked through here worried about nothing more than the fire in Bastian’s eyes as he saw me in a pretty dress.
And now…
I locked eyes with a man I recognised. He’d held the door open for me as I’d arrived and given me an encouraging smile before whispering, “You look beautiful, Lady of Dusk. A star in your court.”
