ARC: Assassin Queen Read Free

or even remove him from command, if warranted. Worse, Kara heard that Seldon had been after the post of the Majat Guildmaster for quite a while. The fact that he arrived on the brink of a war, apparently without Mai ’ s prior knowledge, couldn ’ t possibly be good.
    “He ’ s hiding something, ” Ellah said.
    Damn. “ Are you sure? ”
    Ellah nodded. “I can ’ t hear the words, but the signs are clear enough. At least half of what he said to Mai was a lie. He ’ s telling the truth now, though. ”
    Kara swallowed. Down below, Seldon was speaking at length, pointing to the assembled troops. She guessed the discussion must be related to their upcoming march. But what could he possibly lie about? She wished she could overhear at least some of the conversation, but no matter how hard she strained her ears, from this distance she couldn ’ t possibly catch the words.
    She froze as her heightened senses caught a barely perceptible high-pitched rustle from the hallway behind. She spun around, feeling the color drain from her face.
    Three spiders, each as large as a man ’ s hand, emerged from the doorway and skidded to a halt in front of her.
    Kara kept still, only half-registering Ellah ’ s gasp beside her. These spiders, bestowed upon this castle by the mysterious Ayalla the Forest Mother, were fast and agile like no other creature she had ever seen. Their venom could dissolve a man with one bite. She had seen it happen to their enemies. She would never be able to forget the screams.
    She slid her hand to the throwing daggers at her belt. The spiders edged forward and raised their front legs threateningly. As she stopped the movement, they stopped too, tense as if ready to leap.
    A shiver crept down Kara ’ s spine. Even from a few feet away she could see the way the spiders ’ hairy bodies glistened as they shifted, the movement of tiny claw-like appendages at the sides of their mouths. Their venom. They were honing in on her, leaving her very little room to act.
    She glanced at the death-pale Ellah, pressing against the railing by her side.
    “ Try to move, ” she said quietly.
    Ellah frowned. “ Why? ”
    “ I want to see what they ’ ll do. ”
    Ellah’ s eyes darted to the spiders, her knuckles white as she clenched the railing at her back. “ What if they launch at me? ”
    “ They won ’ t, if you move just a little bit. ”
    “ How do you know? ”
    Kara sighed. She didn ’ t know, not for certain. In fact, nothing she knew about these spiders could possibly help them out of their current predicament.
    “ I need to know which one of us they ’ re after. ”
    Ellah’ s jaw tightened. “ Fine. You move then. I ’ m staying right here. Just let me know when you ’ re done experimenting. ”
    Kara turned away. By now she should be used to the fact that Ellah never did as told. She shifted her weight, freezing again as the spiders rose, as if bracing for a leap. Damn.
    “ Look, they ’ re not letting me move at all. I think they ’ re after me, not you, but we can ’ t tell for sure unless you move. Away from me. Please? ”
    Ellah looked at her in indecision.
    “ If I ’ m right, you would be safer this way, ” Kara said.
    “ And if you ’ re wrong? ”
    “Just bloody do it.”
    Ellah shuffled sideways. The spiders showed no reaction.
    Kara felt an unpleasant hollowness in the pit of her stomach. She forced it down, knowing how important it was to keep calm.
    “Now,” she said. “ Try to get off the balcony. Slowly. See if they have any objections. ”
    Ellah hesitated. “ And if they do? ”
    “ You freeze. Simple. ”
    Ellah’ s eyes darted to the balcony doorway. She edged toward it, moving slowly and keeping her eyes on the spiders all the time.
    When she reached the doorway, Kara let out a sigh. “ Now, get the hell out of here. ”
    Ellah stepped through the doorway, then paused. “ What about you? ”
    “I ’ ll think of something. ”
    “I ’ ll get help.