ARC: Assassin Queen Read Free Page B

asked.
    Kara forced a smile. She hated to admit how her body was beginning to feel sore from the effort of keeping still. This would not do at all. Not for someone of her training. “ Nothing. We ’ re just making friends, that ’ s all.”
    “ Ellah said they threatened you. ”
    “ Yes, they did. ”
    “ Why? ”
    Kara thought of shrugging, but quickly decided against it. No way of telling what the spiders would do if she moved her shoulder just now.
    “ No idea. I was going to ask you the same question, actually. ”
    Alder ’ s eyes briefly darted to the daggers on the floor, then to Kara ’ s forehead which, she knew, must be glistening with sweat. His lips parted in a hissing sound. Talking. He’s talking to them. She watched wide-eyed as the spiders leapt from her shoulder onto Alder ’ s sleeve and pattered up his arm.
    She flexed her muscles, surprised at how stiff she felt. Bloody hell.
    “ They ’ re fine now, ” Alder said. “ I don’ t think they will threaten you again. ”
    “ Thanks, ” she said.
    “ No problem. You did well, by the way. ”
    Kara shrugged, a bad habit as she was now beginning to realize. “ I didn ’ t bloody do anything. ”
    “ You calmed them down. ” He glanced at the daggers on the floor again. “ I know your instinct must have been to attack them. ”
    “It ’ s what they expected, isn ’ t it? ”
    “ Yes. Like I said, you did well. ”
    She nodded, feeling the tension slowly leave her body, replaced by a weakness she normally experienced only after a very strenuous fight. More footsteps echoed down the hallway, the newcomers crowding into the doorway. Kyth, the Crown Prince. His dark blue eyes widened in alarm, then softened as he saw that Kara was out of danger. Her brief smile in response faded as she saw the red-haired lady step up to the Prince ’ s side. Lady Celana Illitand, a young and highly intelligent noblewoman, took a special interest in the Prince and wasn ’ t a person Kara ever wanted to mess with. She kept her face impassive as Celana glanced at her with displeasure before fixing her eyes on the spiders.
    “ I think everything ’ s fine now, ” Kara said. She picked up her daggers and sheathed them at her belt.
    “ I left them in the gardens hunting this morning, ” Alder said. “ They did seem agitated, now that I think about it. I assumed they were hungry. ”
    Hunting. Kara swallowed. The spiders were like small predators, doing marvels at keeping down the castle ’ s population of mice and rats. Come to think of it, it was fortunate they didn ’ t normally go after anything larger than that.
    Footsteps and clanging of weapons signaled the arrival of reinforcements. Dear Shal Addim, did Ellah alert the whole castle? The thought faded instantly at the sight of Mai, the hallway behind him filled with armed Majat. She felt warm inside as she met his concerned gaze.
    “ What happened? ” Mai ’ s eyes briefly darted to Alder ’ s shoulder before settling on Kara again. His frown deepened as he glanced over her sweaty hair, the weary set of her shoulders, the strain that she knew must be plainly visible on her face.
    Damn it, get a grip. Mai knew her well, and she knew how fast his temper could flare if he believed she was in danger. The way his eyes kept returning to Alder filled her with unease. The last thing they needed right now was a confrontation between a member of the King ’ s household and the Majat.
    “I ’ m fine, ” she said, hoping that she sounded convincing.
    Mai ’ s expression told her she hadn ’ t succeeded at all. His glare forced Alder to take a step back.
    “ Why did your spiders threaten Kara? ” Mai demanded.
    Alder shook his head. “ I had nothing to do with it. I wasn ’ t even here. ”
    “It ’ s your bloody job to keep them under control. ”
    “ Look …” Alder squared his shoulders. “ I don’ t know what happened, but I –”
    “ I think I know, ” Kyth suddenly said.
    Kara ’