Decoy (The Royal Chronicles Book 2) by Camille Peters

Author:Camille Peters [Peters, Camille]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rosewood Publications
Published: 2023-08-11T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

LUKE

Of all my missions, none had proved as distracting as this one. I’d followed each of my previous duties with indifferent exactness. While all the past targets had been nothing more than part of the scenery, now I couldn’t avert my gaze from my charge sleeping only an arm’s length away, nor could I make myself withdraw and guard her at a distance.

The rare swell of horror that had overcome me upon learning she’d been attacked lingered. If she hadn’t woken in time to detect the assailant’s presence or possessed the skills to defend herself…she’d have been taken from me.

Part of me had wondered whether she’d be able to sleep in my presence, but she fell asleep easily. As heir to the most infamous assassin house, while people were perfectly at ease with Lord Luke, I was used to people being afraid of me as the Shadow. Having someone know me as an assassin and yet still be comfortable enough to sleep in my presence felt surprisingly…nice, a dangerous emotion that made the surrounding shadows uneasy.

I settled on the edge of the bed with movements as careful as when I stalked my prey. The thin moonlight tumbling through the window cast a silvery sheen across her dark hair, the eyelashes caressing her cheeks, and her elegant features. She seemed more relaxed while she slept, but even without her usual spirit that both aggravated me and kept me immensely entertained, there was something about her that made it impossible to look away.

I felt the pull of many competing interests vying for the time consumed by watching her sleep. I could be searching the room for clues, checking the rooftop for the return of the intruder, using the shadows to investigate the corridors, or—

She suddenly made a rather adorable noise between a sleepy sigh and a snort, a sound that seized my heart in an unrelenting grasp. I kept perfectly still, ignoring my conscience’s scolding whisper that I had better sounds to search the night for. I found myself leaning closer, waiting to see if she’d do it again.

The shadows’ seductions caressed my thoughts with their usual taunting whispers. Now would be the perfect time to kill her. There’s nothing stopping you.

I ignored them and continued watching her, my fascination deepening into concern when her sleep became more restless—she tangled her blanket as she wriggled about, a deep furrow marring her brow. I rested a gentle hand against her hair as I often did for my younger sister when she struggled with bad dreams. Her expression softened, as if my touch brought her comfort.

Given the events of the night, a nightmare likely consumed her sleep, which reminded me of my purpose. Someone had attacked her. My hand curled around the hilt of my dagger, a compulsion to track them down and make them pay.

My whispered promise to the princess that I would be able to kill whoever was after her should it come to that hadn’t just been an empty reassurance to help her sleep.

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