The Traitor Spy (Court of Elves Book 1) by Marion Blackwood

Author:Marion Blackwood [Blackwood, Marion]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789198638684
Publisher: Black Dagger Publishing
Published: 2021-08-30T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

Worry gnawed at my chest. None of the elven princes had been carrying the Dagger of Orias, or any kind of weapon, for that matter. I cast a glance at the bright moon shining in through the tall stained-glass windows. Time was running out. If I didn’t find the dagger soon, it might be too late.

“Kenna? Are you listening?”

I blinked. “Yes, sorry. What were you saying?”

A worried frown settled on Evander’s face. “You seem distracted. Is something wrong?”

“No, of course not. I just…” I trailed off as my eyes scanned the crowd.

All evening, I had been tracking King Aldrich through the crowd to see who might be trying to get close. The merry king had chatted and laughed with several groups while making his way through the ballroom without issue. But now, the King of Elves was gone. Since this was his castle, it didn’t surprise me that Aldrich was capable of suddenly disappearing to some other part of it without anyone noticing, but it made my job of making sure he didn’t get assassinated a whole lot harder.

“I just need to find a bathroom,” I finished while pushing to my feet.

“Oh, okay. Should I…?”

“No, no, it’s fine.” I gave his arm a quick squeeze before breezing past.

Setting course for the exit that King Aldrich had been closest to the last time I saw him, I walked as fast as I could without drawing attention. A set of glass doors had been thrown open along one wall. That had to be where the king went. I slipped through the increasingly intoxicated crowd until I reached the doors. Peering out, I found that they led to a balcony set into the side of the castle.

Moonlight bathed the white stone in silvery light and turned the potted plants the color of molten iron instead of green. I gathered up my black skirt in one hand and snuck out.

The king was standing by the railing on the far side of the balcony. His back was to the doors so he didn’t see me as I slunk through the shadows and took up position behind a tall plant with thick leaves. Though to be fair, when one had been blessed with impenetrable stone skin, I supposed there was no need to be overly concerned with keeping an eye out for assassins.

For a moment, I just watched him from my hiding place.

His white hair shone like a river in the darkness but he stood perfectly still. With his hands behind his back, he stared out at the mountains around us. Wisps of cloud drifted lazily over the dark blue heavens and blotted out the stars for a few seconds before their glittering forms were back again.

At that moment, I wished I could have seen the king’s face. I wondered if there was awe, sadness, excitement, or something else entirely on it. What had someone as old as King Aldrich experienced in his life? What sorrows did he carry? What joys? Could someone with impenetrable

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