Blood Born: Assassin Book 2

Blood Born - Chapter 14

The kitchen staff emerged from the depths of the cookery, carrying a large platter with an immaculate cake resting a top. The beautiful greens, golds, reds, and oranges. The king seemed to smile. At least the corner of the left side of his mouth twitched upward.

"He's happy," James whispered, squeezing my hand.

"Good. Do you think he knows what's going on?"

"I have no doubt. He's not with us on the outside, but I believe he's the old King Alastair inside."

"I'm sure he is, dear."

James released my hand and grabbed the knife resting on the platter. "We gather for festivities and merriment to celebrate the fiftieth year of King Alastair! He's had a long and prosperous reign with, hopefully, many more years to come."

The crowds erupted into cheers as James sliced into the cake. Andrew took the knife from him and began cutting it into slices for all to enjoy. I happily accepted a plate and slowly ate it, scanning the crowds for anyone out of place. My eyes rested on a servant girl who held a platter of fruit toward the back. Her jet-black hair and beautiful olive skin contrasted greatly to the other servant girls whose red hair and pale skin matched the setting of the dreary day perfectly.

Her plump, red lips turned downward at the corners, her thick eyebrows stitched together, and her piercing black eyes trained on me. No matter where I went or whom I talked to, she watched. Despite the warm fall day, I felt chills running through my body. I didn't like the feeling.

"Evelyn, get inside." My mother grasped my arm and led me toward the castle.

"Why?"

"Something's not right. I have a feeling else bad is going to happen."

"You felt it too?" I asked.

"What do you mean too?"

"There is a servant girl toward the back who doesn't quite fit in, and she's been staring at me for the past half of an hour or so," I mumbled, taking a side-glance where I'd last seen her.

She was gone.

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach and my eyes widened. "Where is she? Where did she go?"

I heard a ping and the sound of metal on metal. A blade appeared in the palm of my mother's hand. "To the castle."

"I'm not going anywhere. They will not scare me."

"Evelyn, do as I say. This is for your protection."

"Is everything quite alright?" James asked.

"No. One of them is still around. I don't know where she went though," I said. "Does anyone not look like they belong?"

James looked around before shaking his head. "Everyone seems to be accounted for."

His gaze stopped though. He'd found her. I looked where he was looking and she'd abandoned the platter of fruit. She slunk through the crowds, watching my every move. I turned and darted toward the dragons' barn. She leaped on a table and over a few people into a clearing. I didn't expect her to be so fast.

"Get that woman!" my father shouted.

"Guards! Save the princess!"

I looked over my shoulder; she was only a few paces behind me. My heart sped up when I felt the heat of Draco's breath on my cheek.

"Keep running," he whispered.

I nodded and kept going toward the barn, using what strength I had, I opened the barn door all the way. I heard the assassin yelp as she tumbled head over heels before hitting a tree. She groaned but didn't move.