❖ QUEENKILLER, KINGMAKER Book 2 ❖
A year has passed since Isla rescued Tam Mai from the dungeons, but her sister's mind is still trapped and broken. There is only one person Isla knows can help her.
Meanwhile across the sea, a prince seeks justice f...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
'We've sealed all the doors, maharaj.' Five of his soldiers returned to him, already panting for breath. In their defence, it was a large estate, and even Kiet knew not exactly how many entrances there were across the entire building.
His sisters and servants should be gathered by now in the western courtyard. Kiet had just finished checking the northern wing, ensured no one was left behind. His route took him all the way to the foyer, hollow and eerie without its usual flow of guards and servants. His soldiers came up behind him from the hallway that ran between the twin stairways. Kasik, Ramesh ... two others whose names eluded him ... and a man they called Dart for his bharapeucy allowed him the speed and sharpness of one.
It was Kasik who spoke, battle hat held under his arm. 'But we cannot guard all of them.'
Of course not. Nor had Kiet intended to. Only the main entrance was left unbarricaded, defended by a dozen of his men out on the entry courtyard. Kiet watched them through the large windows; all of them so young, so unprepared. The remaining six of his men were with his sisters and servants. They simply had no more to spare.
'Well done.' Kiet smiled. 'You can join the rest of the men at the inner courtyard and wait for Akai. He will instruct you further.'
'No need to wait.' Akai came marching in from the southern wing, his voice echoing in the emptiness of the hallway. 'I've found the entry and checked the tunnels. It's clear.'
Thank the gods. Kiet reigned in his sigh of relief. In truth, he had doubted it was even still there.
He had been a boy when he learnt of the passage in the south-western corner of his mother's estate. It had been his ninth namesday, though he recalled it as clear as yesterday.
'One of the palace servants long ago told me a story of a hidden passage between our estates and the outer city.' Alain had told him as they stood over an expanse of laced athyrium. His half-brother had unearthed a stone somewhere, stepped hard upon it, and the ground cracked open before them. And there between the burgundy fronds gaped a hole large enough for them to climb through. 'An old man, whose family served ours for generations before him.'
Kiet had let his torch drop to test the distance below and was surprised to see the fire still flickering no more than fourteen feet below them.
'So naturally I had to dig up every plot of earth in my mother's gardens trying to find it. I never thought I actually would—but I did. When I was your age.' He had grinned down at Kiet and roughed the top of his head. 'Now you can keep the secret alive.'
Kiet smiled at the memory. It had been the most exciting birthday gift a boy his age could ever imagine, and Alain had stayed at the palace long enough to share it with him.
For many years after, Kiet would explore those tunnels, expecting—daydreaming—that he would find Alain sneaking through them for a surprise call. But Alain never returned to the palace. Not through any secret tunnel nor even the five-arched gates. It would be the last time Kiet ever saw him. Perhaps that was why he never shared Alain's secret with anyone else; not even Khaisan, with whom he had shared everything back in those days.
