KINGSLAYER

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Act 1 Chapter 18
ALEXANDER

"I am upset our time together was cut so short," Lorenzo Çenturion said to Jaylah and me as we said our goodbyes before a concealed exit. "Things can become so mind-numbingly boring with the amount of elders in this castle. You must visit once things have settled down in Oceana. Both of you." His dark eyes flicked between us.

"I'm looking forward to seeing more of you," I shot back, meaningfully lifting a corner of my mouth. I secretly
cursed my shaky knowledge of the language.

The princess raised her brows. "I never would have guessed you go for men."

"I normally don't." It was true, I'd only been attracted to women so far. But if flirting with the king of Ition was a way out of traveling any further with someone who could jeopardize me so terribly, I would do it gladly. "Although I think an exception can be made."

Head thrown back, Lorenzo laughed. "I have no idea where you found him, Jaylah, but I like him."

"He's certainly...something." She was looking at me as if I had something unpleasant on my face. My smile became faker. Given her recent discovery, I was unsure of what she meant.

A servant dressed in green came outside carrying a bag. "Ah, there you are," Lorenzo said. "What are you waiting for? Hand it over to my beautiful guest." The princess threw me a glance, wondering which of us he meant. I took it; clearly, he meant me.

"As I said before, there were barely any books on the topic of your choice. But anything relating to it is gathered in there." Lorenzo waved a ring-laden hand to the bag slung over Jaylah's arm. "And of course, everything you need for your journey through the Hochovs is already inside the carriage."

"Your generosity is unmatched," Jaylah said, taking in the horse-drawn carriage as if she'd never seen one before.

"What kind of dreadful host would I be if I left my guests wanting?" He winked at me.

"I meant what I said in our discussion last night. You have an ally in Oceana." She offered her hand and they shook on it.

"Always so formal. Now go, your journey awaits." He waved us away to the carriage in the most regal manner possible.

The silence inside the carriage was heavy and uncomfortable. This was the first time I cared to change it.

I thought I could keep it in the past. With the title she held, there was no way she kept up with inferior problems like rare counts of runaway slaves. Yet she knew now. The worst possible person knew of my social standing. After she had what she wanted from me, I was going to find myself neck-deep in my second worst fear: the hands of slavers.

I shot the princess a glance, suspicious by her lack of action. "Why are you so quiet?"

"Would you rather I be loud and irritating like you?"

"Possibly. It might make the hours pass by faster if you weren't so prim and proper."

The look she gave me could have burned holes into the side of my head. Knowing I was trying to elicit a rise out of her, she wisely stayed quiet. But I wasn't simply trying to antagonize her for the sake of it. Not this time.

My eyes narrowed on her. "You're planning something, aren't you?"

"Nothing but your timely murder."

I huffed. She was not cooperating with the direction I wished to take the conversation. I supposed there was no luck being subtle. And as much as I despised the fact, she already knew...

"Are you going to trade me in to the slavers?" I asked, propping my chin in a palm to mask the fact that I was ready to strike out if she said yes. "Cash me in for my ransom money?"

Turning in her seat to fully face me, she exclaimed, "Gods, you think low of me." A rare display of emotion. She was a good liar.

"Desperate people stoop low." A string of images tugged through my mind. Sneaking into wealthy houses through unlocked windows. Robbing people in broad daylight and getting away with it. Leaving behind bloodied corpses with my hands stained red. Bones, flesh beaten into pulp, shredded muscle. Becoming something terrible and remorseless.

"No." Eyes shut, she flicked hair from her face. "I will not trade you in to slavers. They would be much less tolerant of your misbehavior than I am."

That meant nothing. She was hiding her true intentions to keep me docile until it happened. I was worth a large sum. Anyone else would do it. Why would she keep me around if there was such a reward for giving me up?

I looked out the window at a passing village. Families stood before their homes, wondering who sat inside the royal carriage. How quickly would their excitement turn sour when they realized instead of an esteemed member of the royal court inside, there was a bastard-born slave? I wondered how many of them would take the bounty if the choice was offered.

"If you're not trading me in, then why the hell are you still here?" I asked, hoping the carriage driver wasn't secretly set on a path to turn me in. I would be shipped back to Oceana. Back to those dirty barracks, the muddy drinking water. I could already feel the weight around my throat.

"I see no reason to leave," Jaylah said in that irritatingly measured, detached tone. "You have a connection to Seifer Daggen and the locket. And I cannot simply let you go now that you have knowledge of my identity." She cocked her head. "You could turn me in for profit."

"Don't put ideas in my head."

"As you see, we both have potential to turn each other in for what we are. Who we are. So I believe it would be best to refrain entirely. I do not wish to be stabbed in the back."

She couldn't face betrayal, especially not in these circumstances. I could work with that, I supposed. By no means did it mean I was secure around her, but when did I ever feel secure, anyway? Of course she would make no guarantee.

The princess surprised me by continuing on. "If you must know, I will not turn you in under any circumstance. You may be a thieving, deceitful, terrible—"

"That's enough adjectives."

"—vicious murderer-for-hire, but I stand by what I told you last night. I am trying to be better than he would have me be. Not to mention that no one should be subjected to my father's war crimes. That includes you."

"Your kindness astounds me." My voice was flat, but my mind was reeling. The promise she made was too good to be true.

"Do not think I am showing you this mercy because you have grown on me, because that could not be further from the truth. I have plenty of adjectives left."

"I would be disappointed if you didn't." Despite my ever-growing suspicions, a shred of false relief entered my system. Even if it was all a lie, it was nice to hear.