Assassin's Crown (The Assassin and her Dragon Princes Book Book 3)

by Ivy Clyde

  "What have you got there, Daria?" asked Cain as I slid a dirk inside the folds of my bodice. It was the same ivory-handled one he'd gifted me.

  "I am preparing for the evening," I said, collecting some of the poison I would be using later in a separate piece of parchment. This particular concoction was extremely rare and precious. If my guess was correct, it came directly from Lady Elga's personal stores.

  We were resting during the afternoon while the rest of the city prepared for the lantern festival. With three tall, well-built men in the room, the place felt packed and crowded. I sat on the bed, serenely arming myself while the others lounged on the floor space. Norvin was already snoozing, his long legs spread over Adal's lap who was leaning against a wall and studying the map of the city. He was trying to look for the best way to escape with the stolen goods.

  That morning, Norvin had already driven the carriage out of the inn's courtyard to hide it near Tasher's warehouse. He said it was behind a large bramble bush further down the road. With that taken care of, we just had to get ourselves inside the storehouse and bring out the herbs.

  Cain watched me closely as I slipped the needles and wafer-thin darts under my clothes. Their familiar weight felt comforting. Over the past few days, it felt like a part of me was missing. Now I knew what it was. I may never go back to Linmoor but the assassin within me would always follow me.

  "So, how exactly will you do it?" asked Cain for the umpteenth time.

  "I am going to put all the guards to sleep. The warehouse is in a remote location without any houses nearby, so hopefully, no one will notice the passed out men. Then we go inside and get what we need," I explained.

  "But how?" asked Cain. "How will you administer the poison?"

  Trust Cain to want to know every detail of every step. I sighed and patted the folded piece of parchment on my lap. "With the poison in here." Before he could ask how exactly I'd do it, I put up my hand. "You will see, Cain. I cannot explain the procedure. It will involve a bit of magic."

  "Daria can be trusted," said Adal from his spot. The rays of afternoon sun falling on him made his newly-dyed hair shimmer like fire. My scholarly prince looked breathtaking even outside his palace.

  Cain looked tensed. He'd inadvertently taken up the role of our leader and protector. Moving from the bed, I went to him stand behind him. My arms wrapped around his waist. He stiffened for a moment but then relaxed in my embrace. His hands cupped over mine as I leaned my head against his broad back.

  "We'll be fine, Cain. I promise."

  "I just want you safe," he said, turning around to face me. His silvery gray eyes stared at me intently, making my heart race.

  With my princes so close by, it was impossible to keep control of my heart and body. What wouldn't I give to have all three of them take me at once? I chuckled at the idea.

  "What's so funny?" asked Cain.

  "I was thinking all of us being naked together," I said, boldly meeting Cain's baffled expression while my cheeks flamed.

  "You're a little demon, Daria," said Adal from his corner. He was laughing, looking down at Norvin who was still asleep. "You will make Norvin turn mad if you said it. He made it very clear he doesn't want to see either me or Cain naked."

  "Yeah," added Cain, chuckling. "In his own words, he doesn't want to see our twigs and berries nor flash his to us."

  I sighed internally. Someday when we were all relaxed, Norvin might just relent and let me fulfill my dream of being naked with all my mates at the same time. Someday...

  As the afternoon waned, we could feel the excitement. The chatter in the inn down below us became louder. We waited, hoping for night to fall over the city completely.

  Two hours later, we stepped out of our rooms.

  The whole place had gone quiet by now. The usual chatter downstairs was completely gone. Reaching the main hall, we found it had emptied. Even the innkeeper had another servant watching over the place, disappearing somewhere.

  I gasped in surprise as soon as we stepped out into the street outside the inn. A string of red lanterns was lit along the street. It was beautiful under the dark night sky. We could see more lighted lanterns in the direction of the city's main square. Instead of going that way, we headed down the road towards the warehouse.

  The road leading to Tasher's warehouse was dark. No one had bothered to light up lanterns in this part of the city.

  "This is good for us," said Adal as we made our way to the storehouse. "There is a hill further down the road. Being so far from the city, it should be deserted. We can shift into our true forms without the fear of being seen."

  "We'll have to fly very high so we're totally invisible to the people on the streets," said Cain.

  "That shouldn't be a problem," said Norvin. "Getting out of the city with sacks of herbs would have been impossible without our dragons."

  I came to a stop when I sighted the flames from the guards' torches in the distance. I motioned for my princes to follow me behind the large oak tree there.

  "I'll get Tuto to fly over the place and make sure nothing's out of order," I said.

  Closing my eyes, I entered Tuto's mind. He was perched on the branch of the same oak tree under which we hid. Taking flight, he soared through the night sky like a white phantom and circled over the warehouse. Nothing had changed from yesterday. The same guards surrounded the place, both inside and outside the tall walls that fenced the storehouse.

  I blinked, feeling three pairs of eyes on me.

  "I still can't get used to the change in your eyes," said Cain as I blinked away Tuto's vision.

  "What did you see, Daria?" asked Norvin in a grim tone.

  "It's the same as yesterday," I replied, keeping my gaze in the distance. Turning towards the three princes, I said, "I will move ahead by myself now. When the time is ready, I'll send a signal through Tuto. The path should be cleared by then."

  "Be careful, Dari," whispered Cain.

  I gave his hand a squeeze and nodded at both Norvin and Adal before slipping out from behind the tree trunk. Hurrying forward, I kept to the shadows until I'd reached a tree closest to the warehouse. It was dangerous now. If a guard caught sight of me, the plan would fail.

  Pulling up the hem of my dress, I folded the length of the skirt and tucked it tightly around my waist. With my knees freed up, I quickly climbed over the branches of the oak, reaching the highest point so I could get a better view of the place.

  Securing my position on a sturdy branch, I looked out at the warehouse. Few of the guards chatted between themselves and some shared a pipe between them, but they were all alert. There was a mean, bloodthirsty look about them all. Scars marred their dark, sunburned skin. Swords and knives hung at their waists while each of them carried a spear in their hand. The sight of them was enough to keep ordinary folk at bay.

  Taking the ivory-handled knife from my bodice, I held it tight in my right hand. The sharp blade glinted in the moonlight as I brought it over the palm of my left hand. Gritting my teeth, I slashed a thin line in my palm. Blood spurted out, soaking my pale skin with dark crimson.

  Ignoring the blood dripping from the wound, I placed the knife back inside my bodice. The wound throbbed but ignoring it, I focused my attention on the thick scarlet liquid ebbing away from the slash.

  The few drops that fell from my hand stopped in midair. Channeling my inner power, I made the shiny drops hover before my eyes. From now on, every single drop that left my body joined the crimson orbs floating before me. When enough of these had gathered, I brought out the sachet of poison from the sash at my waist.

  I sprinkled the powdery substance over the glistening crimson bubbles and watched it turn a darker shade.

  "Disperse," I whispered, channeling the magic of elemental air from within me. The small drops of dark, poisoned blood burst into dust-like particles before my eyes. The reddish-black cloud hovered before me, waiting for my next command.

  Taking a deep breath, I let the shimmering dust float aw
ay towards the warehouse. An unnatural air current aided me in spreading the poison throughout the periphery of the building.

  Within a matter of a minute, the guards slumped forward. It was enough to inhale a few particles of the poison-soaked blood. I waited a few more minutes to make sure they were all passed out before proceeding forward.

  Reaching the front gate of the house, I poked a guard with my boot. He was passed out for good. Keeping my skirt well above my knees, I ran forward and leaped lightly to reach the top of the wall.

  Positioning myself on my new perch, I spied at the guards who were stationed outside the main warehouse building. They were more in number and if possible, looked even fiercer than their comrades outside the walls.

  The sleeve of my dress was soaked in blood by now. Ignoring the nauseous feeling, I repeated the same process of soaking my blood droplets with poison. This time, it got harder to focus on my magic. The loss of blood was beginning to have an effect on me. It was the main reason why blood magic was dangerous and rarely used. The risk of injuring ourselves was always great.

  "This is the last time," I whispered to myself, coaxing my mind to focus on the task at hand.

  Conjuring another air current, I let the particles of the poison-soaked blood flow all around the courtyard. As expected, the guards soon succumbed to the lethal sedative, falling to their knees without a single protest.

  Rising from my position, I ran the length of the walls surrounding the courtyard. Every guard was down. If anyone was left unaffected, he would have made noise and tantrum over his fallen companions. The torches burned brightly, illuminating the still and silent warehouse.

  Closing my eyes, I got in touch with Tuto. "Let them know they can come here," I whispered, knowing Tuto would know exactly what to do. I waited on the wall near front entrance.

  Cain, Adal, and Norvin arrived within a few minutes. Their gaze went to the fallen men near the gates of the building before searching for me.

  "Over here!" I called, attracting their attention to me.

  "What are you doing up there?" asked Norvin, rushing forward. "And that dress is quite becoming, Daria." He licked his lips, drinking in the sight of my long, slender legs.

  Chuckling softly, I leaped down in front of him.

  "I would ask how you did it but I guess now is not the time," said Cain.

  I shook my head. "The effect won't last beyond two hours. Let us hurry inside."

  I didn't bother lowering my skirt. It was easier to move with my calves and knees freed and exposed. "Come along," I said, leading the way through the main gate. "The storehouse is further ahead."

  Because of Tuto's aerial vision aid, I'd already located the entrance to the warehouse. Reaching it, we stared at the heavy padlock keeping it closed to the world.

  "Move aside," said Cain, stepping forward. His hands glowed white-hot as he gripped the shackles of the lock. Within minutes, the metal melted away in the heat of Cain's inner fire, falling to the ground with a metallic thud. He kicked the door open.

  It was completely dark inside. My princes let flames erupt in the palm of their hands, illuminating the vast hall.

  "Why are you bleeding, Daria?" asked Adal, his intense eyes trained on the blood-soaked sleeve of my left hand.

  "I am fine," I said, moving towards the racks before me. There was no time to bind the wound. We had to hurry before the effects of the poison waned. The entire space was filled with six-tiered wooden racks, containing a variety of items, most of which were dried roots and herbs. Apart from them, Tasher had also stored away boxes full of gold and silver ingots.

  "What the fuck has he been doing to accumulate such wealth?" whispered Norvin, picking up gold ingots from a nearby box.

  "Sucking the blood of peasants makes you rich," muttered Cain darkly. His gaze turned towards me. "Are you sure you'll be fine?" he asked.

  I nodded. "I will heal myself as soon as we get done here. So, let's hurry."

  We picked up discarded gunny bags and began filling them with every herb in sight. As I swept them into my sack, I noticed they were commonplace roots and herbs like ginger root, ginseng, and holy basil leaves.

  "These herbs grow abundantly in Baledonia," said Adal. "It's twisting my mind to think Lord Tasher bought them all, emptying the apothecaries of any herbs at all. These aren't even expensive," he said, looking at a block of dried turmeric root.

  "There is no limit to man's greed," added Norvin, sweeping everything in sight into sacks.

  "Why don't we take the gold too?" I asked. "You can distribute it among the people Tasher stole it from."

  "Yes," said Norvin, picking up another dusty sack from the floor. "And let's pocket a few each too. I feel awful about Adal selling his family jewels."

  "It doesn't bother me," added Adal. "It's a very small price to pay."

  "Nah, let's rob this fucking noble today," said Norvin savagely, sweeping an entire box of gold ingots into a sack.

  It took us a long time to clear away most of the storehouse. Even then, many more boxes of herbs remained.

  "We don't have enough time to take them all," I said in dismay. "We need to get the carriage and carry them all up the hill."

  A gentle hand settled on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Daria. I will get the healers more herbs from Baledonia. I know someone who can help." Adal looked at the bags of gold ingots. "There's enough money here to purchase herbs for the entire kingdom of Drakhaven."

  "All right, then," said Norvin. "Bring the sacks to the back entrance. I'll go get the carriage."

  I let Cain and Adal carry the sacks out of the warehouse. As much as I wanted to help them, I felt my strength waning. Leaning against a wall, I channeled some of my inner energy into the palm of my left hand, sealing the skin. The blood flow stopped but left me reeling. I grabbed onto a nearby rack to stop myself from hurtling to the floor.

  I got up quickly just as I heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Adal and Cain couldn't know how weak I'd gotten. They would all be leaving me behind tonight to help distribute the herbs.

  Hold on a little longer, I coaxed myself. You can go sleep for an entire week after the task is completed.

  Just the thought of the task kicked in my training. My resolve strengthened. No matter what happened, the task had to be completed before I could give up.

  "Are you feeling all right?" asked Cain, coming to stand before me.

  "Absolutely," I lied, giving him my best smile. "See," I showed him my recently-healed palm. "I am healed. I am no longer bleeding."

  "That's a relief," said Adal, smiling at me. Picking up two sacks in each hand, he turned away to walk out of the warehouse. Cain followed after him.

  Soon, all the sacks were taken to the back entrance of the building. Norvin helped load them all to the back of the carriage. My heart pounded as the last of the bags were put into the carrier. We didn’t have much time left.

  "Let's go," said Norvin, taking his place at the front of the carriage while Adal, Cain, and I hopped in the back. With the crack of a whip, the wagon moved forward.

  Adal squeezed my shaking hand. I looked up at him and instantly felt comforted. We were going to make it.

  It was a while before we reached the deserted clearing at the top of the hill. The city of Fuvaros stretched out below us, twinkling with a myriad of lights. It looked like a sea of gold from our vantage point.

  "I can carry the gold while you two can deal with the herbs," said Norvin. Turning towards me, he suddenly threw a couple of ingots at me. "These should help you get by until we return."

  "Thank you," I said, grinning. It would be enough to last me for months!

  Soon the sacks were piled on the grass-covered ground. My princes moved forward, each taking their turn to kiss me, pouring their emotions of love, affection and extreme possession into the brief encounter.

  With tears stinging my eyes, I stepped away from them so they could shift into their true forms. I was glad it was night or they would have all se
en the uncontrollable tears flowing down my cheeks.

  I couldn't wait to achieve my true form as well. If I could turn into a magnificent creature as the three before me, I could have gone with them to aid in the distribution of the herbs. Instead, I looked up to the sky as they each took flight, disappearing into the night sky like fast moving masses of dark clouds.

  16

  I watched my second brother writhe and curse at the maids struggling to put him to bed. Zane looked wild; the locks of his thick dark hair clumped and tangled together, his pale blue eyes wide and unblinking as he thrashed against the women trying to make him lie down.

  "Don't touch me!" he screamed, throwing the maids off him. The four women landed on the floor, gasping and moaning.

  "Get out!" I commanded.

  The look of relief on their faces infuriated me but I let them go for now. There would be enough time to punish them later.

  Zane was shaking his head and mumbling to himself. Anger and resentment coursed through me at the sight. It was that infernal maid who'd done this to him.

  I closed my eyes for a moment, and the scene rose up in my vision.

  It was a while before any of us had dared to go out into the courtyard. The sight of the scholar prince, Adal, turning into a fearsome dragon had shocked us all. When we eventually ventured inside the tower to look for Zane, we found him lying in a pool of blood and screaming like a madman.

  But that wasn't the worst of it.

  Zane was completely naked from the waist down which allowed us all to see the wound that had caused all the blood. His manhood had been cut off...

  Everyone present there, me, Mekhi, Prince Kurozeru and his soldiers, saw my brother's utter humiliation. The maid he was supposed to rape and abuse had injured him in the worst possible manner. The best elixir in the world couldn't bring back what he'd lost. No wonder my poor brother was losing his mind.