Page 100 of The Barbarian King's Assassin (Magic and Kings 1)
An angry crowd wanted answers. Many wanted him released even if he was guilty.
No worries. I planned to ensure that happened.
As I’d not had much time to examine the temple, my knowledge of it was limited. The soldiers at the heavily guarded entrance into the west wing would have let me pass, but that guaranteed the grand vizier found out about it, and I didn’t want to lose the element of surprise.
As I scaled the temple walls after dark, the stone kindly having tiny chips that were perfect for climbing, it occurred to me that I could have demanded to speak to the high priest in charge. I could have told him Konstantin couldn’t have killed the zariina because he’d been with me. But that entailed telling people we were lovers, possibly having them call me a liar, which would annoy me, and then I’d have to kill them. It would start an ugly chain reaction of death that I wasn’t being paid for.
Or I could simply save the Barbarian. Much easier. Maybe then he’d see I wasn’t so little. Oddly, I liked being his delicate yanna flower.
My gloves were starting to tear at the tips when I reached a window set with rusty bars. The lower levels of the temple were no longer used due to flooding issues in recent years. It meant it was unkempt and unguarded, an assassin’s dream. I just needed to get inside.
Feet braced, I wrapped the fabric around the bars. One silken scarf wound around the outermost bar and then my arm. My anchor. The other scarf went around the two middle bars and twisted around the stick I’d brought. I cranked and twisted, turning so the fabric compressed the bars rather than tear. The creak of metal moving and stone cracking only sounded loud to me. The river flowing underneath, feeding the falls, would have hidden it to anyone else nearby.
I yanked the bars free, the space now big enough to wiggle through. As I heaved myself through the window, I sensed another presence and a familiar tingle.
“About time you showed up,” Jrijori drawled.
“How did you know to wait for me here?”
“The same way you knew to use this spot.” Abandoned places made great entry points.
“What can you tell me about what happened?” I asked as I reached for the sword he handed to me. I almost hugged it. It certainly hummed as I buckled it around my waist.
“The Barbarian was framed.”
At the statement, I lifted my gaze from the blade. “By who?”
Jrijori shrugged. “All I know is he didn’t do it, but I know he was tempted. I can’t blame him. What an annoying female.”
I’d forgotten Jrijori had attended the king while I got shoved by the grand vizier. “Wait, did you kill her? I heard she was found in his room.”
“But remained alive and complaining when I left her there to chase after the Barbarian. Bloody fool took off the moment that idiot barged in and said you’d jumped into the falls. The zariina was mad. I could hear her yelling all the way down the stairs.”
“You swear you didn’t kill her?”
“As if I’d do it for free.” Repugnance hued his words.
“How did she die?”
“Dagger to the heart.” A pause. “His dagger.”
“Which he left with the guards when we entered. That’s how they framed him. They failed at killing him, and so they stopped the union a different way,” I mused aloud, knowing my father had already come to the same conclusion.
“So it would seem.”
I paused. “How did you know I’d try to save him?”
“Because I’m not blind. He means something to you.”
He did. Might be time to stop pretending. “I don’t suppose you have a plan to get out.”
“What’s wrong with yours?”
“It has lots of dead people and probably starts a war between Jaaman and Weztroga.”
“Which, at this point, would hardly be your fault.”
As we spoke, we arrived at the barred door leading to the floor above. The new dungeon with the windows bricked over and only tiny slits left for air. Konstantin must hate it.