Page 49 of The Barbarian King's Assassin (Magic and Kings 1)

“This is dumb,” I grumbled.

“Afraid to get close to me, my little Yanna?”

“You don’t scare me.” Excited, yes. And that was a dangerous thing. I turned around and faced him.

“Closer.”

“This is going to give people the wrong impression.”

“Who says they’re wrong? Could be they’re just early.” An odd reply as he tugged me into him, my legs draped over his big thighs.

The size of them lifted me so I essentially sat in his lap, not on the horse. My arms went around his wide chest and couldn’t touch. For all my teasing, I didn’t think of killing him. I’d come this far. I wanted to see where we’d finish.

The horse began to canter, and I readied to mock him for exaggerating. Then it really galloped. Each pounding of a hoof as if thunder were given flesh. The impact surely vibrated the very ground. Or did it move too fast for anyone to hear and feel?

A good thing for the protection of his chest because I could feel the streaming wind against my back, whipping at my hair, which I now really wished I’d braided.

When dawn crested, I turned my face enough to the side to marvel at the blur of the scenery we raced by. We stopped for a short break, where the horses had a light snack and drink. Then we were off again, me wrapped around Konstantin and catching up on some of the sleep I’d lost. Why not? Rare would be the chance of attack since they wouldn’t be able to catch us.

As afternoon curved toward evening, the pace finally slowed.

“You can turn back around if you want,” Konstantin said.

I turned sideways to see the sun setting behind an enormous castle set above us on a bluff we’d been following since we turned north.

“What is that place?” I asked. The massive castle boasted of wealth. And yet, we were in Weztroga. A place of mountains and cold.

“Welcome to my summer home.”

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

“That’s not a home;that’s a castle,” I murmured.

When he’d spoken of his summer place, for some reason I’d expected not much more than a wooden hunting lodge. Not this sprawling thing of stone set upon a cliff. Great for defense, given there was sheer rock on three sides and a steep incline on the fourth, the only path to the castle.

“It has fantastic views and, if you’re willing to make the trip down to the bottom, excellent fishing.”

“How rich are you?” I asked. Because it appeared some of the rumors might not be true.

He didn’t reply but clicked his tongue, sending his stallion into a canter.

Despite the hard riding, I remained seated in front of Konstantin, heading for the unknown. It occurred to me I’d placed myself in a precarious situation by entering his domain.

What if this was a trap?

A trap to do what? I’d gone from being taken to trial to hired. Or was that just an elaborate ruse to make me acquiescent as we traveled? Could be once we entered that castle, he’d have me thrown in the dungeon.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his words hot against my ear.

“Are you going to toss me off a cliff or imprison me in a cell?”

“You really have trust issues.”

“That’s not a reply.”

He chuckled. “If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead.”

“I wanted you dead, and yet you’re still here,” I pointed out.