Master of the Dance Read Online Free PDF Page B

the bottle of wine and filled a goblet. "I will not attempt to assassinate the Prince in his bed chamber at night, when he will be surrounded by guards. If I can find a time when he is alone, or almost alone, I will succeed."
    "You killed Lerton even though he had guards in his room," Kerrion pointed out.
    "Yes, and I can do the same with Trelath if necessary. When I killed Lerton, my safety was not a great concern. I took a risk. If you wish to leave nothing to chance this time, it must be done more cautiously."
    "Indeed," Minna agreed. "I will not have you risk your life, My Lord."
    "I could arrange to get Trelath alone," Kerrion stated, looking thoughtful. "I was alone with him in the arena just a short time ago. All I have to do is order him to meet me somewhere."
    Blade shook his head. "Then suspicion will fall on you."
    "I could tell the courts that he was attacked by a Contara assassin, thereby throwing suspicion further afield. I would be a witness, and you could even injure me slightly, to make it believable."
    Blade's brows rose, and he smiled. "Tempting, but I think you would be a terrible liar. The judges would think you had killed him yourself."
    "Not if there was another witness, one who would have no reason to support me, like one of my brothers."
    "Who could also lie, and tell the courts that you killed Trelath."
    Kerrion growled and took a gulp of wine. "You think of everything, Blade."
    "It is my job. You must be seen elsewhere when your brother dies. I will choose the time and place, and I do not require your aid."
    "Very well. So you will kill Chaymin tonight?"
    The assassin nodded, putting down his empty goblet. "I must prepare." He bowed to Minna. "My Queen."
    She inclined her head. "My Lord."
    After he left, she turned to Kerrion. "It was foolish of me to suggest that he kill them both tonight."
    "Perhaps we expected too much, even of Blade."
    "I think he could have done it, but it would have been risky."
    The King nodded, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "And you will not risk him, I know."
    "No, I will not."

 
     
    Chapter Three
     
    Blade ate a light meal of grilled fowl and steamed cherid greens with sour cream sauce in his room, then lay down to relax for the rest of the day, gathering his energy for the night's endeavour. Since Prince Chaymin would be an easy target, he had decided to kill him as he had Targan. He pondered the problem of Trelath while he dozed, envisioning various options that may be suitable, once he had established the Prince's habits. Kerrion's information indicated that Trelath kept no routine, but was an impulsive man prone to sudden urges that he tended to satisfy immediately. He was also a hothead, with a tendency to rush into situations without giving them much thought. The beginnings of a plan formed in Blade's mind, and he fell asleep as it took shape.
    Kerra disturbed Blade's slumber when she came in and curled up on the cot she had had installed on the far side of the room, at his insistence. She had wanted to place it next to his bed, but he had refused to entertain the notion, and she had conceded that she did not have to be quite so close to him. He listened to her soft breathing until he drifted off to sleep again.
    The assassin woke well after dark, and washed before donning his black leather clothes. With his daggers installed in their proper places, he rubbed some soot on his face, then slipped into the dimly lighted corridor. Guttering torches shed pools of light along the walls, and he flitted through them like a shadow, pausing in dark places to scan the area ahead before moving on. He knew the guard placements of the Cotti palace quite well, but still used caution, for unpredicted events were the bane of assassins.
    A guard's need to answer a call of Nature could be his undoing, if he assumed they would all be at their posts. The dog soldiers who patrolled the gardens were particularly dangerous, due to their familiars' keen noses. Even though he had