Shattered Assassin Read Online Free PDF Page A

attacker cannot attack you without feet.”
    “Very true. Brodi was so sure you’d be as good as he was one day.”
    “He was so, so wrong. But he never gave up hope.” Even as she smiled, the tears came, but these weren’t the hopeless tears of before. These tears hurt, but in a good way; just as remembering her older brother hurt, but in a good way.
    Luke chuckled. “Or remember the time we played hide and seek and we locked ourselves in the armory? No one dared call for help because we were certain we’d all be whipped for being in there.”
    Kazia tipped her head to the side, smiling at the memory. “As I recall, you two eventually lowered me out a window by your overcoat sleeves, dropping me and causing me to break my wrist.” Kazia would have glared at him, but it was pointless in the darkness.
    “Oh. Right, sorry about that. But you healed fine.”
    “And no one got whipped.”
    “No, but we did get kitchen duty for the next two fortnights,” he said and Kazia giggled. She hadn’t gotten kitchen duty. Her parents believed the broken wrist was punishment enough.
    “See? They still live, Kazia. In your heart, they can never leave you. And now, you have three guardian angels protecting you — for the times when I’m not enough.”
    Her heart stopped again. She should get up, go back to bed. Anything. She shouldn’t let him say things like that, but she didn’t have the willpower to stop him. Not even close. Instead she retreated to humor. “Are you admitting, Captain of the Royal Guard, that you might one day need help protecting a princess barely bigger than your boots?”
    “Ha. If that princess is you, yes. You’ve always been adept at letting trouble find you.”
    “Because I was following two boys who were adept at leading me right into it.” She smiled, grabbing the sound of his laughter and holding it.
    He heaved himself to his feet and held his hand out. “We have a long day ahead of us. Maybe you can sleep now.”
    She grabbed his hand and let him pull her up, tired muscles screaming. “Maybe I can if you sing to me like you used to.”
    “Shhh!” He clapped a hand over her mouth and she could see the whites of his eyes widen in alarm. “Do not tell my men I can sing. I have a reputation to uphold.” She giggled again, against his hand, and she could see his smile when he was so close. “Now. Can I trust you to keep quiet if I move my hand?” She nodded solemnly and he took his hand away. “Back to bed, Princess. I couldn’t remember the words to those songs anyway.”
    Kazia rolled her eyes at him as she climbed back into her bed roll. She could remember the words perfectly.

CHAPTER FOUR

    I T TOOK THEM THREE MORE DAYS of travel before they were within sight of her Uncle Jeffery’s estate. It was nearly as big as the castle, but not even close to as beautiful. Kazia shuddered and shared a look with Nakomi. “There is a darkness about this place,” she murmured, quiet enough that only Nakomi could hear her.
    Luke glanced back at her. Wondering how on earth he had heard her, she just gave him a weak smile and he turned around. She hadn’t talked to him since that first night, except for brief pleasantries, but the awkwardness between them was gone. Thank goodness for that, at least.
    The surrounding villages weren’t well-cared for, which was part of the reason her father had given Jeffery this land — it was sparsely occupied. It had caused quite a scandal, or so Kazia had heard, but it was all before her time. Duke Jeffrey of Kayn was the King’s only brother, and he had been furious — he should have been given the most prime real estate in the entire country, or at least he thought so. If Kazia had been the one granting land, she would have given him land in her dungeons. But her father was a much kinder person than she.
    Jeffery had been in line for the throne and had given it up to marry a commoner. A very pretty commoner, but a commoner nonetheless. Apparently, he