Royal Games

Chapter 42

Adrianna practically growls at us when Isaac and I check on her only an hour later. "You dumped me here wounded and alone. I don't want you here now." She lounges on a beanbag, while Isaac and I stand by the door.

"I'm really sorry, Adrianna." Isaac says gently, trying to soothe a volatile beast. "But Kelly has mental wounds that run a whole lot deeper than your already-healing wounds. She needed support last night. You need it now."

"Go. Away." Adrianna bares her teeth to us, fangs and all.

"Catch." I call, throwing a glass vial in a graceful arc towards her. She catches it easily, frowning at the shimmering amber liquid. "It's a healing potion. We made sure you weren't going to bleed out last night, but this will heal you properly."

"I'm sure it will help with the broken bones you left me with." She replies harshly. Her words twist my gut a little.

"It will. It can heal any injury, as long as it's not fatal." I doubt it would help the situation to tell Adrianna that the reason I know this is because I mixed it myself.

She eyes me up and down. I can't tell if it's distrust, or if she's trying to figure out what I'm doing here. Or if she's thinking something entirely different.

Suddenly, the vial lid is on the floor, and Adrianna is downing the amber potion. Then she chucks the vial to the floor, smashing and shattering the glass between us. It all happens so fast. I don't have time to do anything other than gape at her.

"You've done what you came for now. So leave." Adrianna snarls the final two words.

"That's not the only thing we came for." Isaac replies, taking a tentative step towards her. "We need to talk about last night."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"No? What the heck happened between you and Donovan?"

"We fought. He won. There's nothing else that needs to be said."

"What do you mean 'he won'?" I ask, sharing a concerned look with Isaac. We begin to close the distance between us and Adrianna. "Surely, if he won, you wouldn't have walked out alive."

"I walked out without an ear. I paid the fee to get Kelly out." She stands, moving her hair to reveal only smooth skin where her right ear once was. A gruesome image pops into my head of what it must've looked like before she used my potion. I resist the urge to throw up.

Isaac grimaces. "Not that I'm not grateful," He begins. "Because I am. But why?"

"I... I don't know." For the first time this conversation, there's no bite behind her words. She looks away.

"You're not a dark-sider, Adrianna. No matter how much you act like it."

"I don't need to hear this." She snaps, pushing past Isaac and heading towards the door.

"But we need your help." I say. "Donovan spoke to me last night of things he shouldn't know about. Things that put me in danger." Adrianna stops walking and turns around. It seems my risk has paid off. "I need to know more about him."

"Now I'm curious. What knowledge of his could possibly put you in danger?"

I hesitate. She barks out a laugh in response. "I'll cut you a deal." She begins. I'm not liking the sound of this. "I tell you whatever I can about Donovan. If, I get a guess at why you think you're in danger. And you'd better not lie if I get it right."

"Deal." I agree. I highly doubt she could guess the truth.

"Then take a seat." Adrianna plops back down onto her beanbag. Isaac takes another beanbag, while I go for the desk chair in front of the computer monitors.

"I used to work for Donovan." Adrianna explains. "I stole for him. Gems. Magical artefacts. Things like that. It was quite a good job, actually. Until I stole a magic book from him. I had only planned to borrow it, but, when he found me, I fled with it. I think he was already mad about some of his men getting caught in the middle of an important task earlier that day, and that rage was turned on me.

"He sent teams out to hunt me down. I ended up trading the book for my life. There was extremely powerful magic in that book, and nothing mattered more than me revealing where I'd hidden it. He wanted to fight me yesterday because he feels cheated out of his revenge."

"What do you know about his assassins?" I inquire.

She eyes me suspiciously, quirking an eyebrow. "They are the best trained assassins alive. They are trained as children in physical combat, weaponry, and dangerous magic. There are thirty nine of them all together, and, when one dies, they are immediately replaced. If they are sent after you, you're as good as dead."

I blanch. "Any weaknesses?"

"Only Donovan's orders can stand between them and their targets." If Adrianna's claim is true, then the situation is worse than I thought.

"Why thirty nine of them?" Isaac wonders aloud.

"Three units of thirteen. I guess it's to do with three being the magic number."

"Are the units any different from each other?" Isaac asks, presumably thinking the same thing as me. Maybe we can figure out which unit is coming after me.

"Yes. The units split the assassins between air, land, and sea, usually based on their species." That must mean it's the land unit coming after me. An idea forms in my head.

"Now," Adrianna continues. "About our deal..." She lets the words hang in the air.

"Go on." I encourage.

"Okay. I don't think you're a criminal. I don't think you've offended anyone. So then why would Donovan's assassins be sent after you?" She muses. "Perhaps it's a power play. Perhaps you're a very powerful person, and there's someone who doesn't like that about you." I refuse show any reaction. "Should we be bowing at your feet," She pauses, and her feral grin greatly disturbs me. "Princess Alyssa?" She drags out those damning words.

I pale. How could I be recognised by two people who are virtually strangers after remaining hidden for so long?

"How?" I ask meekly.

"I heard news a few months ago of a princess presumed dead, but whose body was never found. Combining your situation with Donovan's assassins, and the way you act, I put two and two together. Even now, you sit straight-backed, hands resting in your lap. It's subtle, but it's been so well trained into you." I never realised my posture could give me away before.

"Please don't tell anyone." I plead.

"On one condition." Adrianna replies, clueless as to just how much I would do for her to keep my identity a secret. "Answer me this: If Donovan's assassins are after you, and Donovan recognised you last night, why are you still alive now?"

I briefly wonder how much truth to give. "Donovan doesn't want me dead. It's the person paying for his assassins who he wants dead."

Adrianna nods. "Your secret is safe with me, your Highness." Her use of my title makes my blood boil.