Queen Of Glass

Chapter 24

"And you're positive that you can't go wrong?" Kaltain R'ompier looked at the man in front of her and fought to keep her excitement locked within her. The day of Lithaen Gordaina's destruction had finally come. Tomorrow morning, nothing would remain of the girl that would possibly get in her way.
The man smiled, revealing large gaps where more of his green-colored teeth should be. His sparse, oily brown hair slithered in the dancing candlelight. "Nothing could happen that would make this go wrong. As long as she stays out in the gardens, I'll be able to finish the job without a problem." The informal way that he addressed her annoyed Kaltain to no end, but the woman held her tongue—she had had enough trouble finding a suitable assassin in the first place.
After weeks of preparation and secret meetings, the killer who called himself Graev was ready. Her servants brought him in through the back passages and stairwells that they used daily and he had been waiting in her rooms since sundown. Graev was repulsive to look at—his skin a sickly pale color and the whites of his eyes were dusted with yellow, making their black irises gleam like the oil in his hair. His clothes were as dirty as his hands and the smell that leaked from him was almost unbearable. But he didn't ask for much money, he had never been caught, and he had never failed to kill those he was paid to destroy.
Kaltain ran an eye over the assortment of weapons Graev had strapped to his rail-thin body. She raised an eyebrow. "She's a strong woman—she won't go down without a fight."
He ran a dirt-stained hand along the pommel of one of his daggers like a lover caressing its mate. "The way I plan it," he said with a slippery grin that made her want to cringe, "she won't even have time to scream before her throat is on the ground."
This was dangerous. Incredibly dangerous. If anyone linked the death back to Kaltain, she would be ruined and probably hanged. An uneasy feeling built within her stomach. Was it worth the risk?
'Will you kiss me again?' The drunken words of Lithaen had been haunting her thoughts these past three days. If they were already on such intimate terms, drastic measures were necessary. She was born to be queen—it was her destiny. And no one, especially Lithaen Gordaina, was going to get in her way.
Her confidence came pouring back into her. When the Crown Prince learned of his beloved's untimely and brutal death he would be distraught. She would be there, of course, to help him pick up the pieces of his broken heart—she would be there to make him see that she was the one meant for him and that Lithaen had just been a waste of his time. Oh, yes. The crown of Adarlan would soon be sitting upon her brow.
"She and her friend are out in the south garden, Graev. Find a way to get her companion far enough away that the girl will be unable to receive help. She'll be wearing fine clothing—a fancy cloak perhaps. Don't leave a trace of your presence or mine, or I will see to it that you are hanged." She pointed at the door dismissively and then turned back to her mirror. Yes, this would all work out perfectly.
Behind her, Graev rose and drew his grimy coat around him, concealing his weapons. "I will do as you wish." His voice quivered with sick anticipation as he headed for the door.
"Oh, and Graev?" Kaltain called over her shoulder, pausing him in the doorway with her words. Lithaen's drunken insults ran through her head. Kaltain R'ompier smiled viciously. Dorian was hers now.
"See to it that she dies in the most painful way possible."
O-o-o-O-o-o-O
Celaena Sardothien strolled along the snow-coated paths of the south garden with Anuksun, using the moon as her lantern. It was past dinner, but neither of them had cared to notice. The cold was an issue; the princess's sleeveless shirt was so poorly suited for the cold that Celaena had given the girl her cloak to keep warm. To make up for the freezing temperatures, their conversation had been stimulating...on one side at least. Anuksun had been busy asking the assassin about her past life—and Celaena had been occupied with evading most of her answers.
She had explained everything that had occurred in the past few months to Anuksun. She had explained everything that had happened in the mines and her life as an assassin. But, in truth, there was much she didn't know about her life before killing became her profession; which was a fact that Celaena did not like to dwell upon. There were too