Cress

Chapter 41

Kai laughed, a rough sound that bordered on hyperventilating.

He couldn't tell if this unexpected turn of events was terrible,

 very, very funny. 

 "The palace security has been compromised?

 What exactly does that mean?"

"The royal guard hasn't had time to document an official 

 report, Your Majesty," said Torin, "but we do know that all

 security cameras and scanners, including weapon scanners, 

 have malfunctioned. Or at least that your guards are

unable to access their feeds at this time."

"How long have they been down?"

"Almost eleven minutes."

Kai paced to the window. 

He caught sight of a groom in his reflection—a white

silk shirt split by a red sash that hung from his shoulder.

 It made him think of blood every time he saw it. 

 He'd spent the past hour pacing around his private

chambers and avoiding his reflection as much

 as possible.

"Do you think Levana has anything to do with it?"

"It seems out of character for her to do anything that

 could upset today's ceremony."

Kai strung his fingers through his hair. 

 Priya would have a fit when she saw him, after those 

 specialty stylists had spent forty minutes adjusting

 every last hair on his head.

"Your Majesty, I might ask that you move away from

 the window."

He turned around, surprised at the concern in

 Torin's voice.

 "Why?"

"We have to assume that this break constitutes a threat to 

 your safety, but we can't guess where that threat might

 come from.

"You think someone's going to try and assassinate me

 through a window?

 On the fourteenth floor?"

"We don't know what to think, but I don't want to take

 unnecessary risks until we have more information.

The captain of guard should be here shortly. 

 I'm sure he has a plan in place for such circumstances.

 We maybe forced to evacuate, or go into lockdown mode."

Kai drew away from the window.

 Lockdown mode? 

 He hadn't known such a thing existed.

"Are we canceling the ceremony?" he asked, hardly