The Red King [Book II]

XXXVI

Alex woke up with a dagger in his hand and a body on the floor. He was panting, wide-eyed, standing in the dim image of the unfamiliar room. A metal blade clacked to the floor, and James came to stand over the corpse.

ㅤ"On the first night," James said. "He's very keen."

ㅤ"...What?"

ㅤAlex still hadn't caught up with what happened. His heart raced through his ears, and his dagger shook in front of him. Birds chirped outside, singing through the open balcony door. The brittle early-morning gleam clashed coldly with James' casual movements.

ㅤ"Hey."

ㅤAlex looked to James' face.

ㅤ"Are you awake right now?" James asked.

ㅤThe question twisted the eerie misalignment Alex found himself in, and he fully expected it would jolt him awake from this dream. James was looking at him strangely.

ㅤ"...I think so?" Alex replied.

ㅤJames frowned. Flicking his wet—bloodied—hands over the corpse, James approached Alex and put a slippery hand to his chest. Alex's heart throbbed against it.

ㅤ"Breathe," James said. "Catch up, darling."

ㅤTurning over the facts in his head, Alex released a long breath. This was the Theos Palace, and James had crept into his bed last night. He'd been woken suddenly by an attacker, it seemed.

ㅤ"An assassin?"

ㅤ"That's right," James confirmed, easily. He wiped his hands on the bedsheet, throwing it over the body. A dark stain spread across the perfect white. James' limbs were perfectly steady; he didn't tremble at all.

ㅤ"Shite," Alex realised, descending to reality. "Shite!" He threw his hands in the air, noting the cleanliness of his own palms. "They tried to kill us!"

ㅤJames cocked his head before he crouched beside the body to roll it into the blanket.

ㅤ"Was this Maurice?" Alex snapped, swelling with fury. "When killing princes meant nothing, he wanted to target a king instead. A king!"

ㅤ"Volume," James quietly warned him, with a stained finger rising to his lips.

ㅤ"They tried to kill you, James!"

ㅤThe wrapped body folded over James' shoulder with ease, blood dripping from the assassin's sandalled toes and onto the floor. A pool remained where it'd lain.

ㅤAlex's teeth ground. "How dare they."

ㅤJames paused to look at him straight. "They weren't after me."

ㅤ"What?"

ㅤ"This is your room, Alex," James pointed out, low. "Their target was you."

ㅤ"Me? But..."