Antiquated Assassination

Chapter One

"You think they don't know?" He smirked at me as his hands lay, in my opinion, far too liberally on my waistline. 

 "You're going to have to be a little more specific," I bit back as I twirled away from him, dangling by just a finger in his strong hand, "but you never really were that good at that." I swung into him now, nearly nose to nose with his sharp hazel eyes, "were you, Ace?" 

"Oh, are we on a first name basis now?" His eyes flashed in amusement, a grin beginning to form against his sharp features. 

 "The work week is over, after all," I replied, my arms loosely around his neck as we swayed back and forth in the center of the ballroom. 

 "You know as well as I do," he leaned into my neck and whispered, "it's never really over for a killer."

My breath caught in my throat, and a chill ran up my spine as he backed away from me, the same stupid grin on his face. I must've looked stunned because he immediately took his chance.

"Aw, do I fluster you that much?" 

My eyes narrowed. "Far from it," I spit back at him, "I'm not the one here to," my voice dropped now, "assassinate the King." 

"Whew, we're being blunt today, are we?" Evidently uncomfortable, he gripped my waist tightly to him and swung us in a circle strategically closer to the live band. "You're going to need to calm down there, Elle. It is a party, after all." 

"Oh, very clever," I rolled my eyes as I pulled his once tight, but now wandering, hand up my back.  

"You are missing one tiny – and cute, might I add – detail," his smile was now large enough to see his freshly sharpened canines, "you're here in the same capacity for the Queen." 

 "Ladies first, of course," I replied nonchalantly. 

 He chuckled, "No one can say you went down without chivalry."

"Go down? You forget the part where I may just take your mission along the way." 

Ace's expression, which until this point had been comical, turned serious. In that moment, as if on cue, the band began to quiet down and applause broke from the hundreds of guests. I remained in Ace's arms while the ladies around us bowed to their dance partners. I sighed and moved out of his grasp, away from him, and towards the West side doors of the ballroom where Keane was stationed for the next Phase. I'd either finish the Queen today or finish Ace trying to.

I guess we'd find out soon enough.

I could see Keane huddled into a corner in his ill-fitted suit, away from the party guests. I approached him urgently, my demeanor no longer the carefree dancer, "Do you think we should abort?"

"It would be too obvious," Keane replied, straightening his posture and glancing quickly over his shoulders. Nowhere was safe now that they knew Ace was here as well.

I couldn't hide the worry in my gaze from Keane. What if Ace was aware of their family's well-manicured plans? What if it would be she that didn't survive tonight? 

Keane bit his lip, unsure of what to say to coax my nerves. "We need to make Dad proud," he finally said, "for both our sakes." I held his gaze for a moment and finally gave a quick nod. 

"I'll get in and get the hell out," were the last words I uttered to him before departing into the thick plume of ball gowns and polished waltzing shoes. I hurried towards the entrance of the ballroom we had stupidly gone through as Ace probably planned. I ran into the hallway, nearly tripping several times on the hem of the Victorian disguise I had been made to wear in an effort to fit into the century. For the past few months, Keane and I had lived in a small cottage outside the castle, struggling to fit into 19th Century society, only to let Ace slip right under our noses.