To Love a Prince (Knights of Valor Book 1)(24)

He stroked her hair and held her as he waited for the night terror to pass.

Sucking in a steadying breath, Auburn turned and met his gaze. “I need to tell you something, for you to listen even if you don’t believe me.”

“Tell me what?”

“Tomorrow, it will get very hot in the meeting room.”

“It does every day,” Eli said.

“Hotter than normal. Hot enough that the sultan will suggest a break in the gardens. Don’t go. And don’t go anywhere without Sligo. He needs to always be with you.”

Eli rocked her and stroked her hair, but he didn’t agree.

Fear burrowed into Auburn, and her blood froze in her veins. “Your Highness, master, please listen to me.”

“Why is this so important?”

She closed her eyes, and the image of the boy wavered then disappeared. “It just is. Please don’t go into the gardens. Don’t go back to the meeting room alone. Please.”

“Let’s get some sleep.”

Her tears dampened his chest, and he stroked her hair, but the hard lines of his face promised nothing. She eased back against the bed, still wrapped in his arms as she pillowed her head against him. She laid there for a long time before his strong steady heartbeat lulled her back to sleep.



The moon had sunk low in the sky when Auburn’s eyes closed, and her body softened against him.

Eli wondered if he was sleeping beside an enemy. Or an assassin. No, he’d developed a good judge of character over his years in court, and while Auburn was not altruistic, she wanted to go to Tamryn with him. He was certain she would do almost anything to that end.

Perhaps she’d learned something and hadn’t told him until now.

That was also unlikely.

A bad dream then, but she wasn’t prone to fits. The clarity of Auburn’s nightmare reminded Eli of the strange Elven mystic from his youth. He’d never given the elf’s words any credence, but like the elf, Auburn believed what she’d dreamed would come to pass. And it frightened her.

The prince didn’t have an answer, but he held Auburn close as he watched her sleep.





Chapter 16





As Eli sat in the meeting room surrounded by many of the same faces, the temperature climbed as it always did late in the morning. But as Auburn predicted, it seemed hotter than usual, and even the Qumarefis were showing their discomfort.

The sultan pushed away from the table. “Enough. We’ll have refreshments in the gardens and come back when all the hot air we’ve spilled has cleared.”

Several men laughed, but all seemed relieved to escape from the sweltering meeting room.

As was his custom, Eli followed behind the sultan, allowing the rest to catch up to them.

Several harem girls were waiting by the entrance to the gardens, and with a broad smile, the sultan spread his arms wide for them. As Pandhuka disappeared into the lush green with the ladies, Eli paused as he remembered Auburn’s plea.

Why had those girls been waiting for the sultan? How had they known the meeting would adjourn early, or that the sultan would want to go to the gardens?

Eli wasn’t sure, but he was starting to think Auburn knew more than she’d admitted.

Was she involved with someone dangerous? Had someone threatened her?

Anger mixed with fear, and the fear made him angrier.

He’d trusted her. If she’d betrayed that trust...

“Sligo,” Eli said, and his guard detached from the shadows. “We need to talk to Auburn. Now.”

Sligo’s eyebrows went up, but he nodded and fell in beside Eli.

As the prince stepped away from the gardens, an arrow embedded in the doorjamb where his head had been.

He heard shouts as Sligo threw him to the ground, and a second arrow shot out of the meeting room. The arrow missed Eli and hit one of the Qumarefi delegates.

“Your Highness?” Sligo said.

“Unhurt.” Eli picked himself up from the floor. People were panicking around them, but Eli and Sligo ignored them.

“Return to your rooms?” Sligo asked. “I have guards there, but whoever planned this could’ve killed them already.”

The thought curled Eli’s hands around his sword and dagger as his throat constricted. “Auburn is there.”

Sligo nodded and guided Eli past the confusion and through the dark corridors leading back to his suite. The prince saw no sign of another assassin, but he noticed that there were no guards patrolling the halls, either.

As they sprinted down the passageway to where the Tamarian delegation was staying, Eli caught sight of three men slinking towards his rooms, their weapons in their hands.

Ajeem and two others.

Eli knew he should’ve killed the bastard. Glancing over at his bodyguard, Eli saw Sligo with his sword and dagger already drawn.

Taking out his own dagger, Eli took aim, and with the accuracy of a dozen years of practice, buried it in the back of the man on Ajeem’s left.

The man howled as he tried to reach the dagger, and the three attackers turned to face him.

Sligo was already halfway to them as he sprinted ahead of Eli, his footsteps silent on the stone floors. Burying one of his daggers into the attacker on Ajeem’s right, Sligo pivoted, but Ajeem was already charging toward the prince.

Ajeem’s feet pounded the hard stone as he barreled toward Eli.