Interference.
I didn’t say any of those things out loud. I wanted to. Badly. I thought my restraint was nothing short of amazing. Going down that path wouldn’t accomplish a thing. Goblins thought differently from elves. Hell, goblins thought differently than any other race. To them a threat of murder was simply overprotective and harmless. And if Chigaru’s guards had succeeded in offing me, the prince would have referred to it as an unfortunate misunderstanding. A misunderstanding for him that would be unfortunately permanent for me. As Imala said, murder and intrigue were merely another way to pass the time at the goblin court; neither was met with much, if any, concern.
And now, Prince Chigaru was pissed at me, or at least regally annoyed. I saved his life and he blamed me for interfering with his plans.
“Did this plan of yours involve getting yourself shot, poisoned, and blown into fish food?” I asked mildly.
All signs of amusement vanished and the prince waved his courtiers out of the room. Tam, Mychael, and two guards remained. From Chigaru’s unchanging expression, he gave them no more regard than he did the furniture. What a guy.
Just before the last courtier closed the door behind him, I saw the curious and smugly knowing faces in the adjoining sitting room. I was in the prince’s bedroom; he was in bed half-naked—or maybe even all the way naked under those covers. His servants probably knew, but I didn’t, regardless of what the courtiers’ smarmy faces implied. I had a sudden urge to go out and punch some goblin nobles.
“My plan was to take any assassin alive—not have them blown to bits,” Chigaru told me.
“Which would not have happened if your mages had let me finish what I started.”
“They were under the impression that you were there to finish me. After all, you are an elf.”
“And everyone knows that we’re all chomping at the bit to kill every Mal’Salin we can aim explosives or a crossbow at, right?”
“You have to admit that the vast majority of your people would not pass up the chance to kill a member of my family.”
That did it.
“Contrary to what you may believe, Your Highness, the vast majority of elves don’t plot your demise on a daily basis; in fact, I’d be surprised if any of them gave you a second thought—or even know who the hell you are.”
Chigaru didn’t move. Neither did his two guards. In fact, they didn’t even blink. I resisted the urge to further insult the prince to see if they were real.
“Tamnais tells me that I’ve had the dubious honor of being shot by the infamous Rache Kai, and that I have you to thank for identifying him.”
That was as close to gratitude as I was likely to get.
“Thrilled to help,” I drawled.
Apparently Tam hadn’t mentioned that I knew said killer and had nearly married him. That was one detail I could go without the prince knowing.
“And once you reached Embassy Row, you lost his trail.”
“The magical distortion around the embassies kept me from following him any farther.” I wasn’t about to tell him that he’d taken a shot at Mychael. He didn’t need to know that, either.
“But you believe him to be in the elven embassy,” Chigaru pressed.
Mychael spoke. “We have no proof of that, Your Highness.”
“Ah, but that is what you believe.”
“It’s probable,” he replied. “Considering that Director Kalis is in control of the goblin embassy, I doubt any of her people would welcome an elf—let alone an elven assassin—with open arms.”
“Your Highness?” Tam cast the barest glance at the two guards flanking Chigaru’s bed. Chigaru might consider them furniture, but Tam knew that anything and anyone could also be ears.
Chigaru spared a quick glance at each of them. “I will be quite safe with the chancellor, paladin, and Mistress Benares.”
As the two guards left, I gave Tam a bemused look. “Chancellor?” I mouthed silently.
Tam shrugged. “It’s a title.”
The door closed and the prince’s full attention was on us. “There, is that better?”
“Very much so,” Tam told him. “Until your power is secure, the fewer people who are privy to your meetings, the better.”
Chigaru leaned back against the pillows, getting comfortable and taking his sweet time doing it. “I would like your opinion, Mistress Benares.”
That was going to get real old, real quick. “Let’s just make it Raine, and get it over with.”
The prince flashed a smile full of fang. “If you insist.”
“No, I don’t insist. I can only take being called ‘Mistress Benares’ so many times. Raine is my name, so you might as well use it.”
Chigaru flashed a smile that most women would have swooned over. “And it’s much more friendly.”
“I can assure you, friendly is the last thing I feel about you; but if believing that makes you happy, go right ahead.”
“Tam tells me that the men who tried to blow up my yacht—and me along with it—were goblins, not elves.”
“That’s right. When they realized that they were going to be blown up along with it, they dropped their glamours. Staring death in the face can make you lose your concentration.”
“They were Khrynsani assassins.”
I nodded. “Apparently your brother cares enough to hire only the very best to kill you.”
“Others wish my death as well, Mistress—” He gave me that swoon-inducing smile again. “Raine. Some I know of. Others I suspect—and others remain hidden from me.”
“They were Khrynsani,” Mychael said. “That means your brother or Sarad Nukpana, probably both.”
“The services of Khrynsani assassins can be purchased.”
That was surprising. “They freelance?”
“Virtually any goblin in Regor will sell something they value for the chance to be owed a favor by a powerful member of the court,” Tam told me. “That includes assassins.”
“A wealthy court noble could be trying to buy his or her way into my brother’s good graces by proving that those assassins acted under their orders,” Chigaru said. “Sometimes favors or putting another in your debt is more advantageous.”
And framing the elves while they did it. The elves were going for the straightforward approach of hiring Rache.
“I know you didn’t ask me here to tell me all about goblin court politics,” I told Chigaru. “I have an assassin to track down, so if you don’t mind too terribly, can we just get on with it?”
I swear the prince squirmed, and if possible, he actually looked more arrogant. Someone was feeling a tad defensive. This could be fun. I was long overdue.
“Raine has had a long day, Your Highness,” Tam said. “Sometimes the easiest way to do something is to simply ask.”
The only thing Chigaru looked like he was going to do was simply be sick. “I would like . . .” The prince stopped as if he were about to choke on the words.
Tam sighed. “Chigaru, we have spoken of this on more than one occasion. To make such a request is not a sign of weakness, but one of strength.”
“I require your help. In Regor.” The words weren’t exactly rushed, but the goblin prince did get them out before he managed to gag on them.
I wasn’t letting him go that easily. “Require my help?”
“I . . . I need your help.”
I kept my expression blank. It wasn’t easy with the snicker lodged in my throat. I think Tam wanted me to make Chigaru squirm. That was the kind of help I was only too happy to give. “I see. And does this need include me beside you in this Execution Square I’ve heard so much about from Tam and Imala? Because being pulled apart by four horses isn’t the way I plan to die.”
The prince spoke through gritted teeth. “If we do not fail, there will be no executions.”
“I’m not talking about failing. I’m talking about not going to Regor. Period.”
Chigaru drew himself up regally; at least he tried. Not easy to do with all those bandages. Oh yeah, here comes the royal proclamation. I had news for him, I wasn’t—
“Thousands of people will die if you do not help.”