Page 140 of Hellbound

Damn him to hell.

She hadn’t gotten any sleep since their encounter, and now the light of dawn beamed through the dew-covered stained-glass window of her bedroom.

She promised herself that she would bury herself into Bohdan’s deepest vulnerabilities until he willingly drowned himself to have her.

She dragged herself from bed and made to get ready for the day.

It was a rare day of sun, and she had an exact timer ticking down on the sleeper’s bane compound that she had mixed into the carafes of water in the sparring hall. The Envorsen always drank heavily after their morning drills.

She only needed for the guards in the hall that led to Karsan’s study to be indisposed a few minutes, but her window was extremely precise. Once she activated the poison, she wouldn’t have long to traverse the hallway and break into the study while the afternoon sun was in the perfect position.

In clear weather, the afternoon sun would turn the study’s glass panes into a glowing beacon so bright that the archers on the perimeter walls had to avert their eyes.

And if she activated the agent too late, the next guard rotation would find their collapsed brethren and raise the alarm.

She watched the rays slant through the hall’s narrow windows as she sprinkled crystals of green ironbark resin into the braziers at the nearest guard post.

At this hour, Karsan would be holding court in his solar as he did every day.

Her original plan with Varka involved eliminating more key individuals, but she longed for deeper knowledge that could become a psychological dagger twisting in Karsan’s gut.

Karsan was secretive, but every man had vulnerabilities, fears, and attachments; if Ksenia could find them and learn the origins of his fears, she could haunt him.

She pulled her shawl over her face, shielding herself from the acrid smoke, and waited.

One by one, the guards passed the brazier on their rotation, commenting on the smell but ultimately moving on.

The thuds of their bodies on the floor a minute later indicated her success.

She stole past their limp forms up the staircase, her hand clutching the steel key that Danika had made. It was covered with geometric patterns and calibrated Grastelian steel segments that attracted and repelled with varying strengths, perfectly matching the lock’s internal layout.

A magnetic fingerprint.

Her legs were burning after she reached the top landing of the king’s study and carefully pressed her ear to the door.

The room was silent and empty.

She studied the sun’s rays as they shifted into position, striking the vast western windows with such intensity that they became blazing mirrors of light.

She slowly inserted the key into the lock, allowing each segment to attract its corresponding weight.

Brina had told her about the patience required with Grastelian steel. She inserted it partway, waited for the first magnetic mechanism to settle, then pushed it further until she heard another satisfying click, repeating the process until the key was flush with the door.

The pendulum lock was in place, and Ksenia pressed the door open.

The study was messy, as before, but it was illuminated in brilliant color. Every ray was amplified through the panes, and Ksenia found herself shielding her eyes to avoid tripping over piles of books, rolls of maps, and loose sheafs of parchment on the floor.

She approached the king’s marble desk and inspected it for hidden compartments, pressing the carved motifs and searching for hidden latches, but found nothing.

She didn’t have enough time to search the paperwork on his desk—she only had a few minutes before the sun ceased to be her accomplice.

She turned her attention to the shelves, crammed with tubed parchment and books. As her fingers skittered over the book spines, she heard the slow-paced clicks of the lock turning behind her.

Shit.

The disembodied scream of Radegast splintered Ksenia’s mind.

King Karsan padded into the room, his crimson silk cape fluttering behind him, papers rustling in his wake. His footfall was quiet over the thick rugs, but Ksenia could hear every carpet fiber crushed underfoot.