Untouchable by Linda Winstead Jones Page A

They could not be seen together, not in any way that might taint their stories and point to their mutual participation in this scheme. They were the only two who had claimed to see the prince in the whore’s tent on more than one night. That could not come under question!
    She waited until she was very close to say, “You are coming back, aren’t you?”
    “Of course.” It was a lie. When the time was right, preferably after the prince was dead, he’d break away from the others and make his way to the Lady Rikka, who would reward him well for his work.
    Tari’s eyes narrowed. She handed him a bit of bread wrapped in cloth, which supplied for those around them a purpose for her coming to him. At least she was smart enough not to ruin their cover now. “Good. If you didn’t come back, if you just left me here . . .” Her eyes met his, and they were stronger than he’d imagined they could be. At this moment she did not look so naïve. “I might be forced to tell all that I know. About you, about the drugs we put in the tea and the cider, about stealing the blue powder. About everything.”
    Vyrn was a bit surprised. He had taken Tari for a fool who would wait forever for his return, before slinking off to drown her sorrows in wine or other men. Somehow she saw through him. Somehow she knew he was going to flee, just as the prince had fled.
    He soothed her fears. “Before I run, I’ll come for you,” he whispered. “How can you doubt that? After all we’ve planned, after all we’ve done in order to build our life together, I would not, could not, go on without you. Say nothing, dearest. Remain calm and stick to the story.”
    She nodded, and in her eyes he saw the love which made her his willing slave. Good heavens, the woman would do anything he asked of her. Hadn’t she proved that?
    A Tryfynian soldier shouted, “Hurry, you laggards! They’re getting away!”
    Another responded, “Steady yourself. Where can they hide? How many blue women do you expect wander the countryside? ”
    A couple of the men laughed. They’d put aside the horror of the morning for the more welcome thrill of the chase. A Tryfynian soldier pointed out that they were two on a horse, which would slow them down considerably. Another agreed heartily that there was no place for the criminals, the murderers, to hide.
    They had all seen the slave stand in the rain and not lose her blue coloring. It was very likely not even possible to scrub her bizarre cosmetic from her flesh. Yes, they’d find her, and the prince, too. The prince would die first, of course, and then the woman might die as well. She did have some magic, he had heard, and might know more than she should. Her death might not be necessary, but Vyrn would feel better if he did not have to worry about her when he started his new and wonderful life.
    When those two were dead, there would be no one to dispute the claims that the emperor’s brother and his forbidden lover had murdered Princess Edlyn. What a scandal would ensue! What chaos! Yes, there would likely be war, but there was always a price to pay for change. It wasn’t as if he’d be forced to fight in the war. By the time the fighting started, he’d be living in his own palace somewhere, rich and happy and surrounded by beautiful women. He’d have his own servants, his own sentinels.
    But first, there was a job to be completed. Vyrn mentally went through his priorities. He had to find the prince and kill him—or arrange for his death to occur in some way which would not fall back on him—and then do away with the woman. When that was done, there would be Tari to dispose of—a job which should be easy enough—and a generous reward to collect so he could start his new and wonderful life.
    Yes, all was going as planned, and life for Vyrn was very, very good.
Chapter Six
    “DID I kill her?”
    Sanura heard the pain in Prince Alixandyr’s voice as he asked the question that plagued him; she felt the torment