Ivar's Escape (Assassins of Gravas #2) - N.J. Walters Page 0,14

one more guard down until she reached her destination.

She reached into her deep pocket and withdrew the meat she’d retrieved earlier. Already she could hear the whining from the other side of the door.

“Shut up,” the jailer yelled. It was followed by a yelp.

Delphi unlocked the door and tossed the meat in.

“Hey, what’s that?”

Why wasn’t the bastard asleep? Going with her alternate plan, she shoved down her hood, tossed back her curly hair, and pushed the door wider. With a sultry smile on her face, she waggled her fingers at the man, who was now on his feet with a knife in his hand.

“You’re not supposed to be here.”

She nodded and moved steadily forward, keeping her hands in plain sight and her weapons hidden. “I convinced your friends outside otherwise.” Putting a sway in her step, she walked toward him. “I saw you at the tavern earlier.”

He slowly lowered his dagger and hitched his pants up. “Did you now?” He licked his lips.

It was almost too easy. Her smaller stature and lithe build always made men underestimate her. “I certainly did.” She ran her hand over his chest and up his arms. “You’re a strong one, aren’t you?”

He dropped the knife and yanked her close, his mouth slamming down on hers. She slid both knives from their sheaths and drove them under his arms, severing the arteries there.

“What?” The man stumbled back, falling into his chair “What did you do?”

One of the dogs came over to her and licked her hand. “Sleep now, baby,” she told the animal.

The guard was still gasping for air, but there was no one to hear as his life’s blood quickly drained away. Without another word to the man, she liberated his keys and opened the heavy wooden door between her and Ivar.

“Are you awake?” she whispered as she pulled her hood back over her head.

“You came back.” The surprise in his voice was an insult.

“I said I would.” She tried four keys before she hit the right one. After turning the lock, she yanked the door open. “Took me longer than I anticipated. Come on. We need to move fast.”

“I shouldn’t.”

Okay, she hadn’t seen this one coming.

She whirled around, stomped over to him, and drilled her finger into his chest. “I’ve just killed four men to get in here. You’re coming with me if I have to drag you.”

His lips twitched. “I’m not sure you can.”

“You’d be surprised what I can do,” she muttered.

“No, I don’t think I would.”

It wasn’t pride making her chest swell. It wasn’t. “Hurry up. I have a schedule to keep.” Then she remembered the jailer’s bragging from the tavern. “Are you hurt?”

“No more than usual.” He stepped outside the cell and stopped, peering back into the dark depths. She slammed the door shut and locked it once again.

His big body shuddered at the metallic click.

She led the way to the door with him shuffling after her. Good thing the guards were dead or they’d hear him coming a mile away.

Ivar paused when he stepped into the outer room and blinked at the man slumped lifeless in the chair. “Your work?”

Not bothering to answer, she opened the door and checked both ways. “Follow me and stay close.” She would not apologize for what she’d had to do. He should be grateful she was saving his ass.

Making sure he was behind her, she led the way through the doors, locking them behind her. That would give the illusion the prison was locked down if anyone checked. And locked doors always confused people.

With that in mind, she’d shoved the jailer’s keys under the door to his room and returned the outer keys to the guard lying in the shadows.

At first glance, it would appear a ghost took out the guards and got through locked doors to release the prisoner.

A ghost or a Gravasian assassin.

While she wasn’t a real one, she’d put her skills up against one any day.

Ivar was leaning up against the stone wall of the building, his head thrown back as he peered up at the sky. Her heart ached for him. He’d likely never expected to see the outside again.

There was a slight clopping sound on the road. Right on time. “Stay here,” she whispered.

Before he could object, she was on the move. This was trickier than breaking into the prison, because she wasn’t going to kill this old man who was simply doing his job, one that no one else wanted.

The wagon slowed as it rounded the curve.