Reign of Darkness (The Prince's Assassin #2) - Ariana Nash Page 0,5

rise like an old man. He stretched out the aches and spotted Vasili. The prince had folded his tall, lean self into the armchair, one leg drawn up to his chest, the other stretched out. His head rested on his drawn-up knee, eye closed, his face so relaxed he could only be asleep.

Gods, it might have been the first time Niko had seen the man truly at ease.

A few waves of silvery blond hair had fallen over the prince’s shoulder and lay across his cheek. Slightly parted pink lips looked softer when they weren’t sneering. All of him looked smaller, tucked into that chair, like he could be someone’s loving son, someone’s brother, someone’s lover.

Niko winced at that last thought and settled back down in his seated position to stare at the cold fire instead of the vulnerable prince. His gaze wandered back anyway.

To think that a man, the same age as Niko, had the weight of the dark flame on his shoulders. All this time, he’d been fighting to save Loreen from elves. And now the palace was gone. His home turned to ash. His father dead, and his brothers… Well, one was dead, and the other was trying to ruin him by turning the people he’d sacrificed everything for against him.

It wasn’t as though there was any real love in that palace. Perhaps Vasili would be relieved to have it gone?

Niko now knew one thing: Vasili did sleep after all.

He carefully got to his feet and crept from the room, then drew a few buckets of chilling water from the well in the back courtyard. Stripping off outside, he washed the smoke and soot from himself, then threw on fresh trousers and a shirt. Vicious bruises mottled his skin, but their ache would pass.

Carrying the second bucket into the house, he set it by the kitchen stove and was about to start making some hot tea when movement outside caught his eye.

From the kitchen window, he often looked out to the forge’s hitching post to see who had left their animal for shoeing. Today was the seventh day of the week and a day meant for rest. There were no horses due until later. But one waited at the post, biting at an empty feed bag. “I’ll be damned.”

Niko quietly unlatched the back door and ventured around the front of the forge. The morning air nipped at his clean skin.

Adamo snorted a greeting, vapor clouding his nose, and stamped a hoof. The big white charger rocked its head, highly dissatisfied with an empty feedbag. Someone had managed to get a lead rope on him but no saddle. Adamo had probably bolted the second he’d been moved from his stall.

“There’s a good boy.” Niko brushed his fingers down the horse’s nose and let him snuffle his palm. “No carrots today.” Adamo’s nostrils fluttered. Niko took the lead rope and guided the horse around the forge to the back of the cottage and tied him out of sight from the road. Vasili would be pleased. Typical the prince’s horse showed up but Niko’s old nag hadn’t found its way home.

Niko briefly ran his hand over Adamo’s flanks, checking for any sore spots or scuffs. He seemed remarkably well, although his brilliant white coat had greyed with ash in places.

“You found him.” Vasili leaned against the back-door frame. He’d washed the dirt from his face. A few damp tendrils of hair had escaped his quick, messy ponytail. Burns had crimped his clothes in places. The trousers were ripped at the knee. His collar gaped where a few fasteners had been torn free. For all the scuffs and tears telling the story of last night, his expression was soft. Probably because of the horse.

“I suspect he found you.” Niko patted Adamo’s neck and hung a straw bag for the horse to chew on. If only princes were as easily pleased.

Vasili made an agreeable noise and sauntered over to dote on his hoofed companion. He lifted a hand to let Adamo snuffle the backs of his fingers. The horse flicked its tail and went back to prying the hay from the bag with his teeth.

A smile broke out across Vasili’s lips. It was a bright and brilliant thing to witness and completely unfamiliar on his face. Like this vicious, callous man had a real heart somewhere. From everything Niko had seen, that heart was reserved for Adamo only.

Niko cleared his throat, upset his cough some more, and headed inside, away from Vasili. Adamo