Daughters of Lyra: Heart of an Assassin by Felicity Heaton

imprint it all on his memory so he would never forget a
second of it.

    Her eyelids fluttered and
then lifted to reveal her bright clear green eyes. A shy smile
touched her lips and a hint of colour reached her pale cheeks. He
smiled back at her, continuing to caress her, not wanting her to
leave him yet.

    Or ever.

    “ There was a
noise,” she muttered, her voice filled with sleep.

    Ixion wanted to tell her
not to worry about it and to return to sleep but her eyes were
growing brighter and more awake by the second. She rubbed her face
and then frowned.

    “ I must look
terrible.”

    His smile widened. If
terrible was looking like an angel, then she looked
terrible.

    She pulled the black waves
of her hair from her face and slowly sat up. Her arms crossed over
her chest, hands grasping the dull grey blanket near her shoulders
to keep it around them.

    “ Is it
morning?” she said with a look around.

    “ Almost.” Could
he tell her to stay with him? Was that a foolish thing to do? There
was no chance for an assassin and a princess. He was a dead man
when they returned to the palace. No matter how hard they tried, if
they continued to see each other they wouldn’t be able to keep it
secret. His position meant that he would often see her father and
family. He didn’t think he could hide it from them, this sin that
he had committed.

    Would she even want to
keep it a secret? A female of her standing deserved a man that
stood on a similar level, far above the one that he could reach.
The commander of the royal assassins was the highest echelon he
could attain, and it would never be enough. Her father wouldn’t
condone an assassin courting his daughter.

    “ We should
leave,” he said and stood, then stooped and picked up the crate
with the baby Friskin in it. It was Natalia’s now, he supposed. She
would look after it and it would probably remind her of him, just
as the heart pendant would.

    He hoped that she would
never forget him.

    That was all he could ask
for.

    Without another word, he
opened the door to the club and stepped out into the still-dark
street. Dawn was only minutes away but the sky showed no sign of
lightening. Clouds of smoke drifted overhead in the ink-blue sky,
the last signs of the riots. When they returned to the palace, he
would have to file a report to General Lyra II about what had
happened and would find out how much damage had been done to the
city. Whoever had planned the riots was going to become his next
target.

    Natalia walked in silence
beside him as they headed back towards the palace. The baby Friskin
shifted around in the box, looking up at him occasionally with wide
blue eyes full of curiosity. It was probably wondering where
Natalia had gone. He had heard that Friskins grew attached to
people and Natalia had protected it from the fighting and shown
tender care towards it.

    The palace loomed ahead of
them, bright golden in the light of the sun now peeking over the
horizon.

    Natalia wrapped her arms
around herself and stared at the floor. What was she thinking? Did
this hurt her as much as it did him?

    When they crossed the
bridge into the palace grounds, passing the guards, he felt her
glance at him. He wanted to look at her too, but doing that would
draw attention from the guards that were going about their
business. He had a duty to protect Natalia from any rumours that
might spread if he looked at her, showed any sign of affection
towards her.

    He had neglected his duty
once already. He wouldn’t do it again.

    They walked up through the
garden to her apartments and she opened the door. He handed her the
box with the Friskin in and she looked sad as she took it. Tears
rimmed her eyes with sparkling diamonds and he longed to wipe them
away, to tell her not to cry for him because he wasn’t worthy of
such a thing.

    Ixion took a step
back.

    His fists clenched and
trembled with restraint. Everything he wanted stood before him,
beautiful in the pale light of dawn, and