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The sudden stiffening in Niko’s body betrayed him, and Andre nodded with certainty “That was your plan all along To kill me and have Zax blamed for it You would haveto hied my murder to look like an accident or a politically motivated assassination Just as you tried to have Juliana killed and make it appear to be an accident—an accident that pointed to your brother as the only one with a motive But you failed all across the board You failed to kill me, just as you failed to kill Juliana”
“I did not fail!”
“Do not lie to yourself You failed” Andre’s assertion seemed to be deliberate provocation “Juliana is still alive” He took another step forward “And so am I” He shook his head a third time “No, Niko, you will not shoot me No matter what, you cannot afford to show your hand in my death”
“But you will be dead,” Niko grated, and Juliana wondered hoas no one had ever heard the insanity in his voice before “It would almost be worth it”
“Yes, I will be dead,” Andre agreed, taking another step “And your brother will sit on the throne in my place, not you You will not even be his heir, because you will be dead, too, in the inable Zakhar’s laws have not h treason is concerned You should know You have blocked e that law Do not forget,” he said softly, “regicide—even atteh treason”
The gun wavered in Niko’s hand, and Juliana wondered what Andre ed Drawn Quartered” Andre’s voice was cold and cal almost disinterested “Not a pretty prospect, is it Dise parts of yourself burned before your eyes Would you be dead before they cut your body into four parts, then beheaded you, I wonder? Or would you still be alive at that point?”
Juliana flinched at the description of the execution awaiting Niko should he succeed in killing Andre She didn’t want anyone to die like that, not even if Niko ed to kill both of them
“No one has died that way in more than three hundred years!” But fear joined the note of insanity in Niko’s voice
“But no one co that time,” Andre explained reasonably “So there was no need” The next step he took brought hiun aimed at his chest
Cursing, Niko stepped backward, dragging Juliana with hi at Andre “Not another step Or I will shoot you”
Niko’s attention was distracted as the bound bodyguard staggered to his feet at that criticaldown the side of his neck—and tried to thrust hiht the belt binding his hands In that instant Juliana realized Niko’s grasp had loosened She knew he thought her of little consequence, just a pawn in his deadly sparring ile appearance was all there was to her But he rong Dead wrong
She twisted suddenly in Niko’s hold, using a ht Tessa in Jetsaht her And as she twisted she knocked Niko’s ar fast, hurtling hi both of them down
The two un, but it was an uneven contest Andre wrested the gun from Niko’s hand, then skittered it across the floor as he pressed his right forearainst his cousin’s throat “I should kill you,” Andre said in a deadly voice, not even breathing hard Niko whi off his oxygen “Give me a reason why I should not”
Juliana raced across the rooun, then turned to the two uard in her desire to prevent Andre fro a fatal mistake “Don’t, Andre Please don’t”
“You plead for his life?” he asked her, still in that sa his eyes off his cousin “When he would have taken yours without hesitation?”
“I don’t care about him I just don’t want him to die at your hands Not like this Please,” she added softly
The decision hung in the balance for seconds, then Andre cursed under his breath With a swifthis cousin prisoner with a death grip on his shirt A sudden pounding on the locked door to her suite unshot and couards from the floor below? Or just someone from the palace staff? Whoever it was, they didn’t know about the secret passageway They only knew the entrance off the corridor