Page 2 of Poisoned Empire

Iliana watched her with a bemused smile as she ate her toast and sipped her watered wine from a chipped earthenware cup, her finger tracing the deep grooves in the only table they owned.

“Remember when you ate the one that made you mute for a whole two minutes? Be nice if you could get more like that.”

Selene gasped for air when the neurotoxin was done working its way through her system, her magic neutralising its effects as the poison added itself to her repertoire.

“Sadly, ‘Silence is Golden’ is a one-off as far as I can tell. Top seller though, that’s for sure.”

Iliana shook her head.

“So, what are you going to name this one?”

“Hmmm.” Selene ruminated on it for a moment. It was very fast-acting. There were no unique sensations to the kind of death this one would deliver. It had sounded more interesting than it was. A pity. Best go for some whimsy if she wanted to earn back what it cost her. “‘Duck, duck, dead.’”

A knock on their crooked door interrupted them from their repast. Selene was about to stand, but Iliana put her hand on her shoulder and smiled. She was already finished eating her meagre meal.

“I’ll get it.”

Selene nodded as she shovelled the rest of her porridge into her mouth. Who had come to disturb them in their humble cottage? Rent wasn’t due for another few weeks, and Selene had already threatened the landlord’s son with a painful death if he tried to make eyes at her beautiful friend.

Selene leaned back on her rickety stool to see the face of the man in the doorway.

“Iliana?” he asked as she opened the door.

Iliana didn’t answer. In fact, her posture stiffened.

“I’ve just come by to, uh, inquire about the state of the cottage. Does it require repairs?”

“N-not since the roof was patched,” Iliana murmured.

“And I’ve had some complaints from the blacksmith that you’ve been using his forge.”

“He must have been mistaken.” Iliana gripped the door tighter.

Selene caught a glimpse of the man behind the door. Damn landlord’s brat, dressed in a brand-new tunic and gleaming leather sandals. He caught Selene’s narrowed gaze as he peered inside, swallowing nervously when she mimed slitting his throat.

“Very good! Just coming around to check on tenants. Rent is due in two weeks.” He stumbled over his words in a panicked rush as he backed away.

“Good day,” Iliana replied woodenly as she shut the door.

When Iliana returned to the table, she collapsed on her stool, an ashen cast to her usually tawny, bronze skin. She shakily pushed a few strands of platinum blonde hair from her face as her haunted sapphire eyes made contact with Selene’s.

“What’s wrong?” Selene asked.

“He called me Iliana.”

“And?”

“I’ve never told him our real names.”

“Shit!” Selene swore as she stumbled to her feet, nearly tripping on her threadbare skirt. “Get the goods and our coin. We’ll lighten our load at the market and head directly for the docks.”

If they didn’t sell at least a few more wares, they wouldn’t have enough coin to make it to the islands. Walking through the night to the docks would be gruelling, but if they waited around, it could get dire.

Iliana nodded, staring at the fire in the hearth, her hands trembling. The metals mage fingered the enchanted dagger she habitually kept at her hip and muttered a prayer to the forgotten gods.

Selene noticed the tick and hurried Iliana into the bedroom to pack.

Born a bastard as well as with a mage gift considered menial, Iliana, along with her mother, had been cast aside by her elementalist noble father for failing to breed true to his bloodline’s water elemental mage gifts. Magister Sapphire had feared she would bring shame in his elitist circles, and so he’d ignored her very existence.

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