Page 101 of Poisoned Kingdom
‘I can’t promise you that,’ I said. ‘Tova—’
‘Is not here,’ he interrupted. ‘It’s been nearly three weeks since your friend vanished. You have to ready yourself for the worst and not push your magic because you think a more advanced spell may help you find him or save his life.’
Why was he doing that again? Pressing and prodding at the rawest part of my soul. Was he testing how much I could take? Did he want me to throw a hissy fit and give up magic?
I steadied myself, fist tightening until nails dug into my skin, grounding me enough to answer.
‘I know all of this, but I believe in Reynard. He’ll find Tova, and I’ll never give up searching until the dwarf or his body turn on my doorstep,’ I said harshly, bracing myself for more insensitive comments.
To my surprise, Ciesko’s gaze softened, filling with regret.
‘Alright, Roksana, but please get some sleep, child. Otherwise, you won’t survive long enough to see your friend return.’
By the time I left the infirmary, the sun was beginning to set. Despite the chill breeze from the river, its rays created a pleasant warmth that had me tilting my face to its radiance.
Winter was coming. It had been three months since I’d arrived in Truso, and in that time, the trees had lost most of their leaves—and I’d lost my friend while trying to save another.
As if mirroring my thoughts, a red Acer leaf floated by on a gust of wind and landed at my feet—a sign that nature didn’t care about my woes, the seasons rolling by at their own pace.
The streets were full of traders and passersby as I walked to the Brotherhood’s mansion to see Boyan. A nice perk of my healer’s training had been the ability to ease the cough plaguing the grand master, an ability I conveniently forgot to tell Ciesko about.
Graveyard cough was fatal, but its victims’ prognoses depended on their age and overall condition. As much as Icouldn’t do anything about Boyan’s age, my gentle manipulation of his body’s aether helped him cope better with the illness. Lately, I’d been experimenting with isolating portions of his lungs that appeared like black, lifeless holes in his life force.
The sentinels inclined their heads in greeting when I entered the building. Ever since I’d rejoined the Brotherhood, I’d been treated with the respect of my old position. Boyan had even given me a new title—Shadow Mage. But it concerned me. If his current shadow were to resent my sudden rise, I could end up in trouble before I knew it.
Just as I was about to knock on the grand master’s door, the sound of quick, light footsteps behind me distracted me. I turned, recognising the runner. It was one of the maidservants Lily had assigned to me, and both the haste and the tension on the woman’s face made my heart stutter.
‘My lady! Wait . . . Mistress Lily . . .’ the girl gasped.
I grabbed her arms, steadying her. ‘What? What’s happened to her?’
I was almost shouting, shaking the poor girl while my mind came up with the worst scenarios.
‘Nothing with the mistress, no, but they found him . . . the dwarf . . . The king sent a message, but we couldn’t find . . . Here. That’s for you,’ she said, passing me a letter.
The poor thing looked like she’d been running all over the city, but the relief and worry I felt at her words overwhelmed me. My knees buckled, and I stumbled to the wall, hiding my face in my hands while trying to calm my breathing before I passed out.
‘What’s going on here?’ Boyan said, opening the door, his shadow falling on the stone floor. ‘Roksana, are you alright?’
‘They found the dwarf, Grand Master,’ the girl responded. ‘My lady . . . I think it was too much for her.’
A dry, skeletal hand stroked my hair, Boyan’s fingers trailing through the strands.
‘Go to the east wing,’ he said to the maid. ‘Find Irsha—he should be there training his recruits. Tell him I require his presence.’
She bolted to fulfil his orders. Her steps were still reverberating through the corridor when Boyan paused, his hand moving to cup my cheek.
‘Roksana, look at me!’ he commanded.
I raised my tear-streaked face, and he studied my face before embracing me.
‘It will be all right, child. The gods favour those with honest hearts. They won’t take your dwarf away from you.’
He took me by the elbow, walking me to his chamber, right to the large, plush sofa.
‘I don’t even know if he is alive. How could you say it’s alright when I feel like . . .’
My breath hitched, and the legendary executioner wrapped his arms around me again, pressing my head to his chest.
