Page 15 of Poisoned Kingdom
The confusion in his eyes made me feel uneasy.
‘I wasn’t told of any assassination attempt on your person. Besides, the covenant strictly forbids it. If anyone took such a contract, I’d kill them myself.’
‘Would you tell me if you knew? Maybe the money was enough for your people to break the covenant,’ I said, gesturing to Riordan, and my mage’s hand instantly sketched out a familiar sigil.
When he was ready, I unwrapped the viper hairpin and passed it to Boyan. ‘Does this look familiar to you?’
He paled, and his back snapped straight as he looked me dead in the eye.
‘Your mage can interrogate me, but I assure you I know nothing of any contracts.’ His hand clenched the pin as Riordan’s spell wormed its way into his mind. I’d learned to recognise the signs—the slightly glassy eyes, the twitching—as Ri riffled through someone’s thoughts.
‘Then find out who knows.Whowent behind your back and paid your men to attack me?’ I questioned.
His jaw tightened. ‘It would help me if you could describe your attacker. Who should I look for?’
I clamped my lips down on the words that came to mind—a woman as beautiful as the blush of dawn—before slowly exhaling.
I tried again. ‘She was blonde, quite short and . . . voluptuous.’ I nearly groaned when that last word slipped out. My inability to give a better description made me curse under my breath, but as I closed my eye, the memory of her mesmerising gaze tightened something in my chest. ‘She has hazel eyes, and she’s bloody good with poison. Even the arch healer had trouble with it.’
It could have been a trick of light, but I was sure Boyan stiffened even further, his nostrils flaring.So, you do know something,I thought, frowning, when he suddenly declared, ‘My king, I swear on my life that there is no one in the Brotherhood who matches your description.’
He was lying to me, right to my face, his thumb stroking the pin’s head. My chair creaked ominously as I stood, my large body towering over the frail man. He knew I’d caught him, that I was going to pin his lying tongue to the wall and force his confession.
‘He’s telling the truth,’ Riordan said, making me freeze mid-step.
‘What?Are you sure?’ I asked, staring at my friend in disbelief. ‘I know he recognised her description. Rip it from his mind if you have to, I want her name.’
Boyan exhaled, calm and composed despite Riordan’s spell holding him enthralled. ‘There’s no need, sire, but your mage is welcome to check. However, it won’t change the fact that no one fitting your description is a member of the Dark Brotherhood.You’re welcome to send your men to check the Chapter House’s records, but please be discreet for both our sakes.’
‘He’s telling the truth. There is no such woman in his ranks. I’m sorry, Rey,’ Riordan reiterated, and I fell back into my chair, squeezing the armrests so hard the wood cracked.
‘Fine, send out your Observers. I want her found. You can name your price,’ I said, rubbing my temple as my earlier headache returned.
Was the mark on her temple fake? Another trick to sow discontent between the Crown and the Brotherhood? . . . Is someone trying to strip me of my allies, or was there another reason for her attack?
‘I’ll find out what happened free of charge as long as Your Majesty lets me do it my way,’ Boyan said.
I nodded. ‘Fine. Go, and return with results.’
I watched him leave. He walked slowly, his once powerful figure shaking from bouts of coughing. The grand master looked frail, but it was I who felt cornered, each lead falling apart as I reached for them.
The hope of finding her today had kept me going. But now, I had nothing. My Viper remained a mystery, and I was left with no choice but to bargain with fate.
Arachne, Goddess of Fate, bring her to me. Reveal to me who she is . . . who she truly is, and maybe I’ll let her live.
But mercy didn’t mean forgiveness. And letting her live didn’t mean that she wouldn’t wish Ihadkilled her instead.
Chapter 6
Roksana
The familiar scent of straw and dried wildflowers teased my senses, reminding me of my childhood. I dreaded this dream, yet I could not resist sinking into the simple pleasure of running barefoot through the Orcish Steppe. Of hiding in the tall, dry grass, and breathing in the scent of daisies as they opened beneath my touch. In my dreams, my mother taught me how to make flowers bloom, how to paint their petals with all the colours of the rainbow . . . They were happy childhood fantasies, my escape from the harsh world I lived in.
The pleasant dream never lasted, though. Fire always crept in, turning a fond memory into a nightmare. This time, however, it felt different. The stench of burning invaded my senses, flamesengulfing my ancestral home, but the screams of my family trapped inside became mine. I struggled against the men who assaulted my body with the savagery of wild beasts until they stopped, and the scent of musk and lemongrass chased away the pain.
But I knew better than to give in. I’d trusted Jagon when he first came to take me, and where had it led me? These men were his thugs, and I couldn’t let them win.
I fought back, but my enemy didn’t let go. His grey eyes bore into mine with a hunger so terrifyingly real that I lashed out with all I had, my poison-filled pin and magic hitting him as I ran for freedom.
