Page 18 of Poisoned Kingdom
I exhaled slowly. That gave me a week to prepare.
‘While I appreciate the warning, I can’t leave. Tell the old man that I’m back and still loyal to him. Please request an invitation on my behalf and inform him that I’ll pay my respects during the Mabon Feast.’ I stepped away then, hiding my relief when he released me.
My assailant removed his mask to rub the bridge of his nose, and I recognised him as a high-ranking Observer.
‘Fine, Nightshade, but know this: the old man’s influence is waning. I’ll bet news of your arrival is already on its way to Jagon, and you know he’ll use it against Boyan. You’ve already broken the law by entering the city without permission. The old man will try to help you, but if you don’t show up and word gets out, he’s done for, and I won’t forgive that,’ he said.
I nodded. ‘I’ll be there. Just make it known that I was invited, and I’ll take care of the rest.’ I didn’t trust him, but I had no other choice. Still, I couldn’t resist indulging my curiosity. ‘Do you always interpret your orders so freely?’
Amusement crinkled the corners of his eyes. ‘Orders are for soldiers. I’m his shadow now, and I make my own decisions. Your presence will slow Jagon down. In fact, it already has. The bastard is currently combing the dwarven mountains looking for his lost little lamb. Boyan might value your life more than the future of the Brotherhood, but I do not. Make no mistake, I am releasing you because you are useful—for now, at least.’
‘Happy to hear it. I’ve always dreamed of having such an ally.’ The sarcasm slipped out as I looked him dead in the eye, but the man shrugged, unfazed by my tone.
‘I’m your replacement, not your ally. I’ll relay your request, and if Boyan still wants you out of the city, he has plenty of Blades to enforce it. My regards, Nightshade,’ he said, disappearing into the crowd. My knees buckled. The biggest obstacle was out of my way. Boyan’s invitation would remove the target from my back as long as I fulfilled my promise and came to see him during the feast.
I counted the days. I’d left the dwarven kingdom in the heat of summer, and—with my near drowning and the fever afterwards—my journey had taken maybe three weeks, which gave me some time. I had two, possibly three, more weeks before I had to face the Brotherhood. It wasn’t enough time to enact asolid plan, but I already had a few ideas, and Jagon’s absence presented the perfect opportunity to execute them undisturbed.
I started walking again, passing several shops as I skirted the affluent district, until finally arriving at an opulent building. Its artfully carved latticework announced its owner’s wealth as shadowy figures moved sensuously behind darkened crystal windows, hinting at the carnal pleasures hidden inside.
My destination, the infamous House of Lilies, was a banqueting house and a theatre. However, behind its facade of lavish balls and parties, it was a brothel where the cream of Truso’s society gathered to enjoy the finest and most perverse desires. Liliana prided herself on catering to her clientele without prejudice. The only rule? No one harmed her entertainers. Those who dared paid in blood, often never to be heard from again.
The sun was setting, but it was still too early for the doors to be open to the public, so I didn’t expect a quick answer when I knocked.
‘We’re closed. Come back in two hours,’ came a voice from behind the small, half-open window set just above the knocker, which, despite being shaped like a tree branch, was remarkably similar to a certain part of the male anatomy.
‘Not for me, friend,’ I said, slipping into the old rhythm. ‘Tell the madam Nightshade is back in business.’
I reached into the sad remains of Tova’s purse. The owner of Lilies’ wasn’t fond of being awakened before sundown, so being here this early would likely cost me a pretty penny.
‘Madam’s in bed,’ the voice replied—but the hand that appeared through the window curled into a fist the moment a gold coin landed in its palm. ‘But for such a generous patron, I’ll see what I can do.’
The window shut, and I leant against the wall and started counting. I hadn’t even made it to fifty when the door was yanked open.
Even with tussled hair and a dishevelled negligee, Liliana Ordon was stunning. Her signature white hair, slightly pointed ears, and eyes as blue as a cloudless summer’s sky betrayed her fae roots, and although she’d never known her father, his heritage was hard to miss. She studied me for several moments, blinking and shaking her head while the doorman twiddled his thumbs.
‘May I come in?’ I asked, acutely aware of the protracted silence. My voice seemed to focus Lily’s gaze, and she rushed towards me.
‘Roksana!’ she exclaimed, grabbing my collar and pulling me into a tight hug, tears flowing down her pale cheeks. ‘I thought . . . they said . . . Irsha told me you’d left, but I was sure those bastards killed you.’
I stumbled forward, and we would’ve landed on the corridor floor if not for the helpful doorman catching us.
‘Well, I’m alive, but can we talk in private?’ I asked, cautiously hiding my emotions.
Liliana and I had forged our bond through shared hardship, though she was never one for overt displays of affection. After coming to a hard-won understanding, I had agreed to craft certain oils for her girls—subtle weapons to use when clients became too bold. Nothing cooled a man’s ardour more than a limp dick, and if that didn’t work? Well, those occasions ended with oblivion and an empty purse to go with a burning sensation that lasted well past the long walk home to their wives.
But to say Lily never showed affection wouldn’t be fair. We had spent countless hours trading stories of misadventures, and in those quiet moments, she came the closest to feeling like family during my time in the Brotherhood. Well—her, and Irsha,master of the Blades and my former lover. Seeing her today was the happiest and most worrisome moment I’d ever had.
‘Of course, come in,’ she said before turning to the doorman. ‘You there, go upstairs and tell the girls to ready the guest room.’ She scrunched her nose, only now noticing the stench that surrounded me like a heavy cloud. ‘And a bath. Ensure there’s plenty of hot water.’ To me she said, ‘Why do you smell so bad?’
I chuckled, feeling something inside me ease. She seemed healthy and untroubled by Duke Tivala’s thugs.‘This lost sheep found her way home in a shepherd’s wagon. How else would I smell?’
It looks like Jagon was too busy chasing after my ghost to follow through with his threats,I thought.
‘Are you hungry?’ Lily’s voice broke through my musing.
‘Huh?’
‘Are you hungry?’ she repeated the question, and I nodded with a smile.
