Page 19 of Poisoned Kingdom
‘Ravenous, and . . . Thank you. I was going to ask to stay for a night or two,’ I said, hesitating. I didn’t know how much I could share, but some things she had to know. ‘I’ve come back with trouble on my tail. Jagon found me, and he’s already tried blackmailing me with your life.’
She rolled her eyes and shrugged. ‘And here I was, thinking my life had become a little too boring and predictable—no one to poison, no one to scandalise with gossip . . .’ She laughed. ‘So, eat, and then we’ll talk. And don’t you dare think about leaving. My home is yours. Stay as long as you need.’
My throat tightened. I’d just told her taking me in was dangerous, but she’d brushed it off as if it didn’t matter. I followed Lily to the kitchen, fighting the overwhelming urge to turn and run away, leaving her to her comfortable life.
Her kindness, even after all these years, unravelled me, and I was terrified she’d pay the steep price for being my friend.
Chapter 8
Reynard
Iknew I should wake up, but a part of me didn’t want to, not yet. Her scent filled my soul, and I inhaled deeply, trailing my nose over the soft skin of her neck. Gods, she was my enemy, yet I could not resist her allure.
‘Rey,’ she breathed, leaning towards me.
Hair, cool and soft like golden silk, flowed through my fingers when I wrapped her thick braid around my hand to pull her closer. My Viper didn’t resist. Her lips parted when I kissed them, and I wished I could freeze time. Freeze it right here in this moment, where my desire was still innocent, when I’d thought she was a healer and pondered what could have been.Now, lurking under my visceral need for her, was a fury that ruined everything.
The woman who had made me feel so alive had left me to die, and whatever spell she’d cast on me, I refused to submit to her will.
My hand tightened on her braid, yanking her away. She gasped, her hazel eyes opening wide, the green wildfire dancing in their depths captivating my soul.
‘Who are you?’ I demanded, rejecting her warmth.
The landscape of my dream transformed into a blizzard. Shock and disbelief flashed in her eyes, like they had in the forest, but I wasn’t wrong to demand answers. I wasn’t—
‘Fuck!’ I roared, jerking awake as pain exploded in my face.
My body arched, tangled in the sheets as I screamed, clawing at my scar, the spasms twisting my face into a rictus of pain, until I forced myself to stay still. To calm my erratic heartbeat, knowing this was the only way to stop the pain.
‘Haven’t you done enough, Viper? When will you stop tormenting me?’ I groaned, taking slow, deep breaths. Ihatedthis weakness, the pain so harsh that a tear slipped from my remaining eye. It had to be her doing—the same nightmare repeating night after night, robbing me of my sleep.
A sheen of sweat covered my skin, sticky and unpleasant, but I couldn’t care less as I stared into the darkness. Ciesko’s concoction, a sleeping draught he’d promised would help, was still beside my bed, tempting me. But taking it would be admitting that I no longer controlled my body or mind.
‘No.I won’t drug myself into oblivion. Once I find her, these dreams will stop,’ I insisted as the pain finally settled into a familiar, manageable level.
Another promise, another lie, but I needed that shred of hope before the hopelessness of my situation drove me mad. Three weeks I’d searched, but the damn woman had disappearedwithout a trace. I’d sent soldiers to the borders and had Brotherhood Observers searching the city, but she’d vanished so thoroughly I half believed she was a vila sent to lead me to my doom.
The only place I had found her was in my dreams.
‘Were you real, or did I offend the gods?’ I whispered into the dark. Was there even a point in asking?
With one final exhale, I completed the breathing exercise Ciesko had taught me; a simple thing, but the only one that helped. No one, not even the mages or the Brotherhood poisoners, could purge the toxin from my scar. The poison, strengthened by some sort of magic, was leaking into my flesh despite the magical lattice.
Even worse, after we tried several things to ease my painful spasms, Ciesko discovered that the containment spell he’d created weakened when my emotions peaked. He taught me to slow down my heart, but with each dream encounter, I felt my control slip.
Sleep was beyond my reach, so I dragged myself out of bed, pulling on a shirt. It was too early to don my formal attire for the day, and it wouldn’t be the first time my servants saw their king dressed casually. Not that it mattered what I wore here.
The entire wing was my private apartment. Several rooms linked by a long corridor granted me freedom from the court’s stiff protocols. Thick carpet cushioned my footsteps, and I felt like a wandering ghost as I walked down the empty hall. I pushed on the door to my study, and it opened without a sound, revealing a hunched shadow.
A knife appeared in my hand, instinct taking over.If it’s another assassin . . .
Sharp awareness seized me as I stalked my way over to the desk, ready to strike, until the dim fae lantern revealed the face of my visitor.
I could barely contain my laughter. My ‘assassin’ was drooling on the desk, ink smeared across his cheek as he snored.
Has he been here all night?
‘Riordan, what in Veles’ pit are you doing here?’ I said, taking a rolled manuscript and swatting him on the head.
