Page 26 of Poisoned Kingdom
‘And why is halting this srebrec trade important to you?’ he finally asked.
I raised my eyebrow. ‘Let me see . . . what kind of lie would ease your mind, Master Riordan?’
‘Fair enough.’ He chuckled. ‘Okay, you’ve shared enough for me to investigate the matter. Now, we have one last issue to tackle,’ he said, giving me a long, assessing stare. ‘How long have you known you can channel aether, and exactlywhatare we going to do with you, Mistress Regnav?’
1.Kupala’s Night— an ancient holiday celebrating the summer equinox with high fires and fertility rituals.
Chapter 11
Roksana
Ireturned much later than expected, and all was silent in The House of Lilies. Not wanting to disturb the resting entertainers, I grabbed a quick snack from the kitchen and went straight to my room. There was a lot to think about. Discovering my magic was stronger than I’d ever thought possible was one thing, but being forced to attend the next student intake at the University of Magic was entirely different.
Before sending me home, Riordan had drawn a small rune on my wrist—a harmless beacon that would activate if I didn’t enter the university on recruitment day, allowing him to find me. It was that or be dragged away for testing as Otokar had wanted.
Sitting on the small chair in front of the vanity in my room, I played with a hairbrush, uncertainty and a hint of disappointment staring back at me when I looked in the mirror.
Is my magic worth it?
I wanted to learn, but what I’d receive in exchange was another leash, another master to follow. Still, this deep-seated need in my core grew stronger with each passing year, making it almost impossible to resist. If I were truthful with myself, I’d have to admit that behind my desire to help the dwarves was a compulsion to explore the power I’d so long denied. Purging poisons was no longer enough—maybe it never had been.
‘I heard you’d returned. Any luck?’ Lily glided into the room and took the brush from my hands, looking at my reflection in the mirror.
‘Frankly? I have no idea, but it definitely didn’t go as planned,’ I said, letting her gentle hands calm the turmoil in my mind as she unbraided my hair and deftly brushed it.
She chuckled. ‘Care to elaborate, or do I have to squeeze every drop of information out of you?’
I sighed. ‘I told them about the ore, and they didn’t care—well, all except one. His name is Riordan, and he seemed reasonable. That is, until he forced me into becoming the university’s newest mage recruit.’
‘What?’ Lily nearly dropped the brush, and I realised I’d never told her about my gift.
‘I can see aether, and it helps with my poisons. That’s my big secret. It’s how I could kill Tivala using poison on my lips without dying. I thought that was all I could do, but the council thinks I’m some high-order mage, and now they want me tested . . .’ I hid my face in my hands, overwhelmed by the situation.
I waited for more questions, but they never came. Instead, Lily resumed her careful brushing. I raised my head and met her eyes in the mirror.
‘Why do I get the feeling you knew?’
Lily’s hand stilled for a moment. ‘I didn’t, but I suspected,’ she said. ‘We all have our secrets, and I knew you’d tell me when you were ready, but the real question is, did you agree?’
‘I wasn’t given a choice. Besides, it’s what I’ve always wanted. To learn about my gift. I need to explore and figure out how to harness the power I feel at my fingertips. So maybe it’s not that bad?’
She shook her head. ‘I don’t know. You can’t ride two horses, Sana, at least not these horses. The Brotherhood and the mages coexist in a delicate balance. The rules are set in stone to prevent conflicting interests. If you disturb that, it won’t just be your life in danger—the repercussions may affect all of Truso if they start to fight over you.’
Lily’s concerns echoed my own.
‘I can’t do much about it now, though I’ll fix what I can. But to do that, I need to see the king,’ I said, hissing when Lily’s hand tightened on my hair.
‘What?’ She blanched. ‘Gods give me strength, why him?’
I turned to face her. ‘Because he might be interested in finding out someone’s plotting treason and wants him dead?’
‘Jagon wanted you to kill theking? Oh gods, that’s a breach of the covenant. Sana, think this over! This will destroy the Brotherhood.’
‘That’s why I need to see him in person,’ I said, smiling when I saw the confusion in Lily’s eyes. ‘If he learns through a third party or an anonymous letter, he’ll go after the Brotherhood, but if a dark sister came to him with the warning, risking her life . . .’
‘You want him to believe Jagon’s gone rogue and the Brotherhood is innocent?’
‘Yes, and that we’ll find out who’s behind the threat on his life. I know Jagon’s working for someone powerful—Irsha visited me last night and confirmed it. So if I’m going to remove Jagon, I’ll have to take care of his employer, too. Preferably before they come after me.’
