Page 4 of Poisoned Kingdom
Chapter 2
Roksana
The doors opened soundlessly, and we passed through seemingly endless corridors before standing in front of the ornate gates of the throne room. My presence must have been anticipated because with a loud, ‘Where is this bloody wench?!’ the gates swung open.
I took a deep breath before entering the room. The underground court was a place of stunning beauty if you could bear the thought of tonnes of rock above your head. As I stared at the intricate carvings, glittering with countless gemstones that sparkled in the light of a thousand candles, I had to admit it was awe-inspiring. But it didn’t change the fact that I always felt uneasy coming here. I was too used to life aboveground to everbe comfortable at these depths, especially now with the strange srebrec weapons everywhere. Unfortunately, I couldn’t refuse a summons from the king, so here I was, ready to deal with whatever the annoying bastard wanted this time.
‘Come, healer! You have some explaining to do.’
I tightened my jaw at the curt command, but after a small curtsy, I approached the man sitting on the throne.
‘What would you like explaining, sire?’ I asked, taking a few cautious steps.
His eyes narrowed at my question. ‘When will my men be returning to work? The quotas aren’t being fulfilled, and the latest order isn’t ready.’
‘Err, never? The accident was severe, and your miners are dying. You can’t expect me to—’ I stopped speaking, attempting to rein in my anger. ‘Their condition is irreversible,’ I finished, tightening my fists.
Mlot just sat there, a sneer marring his features. ‘Dying? You promised me you could heal my men if I gave you the resources requested. I demand you fulfil your part of the bargain,’ he said, deceptively calm, but the way he said the last word made me shiver. Did he think I could perform miracles?
‘Your Majesty, I’ve used all my knowledge and resources, searched through every book I could get my hands on, but all I’ve found is a way to ease their pain. Your problem is not my lack of knowledge but the fact that you’re dealing with aether-enriched ore without mage protection. Their condition is irreversible, and despite that, I’m still trying to—’
‘Roksana, my dear, what a surprise to see you here. Truly the last place in the Lowland Kingdoms I expected to find my apprentice.’
I stuttered to a halt as a tall, slim man stepped out from the shadows. I knew that silhouette, and an old fear sank its clawsinto my heart. If the Dark Brotherhood’s poison chapter master was here, whatever life I’d built for myself was decidedly over.
‘Jagon. Whatever ill fate brought you here, stay away from this.’ The warning in my tone should have been enough, but my former master wasn’t done.
The bastard turned towards Mlot while I stood frozen in place, shaking like a leaf. ‘My king, I may have the answer for your healer’s inability to heal. She cannot. The woman standing before you, who claims to have the skills needed for the job, is my apprentice. The infamous Deadly Nightshade, who sadly disappeared from the Dark Brotherhood a few years ago. I would be grateful if she could be returned to me.’
‘Sana?’ Tova’s voice and his warm hand on my back steadied me enough to answer, anger replacing the fear.
‘Returned? I’m free, Jagon. I didn’t disappear. I paid my dues and handed over every single coin required to end my contract. You witnessed the grand master taking it and burning my scroll. What I do after that is none of your business.’ I sneered at the bounder who had ruled my life since I joined the Brotherhood, whose obsession had almost broken me. I was lucky I’d realised his intentions and escaped before he had forced me to warm his bed.
Unfortunately, I was so focused on Jagon that I failed to notice Mlot’s reaction. His face was turning purple with anger as his advisor passed him some books. When I finally did give him my attention, it was too late.
‘Youlying wench, how do you explain this?’ Mlot yelled, throwing the tomes at my feet. Pages fluttered across the floor, each one showing spell sigils and magical techniques, the same pages I had studied earlier today before the maids had cleaned my workshop.
‘I can explain . . .’ I stuttered, but it was pointless.
Mlot flew into a fit of rage. ‘You lied to me! You’re a mage . . .a bloody mage! My men died because of your insidious lies, and now you’re raising your voice in my throne room? I don’t care if you’re the infamous Nightshade or a failed hedge witch! Your time in Wiosna is done!’ Spittle flew from Mlot’s mouth as he shouted, and I knew this blind fury all too well.
He was past listening. In his mind, I was his enemy, a wretched mage who had come here to kill him, the sole reason for his men’s demise. He conveniently forgothewas the one forcing them to work in such dangerous conditions, and that the aether flux the mining caused was killing even more on the mine’s surface.
Tova’s hand fell from my back as he stepped to the side. ‘Dark Brotherhood? Nightshade?You’rethe Deadly Nightshade?’ he whispered, shaking his head.
I stepped closer, but he shifted back. His rejection hurt more than I’d admit, and I swore that if I survived this, I would explain everything to him—about my life, about what happened fifteen years ago—but right now, I had to keep my head on my shoulders.
‘Your Majesty, I left my life in the Brotherhood behind, and I work hard . . . I’m no mage, but I was investigating the aether to help your people. You know that raw srebrec ore creates the flux that is corrupting their bodies. I was just trying to find a way to protect them.’ I tried to offer an explanation he could accept. ‘I’ll resign from the position as soon as you find someone to replace me. There are still many dying in the hospital.’
I looked at Jagon, memorising the smirk on his narrow face. He thought he’d won, but I was going to fight for my cause until the end.
‘As if I’d let a mage anywhere near my miners. The place for liars and criminals is the dungeon.’ He gestured to the menbehind my back. ‘Guards! Take her to the darkest cell you can find.’
The cruelty in his voice was startling when he sneered at me, ‘I hope you’ve had your fill of sunlight, healer, because you’ll never see it again.’ Mlot was beyond reason, but his orders were still being followed as several guards rushed in my direction.
‘My lord, the apprentice belongs to me . . . If you agree, I can remove her from your presence in exchange for access to the trade—’ Jagon started.
Mlot waved him off. ‘I’ll double the next order, but she will pay for lying to me! You can stay for the execution or return to Dagome and your Brotherhood before I execute you for aiding mages as well,’ he spat out.
