Page 42 of Poisoned Kingdom
He smiled. ‘You sound like you’re still Boyan’s shadow.’
‘I sound like a woman who won’t lose another family to vengeful arseholes,’ I said, pushing him off the bed. ‘Now, go and bribe Jagon’s current apprentice. I’m sure my former master makes their life just as miserable as he did mine. They’ll likely be willing to provide a little information for some money—and Irsha? Wait for me. I’ll be back, I promise.’
‘Or I could just throw you over my shoulder and leave with you now,’ he said, visibly irritated once more.
‘Come on, Blade, you can always return and play hero tomorrow if need be. Trust my judgement and keep an eye out for any strangers with southern accents and pasty white skin hanging around Jagon.’
‘You saw his backer?’ Irsha asked, playing with his dagger.
‘Only a servant, unfortunately, and only his chin,’ I said, smirking. ‘The little shit wasn’t too happy that Jagon kept me alive. So just keep an eye out while I try begging forgiveness for stabbing the king in the face.’
‘That wasyou? The woman he’s been searching for like a madman? Fuuuuck Roksana, you really know how to make life interesting, don’t you?’
‘Yeah, tell me about it.’ I rolled my eyes, not mentioning that I’d spent the last few hours dreaming of the king. My poor Blade might have thought I’d completely lost my mind.
‘Fine, I’ll come back soon—unless you manage to convince our illustrious monarch to release you,’ Irsha said before bending and kissing my forehead. ‘Be careful, Nightshade, and don’t worry about Lily. I’ll stay with her.’ He was pulling away when we heard the heavy footsteps of the returning guards, and we both jerked back.
Irsha shook his head and unwrapped a thin but durable cord from his waist. ‘This is all your fault,’ he said with a smile, tying the cord to the bedpost. ‘Let’s hope no one sees my sorry arse dangling from the window. Untie the cord once I’m down and I’ll collect it later.’
He climbed through the window, barely visible in the darkness that had replaced the twilight, while I sat on the windowsill thinking over the concern and fondness in his voice when he had mentioned Lily’s name. I remembered that tone from when he was courting me, and I could only hope he hadn’t fallen for the courtesan whose moniker was the ‘Ice Queen.’
One way or another, he’d protect her. However, I had little hope that Irsha would find the rouge. My Blade was a skilled assassin, and he’d proven it by sneaking in here despite all the guards, but asking him to search Jagon’s workshop was like expecting him to find a needle in a haystack, especially with itsmany hidden areas. We still had time, but a niggling doubt irked me.
Am I making a mistake by staying here?
No. I owed the king a sliver of trust, if only as a way to repay his defence of me in the forest. Rested, fed, and out of direct danger, I could no longer avoid thinking about how everything between us had started. Despite my excuses, maiming the man whose only crime was that of trying to help me weighed heavily on my conscience.
‘I wish I could turn back time,’ I whispered, staring at the starry sky until a noise dragged my attention to another balcony where a solitary figure stood motionlessly looking at my window.
I easily recognised the shape. Only one man could be so tall, so imposing, even from this distance.
I doubted Reynard could see me, but had he seen Irsha? As if in answer to my question, he spun around and disappeared inside.
‘Well, this will be interesting,’ I mused, untying the cord and letting it fall before closing the window. With no better option, I went back to bed and waited for him to arrive.
If I’d learnt anything about the king, it was that he wouldn’t come and ask questions politely but charge in with the power of a blizzard.
And I needed to find a way to calm the storm.
Chapter 16
Roksana
The large pillow pressed to my chest was a childish defensive gesture, but I needed a barrier. Something to hold on to as I faced the king’s wrath. Long, decisive footsteps sounded in the corridor before a few curt words outside informed me he had arrived.
‘Just stay calm,’ I whispered, preparing to be dangled from his grasp while he snarled questions at me.
A polite knock, followed by a pause, was the last thing I expected.
‘Enter?’ I answered, unsure why the door wasn’t flying off its hinges, but as soon as Reynard came into the room, Iunderstood. It felt like the temperature instantly dropped, and I shivered when I saw his rigid posture.
‘Good evening, Viper,’ he said through gritted teeth, perfectly enunciating every word. ‘I’m pleased that you’ve found the room suitable enough for receiving guests but before I bolt the window, would you care to tell me who was visiting and why?’
Reynard wouldn’t look at me as he addressed me. His gaze was fixed somewhere above my head, icy grey eye studying the tapestries with a cold, unblinking stare that did nothing to ease my tension. I knew I was looking death in the face. The scourge of the battlefield, whose ruthlessness had won the war, was now directing his glacial anger atme.
My knees buckled when I stood, and the pillow fell from my hands, forgotten.
‘He’s a friend and no threat to you.’
