Page 48 of Poisoned Kingdom
‘I still want you to examine her at your earliest convenience. Something feels odd about her, and I can’t neglect any avenue when it comes to her.’
Ciesko nodded, and I inclined my head, signalling his dismissal.
Alone, I stood by the window, gazing into the darkness. This conversation would have amused Roksana. Despite what I’d saidto her earlier, if Ciesko confirmed she’d done nothing to me, I would let her go.
I could not be under the same roof with a woman whose touch threatened to unravel my sanity.
Chapter 18
Roksana
Istretched out, savouring the warm sun, unwilling to open my eyes. If I was to have another day like the last two, I had no reason to. Despite Reynard’s insistence, I had seen no healer; no one had come to visit me, not even the king. I spent my time locked in the room, watching the birds, reading, and eating elaborate meals while waiting for the healer, the truthseeker—anybody, really. I wanted to jump through whichever hoop Reynard wanted me to jump through next and escape this gilded cage he’d put me in.
This will end today, even if I have to fake an illness,I thought, smirking. Judging by his reaction when he thought I’d tried todrown myself, I could expect the king to storm in as soon as the healer informed him I’d sneezed.
I had been more than ready to cooperate, but I hadn’t prepared to be bored.
As the plan settled in my head, I stretched again, inhaling deeply. The scent of herbs overwhelmed my senses, and I focused, trying to identify them. ‘Lavender, rosemary, with a hint of lily of the valley, and something else . . . pine honey?’
It was my favourite pastime. One had to learn how to recognise the scent of herbs and other ingredients in Jagon’s service. Failure to do so led to his next level of ‘teaching,’ in which the poison master would force his apprentices to drink whichever potion they’d failed to identify.
‘Very good, Mistress Regnav, but you missed the ash and lime.’
The mature voice startled me. I scrambled backwards, grabbing the bedsheet as I looked around, my eyes struggling to adjust to the brightness.
‘Will you people learn to knock and wait for an answer?’ I snapped, squinting at the figure beside the bed.
The man chuckled, moving closer. ‘The king told me you were feisty. Calm down, child, I mean no harm.’ He smelled like healing balm, the composition suggesting a blend used to increase blood flow and heal burns.
‘I suppose you’re the healer? Did our illustrious monarch send you?’ I asked cautiously.
The elderly man nodded, his face breaking into an honest, welcoming smile.
‘I am indeed. Master Ciesko, at your service. I’m sorry for the delay, but we had an incident in the city, a small fire whose victims needed my attention.’ He approached until I had to lift my head to look at him. ‘I was asked to test your blood for poisons and magical properties.’
I huffed in annoyance. ‘Of course, why not? Just in case he wants to know, I’m not a virgin, either,’ I quipped before I could stop myself. ‘Wait . . . Ciesko? The arch healer, Ciesko?’
So, Reynard smelled something, freaked out, and now we’re right back to no trust.Does he think I’m secreting poison or carrying the plague?Why else would he send for the arch healer if not to ensure I didn’t pose a serious threat?
Ciesko’s chuckle broke through my stream of thoughts. ‘The king didn’t ask for such an . . . unusual investigation. Though it wouldn’t surprise me if he were interested in the result.’ He reached for my hand. ‘Will you cooperate, my lady?’
‘Do I have a choice?’
It was a rhetorical question; I was already stretching out my arm. I placed my wrist in his warm, wrinkled hand, my eyes following his movements, observing as he drew a sigil before aligning it with another tattooed on his palm. Warmth flooded me, removing my lingering tiredness, and I sighed, briefly closing my eyes until a sharp pain made me hiss.
A translucent symbol shimmered over my skin, slowly turning crimson, becoming saturated with my blood. Ciesko frowned when the colour changed from shades of deep crimson to a vivid green with golden strands swirling within its depths.
‘And what does that mean? Am I turning into a lizard?’ I asked, pointing at the tumultuous emerald, curiosity getting the better of me. He didn’t answer. Instead, Ciesko’s gaze shifted from professional kindness to one of cold assessment.
‘You don’t know? Hmm. Riordan mentioned you can see aether, but this . . .’ His hand tightened on mine, and instead of a pleasant, reassuring warmth, something else washed through me, the sensation followed by a burning pain that made me hiss. He was probing my body, and not gently. Pressure built in my core before Ciesko’s eyebrows grew closer.
‘Yes, and not weak either . . .’ he muttered to himself, tightening his grasp even further when I tried to pull away.
‘That’s enough, thank you,’ I said firmly, yanking my arm from his grasp.
‘I was surprised when Reynard ordered me to do this, but . . . hmm . . . our king is more perceptive than I thought,’ he said, his smile widening with each passing moment. ‘What a discovery, my dear Roksana, what potential!’
Ciesko mumbled something else, his eyes darting from side to side, but whatever discussion he was having in his head, his excitement sent an icy shiver running down my spine.
