Page 70 of Poisoned Kingdom
Chapter 25
Roksana
A few days later
The day of the Mabon feast finally arrived, and despite my preparations, I was still daunted by the prospect of facing the chapter masters during the banquet.
Still, it wasn’t as stressful as my meeting with Tova had been. Lily’s prediction of my friend’s release was, of course, correct. In fact, he’d returned to The House of Lilies within hours of my strange encounter with Reynard.
I groaned at the memory of his return.
Gods, he’d been so angry, striding through the empty ballroom just after dawn. I’d rushed towards him, but he stopped me, his palm held out. His nostrils had flared, throat bobbing franticallyas if he was trying to tame emotions that threatened to choke him.
Tova rarely displayed feelings other than joviality or anger. Pain, especially sadness, he hid deep in his heart, but this time, he was visibly shaken.
‘Did Reynard . . .? Gods, he swore he wouldn’t hurt you. I’m going to—’ I was fuming, embracing him despite his protests. We both needed it, even if the proud dwarf would never admit it.
‘He didn’t hurt me. It was the most comfortable dungeon I’ve ever been in. Yet, the whole time I thought . . . Mlot’s been searching for you since your escape, but all they found were corpses. I thought I’d lost you.’ He finally enveloped my shoulders with a vice-like strength. ‘That’s the last time I let you go into danger alone. Last bloody time, drah’sa . . . I can’t lose my little sister.’
Tova was true to his word, staying beside me until we settled into a more comfortable routine. One where I could walk out of The House of Lilies without a suspicious dwarf asking where I was going or insisting on escorting me.
I sighed heavily, focusing on the here and now, wondering how to convince Tova he couldn’t come to the Chapter House with me tonight as I stared in the mirror.
Thanks to Lily and two of her more mature entertainers, I was armed and ready to face my brethren—well, almost ready. There were still four women fussing around me, and after the third time they caught me sighing, Lily pinched my arm and narrowed her eyes.
‘I think I look good enough,’ I said, chuckling when one of the girls pulled my belt tighter for the hundredth time. ‘It’s a bunch of murderers and spies, not a royal ball.’
‘You’re walking into a den of wolves. Your outfit is your armour. The way you look and how you carry yourself tells them whether you’re predator or prey,’ Lily said, nodding withappreciation when I attached my weapon of choice, a custom-made poison-infused dagger, to my thigh holster.
I had no idea how she had obtained one in such a short period of time, but I had a feeling Tova was involved. The weapon, an Alchemist’s Fang, was famously difficult to make due to its unusual design, and had earned its name due to its slightly curved blade and the unique surprise it contained.
I drew the dagger, a delicate masterpiece forged from two leaves of metal, and slid my finger over the curved edge. I still needed to fill it with poison but wanted to test the needle first.
The woman helping me yelped, pulling away when it shot forward, and I chuckled, twisting it slowly back inside the blade.
‘Don’t worry, I didn’t add the poison yet,’ I said, patting her shoulder before turning to Lily. ‘My absence wasn’t so long that they’d forget the Deadly Nightshade.’
My smile widened as my hand glided over my midnight blue dress.
It was a practical outfit, similar to a battle mage’s robe. Its worth was not in the cut or its embellishments, but in the choice of fabric. The southern velvet could withstand fire for several minutes, and its interwoven silver threads worked almost as well as chain mail. The vertical slits in the dress allowed me to hide my dagger whilst providing me freedom of movement, and the alchemist belt—with its loops for small vials and potions—was of the best dwarven design.
To the casual passerby, the dress didn’t betray the opulence behind it. To anyone knowledgeable, however, including those in the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves’ Guild, it was attire worthy of a queen.
‘Oh, I’m sure they remember, but in a good way?’ Lily asked as she wrapped a dark fae shadow cloak around me. ‘You did the unthinkable and burned your contract, leaving a position many would kill for. It’s best to remind them who you are.’
I admired the way the cloak absorbed the light, obscuring my form beneath its fabric. Lily hadn’t pulled any punches in her efforts.
Mischief danced in my eyes as I leapt forward and embraced her, whispering my thanks as I kissed her cheek. The blush rapidly spreading across her face made me giggle as we shared a moment until the door suddenly opened with such force that it bounced off the wall.
‘You sent me to look for a house because you wanted to sneak away?’ Tova pushed inside, huffing like a pissed-off badger, eyeing me suspiciously. ‘Tell me where you’re going! Right the fuck now!’
The worry on his face made me feel guilty for trying to deceive him. I’d tried to spare him, but it appeared I’d done more harm than good with my attempt.
‘I sent you out because we need a home with workshops for both of us. Or would you like me to choose your workspace? Fae style perhaps, with large windows?’ I answered, grinning at the tight set of his lips. ‘Did you find anything suitable?’
‘Maybe? There’s an empty townhouse that we can look over tomorrow. Now, tell me where you’re going.’ He sighed, dragging a hand down his face. ‘Please?’ he whispered.
His plea twisted something in my chest, making me sigh.
