Page 4 of Quiver of Cobras
‘That’s probably true,’ Rubus answered. ‘But do you really think I’d trust someone who hates me with such an important task?’ He laughed at my expression. ‘I’m not as stupid as you think, Madrona. I know how you feel about me. You might follow my every command but I still feel your hatred every time you look at me.’
I sniffed. ‘I don’t hate you, I’m just not necessarily excited by your existence.’
Rubus laughed and clapped his hands in delight. ‘You’re still pissed off that I forced you to leave Morgan. You know he despises you now, even more than you despise me. And don’t forget that the reason we’re all stuck here is your fault.’
My whole body went still. ‘As if I could,’ I muttered. As if Rubus would let me.
Rubus unhooked his leg from the chair, stood up and walked towards me. He reached out and brushed a tendril of hair from my face. I was getting good at not flinching when he touched me but I still had to suppress an internal shudder.
‘You’re too nasty for my brother, Madrona,’ he said. ‘Spend time with him and he’ll realise what a bitch you’ve become. You think he hates you now? Wait till he meets the real you, the new improved version of you. He’ll drop you faster than he’ll drop his trousers to get into your pants. You’ll only disappoint him.’ Rubus smiled. ‘You and I are alike. You and I are the ones who should be together. You’re mine, Madrona,’ he said softly. ‘Not Morgan’s. Don’t forget it. You know what I’m capable of ... and vice-versa.’
I curved my lips and smiled back at him. ‘Youareimpressive,’ I breathed. I’d resort to whatever was necessary to get Rubus off my back. Today of all days, I needed the freedom to move around the city unhindered. ‘And you don’t have to worry about me. I’m here, Rubus. I’m on your side. I want to get home as much as you do.’
His eyes danced. ‘One of these days, I’ll trust you fully,’ he said. ‘But not today. There are still plenty of Fey in Manchester who’ve sworn off dust or who haven’t tried it. By the end of this week, I want every damn one of them to be desperate for another hit.’
‘Then your wish is my command.’
Rubus licked his lips. ‘Oh Madrona,’ he said huskily, ‘if only that were true.’ He reached out again, his fingertips brushing against my breast. ‘One day.’
I forced another smile. ‘I’ll just nip to the apothecary and get more dust,’ I said. ‘Then I’ll be on my way.’
‘Does my touch repel you so much that you have to sprint off like that?’
I opened my mouth to answer but he pressed his finger against my lips. ‘Don’t protest. Neither of us will enjoy it if you lie to me. Run off, then. You’ll come round when I have the dragon sphere.’ He stepped back and turned away, heading back to his chair.
I watched him, wishing for the umpteenth time that the truce wasn’t in place and I could slide a dagger between his ribs and be done with all this. The truce was immutable, though; no Fey could harm another, regardless of how much they might want to. I sighed inwardly then I turned on my heel and left.
Pushing away my not inconsiderable antipathy to Rubus, I flew to the apothecary’s laboratory. Carduus was a creature of habit and I knew he’d be having his afternoon tea at this time. I only had a small window of opportunity to grab what I needed without him knowing.
I banged open the lab door and darted inside. Fortunately his shelves were well stocked and he was unlikely to miss any magic potions for a few days, if at all. Without wasting any time, I went over to the far wall.
It took scant seconds to locate both the vials of liquid rowan and the white baneberry. Part of me was tempted to leave the latter behind and tell Charrie that I’d not been able to find it, but he’d only find another way to get it. Besides, I’d promised him that I’d do my best. Right now he was my only real ally and I couldn’t let him down, regardless of the consequences.
Double-checking that the coast was clear, I shrugged off my coat. I carefully slid Charrie’s sword from its hiding place at my back, untying the ribbons that held it tightly in place, then I grabbed the rowan and coated the blade. I rubbed it down and made sure no edge remained untainted. I shoved the glistening blade back, secured it and adjusted my coat so that there was no sign of the weapon. That would have to do.
I twisted left, searching the rest of the shelves until my gaze snagged on a dusty, red-hued bottle. I stared at it as if it were one of Rubus’s damned Truth Spiders. A moment later I grabbed it. Considering how much depended on its damned contents working, it felt lighter and smaller than it should have done.
With tense shoulders, I reached for a small empty vial and hastily decanted half of the bottle’s contents into it then I refilled the bottle to the brim with water so it appeared untouched. I even took the time to grab a handful of household dust and blow it gently onto the red bottle after I’d returned it to its place on the shelf. No one would ever know I’d gone near it.
With that perilous deed completed, I swallowed and carried on, picking up as many vials of pixie dust as I could. I needed to take as much as I could carry so it appeared that I was following my orders. I crammed a bag full of the vials. I’d dump them somewhere safe as soon as I could. Once I was out of Rubus’s den, the pixie dust would only slow me down.
***
We needed plausible deniability at every step of the way. Charrie and I had already synchronised our watches, something that would have made me smile if our situation hadn’t been so serious.
At precisely 5.23pm, Charrie strolled out of the east exit of Stretfort Mall and headed down the street, just as I wandered past ostensibly on the way to sell some pixie dust to the Fey who worked in the nearby opticians. In case someone was watching me, I jerked my head as if I were surprised to see the bogle. Then I took off after him, maintaining a decent distance between us.
Although I knew where he was heading, I made a show of keeping well back. By the time I reached the fringes of the forest surrounding the golf course, dusk was falling. As I started moving uphill, the sword at my back chafed at my skin. Unwilling to risk scratching and poisoning myself with rowan, and convinced that no one was following me, I unfastened the ribbons so I could hold the sword instead. Then I continued upwards, weaving in and out of the trees.
It took longer than I’d anticipated to get to the rendezvous point. Charrie was already waiting next to the eighteenth hole, hopping from toe to toe as his nervousness gave him away.
I raised a hand to him in greeting and walked forward.
‘Is it coated?’ he asked, jerking his head towards the sword.
I nodded. ‘Yes.’
He exhaled. ‘Good. That’ll put you in the clear if a Fey comes across it. The only reason I’d scrub it with rowan would be to kill a faery.’
