Page 2 of The Study of Poisons
He flipped open her file and feigned reading the information. He’d already memorized it. “Yelena, today may be your lucky day.” Valek spotted a brief flare of anger before she bowed her head. She probably thought he referred to her impending execution. He had various reactions to that comment from the other food tasters. Most raged at him, thinking they had nothing left to lose. A couple picked up on the “may be” and allowed a glimmer of hope to show through.
“Well-behaved and respectful. You’re starting to look like a good candidate,” he said, trying to goad her into a response.
Still avoiding his gaze, she studied the items on his desk instead of reacting to his comment.
He switched tactics. “You’ve been tried and found guilty of murdering General Brazell’s only son, Reyad.” Valek paused and stroked his temple as if he’d just made a realization. “That explains why Brazell’s here this week, and why he has been unusually interested in the execution schedule.” One death row prisoner hanged each season—six souls a year.
Finally, the woman reacted, but not quite as expected. There was fear. However, her body stiffened in determination. Would she try to beg for her life?
“I suppose you’re going to protest the conviction. Say you were framed, or you killed out of self-defense.” Valek leaned back, waiting for her to plead her case.
“No, sir.” Her voice rasped. “I killed him.”
Completely surprised, he straightened. He didn’t know whether to be impressed or disappointed that she didn’t try to explain her actions. Either way, she’d managed to amaze him—something only a few people had ever done. Valek laughed. “This may work out better than I’d planned. Yelena, I’m offering you a choice. You can either be executed, or you can be Commander Ambrose’s new food taster. His last taster died recently, and we need to fill the position.”
Yelena stared at him in shock. “A fool would refuse the job.”
“Well, it’s a lifetime position. The training can be lethal. After all, how can you identify poisons in the Commander’s food if you don’t know what they taste like?” Valek paused and straightened the papers in the folder to let the information sink in and to give her time to ask questions. When she didn’t reply, he continued, “You’ll get a room in the castle to sleep, but most of the day you’ll be with the Commander. No days off. No husband or children. Some prisoners have chosen execution instead. At least then they know exactly when they’re going to die, rather than guessing if it’s going to come with the next bite.” He snapped his teeth together for effect.
Valek knew her thoughts were whirling by the way she trembled.
“Who tastes the Commander’s food now?” she asked.
Interesting question. Was she still stunned or was she smarter than he’d thought? “I do. So, I’m anxious to find a replacement. Also, the Code of Behavior states that someone whose life is forfeit must be offered the job.”
Yelena stood as if unable to keep still. She dragged the chains behind her as she explored his office. Valek wondered what she was thinking. He hoped she’d take the position.
When she stopped her inspection and faced him, he asked, “What shall I tell the executioner?”
“I am not a fool.”
No, she wasn’t. Not at all. Valek suppressed a grin. Getting to know her secrets was going to be quite the challenge. And there was nothing he loved more than a challenge.
CHAPTER2
The first thing Valek needed to do was to ensure his new food taster didn’t run away at her first opportunity. He strode to his office door and spoke to the two guards waiting in the hall.
“She’s accepted the position. Gunner, go fetch Margg. Zook, please remove her chains,” Valek said.
“Yes, sir,” Zook and Gunner said in unison.
As the big man unlocked the manacles, Valek returned to his desk. He removed two goblets from his cabinet along with a small glass vial filled with White Fright. Pulling the stopper on the bottle, he poured four white drops into one goblet. Then he glanced at his new food taster. She was still reeling from her sudden change in fate and not paying attention to him. No surprise. A few minutes ago, she’d expected to die.
Valek understood the feeling. He’d been convinced his death was imminent on a number of occasions and the flood of relief after each near miss made his head spin. Giving her some time to settle her emotions, he set the vial on his desk and grabbed a carafe of peach juice, pouring the liquid into the goblets. Then he put the carafe of juice into his cabinet and locked it out of pure habit.
“While we’re waiting for Margg, I thought maybe you could use a drink.” Valek handed Yelena the goblet laced with White Fright. Raising his, he made a toast. “To Yelena, our newest food taster. May you last longer than your predecessor.”
She stared at him in shock.
“Relax, it’s a standard toast.”
She took a swig and Valek waited. Was she going to throw it up? It was always risky giving a prisoner something other than water, but he had to mask the flavor of the White Fright.
When it appeared she would keep the liquid down, Valek proceeded to teach Yelena her first lesson in poison tasting. Most people thought it was a simple job, that tasters took a bite of food or sipped a drink and waited for the symptoms. Or for death. But assassins who used poison as a weapon knew there were ways around a lazy or stupid food taster, therefore, Valek trained the Commander’s tasters so they learned the complex art.
He asked her to identify the ingredients in her drink.
“Peaches sweetened with honey,” she said after taking a smaller sip.
