Page 87 of The Study of Poisons
Magic surged. Yelena yelled and curled into a tight ball. He stepped forward. She screamed again.
“Any closer, and she’ll be a corpse,” Mogkan said.
CHAPTER17
Valek froze. Could he kill Mogkan before he killed Yelena? Probably. Maybe. He shifted his weight, preparing to lunge. No.Nothingwas worth risking her life.
“Well, now. That’s interesting. The old Valek really wouldn’t have cared if I killed his food taster. Yelena, my child, I just realized how incredibly useful you are.” Mogkan grinned.
As the magician walked away, another wave of magic swept through the hallway. Yelena fainted. Valek rushed to feel for a pulse. A steady throb met his fingertips. Her breathing appeared normal.
Next time, Valek vowed. Next time, Mogkan didn’t get to walk away.
Valek scooped Yelena up and held her close enough that he could smell her lavender soap. He debated if he should take her to the infirmary or not. The thought of leaving her there alone and unprotected… He hugged her tighter. No. Not happening. Instead, he carried her to their suite. She either had a concussion or had passed out due to the lack of air.
The two soldiers, who guarded the entrance to their suites, straightened but said nothing even though they both eyed Yelena.
“Millicent, go fetch the medic. Dagon, go find Captains Ari and Janco and have them report to me A-sap.”
“We’re not allowed to leave our positions, sir,” Dagon said.
“I’mgiving you permission.”
“Is this a test?” Millicent asked.
He’d trained them too well. “No. Go. Hurry, please.”
“Yes, sir,” they snapped and headed in two different directions.
He continued into his suite and gently laid Yelena down on her bed. Pulling the blanket up to her chin, he tucked her in before he dampened a cloth with water and placed it over her forehead in case she woke with a headache.
Valek strode out to the entrance and acted as guard until the soldiers returned. He doubted anyone tried to get in during the few minutes it was unprotected, but he’d check the Commander’s apartment just to be sure.
Medic Channa arrived first. She carried her medical kit. “Something wrong?”
“This way.” He left Millicent to resume her position. Once they were inside his suite, he explained to Channa he’d found Yelena on the ground unconscious.
The medic asked him to wait in the living room while she examined Yelena. Unable to stay still, he paced, hating that he couldn’t do anything to help, wishing for the first time in his life that he possessed magical healing abilities. However, if she had a brain injury, the Sitian healers couldn’t fix her either. Valek had learned quite a bit about magical abilities while stalking the late King of Ixia.
Channa finally finished and closed the door behind her.
“Well?” he asked.
She set her bag on the couch and dug inside. “She doesn’t have a concussion. From the contusions around her throat, I’d say she was strangled, but there’s no pattern. The bruising doesn’t look like fingers, or a rope, had wrapped around her neck. My best guess is she fainted after something blocked her windpipe temporarily.” Channa handed him a packet filled with a yellow powder. “When she wakes, mix this in water and have her drink it all. It should help with any pain or dizziness.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you going to tell me why you brought her here instead of the infirmary?”
“No.”
“All righty. If she doesn’t wake in the next couple of hours, let me know.”
“I will.”
The medic left and he continued his pacing. He needed to protect the Commander from Mogkan, but he couldn’t leave Yelena although he knew she was safe inside their suite. Or was she? Mogkan could kill the guards outside. Why would he? He could influence the Commander, who could order her execution. Overwhelmed with so many possibilities, Valek sank onto the couch. All he could do at this point was hope that when Mogkan said Yelena was incredibly useful, it meant he wouldn’t try to kill her again.
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