Page 86 of Bred

The goblin’s ink-stained fingers tapped on the edge of the table that held his herbs and potions. “Can you? What I want has no sparkle, girl.”

“Then what?”

“Your son will be a king, but if something were to happen to his Majesty before the child comes of age, a regent will be required.”

“A regent—”

I knew nothing of politics or the scheming that occurred behind the scenes of power.

“You must do something for me,” he said. He pulled an iron key from his pocket and unlocked an iron-bound wooden chest. The click of bottles filled the air as he dragged his fingers through the contents of the box and then selected one. He drew out a dark blue glass vial sealed with black wax.

“What is that?”

“A guarantee,” he said. “You will give this to the king. In his wine. Or in his food. Put it on your pussy for all I care… just see that he takes it all.”

“And the child?”

“You don’t need to worry about that. As soon as the child is born, you won’t have to think about it ever again. You’ll be free, and Artin will see that you’re well taken care of.”

Free.

But would I be? What if he was lying?

I stared at the vial and then pushed myself off the examination bed. “I will not. I will not do anything to harm the king. And I will not give up my child.”

“You made a pact, girl,” the goblin growled.

“I won’t do it.”

The vial disappeared into the chest and the lock clicked shut. “You’ll regret this.”

I wrapped my arms protectively around my belly. “You need to leave,” I said stiffly. “And tell Artin I do not wish to see her again.”

The goblin snorted and packed his chests away into the wagon that he brought with him to each examination.

“We shall see,” he growled.

Without waiting for him to say another word, I turned on my heel and fled the room. I needed to find solace in Venali’s arms. And I needed to tell him what had happened. They had wanted me to harm him. And it might have worked. If I had not been shown what would happen to me, or if I had been left to believe the terrible lies that I had been told, I might have been desperate enough to do something stupid…

I might have done it.

I might have killed him.

But everything was different now.

I loved him.

And my future was secure.

I needed to tell him everything.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Thepainsbeganearlyin the morning before the birds had begun to sing. My screams of pain brought Venali and his guards running through the stone corridors of the citadel, and he found me on the floor, hands clasped around my belly as the tremors of the birthing pains ripped through me.

“Tannyl is coming,” he said as he lifted me in his arms and held me tight against his chest.

“Where— where are we going?” I choked out.