Page 26 of Poisoned Kingdom (Secrets of Dagome #1)

Roksana

T he large pillow pressed to my chest was a childish defensive gesture, but I needed a barrier. Something to hold on to as I faced the king’s wrath. Long, decisive footsteps sounded in the corridor before a few curt words outside informed me he had arrived.

‘Just stay calm,’ I whispered, preparing to be dangled from his grasp while he snarled questions at me.

A polite knock, followed by a pause, was the last thing I expected.

‘Enter?’ I answered, unsure why the door wasn’t flying off its hinges, but as soon as Reynard came into the room, I understood. It felt like the temperature instantly dropped, and I shivered when I saw his rigid posture.

‘Good evening, Viper,’ he said through gritted teeth, perfectly enunciating every word. ‘I’m pleased that you’ve found the room suitable enough for receiving guests but before I bolt the window, would you care to tell me who was visiting and why?’

Reynard wouldn’t look at me as he addressed me.

His gaze was fixed somewhere above my head, icy grey eye studying the tapestries with a cold, unblinking stare that did nothing to ease my tension.

I knew I was looking death in the face. The scourge of the battlefield, whose ruthlessness had won the war, was now directing his glacial anger at me .

My knees buckled when I stood, and the pillow fell from my hands, forgotten.

‘He’s a friend and no threat to you.’

‘I will be the judge of that,’ he said, his tone clipped. ‘This friend . . . does he have a name?’

‘Not for you, sire,’ I replied as calmly as I could. My heart hammered in my chest. As much as I wanted to placate the king, I wouldn’t betray Irsha.

‘Not . . . for me,’ he echoed, his body stiffening before he exhaled slowly. ‘Did it not occur to you that I should be made aware of any visitors?’ he questioned, waving a hand over the fae lamp, the soft light brightening the room as he looked around.

‘He’s already gone, but I’m sure you saw that,’ I said quietly, watching the conflicting emotions flash across the king’s face before he shook his head.

‘I’m trying, Viper. I’m trying to be understanding, to be kind, but you make it so fucking difficult.’

He stepped closer, dominating the space. Reynard hadn’t fully dressed before coming to my room, and the casual dark brown trousers and white shirt he wore did nothing to hide his muscular chest, especially with the poorly tied laces falling loose.

‘Why was he here?’ he asked. ‘What are you planning?’

He lifted his hand to my face, and I swallowed hard, waiting as it hovered near my throat before he grabbed the bedpost behind me.

‘You will tell me, Viper, or I’ll call the truthseeker and order him to eviscerate your mind.’

Instinctively, I took a step back. The edge of the bed collided with my legs, forcing me to sit, and my muscles tensed as I lifted my head.

The sensation of being utterly at his mercy was difficult to ignore, but when I met his gaze, Reynard’s expression shifted from one of anger to confusion.

He ran his hand through his messy hair in a gesture I’d observed earlier, a little tick when he seemed uncertain that made him appear so much more human.

Than his hand dropped and his pupil dilated as he ran his thumb over my lips, parting them ever so slightly. The gentleness of the simple gesture made me gasp, the soft sound shattering the stillness.

‘I meant no harm, Your Majesty,’ I blurted out, finding my position so vulnerable that I struggled to breathe. ‘My friend was concerned and came to check on me. If I were planning something, I would’ve left with him like he asked.’

His eyebrow shot up before he huffed a humourless laugh.

‘You want me to believe that the woman who told me to “eat shit and die,” who claims to hate me, chose to stay in the palace when she could escape?’

Is he even aware that he’s touching me? I thought, heat crawling up my neck when his fingers trailed gently over my jawline, and for the first time since he’d come, I didn’t hear ice in his voice when he asked, ‘Why?’

‘To prove I’m not your enemy,’ I answered.

I placed my hand on his abdomen, pushing him away.

It was like trying to move a marble statue, each muscle, each rigid line chiselled to perfection, barely flexing as I touched them.

‘And if you wouldn’t mind, my name is Sana. Not Viper or Nightshade, just Sana.’

My voice sounded small, even to my ears.

He didn’t move at first, his gaze drifting to my hand, as if he only just noticed how close we were and that he was still caressing my face.

Reynard reminded me of the orcish chieftains—brutal men with unparalleled strength, yet unexpectedly gentle when they wanted to be.

His brows drew closer before he stepped away.

‘Nightshade? The Deadly Nightshade?’ he asked, and I cursed myself for carelessly revealing my Brotherhood name. ‘You were Boyan’s shadow. I knew that old bastard lied to me.’

His triumphant smile made me wonder if he was congratulating himself on discovering another piece of the puzzle.

How he knew about it baffled me. The position of shadow was one of trust: The grand master’s spy and enforcer—a person with the deepest insight into Brotherhood business, their skills and loyalty used to control and discipline the others.

‘I always wondered who it was executing Boyan’s enemies at the twitch of his finger . . .’ The corner of his lip lifted, the soft baritone of his voice like molasses flowing down my spine. ‘The princess of rogues. My choice of rooms, it seems, was perfect.’

Reynard walked to the table and poured himself some wine, still with that same lopsided, knowing smile.

‘Oh, for fuck’s sake, I’m no princess,’ I muttered. His eyebrow rose before he took another sip of his drink, annoying me with his arrogance. ‘You are so confusing,’ I said after a moment of silence.

‘So are you, little Viper. A woman capable of violence, yet you risk my wrath to protect your friend. You’re someone whom Boyan found worthy of knowing his secrets, yet here you are, offering up your own so freely I wonder if I need a truthseeker at all, especially after his blunder.

’ The king placed his empty glass on the table and walked towards the window, turning off the fae light as he passed.

‘I don’t know if you’re a trap or an opportunity, but we are going to find out. ’

Reynard stood there for a long moment, his reflection obscuring the dark panorama barely visible in the moonlight, before he pointed to the space in front of him.

‘Come here.’

‘Why?’

‘Because I said to?’

‘If you want to throw me out of the window, shouldn’t you open it first?’

He tilted his head, watching me in silence, and I would have sold my soul to know what plans were forming in that thick skull of his.

‘I won’t force you, but there is a question I want answered before I decide what to do with you.’

I wanted to refuse, but something in his gaze made me realise he was testing me again. Fabric rustled as I stepped towards him, enjoying the disbelief that flashed across his features, so briefly that I thought I’d imagined it.

‘Closer,’ he said when I stopped just out of arm’s reach. It was more than close enough for me, but I took another step until we were almost touching.

‘I can see the hesitation in your eyes, my brave Viper. So many questions you want to ask, yet here you are,’ he said, a small smile ghosting his lips. ‘Stay still, no matter what I do. I won’t hurt you. You have my word.’

I nodded tentatively at the bizarre request, lowering my head. His scent—as fresh as the steppe in spring, lemongrass and musk mixed with a powerful masculine aroma that made my heart beat faster—overwhelmed me . . . I dreaded him seeing the blush that coloured my cheeks.

Reynard seemed just as affected by my proximity. A bead of perspiration trailed down his collarbone, another drop of sweat forming above the throbbing pulse in his neck.

‘Good, now turn around and put your hands on the windowsill,’ he said in a husky tone.

It was too much for me. The heat glowing on my face crawled over my chest.

‘Sire, whatever the question is, I don’t want to fight you again. But I will if you try forcing me . . .’ I said, pulling away, but he caught my hand and guided it to the stone windowsill.

‘I told you I wouldn’t hurt you, Viper, but I’m angry and I can’t even explain why.

If you ever let a man enter your room without my knowledge again, I’ll show you exactly the kind of brute I can be,’ he whispered, the threat in his voice mixed with a lower, more guttural sound. I pulled away, eyes wide in shock.

He exhaled slowly, releasing his hold and letting me escape. ‘Show me you trust me, Roksana. Let me find my answers.’

He waited for my decision, but I didn’t know what to do, especially with him standing so close, observing my reactions.

Ignoring my instincts, I placed my shaking hands back on the windowsill, holding onto it so hard that my knuckles turned white.

My mind protested but my body’s response confused me.

I was trembling, pulse thrumming in my throat as my nipples peaked, much too visible under my chemise for my comfort, but the tension wasn’t unpleasant.

If anything, I was curious about what he wanted and why asking me questions required him to stand so close that the heat of his body enveloped me like a blanket.

In the end, it wasn’t Reynard’s request that frightened me, but the pleasure I felt at seeing the hunger in his gaze . . . the pleasure I mustn’t explore.

The tension built until I came close to whimpering. Then he tilted my head to the side, the gesture so primal my internal voice screamed at me to escape this predator before he ripped open my throat.