Page 29 of Poisoned Kingdom (Secrets of Dagome #1)

Roksana

I stretched out, savouring the warm sun, unwilling to open my eyes.

If I was to have another day like the last two, I had no reason to.

Despite Reynard’s insistence, I had seen no healer; no one had come to visit me, not even the king.

I spent my time locked in the room, watching the birds, reading, and eating elaborate meals while waiting for the healer, the truthseeker—anybody, really.

I wanted to jump through whichever hoop Reynard wanted me to jump through next and escape this gilded cage he’d put me in.

This will end today, even if I have to fake an illness, I thought, smirking. Judging by his reaction when he thought I’d tried to drown myself, I could expect the king to storm in as soon as the healer informed him I’d sneezed.

I had been more than ready to cooperate, but I hadn’t prepared to be bored.

As the plan settled in my head, I stretched again, inhaling deeply. The scent of herbs overwhelmed my senses, and I focused, trying to identify them. ‘Lavender, rosemary, with a hint of lily of the valley, and something else . . . pine honey?’

It was my favourite pastime. One had to learn how to recognise the scent of herbs and other ingredients in Jagon’s service. Failure to do so led to his next level of ‘teaching,’ in which the poison master would force his apprentices to drink whichever potion they’d failed to identify.

‘Very good, Mistress Regnav, but you missed the ash and lime.’

The mature voice startled me. I scrambled backwards, grabbing the bedsheet as I looked around, my eyes struggling to adjust to the brightness.

‘Will you people learn to knock and wait for an answer?’ I snapped, squinting at the figure beside the bed.

The man chuckled, moving closer. ‘The king told me you were feisty. Calm down, child, I mean no harm.’ He smelled like healing balm, the composition suggesting a blend used to increase blood flow and heal burns.

‘I suppose you’re the healer? Did our illustrious monarch send you?’ I asked cautiously.

The elderly man nodded, his face breaking into an honest, welcoming smile.

‘I am indeed. Master Ciesko, at your service. I’m sorry for the delay, but we had an incident in the city, a small fire whose victims needed my attention.’ He approached until I had to lift my head to look at him. ‘I was asked to test your blood for poisons and magical properties.’

I huffed in annoyance. ‘Of course, why not? Just in case he wants to know, I’m not a virgin, either,’ I quipped before I could stop myself. ‘Wait . . . Ciesko? The arch healer, Ciesko?’

So, Reynard smelled something, freaked out, and now we’re right back to no trust. Does he think I’m secreting poison or carrying the plague? Why else would he send for the arch healer if not to ensure I didn’t pose a serious threat?

Ciesko’s chuckle broke through my stream of thoughts. ‘The king didn’t ask for such an . . . unusual investigation. Though it wouldn’t surprise me if he were interested in the result.’ He reached for my hand. ‘Will you cooperate, my lady?’

‘Do I have a choice?’

It was a rhetorical question; I was already stretching out my arm.

I placed my wrist in his warm, wrinkled hand, my eyes following his movements, observing as he drew a sigil before aligning it with another tattooed on his palm.

Warmth flooded me, removing my lingering tiredness, and I sighed, briefly closing my eyes until a sharp pain made me hiss.

A translucent symbol shimmered over my skin, slowly turning crimson, becoming saturated with my blood. Ciesko frowned when the colour changed from shades of deep crimson to a vivid green with golden strands swirling within its depths.

‘And what does that mean? Am I turning into a lizard?’ I asked, pointing at the tumultuous emerald, curiosity getting the better of me. He didn’t answer. Instead, Ciesko’s gaze shifted from professional kindness to one of cold assessment.

‘You don’t know? Hmm. Riordan mentioned you can see aether, but this .

. .’ His hand tightened on mine, and instead of a pleasant, reassuring warmth, something else washed through me, the sensation followed by a burning pain that made me hiss.

He was probing my body, and not gently. Pressure built in my core before Ciesko’s eyebrows grew closer.

‘Yes, and not weak either . . .’ he muttered to himself, tightening his grasp even further when I tried to pull away.

‘That’s enough, thank you,’ I said firmly, yanking my arm from his grasp.

‘I was surprised when Reynard ordered me to do this, but . . . hmm . . . our king is more perceptive than I thought,’ he said, his smile widening with each passing moment. ‘What a discovery, my dear Roksana, what potential!’

Ciesko mumbled something else, his eyes darting from side to side, but whatever discussion he was having in his head, his excitement sent an icy shiver running down my spine.

‘Your enthusiasm is unsettling. Will you tell me what you found, or is it a secret only the Court of Aether can know?’

‘Secret . . . no, you have the right to know who you are. But gods—a vivamancer? Oh my, my bright, untrained gem, you will be a sensation at the university,’ he said as he stood. My remark about the lizard was becoming less amusing with each passing moment.

‘Sensation? Like a stuffed striga 1 or the corpse of a basilisk?’ I asked, fear turning into sarcasm while I tried to unravel his ramblings.

‘No, my dear. Like a mage of the High Order, which you are about to be. You need training, and lots of it, but that will come after the geas. 2 The king cannot refuse me.’

Ciesko’s agitation was becoming worrisome.

‘What are you talking about? Geas? Am I a threat?’ I asked, wondering if I should slap him to get some sense out of him.

‘There’s nothing to worry about, my dear.

And the danger can be contained. I will arrange everything for you.

Please excuse me. I must look into it before the Court of Aether does something stupid.

Your situation is . . . precarious, but it’s no bother.

I’ll cut your ties with the Brotherhood and train you myself. That’s for the best.’

‘What if I don’t agree?’ I asked cautiously.

‘Dear child, did I ask for your agreement? A vivamancer’s power is too volatile for you to be allowed free rein,’ he said with a benevolent smile. I coughed, my throat constricting.

‘What . . .? Wait! What’s a damn vivamancer?’ I reached out, trying to grasp the older man’s hand, but he was already rushing away. Still, my words made him pause.

‘A rare magic, unseen, erased from this part of the world . . . until now. And I’m the one who discovered you! We’ll need to confirm it, of course, but I know I’m right. Gods, everybody believes your kind is extinct. Where does your family live?’

‘We lived on the Orcish Steppe. My father raised horses there . . .’ I said, still utterly confused. The arch healer, however, looked like a dragon had dropped a treasure in his lap.

‘That would explain it. Wild magic is strong there, especially around the Grey Peaks Mountains.’ He rubbed his chin, wearing a thousand-yard stare.

‘How could we have missed you? Never mind, don’t say a word to anyone.

It is paramount to your safety. Not even Riordan or the king must know until it’s safe. I will let you know.’

I gritted my teeth, trying to remain calm despite my heart hammering so hard I could feel my pulse in my throat. Was this why I couldn’t light a single flame despite being able to see aether? A word he’d used in his jumbled speech had also stood out and concerned me the most— erased .

He’d said my type of magic had been erased from Tir ha Mor, and I was afraid to ask who’d done that and why. If my ability were as rare as he claimed, would the same thing happen to me? Or would I be prodded and probed until I wished for death?

I’d wanted to learn, to find a mentor, but in gaining both, my life had taken another turn on fate’s twisting road.

‘Master Ciesko. I haven’t decided if I wish to pursue magic, but if I do, I promise you’ll be the first to know,’ I said, bowing my head respectfully, hoping that would be enough to curb the old healer’s enthusiasm.

It wasn’t.

He was still talking to himself in a distracted, self-absorbed manner, as if I wasn’t a person but an object to be studied.

I found it hard to breathe.

Ciesko must have noticed because he was suddenly by my side, a hand on my back, coaxing me to inhale. I felt the strands of his magic shifting around my body while he spoke softly, as if to a child.

‘You’re overwhelmed. I’m sorry, it’s a lot to take in.

Rest, and don’t worry. Vivamancy is a gift that must be nurtured.

The king might be holding you here now, but the force of creation will always find a way.

Fate brought you to me for a reason . . .

’ He paused, placing his hand on my cheek in a fatherly gesture I hadn’t expected from a stranger.

‘You were born a mage, raised to be a killer, but in the end, only you can determine who you become. All I ask is that you give me a chance to show you the way.’

I swallowed hard, but my panic subsided.

Ask? You are not asking but pushing me where you want me to be , I thought, forcing a smile. I wasn’t a young apprentice who could be moulded to his expectations, and I wouldn’t discard half of my life on his whims.

Ciesko waited patiently for my response, his expression filled with empathy. I knew he expected my enthusiasm, but all I could manage to do was play for time. I pulled away, letting the mage’s hand drop to his side.

‘Master Ciesko, thank you for everything, but I cannot give you an answer right now. There’s my current situation to deal with first.’

‘Yes, but—’

A loud knock interrupted our conversation, the door opening to reveal Riordan.

‘Master Ciesko, are you finished? The king is losing patience, and if I have to hold him back any longer, I’ll end up in an early grave,’ he said without looking at me.