Page 35 of Poisoned Kingdom (Secrets of Dagome #1)

Reynard

T he wound on my palm stung, but the blood was already congealing, a darkening scab slowly forming.

The slight pain felt strange, a pale shadow of the agony that had plagued me for weeks.

I couldn’t stop staring at it, at the mark that bound me to my Viper.

Each flex of my fingers sent a jolt of possessiveness straight into my heart.

Perun’s arse, I need to send her away.

This strange healing only exacerbated the yearning that continued to grow after that nighttime visit. I wasn’t sure how long I could stay away from her bedroom, but Roksana was set on leaving, making it clear my attention wasn’t welcome.

And yet, she had healed me. Her insistence; her brazen words; and her gentle, caring touch had given me back the life I’d thought lost forever, the time needed to sort out the mess my kingdom had become. I would live because she had chosen me before freedom.

Roksana Regnav was more than just an assassin, but I didn’t know what to make of her yet.

‘What do you intend to do with the dwarf?’ Riordan asked, entering the room. He hadn’t taken two steps before he stopped, staring at me in shock. ‘What happened? Why are you covered in blood? Did she . . . Why are you smiling?’

His questions made my grin even wider. I’d completely forgotten Sana had placed her freshly cut palm on my face, and judging by Riordan’s expression, the mark she left behind must have been striking. I couldn’t help but tease him a little.

‘We had a little accident. It’s just blood. It will wash off.’

‘Rey.’ The warning in Riordan’s voice matched the anxiousness in his step as he strode forward.

‘I don’t know what that woman did this time, but you’ll tell me, and you’ll do it right now, or I’ll dive so deep into your mind you’ll recall the day you came out of your father’s bollocks!

’ Riordan rarely used obscenities, and that, along with a familiar pressure building in my head, made me stop teasing him.

‘Ri, cut it out and make yourself useful,’ I snapped. I knew why he was worried, so I forgave his intrusion into my thoughts. ‘Grab us a drink! It’s time to celebrate.’

He went to fulfil my request while I thought about how to explain the situation and avoid the barrage of questions that would certainly follow. In the end, I chose the simple truth.

‘Roksana witnessed the spasms, and . . . she purged the poison.’

The sound of shattering glass made me sigh.

Wine flowed like a red stream on the polished stone floor, saturating the room with the scent of fermented grapes and alcohol.

Riordan stared at it, empty-handed, shaking as he blinked, his eyes surprisingly glossy, as if he was holding back tears.

That wasn’t a good sign, and his questioning hadn’t even started.

After a moment, he exhaled, grabbed a bottle of moonshine and poured two generous measures, stepping over the shards before passing me a drink.

‘Talk. And after we’re done, let Ciesko examine you. If she truly did it—’ He stopped, emptying his cup in one gulp while I enjoyed the burning sensation flowing down my throat and observed my friend. Riordan masked his worry well, and only now did the cracks in his mask show me how much he cared.

‘Alright. I will. But I know she did it. The pain is gone, completely gone,’ I said, smiling as he regained his composure.

‘How did that happen? And was that why our poisoner walked out scowling hard enough to frighten a striga?’ he asked, his inquisitorial tone so formal I chuckled, rolling my eyes.

My thoughts drifted to the moment her dress ripped and the mortifying certainty I’d felt that if any guard leered at her, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from ensuring they never did so again.

What had happened next was a blur of rage and pain while her presence, her touch, anchored me, even if her magic had tried to rip my face off.

‘I don’t know how it started, Ri, but I know how it ended.’

With a clink of the glass, he put his goblet aside and leaned towards me. ‘As happy as I am she helped, it was reckless of you to let her do that without a healer by your side.’

‘I insisted she swear a blood oath first. That was my condition for letting her purge the poison.’ I stretched out my hand, letting him see the scar before adding, ‘And she was scowling because I ordered her to work for me and find the man behind Jagon. I wasn’t reckless, but I was desperate.’

That reminded me of another task.

I walked to the desk to draft a short order, calling for a servant.

‘Take this to the captain of the guard.’ I felt Riordan’s questioning look as the man took the letter, bowed, and left.

‘I want her under observation. I want someone watching her at all times, day and night . . . and another set of eyes following that poisonous prick, Jagon—her ex-master.’

‘Why? I’ve confirmed her words.’ The offence in his tone was clear but misplaced. ‘Do you still suspect her?’

‘No, I just want her safe. My gut tells me she’s neck-deep in this mess.

Boyan’s shadow returns to the city just as the mystery of the srebrec and a faceless enemy who wants me dead comes to light?

’ I sighed, gesturing for him to pour another drink.

‘You know, it was so much easier dealing with this situation when I thought she was just an assassin than now with all this . . . chaos. Roksana is different than what I expected,’ I said quietly.

Riordan looked at me, a frown creasing his face as his magic filled in the gaps I had purposefully left out.

‘Rey, please don’t tell me that out of all the women in the country, you fancy the low-born rogue who almost killed you. Was that why you visited her at night?’

‘No, that was a mistake. I went to her room to test a theory. Remember me asking about aphrodisiacs?’ I said. He nodded. ‘I had her bathed and thought I’d check . . .’

‘And?’ he probed.

‘And there’s no aphrodisiac, no enhancements, nothing that could explain why her scent is irresistible to me.’

‘You like her?’ Riordan asked, moving closer, but I shook my head.

‘I don’t even know her. It’s just . . . a visceral reaction. Ciesko believes that it’s connected to my family’s wild magic and the injury, but that’s ridiculous . . . right?’

‘Yet you pulled her away from the dwarf when she jumped in to protect him.’

I knew what Riordan was doing. Since he’d become my advisor, he’d also become a mirror for my thoughts. With his magic, I couldn’t lie to him, and it forced me to face the truth, uncomfortable as it was.

‘She was willing to be hurt to protect another man. I didn’t like it.’

Riordan narrowed his eyes, the air around him shimmering. He was working with the aether, and I raised my hand to stop him.

‘No. Don’t peek into my mind. That’s the raw truth. I didn’t like it, and if I understood why, I’d tell you,’ I said, angry and confused because it felt like someone had flipped my world upside down and set it on fire.

‘Fine, but that brings us back to my original question. What are you going to do with the dwarf?’

‘I don’t know. I didn’t have any special plans when I sent the annoying prick to the cells.’

‘Do you find him “annoying” simply because Roksana rushed to defend him?’ Riordan quipped, and I had to close my eye, fighting the urge to smack him.

‘Don’t sass me, mage,’ I answered, hearing him chuckle.

‘You have until tomorrow to question this Tova Orenson. Find out what he knows about the srebrec and compare his answers with Sana’s.

If there are any disparities or new information, let me know,’ I said, feeling the oath tightening like a noose around my neck, my heart picking up the pace at the invisible strangulation.

‘Just . . . don’t hurt him. When you’re done, kick him and his shitty attitude out of my palace. ’

‘You swore you’d protect him, didn’t you? Why? And don’t try to deny it—I saw your aether react as soon as you mentioned his name,’ he said before sighing.

I shrugged apologetically. ‘I was in no position to discuss the terms in depth. Fuck, it was a miracle I could speak at all.’

‘What’s done is done, I suppose,’ Riordan said. ‘I’ll speak with Ciesko. He might also be able to help with the Roksana situation. You know, your brother had similar issues after meeting his wife . . .’

I shook my head. ‘I trust your counsel, but don’t bring my brother into this. I’ll handle it myself,’ I said, remembering one other thing. ‘Oh, and tell Ciesko that I have signed the document. Roksana can go through her geas ceremony with the other mages during the winter solstice.’

Riordan’s mouth fell open and he stared at me in shock, making me wonder what I’d missed.

Ciesko was the arch healer of Dagome, a Court of Aether High Council member.

The document he’d asked me to sign was a standard form for mages recommended to undergo a geas.

It didn’t cross my mind to question his request.

‘He said nothing to me,’ my friend said finally. ‘Let me talk to him first. It’s not a decision made unilaterally and certainly not our regular practice.’

‘The arch healer of Dagome requested it after examining her. It appeared perfectly reasonable,’ I said defensively.

Ri’s jaw tightened. ‘With Roksana’s unusual position, he should have discussed it with me since everybody knows I’m the proxy for the royal mage, my grandfather.

’ He huffed angrily. ‘The old fool is overstepping his bounds. Besides, what kind of message does this send? That the Brotherhood’s in possession of a mage so strong we need a geas to control her? ’

Riordan’s anger made little sense. Geasa were designed to protect the kingdom and ordinary people from mages who wanted to usurp power. If Ciesko thought one was needed, who was I to question an experienced member of the council?

I mirrored Riordan’s thoughts to find out what was troubling him.