Page 40 of Poisoned Kingdom (Secrets of Dagome #1)

‘I know you think the worst of her, but Roksana is a good person. She came back to keep me safe, and you want me to betray her?’ she said without looking at me, but a disdainful smirk tilted the corner of her lips.

‘If you feel the need to intimidate a whore with your power, so be it. I can establish another brothel, but a friendship like hers is more precious than any money I could earn. All I’m willing to do for you is deliver a message to Roksana that you want to talk. ’

I nodded, admiring the quiet courage of a woman willing to put loyalty above her safety.

However, her passive resistance and the absence of a certain poisoner after I’d just threatened her friend confirmed that Sana wasn’t in the building.

Luckily, Liliana’s covert glances towards the entrance told me she expected my Viper to return soon.

‘I’d prefer speaking with her today, so we’ll wait, and hope Roksana’s friendship is as strong as you insist,’ I said, picking up the absinthe and swirling the green liquid before emptying it, grimacing at the bitter burning in my throat.

‘Know this, Madam: If she doesn’t turn up by midnight, I’ll see if locking up another of her friends will hasten her return. ’

‘Of course, my lord. I expect no less. I can even lend you a dungeon. It is always available to my discerning clients.’

Lily’s reaction to my threat made it difficult to maintain a menacing presence, and after a moment of silence, I asked, ‘What does this mean . . . my choice of drink?’

‘It means you want to experience the touch of green fae. It leaves you helpless, unable to move or speak, while pleasure is taken from you. Some like to be used that way, but I rarely approve the request, and you were brought here to hear my refusal.’

‘Oh . . .’

My fumbled response brought a smirk to her face, and we both fell silent. Studying her regal poise, I noticed the moment she spotted Roksana, her eyes widening ever so slightly. It was her hands, however, that really gave it away.

At Liliana’s small, covert gesture, a woman slipped away, rushing up the stairs to whisper in the poisoner’s ear before gesturing for her to go upstairs. I half expected Roksana to flee, but she snapped her head up, her face thunderous, and strode down the stairs towards us.

‘I believe I’ve found what I was looking for,’ I said.

Liliana followed my gaze, muttering a curse when she saw Sana marching towards us.

The courtesan moved to intercept her friend, but I wanted to see what Roksana would do next.

‘Please return to your seat, Madam,’ I said, placing my hand on her shoulder just as the heavy curtains moved and Sana walked in.

My Viper’s pupils dilated at my gesture, causing me to snap my hand away and snatch Roxana’s fist just before she could throw something at me.

‘What the fuck you think you're doing?’ she asked, pulling free from my grasp and pushing between me and Liliana.

‘Sana, no—’

‘Lily, leave. You’ve entertained this patron long enough,’ Roksana said, and I wholeheartedly agreed with the sentiment.

‘You don’t know who he is,’ the courtesan whispered, but my Viper was determined to remove her friend from my presence. ‘Fine, but Sana, please remember where you are during your discussion,’ she said, turning to me. ‘Wolf.’ She inclined her head and slipped away.

I stood, silently observing their interaction, paying particular attention to Roksana. Traces of tonight’s escapade clung to her, the dark sister’s dress unable to hide them. There was a smudge of dirt on her cheek, and her honey-gold hair was dusted with the remains of cobwebs.

My curiosity was piqued.

‘You kept me waiting,’ I said, reaching out to pluck the silvery thread draped over her temple. Before I could touch it, Sana caught my wrist while her free hand struck so fast, I could barely see it. I did, however, feel the unmistakable tip of a blade pressed to my throat.

‘I asked you a question... Wolf .’

‘Oh, we were simply discussing my choice of drink while waiting for you, Viper,’ I teased, taking hold of the blade between my fingers, careful not to cut myself. ‘Now, will you tell me where you’ve been, or are you determined to remove something other than my eye?’

A tremor ran through Roksana’s body, making the blade tremble in my grasp, and I released it quickly, unwilling to risk another encounter with the Nightshade’s poison.

‘Why are you here?’ she asked. ‘I agreed to work for you and took your oath. There’s no need to pester my friends.’

‘And have you been?’

‘Been what?’

‘Working for me? Was that why you disappeared and have returned covered in dust and cobwebs?’ I questioned, reaching for her once again. This time, she didn’t stop me as I ran my fingers through her hair, then showed her the silvery threads.

‘You wanted me to find your enemy. Well, I’m working on it. So stop trying to control my every step. I’ll contact you the moment I have any information,’ she said, frowning when I moved closer, intrigued by the ink on her arm.

I reached for her wrist, but she swatted my hand away and pulled her sleeve down exposing the writing. The ink was so smudged I could barely decipher the names, but they all looked familiar.

‘I found those names?’ she asked. ‘Are they important?’

‘Courtiers, a few nobles . . . What is this?’

‘Those are the people Jagon pays or receives money from,’ she said. ‘They were in his ledger.’ She paused, seeing my frown. ‘I transcribed it hoping it might help you.’

I took her arm, my finger trailing over the soft skin that prickled with goosebumps under my touch.

‘You are surprisingly efficient.’

I didn’t hide the appreciation in my voice. She’d discovered more in one day than my spies had in months. I leant over, memorising each name I could decipher before turning her hand and brushing my lips over her knuckles.

‘What now?’ she asked, frowning at my gesture, though she didn’t pull her hand from mine. All I could think about was holding her again.

But how?

A sudden change in the music gave me an idea. The lights dimmed and a darker, sultrier rhythm took hold of the room—velvet and danger stitched into every note.

‘Dance with me, Roksana.’

I hadn’t danced the obraka 1 in years. It was too intimate for court and too intimidating for many men. The dance demanded more than the strength necessary to lift one’s partner—it required closeness. Control. The chance to feel what her dress was meant to keep hidden.

‘Why? We can continue here if you have more questions. I’m tired and not in the mood to play games,’ she said, glancing towards the exit, but I didn’t let go, her defiance goading the predator in me.

‘I insist,’ I said, smiling even though the wolf mask concealed most of my features. ‘One dance, and you can rest for the night, I promise.’

‘Fine,’ she said, rolling her eyes. ‘Lead us to the floor, Wolf .’

The nickname on her lips sent a quiet thrill through me as we walked through the crowd. When she gave a begrudging curtsy, I laughed, surprised by how much I enjoyed her reluctant acceptance.

The dance floor had quieted, the crowd’s attention drifting elsewhere and leaving us in a rare pocket of stillness. In our dark attire, we stood out against the riot of colour that surrounded us, but I didn’t care. My focus was entirely on Roksana.

I turned with a flourish and bowed, offering my hand to her. Her eyes blazed as she accepted it with a sigh edged in annoyance. Her fingers barely touched mine, but the power behind them was unmistakable. The moment our hands met, the connection between us grounded my soul.

I drew her in close, sliding my free hand to her waist, unable to resist a gentle squeeze. Her breath hitched as she rested her hand on my shoulder, and our eyes locked just as the song’s opening chords faded.

We moved in perfect sync, each step drawing us deeper into the rhythm as we stared into each other’s eyes, unable to look away. Roksana danced like she was born to it, and I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips. The moment she noticed, however, she looked away.

‘Look at me, Sana,’ I said, lifting her into the air before slowly sliding her down my body, feeling her hands slide over the soft fabric of my shirt. I expected her to ignore me, but when I held her at eye level, she met my gaze.

‘I thought you’d found a way to escape,’ I murmured as I spun her away, then drew her back against me, her spine flush to my chest as we swept into the next movement. ‘Or worse, that someone had taken you against your will.’

I hadn’t intended to admit I’d come chasing after her, but the words slipped from my lips before I could stop them, and something akin to resignation crossed her features.

‘I couldn’t even if I wanted to,’ she said. ‘I’m bound by our oath and a shared enemy. Jagon threatened to expose secrets I couldn’t allow to surface, and I had to prevent that. That was all. Nothing that concerns you or Dagome.’

I barely heard her, distracted by the warmth and alluring scent of her body. Still, Sana’s words carved out a distance I didn’t like.

‘Everything you do concerns me, Viper.’

I lifted her again, maybe a bit too high, as she gasped, her hand flying to the side of my neck. Her touch scorched me, but my heart leapt at the feeling, and I missed a step as I held her close.

A litany of curses burned through my mind as I corrected my position, annoyed at a quiet snigger from the crowd. Focus! I ordered myself as we moved through another turn, but I was lost in her eyes, in the smile that blossomed on her lips, and the quiet chuckle that followed my clumsiness.

I spun her, realising that I was smiling again. Lilac and honey teased my senses, and I was profoundly grateful for the mask that kept me from pressing my lips to the hollow of her neck.

‘Share your worries,’ I heard myself say, my voice lower, harsher, as a darkness rose from the depths of my soul. ‘Let me make them disappear.’

She shook her head, refusing my help, and I bit my tongue as I tried to tether the sudden heat, the anger, that coursed through my veins.

Had Ciesko been right?

When he’d told me his theory about my reaction to Roksana, I’d almost scoffed.

My brother Orm was the one afflicted with wild magic.

It had never manifested in me. Yet, the arch healer was sure that my cursed heritage had awakened at Sana’s distress in the forest, and that it had saved my life from her poison.

As I battled the urge to strangle the person who’d caused her pain, I conceded that he might be right.

The music quickened, approaching its dramatic crescendo, and I spun Roksana so swiftly her long braid loosened, strands unravelling in a golden arc. Time slowed as her hair coiled around my neck like a silken collar, linking us together as the last notes of the song faded into silence.

She laughed, reaching for her unruly braid, the sound light and careless, but I stood motionless.

Was this how it felt to submit to the green fae her friend had mentioned?

My nostrils flared, breathing her in, each inhale eroding my will to release myself from her beautiful snare.

‘Your strength is breathtaking, Wolf.’ She chuckled, fingers working to untangle her braid.

‘I’m glad I didn’t choke you. That would have been yet another transgression to add to my infamous record of crimes against the Crown,’ she teased.

She looked up at me then, stepping away as soon as she was free, her voice shifting. ‘I’m sorry. It wasn’t on purpose.’

The defensiveness in her tone snapped me out of my trance, though my heart still lagged. I shook my head, trying not to fixate on the faint blush colouring her cheeks.

‘I know it wasn’t, Sanika,’ I murmured, coughing into my hand to mask the softness in my voice. ‘I promised to only steal one dance, so I’ll leave you to your rest,’ I said, turning on my heel and heading for the exit, leaving my partner looking confused in the middle of the dance floor.

I glanced back and saw Liliana approach her with a questioning look, but Roksana simply shrugged before they both returned to the alcove.

Outside, I inhaled deeply, trying to clear my head. The cool air filled my lungs, the familiar smells of hearth smoke and damp stone calming my racing heart as my feet carried me towards the river.

The streets had quieted, only a few late wanderers slipping home this late at night. I stopped at the waterfront and let the quiet murmur of the waves splashing in the harbour calm my soul while the moon turned my shadow into a hulking monster on the ground.

‘Why did it have to be you?’ I whispered, the words vanishing into the wind as I fought the warmth blossoming in my heart.

No, I’m stronger than this .

I had to be. I couldn’t let this infatuation overshadow my duties as king.

I repeated it like a prayer, but it was all for nothing. Something darker and overpowering had already taken hold, tethering me to the woman who had collared me with her braid.

1. Obraka — a slow and sensual dance relying on physical touch and showcasing the male’s strength to lift their partner.