Page 56 of Poisoned Kingdom (Secrets of Dagome #1)

She looked so broken, her strength hollowed by desperation. I poured her a drink of fortified brandy and held it out.

Her hand trembled too much to grasp it. The goblet tipped, sloshing over her fingers. I caught it before it spilled further, then knelt again and gently wrapped her hands around it.

‘Drink, then give me a moment to issue some orders. I’ll find your friend, but I want a front-row seat when you scold him for worrying you,’ I said, trying to bring at least a hint of a smile back to her face.

A dainty hand tentatively touched my cheek, her long, delicate fingers caressing the edge of my scar. I leant into it, closing my eye so she wouldn’t see the whirlwind of emotion threatening to overwhelm me. That wretched dwarf would be found, even if I had to gut my kingdom to do so.

I needed to see Sana smile again.

‘I’ve hurt you so much, Rey. I don’t know how you can stand to look at me, let alone help me, but I swear on my life I’ll serve you unconditionally to repay this kindness.’

‘I don’t want your service, Viper,’ I said, laying my head on her lap. ‘Or repayment of kindness.’

Roksana’s fingers stroked my hair, her touch uncertain at first but growing bolder with each passing moment.

‘What else can I offer?’ she asked, hissing quietly when I accidentally touched her calf.

‘Spread your legs,’ I said, lifting my head.

Shock and betrayal burned in her eyes, but she did as she was told, swallowing hard when I rolled up her skirt. My hand trailed over her skin. Just as I suspected, it was red and rubbed raw from the horse’s saddle.

‘If that’s what you want, sire,’ she murmured. Her voice was flat and distant, but she parted her knees under my guidance. My Viper was so pale and determined that my chest tightened with pride.

I reached for my pack, pulling out some ointment and dipping my fingers inside. Carefully, I massaged the balm into the tender skin of her inner thighs, slow and deliberate, pausing whenever she flinched. At the worst spots, I leaned in and blew gently to cool the sting.

‘I only want to ease your discomfort, my brave Viper,’ I said, my voice barely above a whisper. ‘You’ll never be forced to accept me against your will. The next time you open your legs for me, you’ll do so because you want it, not for payment or duty.’

I bent down and kissed her grazed knee, praying to all the gods she didn’t see how much I wanted her.

‘Be careful what you offer, and to whom, Roksana,’ I said, standing up and pouring myself a measure of brandy to calm my racing heart. Her legs slammed shut with a loud smack, and I turned away to hide my smile.

‘If you truly want to offer me something,’ I added, swirling the brandy in my goblet, ‘then promise me you’ll never let another man touch you for as long as I live.’

Her head snapped up, and for the first time since she’d arrived, I saw the fire flicker back to life in her eyes.

‘So to take a man to my bed, I have to kill you first?’ she retorted, a vicious smile teasing her lips as she straightened her dress. ‘That’s cruel, Reynard. I kind of like you, but you must understand—a woman has needs.’

‘Name them, and I’ll ensure you’re never left wanting,’ I said, pleasure warming my chest when I caught the blush on her cheeks.

‘You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,’ she whispered, blushing even more when I tapped the tip of her nose and challenged her.

‘Try me.’

I took a deep breath and reluctantly stepped back. There was one thing I had to do first. With a sharp command, I called for my adjutant. After a brief exchange, the captains responsible for patrolling the northern and southern roads were given new orders.

Sana sat quietly, her eyes brightening when I ordered my men to stop and search every wagon travelling through Dagome.

It was a challenging task, but with my enhanced patrols and the swampland now guarded by loyal soldiers, it was doable.

After they’d left and I sat on my cot, she chuckled, her entire demeanour changing from despair to cautious hope.

‘I’m sorry, Your Majesty. Your word truly is your bond. Shall I kneel and prostrate myself for not believing you, or let you sniff my neck to earn forgiveness?’ she said, mischief dancing in her eyes.

There was nothing more I could do to find the dwarf, but my work here wasn’t finished, and I suspected Sana needed a break from constantly worrying about her friend.

‘You have no objection to me savouring your scent?’ I asked, seeing her pupils widen at my question. ‘I thought we’d discussed making reckless offers, but I see you enjoy playing with fire. Do you even know why I did that?’

‘Yes . . . and no. But I’ve seen enough at Lilies not to judge,’ she quipped, making me laugh.

‘While I’m sure Liliana’s basement is full of exotic delights, they don’t appeal to me. What do you know of the Erenhart bloodline?’ I asked, satisfied when she frowned.

‘I know your brother, the king of Ozar, was a dragon rider, that’s all. Why?’

‘My family is afflicted by wild magic. Those who manifest it at a young age become riders. Those who don’t are cursed to carry it within them and pass it on to the next generation. The magic is—or should be—dormant.’

‘And that means you need to sniff people?’ Roksana leaned forward, listening to my explanation.

‘Well, not exactly. Its effects are obvious—’ I gestured to my body, indicating my large physique. ‘—but there are less visible differences. Like a resistance to pain, and, as I recently discovered, a sensitivity to certain smells.’

Sana’s lips parted, making it hard to resist touching her. My Viper looked so intrigued by the story that I continued sharing more than I initially intended to.

‘The magic makes it difficult to control our temper, at least when it manifests. It can trigger the berserker within me, a rage that your assailants in the forest witnessed firsthand. That part of me recognises you. Your magic . . .’ My words stumbled into silence when I realised how insane I sounded.

I tried again. ‘Ciesko explained it better. Your scent is . . . just, right. But no, Roksana, I won’t be sniffing your neck—unless you want me to abandon all reason and ravage you on this table.’

Her breath sped up, her eyes growing wilder when she understood what I’d said. Her lips parted, and I leaned forward, placing my hands on the armrests of the chair, caging her delicious body beneath me.

‘Now that you know, are you brave enough to make that offer again?’

I’d intended the words to be teasing, but as they left my lips, I knew I wanted Sana’s answer to be ‘yes.’

‘I . . . why is everything so intense with you?’ she deflected, turning away as she fanned herself.

‘I don’t know, but I’m glad I’m not the only one suffering.’

I smirked and pulled away to ring the bell.

‘Ensure my guest is comfortable,’ I said when my valet entered before turning back to Roksana. ‘We’ll be wrapping up our work here soon, then I’ll take you back to Truso.’

‘I can return on my own. I’ll leave you to your .

. .’ Sana looked around, perplexed, then shrugged.

‘Whatever this is, but please let me know if you find Tova. Meanwhile, I’ll speak with the Mules.

Boyan has regained control of the smugglers—mostly—so maybe I can get a map of any routes we might not know about,’ she said, standing up, but I pushed her back onto the chair.

‘You will stay here. The garrison is in the middle of a bloody forest. I’m not risking you.’

Her fists tightened, and I wondered whether she’d argue, but much to my relief, she nodded. ‘Fine, I’ll wait for you, but can I at least walk around the camp? Sitting in a tent with nothing to do but worry is hardly a pleasant experience.’

‘Of course. You’re not a prisoner, but I’ll assign a guard to ensure the men behave,’ I said, and she rolled her eyes.

‘I can teach them a lesson myself if they don’t,’ she huffed.

A mischievous chuckle rumbled in my throat at the offence in her voice.

‘I know Viper, but I’d prefer my men alive.’

That seemed to appease her, and she didn’t protest when I opened the flap to shout for a guard to come in.

‘Guard my . . . Lady Roksana. She is welcome to go where she pleases, undisturbed and unbothered by anyone,’ I said, voice low and firm. ‘If someone pesters her, report them directly to me.’

The soldier gave Sana a wide-eyed look. One glance at my face, and his hands started shaking as I wrapped my cloak around Roksana before they left.

‘Have fun, Viper, and try to spare my poor soldiers.’

An hour later, four units had been dispatched, and the only thing I had left to do before heading home was find my woman.

I ordered the guards to prepare the horses and went looking for her. It didn’t take long to spot the man I’d assigned her standing by the stables.

Sana sat on a haystack with a scrawny garrison cat on her lap.

She looked deep in thought, and I stopped to enjoy the view.

Her expression was so serene, her fingers trailing over the animal’s back as a dreamy smile played across her lips.

Eventually, a horse snorted, dragging her attention back to reality.

‘Rey! I-I mean, Your Majesty. Is it time to return?’ she stuttered, correcting herself.

I came to sit next to her, but when I reached out to pet the animal, it bolted, using Sana’s lap as a launching pad and leaving a deep scratch on her forearm. She hissed, immediately grasping my arm despite the beads of blood appearing on her skin.

‘Don’t hurt him, he was just scared.’

‘I’m not going to,’ I said.

What did she expect? That I’d chase after the ragged wretch?

‘I’m sorry. The way you talk sometimes. It just . . . made me worry.’

I watched her pull a vial from her belt and pour the contents onto the wound. The blood sizzled, and judging by how her jaw tightened, it must have hurt.

‘Will you be alright or should I kiss it better?’ I teased, ripping a strip from my shirt and bandaging her forearm.

She smiled and rolled her eyes. ‘It’s literally just a scratch. As long as it doesn’t get dirty from all the dust and horse sweat, it should be fine. But yes . . . you can kiss it better. Actually, I think it would help a lot.’

Roksana’s shy smile and luminous eyes were my doom, and when I brushed my lips against her skin, I was sure this wolf had lost his soul to the viper.

I almost killed my sergeant when he came to tell us the troops were ready to go.

1. Bies (s.)/biesy (pl.) /pron: b-yes/ — Massive bipedal bison-line beasts with horns and thick hide resistant to most types of weapons. Their habitat is mainly woodland areas, and they are aggressive and territorial.