Page 68 of Poisoned Kingdom (Secrets of Dagome #1)

‘They can’t stop it now,’ Ciesko said, falling back when he saw the fury in my eye. ‘The Veil Stone won’t allow it. Its power over this place vanishes only if she surrenders her geas . . . or her mind shatters. We must wait, sire.’

‘It’s only stone and wood,’ I said. ‘Let’s see how your spells handle this.

’ I rammed into the door, the massive frame creaking when my shoulder smashed into it, but it held.

In the next breath, Tova was beside me, hammering his axe into the lock.

I nodded, matching his unyielding determination.

Again and again, we hit the door, battering the impervious material, but nothing seemed to work.

Suddenly, everything went silent; the spells etched into the doorframe shimmered and died.

A click, loud in the eerie quiet, focused my attention, and I yanked the door open.

The metallic scent of blood filled the dark space.

The only noise was the sound of my boots as I charged inside, panting like an enraged bull.

Two men silently met my gaze, one so old he looked like a dried prune holding a quill, and the other as dispassionate as a corpse, showing no emotions one could appeal to.

Hanging from a stone altar like some bloodied sacrificial offering was my Sanika.

Her head was bowed, knees bent, arms stretched out by the shackles holding them in place, her wrists looking more like raw meat than human flesh.

She must have suffered so much while the blood slowly gathered in the pool beneath her feet.

My beautiful, defiant woman had been reduced to scraps left to hang, forgotten and uncared for.

No, Sanika . . .

My light, look at me . . .

The Void swallowed my mind, my roar filling the chamber.

I rushed to her side, gently cradling her to my chest before grasping the metal chains and ripping them from the stone.

Her body felt so light in my embrace as I knelt on the floor, my voice cracking when her head lolled to the side.

Ciesko rushed towards us but halted when confronted by my fury.

‘Sire, let me help, please.’ He approached slowly, arms wide, palms up, and I had to fight the urge to push him away. A quiet whisper in the back of my mind reasoned to let him come closer, that she needed him, and that I had to rein in my anger and let the healer do his job.

I nodded, breathing slowly as I tried to control the beast that howled for blood inside my soul.

Ciesko placed a hand on Sana’s chest, and the aether swirled around him.

I couldn’t see it, but its energy raised the hair on my forearms when he drew arcane symbols on her bloodstained chemise.

For an excruciatingly long moment, nothing happened until he uttered some words, and Roksana choked in a breath.

The moment Sana’s eyes snapped open, her gaze fell on my face.

‘Rey . . . you came.’

Her quiet voice shattered my heart. There was so much pain in it, I instinctively tightened my embrace, pressing my forehead to hers. She threw her arms around me as silent sobs shook her body.

‘It’s alright, my light, I’m here. No one will hurt you anymore,’ I whispered, rubbing her back, pointing the healer to all the wounds I could see.

To his credit, Ciesko didn’t stop. He kept muttering his spells, fingers dancing over her skin, symbol after symbol drawn using Roksana’s blood.

So much blood . . .

My teeth clamped shut, stifling a growl. For Sana's sake, I held still, only allowing myself to stroke her hair gently.

Eventually, Ciesko said, ‘She’ll be fine now, my lord. She’ll probably only need a couple of days to recover. I knew she was strong enough to survive the ceremony.’

He offered me a reassuring smile, but I closed my eyes, unable to stomach the sight. I took a deep, unsteady breath as I held Roksana close, unsure which of us was trembling more.

A hollow laugh escaped my lips.

‘You . . . “knew.”’

Gods, this mage was testing my patience, and at the worst of moments.

‘Is there somewhere she can rest?’ I asked through clenched teeth. I needed time to organise a carriage and prepare her old room in the palace. I didn’t want her to travel like this, barely conscious, on horseback.

‘I’ll take her home,’ Tova said as he approached slowly.

I shook my head. ‘No, Master Orenson. Roksana will stay with me.’

He looked at me as if I’d just slapped him. ‘You’ll force her?’ he asked, his accusation provoking another humourless laugh.

‘Force? I’ll beg her to stay if I have to, but until she recovers, Sana will stay with me . . . Please, Tova, don’t fight me on this,’ I said, knowing I couldn’t bear to be apart from her, not when my emotions were still raw and churning inside me.

Something akin to understanding flashed in his eyes.

‘She won’t be happy,’ he said, reaching for Sana's hand. ‘But I’ll prepare the house so that you can bring her back when she’s ready.

’ I stood like a statue, observing as she opened her eyes, a faint smile ghosting her lips when he pressed her palm to his cheek. ‘Do you want to go with him, drah’sa?’

I held my breath, relaxing slightly when she nodded. I understood Tova’s concerns, and when he stepped away, I was grateful to the dwarf who had more strength than I did.

‘I’ll look after her, I give you my word.’ I didn’t need to give him that reassurance, but the loyalty of this man commanded respect. And to my surprise, I’d discovered I actually liked him a bit—either that, or I’d just gotten used to his antics.

‘I’ll come by tomorrow,’ he said. ‘Don’t let him order you around, drah’sa.’

‘It is customary to ask if you want to see it, Your Majesty,’ Ciesko said after the mute custodian handed him the sealed envelope that held the key to my Viper’s soul.

I pulled away as if it would bite. ‘No, take it to the geas vault and put it in the deepest, darkest hole you can find. Nobody must see it . . . ever.’

My brother had used his wife’s geas, and even if it had saved the kingdom, it'd almost broke them apart. I would not repeat his mistake.

‘Very well, sire,’ he responded. ‘We have a room upstairs set aside for those who have undergone the geas trial. Lady Roksana will be comfortable there. Please, follow me.’

Ciesko led us through the meandering corridors until we arrived at the rear of the building.

The room was small but spotlessly clean.

A large bay window overlooked a garden that, even in early winter, surprised me with its vibrant Acer trees, pines, and winter berries.

Soft throws and coverings in natural colours added to the feeling of tranquillity.

Refreshments were already on the table, and I wondered how many mages had been carried here, broken by the harshness of the ritual.

‘She can rest as long as she requires,’ Ciesko said. ‘Some mages recover quickly—a few hours or a day, maybe two—but for others, it may take a while. Don’t rush it, sire, but if you need to leave, I’ll personally look after her.’

I sneered. ‘Forgive me, Arch Healer, but my trust in your words—not to mention your judgement —is severely damaged. I’ll stay with Sana until she is strong enough to make her own decision.

’ The old healer flinched, but I had no mercy.

‘How could you let them pin her to that rock? How could you let her suffer?’

‘That’s the price of her power, as it was mine, Your Majesty. I did all I could to ensure she would survive. Even if some of those measures were drastic.’

‘So the ends justify the means?’ I couldn’t hide the disdain from my voice, but there was no point in arguing with him. ‘Does she need more healing?’

‘I should ask the same, seeing the soldiers posted around this building,’ he said. ‘But no . . . Her body is fine. She didn’t sustain any lasting damage, and she will quickly replenish the blood she lost.’

I looked down at the pale woman in my arms.

‘I’ll stand my men down the moment we leave this place.’ I sighed. ‘Thank you, Arch Healer. I’ll send for you if you’re needed.’

I saw the hesitation in his gaze, but I waved him away, leaving him no choice.

I was finally alone with my woman, and I had no idea what to do.