Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
She gave another laugh and wandered over to a divan framed by a pair of chairs on spindly legs. “You would be astonished by how often people feel that the only time to visit the King’s Poison Maker is during the dead of night.” She sat on the divan as if she weighed no more than a bit of dandelion fluff and motioned for us to sit in the pair of chairs. “What can I do for two such handsome princes?”
Nylian and I glanced at each other for a heartbeat, and I gave him a tiny nod to continue. He was the one with all the social graces and smooth speech. He was the one of us least likely to insult the woman and most likely to weasel out the information we needed. I’d probably call her a kid again or some other nonsense.
“We are very much hoping that you can provide us with an antidote to a poison and some information,” Nylian began as he edged out onto the thin limb of hope.
“You didn’t come for a poison? Well, now I’m intrigued,” she cooed. She rested her elbow on the curled side of the divan and placed her head in her palm.
“My brother, Prince Orian Elrich, was poisoned with Witch’s Spite. As everyone knows, you’re the only person in all the world who can produce that poison. We hope you can provide us with the antidote to Witch’s Spite as well as the name of the person who purchased it from you.”
I was so proud of how calm and even Nylian’s voice was as he spoke of his brother. It couldn’t be easy to remain so emotionally detached when it was his beloved brother’s life who hung in the balance.
“Well, now it’s become disappointing,” Helena murmured with a tiny pout of her bottom lip.
“What do you mean?” I asked, leaning forward in my seat. The urge to shake her was rising. Why couldn’t she just spit things out? I didn’t want to be in the snake house any longer than necessary.
“First, I offer anonymity to all of my clients. Not even the king can have access to my records.” She gave a little giggle and smiled at me, but there was a new, cold sharpness. A darker feeling slithered up from my stomach to chill my soul. I’d underestimated this woman. I’d been so caught up in her youth and kewpie-doll appearance that lent her an air of innocence. I’d forgotten that she specialized in creating something that killed people. “If people were worried about me sharing who bought what from me, no one would dare to use my expertise.”
Oh, no. What a shame…
She turned her attention to Nylian and cocked her head. “The other problem is that I don’t have an antidote to Widow’s Spite on hand because no one survives that poison. I’ve never heard of such a thing. It’s too fast acting. Are you sure he was poisoned with Widow’s Spite and not something else?”
“The royal healers are quite positive that was the poison. They have placed my brother under a spell to stop time around him, which has halted the progress of the poison through his body, but they can’t remove it until we have the antidote.”
A soft grunt escaped her that made me think she might be impressed with the healers of West Vale. “Not a bad ploy, but only temporary. That would last a few months at best. But eventually, the poison will win.”
“That is why I came here as soon as I found out what poison had been used. We’re running out of time, and I need an antidote to save him.” For the first time, Nylian’s words took on a harder edge.
My heart sank as I watched the smile on Helena’s lips wilt into a frown. This wouldn’t be good. “I’ve never been a fan of making antidotes to my poisons. A poison typically has a single job. Some are destined to kill, while others exist to maim or take over the mind of their target. To take an antidote is to keep a poison from its ultimate destiny, and if I allow that, why do I make poisons in the first place? It’s almost like saying I shouldn’t exist.”
Yeah, this was going downhill fast. I was struggling to follow her twisted logic, but the short of it was that she wasn’t a fan of antidotes.
Clenching my teeth, I looked over at Nylian to find him lounging in his chair as if her words didn’t bother him, but I could see the muscles in his jaw tensing. His hand on the arm of the chair had also tightened to the point of his knuckles turning white.
“But Orian doesn’t deserve to die,” Nylian replied tightly.
Helena shrugged one shoulder. “I’m sure most people in the world would argue that they don’t deserve to die. It’s not my job to decide that. I just make the poisons. Besides…” She lifted a slender arm into the air and there was a sudden flapping of leathery wings. My heart jumped into my throat to see an actual black-winged cobra gliding across the conservatory from where it likely had been wrapped around a tree limb. When it reached Helena, it coiled its long body up her arm and tucked its wings in. Its triangular-shaped head turned toward us, and its hood flared out. It hissed a warning, revealing curved fangs. This was a living nightmare, and I was never fucking sleeping again.