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)
“From what we could learn, they had nothing to do with the poisoning. However, it sounded like Queen Sumina wished it had been her. She pointed the finger in Lockeheim’s direction, since that country is where all the world’s poisons are made.”
Jasper made some sounds of agreement as he moved the chipmunk off his leg and to its little nest. “That makes sense. They do have some fabulous poisons, and not just for killing. They’ve got plenty that will raise the dead and control your mind. There’s a rumor they can make a poison that if given to two people at the same time with a drop of their blood in the mix, their souls will even swap bodies.”
“Child,” I groaned and scrubbed a hand across my face.
“What? It’s important for all wizards to be versed thoroughly in poisons, because they’re used in a lot of potions and even some amulets. And thanks to the incredible skills of the poison makers in Lockeheim, most wizards won’t bother to make their own poisons. They’ll purchase them from Lockeheim.”
That didn’t help to put my mind at ease. “So anyone could have purchased the poison that killed Orian. We’re stuck trying to track down the source and from there, locate the person who bought it.”
Jasper shrugged. “It depends on what the poison was. Some are impossible to get your hands on. Some are so rare that even if you are allowed to buy it, you have to be as rich as a king to get it. Do you know which poison it was?”
I shook my head. “Nylian has someone researching it, but he hasn’t heard yet.”
“Nylian hasn’t heard what yet?”
Speak of the devil. Just say his name, and the evil elf magically appears with a brace of rabbits in one hand and a branch of what looked to be blackberries in the other. He handed the berries over to Jasper. “I thought this might work for your wizard master.”
“Thank you! I was worried about what he was going to eat tonight. I don’t think a chipmunk’s digestive system can handle rabbit.” Jasper plucked the berries off one at a time and placed them in front of Binx. As soon as they touched the ground, Binx popped them into his mouth, extending his cheeks out farther and farther until I was barely keeping myself from poking those bulbous cheekies. He was so freaking cute!
It was hard to remember this was a wizard trapped in a chipmunk’s body. I wanted to pet him, but I was afraid if I did, he would bite me or turn me into something the second he was back in his elf form.
“I was telling Jasper the result of our time in Ulmenor,” I answered as Adeline dropped some more wood by the fire.
Adeline straightened and dusted her hands off against each other. “Nylian told me as well. Not a total loss, I guess.”
“It could have gone better,” Nylian muttered.
“And we could be dead right now after attempting to escape Ulmenor,” I pointed out. “But we’re not. We’re in the middle of the woods on our way to Lockeheim to find some poison.”
A slow grin spread across Nylian’s lips, and I swore it felt like a kiss. No one had ever looked at me like that. Or maybe they had, and I never noticed. Either way, Nylian was the first to make me feel truly desired, even cherished, and it was becoming so damn addictive. How was I supposed to return to my normal, boring life when there was this sexy elf who looked at me like I was the only thing that matter in all the world?
“Oh, Master Binx! You can’t eat them all at once. You’re going to make yourself sick.”
Thankfully, there was a gluttonous chipmunk wizard in our camp to keep me from throwing myself at Nylian.
After Adeline and the elf finished preparing the rabbits, it was my job to take over the cooking. Which was largely turning them slowly on the spit to make sure they didn’t get burned in one spot. I might have even stolen a few of the blackberries from the chipmunk and squeezed them on the meat for a little seasoning. I narrowly avoided losing a finger in the endeavor.
As much as I didn’t care for camping or being without even the most basic supplies, it was nice to be out in the woods with my three companions. Adeline was always full of fun stories from her adventures, and Jasper usually had something interesting to chime in with. Nylian added his own twisted commentary, and I soaked it all in as we sat about the campfire.
After dinner was completed and cleaned up, Jasper opened his grimoire and began searching for a way to turn Master Binx back into an elf. I stood, intending to sit next to him so I could read over his shoulder. I’d yet to see what was written in a grimoire, and I was curious as to what kind of spell was needed to reverse Binx’s current curse.