Page 31 of Queen’s Gambit

‘I can help,’ she protested, but I shook my head.

‘You could if you weren’t pregnant, but Alaric won’t be any use if he’s worrying about you and the baby. Keep everyone away from this room. That will be more help than anything else I could ask for.’

‘I swear, the next time one of you mentions the idea of an heir, I’ll kick you in the nutsack,’ Annika huffed. She headed for the door, ignoring Alaric’s mumbled, ‘Thank you.’

Lily stirred, reacting to some unknown stimulus. I went to my worktable and grabbed the monkshood extract. The liquid sloshed in the vial as my hand shook. I closed my eyes, focusing on the plant’s essence.

With a deep breath, I pushed my magic into the poison, increasing its potency.

A few drops, and Lily’s heart would stop: no prolonged agony, no suffering. Just… oblivion.

I was going to kill my friend.

I was going to kill Lily. Makosh, have mercy; I was going to kill her…

Bile rose in my throat, choking me. Spasms tore through my guts, bending me in two. Tears stung my eyes as I vomited, my body shaking.

‘I can’t do it… I can’t…’ I croaked.

‘You can, Drah’sa. You are the strongest person I know. Lily needs you, and we believe in you.’ Tova had been so quiet I’d forgotten he was here, but now his calloused hand was the only thing keeping me standing.

‘What if I can’t?’ I whispered.

‘Then you’re freeing her from this pitiful existence. Lilliana wouldn’t want to live caged in her own mind,’ he answered. Whether it was his words or his unwavering faith, I pieced myself together and approached the bed.

‘I’ll tell you the exact moment the tether snaps. I can hold the Veil closed for a heartbeat, but once the soul passes, we can’t bring her back,’ Alaric said. I nodded.

Lily’s head turned, her doll-like eyes fixed on mine. I placed a hand on her chest. Calling to her Aether, I found its pattern and memorised its weave. It called to me, ripe and ready. Deep inside, the desire to reshape it—the need to create something new, equally beautiful and yet different—staggered me. I tasted blood as I resisted.

Instead, I gestured for Irsha to open Lily’s mouth, then dispensed a few drops of poison onto her tongue.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then her hands spasmed, flapping like the wings of a bird desperate to fly away. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I held her essence, the clean strands of Aether turning rotten as her heart slowed to a stutter and stopped.

I held my breath, fear freezing my body. I could do nothing but watch Lilliana’s pupils widen as the Veil opened to take her spirit.

‘Now! Roksana, now!’ Alaric commanded. I sucked in a breath as magic surged through my body, merging with Lily’s Aether and purging the poison. Then I pushed everything I had into her core.

My magic wrapped around her heart, infusing it with life, willing it to beat again.

It didn’t move…