Page 75 of A Touch of Poison
As Asher headed inside, Bastian backed away, giving me a slow nod, gaze lingering until he had to turn.
I couldn’t touch my friends or my sabrecat until Elthea had a cure for me. And not all things could be cured in the Hall of Healing, but maybe Bastian and I had mended the worst of the rift between us.
29
Bastian
Asher led me into the palace, gestures clipped and tight. Bad news.
We kept quiet until we were in our side of the building. “What is it?” I murmured. “What happened?”
“Multiple things. Only one of them good. Things are smoothed over with the human queen, for now. She’s sending a delegation to continue the rekindled relationship between our countries.”
That was something. “And the bad?”
“His Majesty had several Dusk folk arrested for ‘aiding and abetting’ Ascendants.”
“Fuck. Let me guess—with flimsy evidence?”
“The flimsiest. And Faolán recognised one of the women who was taken—she’d witnessed some Ascendants painting outside her house?”
The woman we’d interviewed. “Her, an accessory? She came straight to us. Reported everything.”
“I know. I took it to Braea as soon as I heard. Even Cyrus tried to speak sense into the king, but…” His head bowed. “He had them all executed.”
For several steps, I couldn’t speak. Dusk folk who’d trusted their court to keep them safe, killed, and for what? For the king to discredit the queen? To score points over us?
“How many?”
“Twelve.”
Twelve more marks on my soul. Twelve more people I’d failed.
I nodded, every movement tight. “What else?”
Asher hesitated. “An attack. Gael.”
I swallowed, throat suddenly tight. “Are they—?”
“Injured. But on the mend. I arrived yesterday and checked them over—the healers did a good job. In a couple of days they’ll be fine. But they demanded to see you as soon as you returned.”
The note. I’d left it with them to decode while I was away. The attack had to be related. There was no other reason for someone to come for Gael. Either the attacker wanted to retrieve the note or silence them from revealing what they’d discovered in it.
I eyed the next set of guards we passed—there were more than usual. Good. They were taking this seriously.
Either Dawn had operatives on our side or one of their people had snuck through a lodestone. I needed to check the courtyard. I’d left threads of spidersilk on the doors so I would know if they’d somehow been opened.
We arrived at Gael and Brynan’s suite where we found Gael pale and laid up in bed with their partner fussing around them.
“You’re back.” Gael’s eyes widened as they pushed up on their pillows.
“Don’t…” Brynan eased them back, throwing me a tight smile.
“He’s right. Don’t.” I raised my hands and nodded towards the pillows. “I’m sure this can wait until you’re feeling—”
“No.” They sat up, swatting away Brynan’s protests. “I’m not as bad as he thinks. Really, darling, you’re fretting now. I can’t tell you here.”
“You’re worried someone may be listening.”
