Page 96 of A Touch of Poison
“Youhavebargained with us before.” He flashed a grin. “Very well. In exchange for your help today, I will remove two memories you give me permission to remove. I won’t go rooting around in your mind for any other thoughts, and I won’t tamper with anything else in there. Two memories of your choosing removed. That’s what I’m offering.”
That had to be safe—safe enough, anyway. And at this point, I didn’t care if he could be trusted or not—I needed to escape everything Elthea had done to me.
No more nightmares about her tugging on my nerves—pulling them like puppet strings.
I swallowed back nausea and nodded. “You have yourself a deal.”
36
Bastian
The night after the party, I caught up with Kat and she told me what she’d discovered about her necklace, though she refused to reveal how she’d come upon this information.
Lucius had sent unCavendish to Lunden. After me, perhaps. To ruin the alliance with Albion, certainly.
Hewas responsible for that man touching Kat, for placing poison in her hands, and for forcing her into a position where she had to take it or risk war that would’ve been disastrous for both our countries.
It had crushed me when she’d asked, “Now what?” Like there was something we could do about a king’s machinations.
I’d hated myself for replying, “Now nothing. We can’t act against him.”
Wecouldn’t. Without Braea’s approval, the main thing I could do at the moment was be vigilant… and give Dawn a reminder of my presence and power.
The next day, I had a meeting lined up with a visiting merchant who dealt in antiquities and rare books. I could make some veiled enquiries about the Circle of Ash, see if they had any texts that might be useful.
I could’ve had them meet me in the palace, but this was a perfect opportunity to deliver that reminder. So, shadows on full display, seething around me, I made for the grand hall.
Busy. That was good—perfect, in fact.
I strode through when a stir amongst the courtiers caught my attention. They whispered, and I followed their sidelong glances to that rarest of things amongst the fae—red hair. Not Kat’s—this hair was streaked with cream.
Tall and well-built, Prince Sepher prowled through the pillared entrance hall with all the grace I’d expect of a sabrecat.
What the hells brought him here? His tail swished behind him as he walked, so he hadn’t rid himself of that. My spies said a curse stopped him adopting a fully fae form and hiding the fact he was a shapechanger. Hence his exile to the ruined palace outside the city. So what had made him break that exile?
Worked well for me. He could deliver a reminder of my presence directly to his father.
Eyelids half-closed, smirk in place, I strolled over. “Sepher.”
Chin tilting up, he stopped and cast a disapproving glance over me. His yellow eyes and slitted pupils might’ve unnerved me if I hadn’t been used to dealing with Orpha. “Ah, Serpent. I wondered what that smell was. Thought it stank of betrayal over here.”
I chuckled like he was as witty as he so clearly believed. “Not presiding over your little Court of Monsters?”
“Obviously not, since I’m here, aren’t I? I thought you were meant to be a spymaster.” He rolled his eyes and started past me. “I’ve come to see my parents.”
“Telling them about the human woman you’ve been terrorising or just taking the chance to see dear ma and pa?”
The way he stopped mid-stride and turned on the spot flushed me with pleasure. Sparring with Sepher was petty, but the irritation weighing on me made me petty. So did the Day Princes.
“Huh. Well done, Serpent. A spy at my court or…?” He narrowed his feline eyes at me, more evaluative this time as he cocked his head.
“You know I can’t possibly reveal my sources. Though it’s good to have it confirmed—and from the horse’s mouth no less. Or should that be the sabrecat’s?” I nodded down at his swishing tail, and my shadows flicked in its direction. “By the way, your tail is showing.”
He bared his teeth as he chuckled. “I assume that isn’t an innuendo but a display of yourmasterfulperceptive skills. Yes, my tail is showing, as are my claws.” He examined them like someone might examine their fingernails. “Perhaps you’d like a demonstration.”
“Only if I get to demonstrate my shadows. They’ve been waiting years for a chance to say hello to you.” They rustled at the hem of my trousers, a reminder that as ethereal as they appeared, they had form and could touch… and tear.
His brother had held me down and told Sepher to hit me to “teach him how it feels to master the small folk.” My shadows could hold Sepher while I taught him a lesson with my knuckles.
