Page 250 of A Touch of Poison
Now, gold green hair sat in his eyes and the fact he didn’t blink it away twisted in my gut.
“Are you all right?”
I bent and closed the kind man’s eyes. “Yes.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I do.” Whoever was behind this, these people had been murdered as part of the game of courts, and they deserved to be witnessed.
Tears blurred my vision by the time we reached the wide dais. Bright blond hair glimmered on the next body. A dagger’s hilt gleamed bronze, still buried in his stomach.
Eyes shut, face slack, he almost looked peaceful, and it took me a moment to recognise Prince Cyrus.
“Shit,” I whispered, bending over.
“Kat,” Bastian called from behind the dais. “The king. He’s alive.”
Stomach lurching, I ran over.
Bastian had him on his back, cradling his head. Alive. Just.
Blood oozed from his throat like someone had done a bad job of cutting it. His lashes fluttered, but his eyes were glassy—almost as glazed as those of the bodies I’d checked.
A wheezing, bubbling sound came from his lips as they moved.
“What is it?” I squeezed his hand, hoping that might bring him back to himself enough to make him speak louder.
The wheezes rose, and I bent my ear to his lips.
“Fox.”
At least, that was what it sounded like. Did that mean…? The fox-haired fae had done this.
Then, with a horrible groan, the king fell still.
His empty eyes stared at the door leading to Dusk.
96
Bastian
Shit.
“Cyrus is dead too,” Kat whispered, staring at Lucius’s body.
Shit.
We were fucked.
The fact Dawn had a second heir was a small,smallcomfort. Sepher had to survive today—he was too arrogant to die. Was he behind this?
I shook away the racing thoughts and lowered the king to the floor. “Did you find Sura?”
Kat slid Lucius’s eyes closed. “No. Not a sign of her or the fox-haired fae. I’m sure Sura didn’t do this.”
“Maybe you’re—”
A groan broke the quiet.
