Page 74 of A Touch of Poison
The purple stain was up to my wrists, all the more reminder.
My poison.
I stood three feet from Ella. It felt more like a mile.
Vespera started forward with a chirrup of greeting, but Perry pressed a hand into her chest and gripped the halter, a frown imprinted on her face as though she understood something was wrong. Towering at her back, Asher held her shoulder and placed a hand on Vespera’s neck.
Ella’s perfect face crumpled in confusion as she looked from me to Bastian.
I shook my head. What was I meant to say? How could I explain? Words were impossible, lost in the hollow ache of my chest.
Bastian pressed something into my hand and it took me a long while of blinking at the dark leather to understand they were my gloves.
“Asher,” he said, clapping him on the shoulder, though the rigidity of his smile belied his confidence.
I slid on my gloves, separating myself from the rest of the world. Something else that had changed on our journey—no fear of poisoning anyone.
“Perry, Ella,” Bastian continued with his greetings as the guards dispersed. “It’s good to see you, though I didn’t realise Asher was going to have company.”
Ella was still casting a questioning look between me and Bastian.
Perry patted Vespera’s shoulder, though her knuckles were white on the reins. “Officially, the pirate queen would appreciate me paving the way for a royal visit.”
Bastian cocked his head. “And unofficially?”
“I know Vice would appreciate me keeping an eye on her sister in… uncharted waters.”
With a deep breath, I forced a smile onto my face. “Thank you.”
These leather gloves were safe—I’d saddled and bridled the stags without harm. One hand on my pendant, I pressed my palm to Vespera’s forehead. She pushed back, a purr rumbling in the air around us.
“Hello, my lovely. I missed you. Stags just aren’t the same.” She butted forward, trying to get her head against my chest, right under my chin, as she always did.
My eyes burned as I had to catch and stop her. “Don’t let…” My words to Perry broke. “She can’t touch me.”
Perry and Asher worked together to pull her back, and I had to swallow down my threatening tears before turning to Ella. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“I needed to check you were all right.” She gave Bastian a meaningful glance. “Areyou all right?”
“It’s a long story,” I murmured. “Just don’t touch me.”
Bastian widened his eyes at me.
“I’m telling them,” I shot back at his unspoken warning. “Surely that’s safe.”
Jaw flexing, he exhaled. “Fine. But wait until you’re inside—somewhere secure.”
“Our rooms?”
His eyebrows shot up, and a private smile crept over his lips. “That sounds perfect.”
The look he gave me was intimate, but I couldn’t work out what had surprised him.
“Sorry to leap on you with business first thing in the morning, Bastian.” Asher stepped out from behind Perry, though his hand remained on her shoulder. “But we have some things to discuss.”
That private smile dimmed a little. “We do,” Bastian said, not taking his eyes off me.
My fingers curled as they had into his hair only minutes ago.
