Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Ladon
I couldn’t believe the solution was so simple. “I thought the harpy said it couldn’t be Vessina’s venom. That it was lethal, and those who were poisoned would’ve died within minutes.”
“Did she?” Emilie’s excitement deflated. “Right. I think I vaguely remember Selene saying something like that.”
“It was one of the first things we considered. After all, Vessina’s venom would’ve been the easiest to access.”
Emilie tapped her index finger against her lip, lost in thought. I hated to disappoint her, but there was no way it was going to be that easy. She didn’t give up easily, asking, “What if there was an additive? Something to slow down the effects?”
I sucked on my teeth. “It’s possible. Anything is possible, but that doesn’t make it likely.”
“It still makes the most sense,” she argued. “The key has to be something within Reyna’s estate. She wouldn’t keep a lethal concoction on hand without the antidote.”
She was onto something there, but the conclave wouldn’t send us into Murvort without concrete evidence.
“Do you recall seeing any greenhouses or gardens on the property? Other than the hedges?” she asked.
I shook my head. “Why?”
“I was thinking of possible herbs or plants that can be used to slow or dampen poison. Something like borealis root or pyxis balm.”
Both were incredibly rare. For once, though, luck was on our side. “I don’t know which Reyna had on hand, but we do grow borealis root in our greenhouses.”
Emilie’s eyes lit up. “Really? I don’t know why I didn’t think to check before. I just assumed since it isn’t native to Lourova that you wouldn’t have any. That will certainly make things easier.”
I had a hard time not getting wrapped up in her optimism. “I’ll summon the advisors immediately, and we’ll make our way to Murvort.”
Even speaking those words sent a shiver down my spine, and maybe that was why I’d been so reluctant to admit that Vessina’s venom made the most sense. The idea of traveling back into enemy territory threatened to suck the air from my lungs. But Cyrus’s life depended on it.
“Just like that?” she asked.
“We’ll send a message ahead to let them know we’re coming, but yes. I won’t waste another day letting my brother rot in that bed.”
Emilie seemed surprised that it would be so easy, but as Regent, I could do whatever I wanted. For once, I reveled in that.
True to my word, I left the training field and Emilie behind.
I ordered the first servant I saw to round up the advisors and have them meet me in the King’s Post for an emergency conclave.
He ran ahead, and by the time I made it up the four flights of stairs, half the seats were filled.
After waiting a few more minutes, the rest were occupied too.
Conveniently, most of the advisors had been nearby when I called the meeting.
I began without fanfare. “I need a convoy to travel to Murvort.”
Nervous glances were exchanged around the table, and Nicola was the only one brave enough to speak. “Your High… uh, sir. What would be the purpose of this excursion?”
“I believe the cure for Cyrus’s ailment lies within Murvort’s boundaries.” More uneasy glances followed. I cleared my throat. “Reyna had a venomous snake—one that I’ve seen in action. Her poison can cause the victim to fade into unconsciousness, but there is a cure.”
“Why wasn’t this mentioned before?” Nicola asked.
“The idea was previously ruled out, but we’ve reconsidered and believe it to be the most viable solution.”
“What changed?”
I explained what Emilie and I had discussed, and our conclusion.
Marco, a brown-skinned, middle-aged man with short black hair, nodded in agreement. “With the right ingredients, you could be onto something.” He had a background in alchemy and held a decent amount of knowledge in concocting antidotes, so he would know. “And this snake… Could you identify it?”
“She was like nothing I’ve seen before. Certainly not native to Lourova. She was twenty feet long and had scales as black as night. Even her eyes were like shadows, and she must weigh thrice as much as I do. She would be hard to miss.”
Marco nodded while a few others looked like I’d described their worst nightmare. Fear of snakes was common, but Vessina was on another level. She could paralyze a person using sheer terror.
“I’d like to join the convoy, if you don’t mind,” Marco said.
“Of course. I’d consider you an asset to the team.” He was the only one to volunteer, but I wasn’t surprised. The others were too comfortable with their pampered lives in Renoa.
“How many more will you need?” Xavier asked.
“A dozen,” I said. Any more would be seen as a threat. I hoped to move into Murvort without an altercation, but I also didn’t want to travel with any less. Not after our last incident at Fort Malek, which had ended in the capture of Emilie and me. “Can we spare them?”
Xavier made some mental calculations, and after a moment of deliberation, he gave me a curt nod. “Yes, but I am going with you.”
“That’s not necessary. I need you here.”
“Sir, I insist. This is a dangerous mission, and you’ll need the best of the best to protect you.”
“I’m very well aware of the stakes, Xavier, which is why I need you here. Cyrus is compromised, and if something happens to me and the crown passes to my mother, she’s going to need stability. I need you to step up and protect her and this realm.”
His throat bobbed as he swallowed, and his brows pinched together. He looked like he wanted to argue further but thought better of it, probably realizing that I was right. I needed him in Renoa more than I needed him by my side.
“I will be okay,” I assured him.
Finally, he nodded. “I will send a dozen of our best warriors to accompany you.”
“Perfect. If there are no other questions or concerns, then everyone is dismissed.”
My next stop to prepare for the journey back to Murvort was tucked in a private corner of the healer’s ward. I didn’t have to ask where my mother was holed up. I already knew she was still by Cyrus’s side.
When I entered his room, her eyes met mine. “What is it?” she asked, clearly sensing a change in me. She stood slowly, as if her body had gotten too accustomed to her chair and struggled to leave it.
“It may be nothing,” I said. “But we have a lead… for Cyrus.”
Relief poured over her face, and she clutched her chest. “Thank the gods. Then why do you look as though someone died?” Her hand twisted in the fabric of her skirt, and I couldn’t help but notice how clearly her bones protruded around her wrist and fingers.
I wasn’t the only one who’d lost weight over the past few months.
“Maybe you should sit,” I suggested.
She frowned but returned to her chair, sitting on the edge while she waited for me to speak.
It was harder than I expected to get the words out. They seemed to stick in my throat. Was this what it had been like when Cyrus informed her that he was going to rescue me? One son in exchange for the other?
But that wouldn’t happen this time. We would both come back to her.
“We think Cyrus was poisoned with the venom from a snake,” I began, “and that an antidote exists for that venom.”
“Well, that’s good news. I understand you’ll need to vet this lead before we celebrate, but this is… this is something,” she said, cautious but hopeful. “We haven’t had anything to go on in weeks. Why are you so nervous?”
“Because the cure lies within Murvort. And I will be going back.”
I tried to swallow the lump in my throat as horror overtook her expression.
“Absolutely not.”
“Mother—”
“Absolutely not.” She stood and reached for me, wrapping her hands around my arms and giving me a shake. “Listen to me—you are not going anywhere near that hellscape ever again. You’re staying here, safe with me. You are not to leave my sight ever again.”
“Mother,” I said softly. “I’m not a child, and you can’t stop me from going. You need to trust me. Trust that I can do this and revive Cyrus. I’m going to put this family back together again. Okay?”
Tears welled in her eyes, and her bottom lip quivered. “No. No.”
Before her tears could streak down her face, I pulled her into a hug. “I’ll be okay. I promise.”
Xavier rounded up a dozen warriors in record time. After a restless night’s sleep, I met them at the castle gate, where they loaded the horses with enough supplies to last us two weeks. The trip to Murvort shouldn’t take more than a couple days, but I wanted to be prepared for any delay.
Given the early hour, the only people gathered at the gate were the warriors to accompany me, a handful of servants, Xavier, and my mother. For once, I wished she’d stayed in the healer’s ward. Saying goodbye would be even harder than informing her of the mission.
“Everyone is ready and accounted for, sir,” Xavier informed me.
“I appreciate you working so quickly to get this group of soldiers together. And fetching fourteen horses, too.”
“Fifteen,” he corrected.
I shook my head. “Twelve soldiers, Marco, and me—we only need fourteen.” Hopefully he didn’t plan on tagging along. I’d already stressed the importance of his staying in Renoa.
“And me,” a voice like a song said from behind one of the horses. Emilie appeared, wearing leather pants that fit her like a glove, heavy boots, and a top with the long sleeves pushed up to her elbows. It would get cooler the closer we got to Murvort, but it was a pleasant morning in Renoa.
“No,” I said plainly.
She quirked her head and narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean, no?”
“I mean, you are not coming.”
Xavier shifted uncomfortably. “I’m sorry, sir. I thought you knew and had approved this.”
“I don’t need his approval,” Emilie growled. Why did her attitude make my heart skip a beat? My brain immediately sensed it as an opportunity to push back until she snapped. I’d probably never get over the excitement of getting under her skin.