Chapter Five #2
I don't know why, but his simple acceptance and offer to amend his behavior made me feel guilty. “After I rinsed off, I came back to find you asleep. There was no reason to stay.”
“And you didn't trust me.”
“Yes.”
“Perhaps you will trust me enough to stay the night next time.”
I frowned at him. “Do you have concubines?”
King Falken's eyes widened. “No, nor a consort. Why?”
I shrugged. He wasn't my first Dragon lover, so I knew how volatile they could be.
He was also the King, and so I had to be doubly careful.
After he expressed displeasure over my premature departure, I couldn't come out and say that the evening had been a necessary release for me and not the start of a relationship.
Instead, I had to focus on what made it special.
Kings liked flattery. That being said, my talents did not lie in speech.
I was no poet. Luckily, the night had been special. I wouldn't have to resort to lying.
“It was an exceptional evening, Your Majesty. You are a most vigorous lover, and I experienced more pleasure with you than I have ever felt before. Thank you.”
His eyes went from wide to narrow. “But?”
I looked at him, the words dying in my throat.
I had started the speech to soften what I said next—that I needed to focus on my work.
But his thinly veiled aggression and the twitching around his eyes told me to keep that to myself.
Also, there was a tiny part of me that wanted a repeat of the evening, even though I didn't need it.
“Well, Master Sevarin?”
“Nothing, Your Majesty. I merely wanted you to know that although I left early, I thoroughly enjoyed our time together.”
“Why did you ask if I had concubines?”
“Oh.” I scrambled for an answer. “Because I didn't want to assume you were interested in more than a single interlude. If you had consorts, they would require your attention.”
King Falken grunted. “Then you will come to me tonight.”
It wasn't a question.
I didn't like that. “If I'm not too tired.”
“Why would you be tired?”
“I'm here to work. Speaking of which, when will my lab be ready?”
He leaned back and sipped his coffee, watching me. “Soon. I spoke to my steward and exchequer this morning. I'll need a list of equipment and ingredients that you require.”
“I have it right here.” I pulled the list I'd made that morning from my jacket pocket and handed it to him.
The King looked it over before putting it away. “What is your plan for today?”
“I need to analyze more examples of Silver Rot. Do you have someone who can show me around the city?”
“I will escort you. I know of several infected locations.”
“That's generous of you, but unnecessary.”
The King narrowed his eyes at me. “I will escort you.”
My tail twitched. Maybe it had been a mistake to fuck the King the first day we'd met. “Very well.”
“You Majesty?” a voice intruded.
I looked up to find the Argaiv alchemist who had insulted me standing before the dais. He sent a quick glare my way before focusing on the Dragon King.
“Yes?” The King looked the man over as if trying to recall who he was.
“I'm Vanre, Sire. A court alchemist.”
I hid my smirk at the change in his title from the one he'd given me, and glanced at Daglor, who grinned outright. The Argaiv might twist things when dealing with me, but he couldn't misrepresent himself to the King.
“Yes, and?” the King prompted.
Vanre fidgeted under the King's steady gaze. “I think I've found a cure for the Silver Rot.”
The dining hall went silent.
The King didn't look convinced. “You have?”
I lifted my eyebrows. Had this arrogant asshole really found a cure?
The King stood up. “Show me.”
“I have everything prepared at the armory, Your Majesty. If you would—”
“I had the armory barricaded,” King Falken cut Vanre off. “How did you get down there?”
“The guards know I'm working on a cure. They let me pass.”
“They shouldn't have done that without asking me for permission.” The King looked at me.
I shrugged and stood up. “I advise you to wear a mask over your nose and mouth, Your Majesty.”
“The rot does not affect living things,” Vanre scoffed. “You'll be fine, Sire. I assure you.”
I shook my head at King Falken.
“Bring me three breathing masks!” the King shouted as he went around the table and down the steps. At the bottom, he stopped and looked back at me. “Master Sevarin?”
I grabbed my satchel and hurried down the steps to stand beside him, tail curled around my leg in anxiety. I didn't like the casual way Vanre was handling things. “Your Majesty?”
“I want you to observe.” Then the King motioned at Vanre. “Lead the way, Alchemist.”
As we strode down the hall, a servant ran over to us with three masks, the sort used for chemical work. He offered them to the King.
“Wait.” I took a mask and inspected it. “These have enchantments to filter the air.”
“Yes, sir,” the servant said.
“We can't use these. The rot may infect them. Could you bring three strips of thick fabric that we can tie around our heads?”
The King nodded.
“Yes, sir.” The servant ran off.
By the time we reached the stairwell to the armory, the servant was back with three long strips of thick cotton fabric.
The King distributed them to Vanre and me.
I immediately tied the piece of tan fabric around my head, covering the lower half of my face.
The King did the same, but Vanre only tucked the cloth into a pocket.
“Cover your lower face, Vanre,” the King said. Then he motioned at the guards stationed beside the boarded-up stairwell. “Remove the boards.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” They pulled their daggers and used them to pry loose the boards.
“Where are your Dragon knights?” I asked the King.
The King looked at me, his face mysterious with half of it covered. “What do you mean?”
“Every Dragon King I've met has had a King's Guard of Dragon knights, but I've yet to see any Dragons besides you.”
“They attend me when I leave the palace. Here, I'm safe enough. And I don't like being followed around.”
I widened my eyes at him. “And your dread allows that?”
“I'm the King. It's my decision.”
The last board came away, and as if my words had summoned them, a group of Dragon men came rushing up to us.
The King grimaced and pointed at them. “Stay here.”
“But, Your Majesty, you warned the palace to stay away from the rot,” a knight said. “Now, you're going near the worst case of Silver Rot?”
“This alchemist says he has a cure. I'm going to witness the application. Do not be concerned. I have a mask on. I'll be fine.”
“Sire, I must insist that you take at least one guard with you.”
The King stretched his neck and sighed. “Fine. One. But you must cover your nose and mouth.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” The man—a big blond with more muscles than the King—pulled a cloth out of his pocket and tied it around his face.
The King rolled his eyes. “You just happened to have that, eh?”
The Dragon knight bowed.
Shaking his head, the King waved Vanre down the stairs. “After you, Alchemist.”
“Yes, Sire.” Vanre hurried down the stairs, light spheres coming on as he went.
Before the King could follow, the blond knight went down.
The Dragon King looked at me as if I might pull the same protective move.
“I'm all right going last, Sire.” I waved him ahead.
Chuckling, the King went down the stairs.
I followed him, coming out into the bare stone room with the infected metal door. The Silver Rot had spread little since the previous day, but there were flakes on the floor now. It was possible that my collection had resulted in the fall, but I couldn't be sure.
Vanre didn't seem bothered by the flakes or the rotting door.
He set his bag on the floor and pulled out a mister full of a black liquid.
I went to stand as far from the door as possible, keeping my eyes on the alchemist. Seeing my wariness, the King moved to join me, motioning to his knight over to us.
If Vanre wanted to act dangerously, he could do it alone.
With several feet between Vanre and us, I felt a little better.
But then he misted the liquid onto the blooms of silver, and even through the fabric, I smelled something familiar.
Frowning, I tried to place the odor. Then I noticed the metal device in Vanre's hand.
He pushed a button, and a small flame appeared.
It was enough for me to deduce what the substance was.
“No!” I shouted as I lurched forward.
It was too late. Vanre touched the flame to the wet door, lighting it on fire while the King pulled me back to his side.
No ordinary fire consumed the door; neither water nor smothering would extinguish it.
All alchemists were familiar with the incendiary mixture, yet most of us avoided it.
It was too dangerous, burning even without fuel.
There was only one way to extinguish it—with another alchemical potion. One that I didn't have handy.
Putting the flames out became the least of my worries as the Silver Rot bloomed before our eyes, spreading to encase the entire door. Within seconds, the door was completely silver. Then, with a whoosh of extinguishing flames, the silver exploded into sparkling clouds.
“Shut your eyes!” I shouted as I pushed the King toward the stairs. “Go! But keep your eyes closed!”
I felt the Dragon knight behind me, his hands patting my back and then lower to find the steps. We crawled upstairs as fast as we could, bursting into the hallway to tumble across the floor as if a great beast was chasing us. Only then did I open my eyes, but just a sliver.
When I saw the clear air, I opened my eyes fully and jumped to my feet. “Where's Vanre?”
The alchemist came rushing out of the stairwell, eyes open and streaming blood. He screamed as he fell to his knees, but I didn't have time to help him. I ran for the boards propped against the wall.
“Help me board it up!” I shouted over Vanre's howls. “Now!”
The horns who were on guard duty and the King's Dragon knights helped me board up the stairwell, but I knew it wasn't enough.
“I need wet cloth! Enough to cover the boards.” I looked around at the gaping men. “Hurry! You two!” I pointed at the horns. “Wet cloth, lots of it, now! And all of you.” I pointed at the knights. “Get the King away from here!”
“Hold on,” the King growled as his knights grabbed him and lifted him to his feet.
“Go!” I shouted at the King.
“I won't leave you here alone.”
“Oh, for fuck's sake!” I gestured at the knights. “Carry him if you have to, but get him away from this place now!”
The knights wrestled the King down the corridor as he shouted and fought. Meanwhile, Vanre rolled on the floor, screaming. It was just us now. I sat down beside him and rummaged in my satchel for something to clean his eyes, but I had packed for investigating the rot, not helping idiots.
In desperation, I grabbed his bag, yanking it away from him and dumping it out. Hands pushing through the mass of bottles and pouches, I demanded, “Do you have any alonsi elixir?”
“The black bottle,” Vanre sobbed, his hands over his eyes and blood dripping past them.
I found the bottle, opened it, and sniffed to make sure. “Open your eyes.”
“It hurts!” he wailed.
“Open your eyes, you fool!”
He dropped his hands and opened his eyes.
I could barely see his irises through the veil of blood.
It didn't matter. I didn't have to see them to apply the elixir.
Holding his lids apart with one hand, I splashed the elixir into both of his eyes and then sat back to cap the bottle.
Within seconds, his moaning stopped, and Vanre blinked the blood from his eyes.
Rubbing the excess away, he sat up. His eyes were still red and irritated, but they had stopped bleeding, and he could see. He glared at me.
His animosity didn't surprise me, but I didn't have time for it. The horns were back with a few servants, carting dripping fabric between them.
“Hurry!” I jumped up and went to help them. “We need to cover every inch of the opening. Tack it to the walls. Yes, cover the edges of the boards. Every part! We need to seal an airborne contaminant.”
We got the fabric up, a puddle of water forming on the floor beneath it, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Is that good enough, sir?” a horn soldier asked.
“Yes, I think it should be enough to keep the rot contained. But the fabric will need to be kept wet until I can find a more permanent solution.”
“We can see to that.”
“All right. Be careful. If any hole is left uncovered, the rot might get through, and you saw what it did to him.” I motioned toward Vanre, but he was gone. “Ugh! That fucking coward.”
“He's a weasel, that one,” a guard said. “But you can count on us, Master Sevarin.”
“Thank you.” I picked up my satchel. “I'll inform the King of your help and the temporary fix.”