The Poison Within

by Rachel Marie Pearcy

  Thane spoke next, his tone so much lower it started her. “Norell saw it happening. I grabbed Nix from behind and pulled him off, but he started swinging at me with the dagger and I had to let go. When Norell tried to run off with Sora, Nix turned and smacked her in the face, knocking her to the ground. That’s when I jumped back on him. We’d just hit the ground when you two came running back.”

  “Good thing you did,” Norell added. “I wasn’t sure Thane could hold him off much longer, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep Sora safe on my own.”

  “You are safe though,” Rya sighed, looking back at Sora. “You’re alright now, and we’re all here. You don’t have to be upset anymore.”

  “It’s just—” Sora faltered, “—I know him.”

  “What?” Cam asked. Her body was still weak but the revelation had renewed her mind. “What do you mean? You know him from where?”

  “I didn’t know it was him—not before—but seeing his face so close to mine. His name was Nicolas when I met him. He belonged to Lady Wilma for a while before he disappeared one day.”

  “She was selling children to the Kael?” Thane growled. “What kind of monster does that? Who gambles with a child’s life like that?”

  “Wait,” Rya interrupted. “You said he belonged to Lady Wilma, and I know she didn’t keep kids past a certain age. So that would make him—"

  “—Fifteen maybe,” Sora answered. “He was always tall and skinny like that, older looking. Everyone thought he was nice, but he made me nervous. It was like I could see the wheels moving in his head as he watched people, like he was sizing us up for some unknown reason. I guess Lady Wilma found the right buyer for someone like that.”

  Rya thought back to the face that haunted her dreams. The sunken eyes and gaunt cheeks that stared at her through her nightmares. She would never have imagined that the monstrous grin that terrified her belonged to a child.

  “We’re being hunted by a kid,” Thane huffed.

  “He may be young,” Rya replied, “but he’s still a member of the Kael. He’s spent years training, the way you and Cam have, only his goal is to murder without feeling. He’s not a boy anymore, he’s a killer.”

  “But he’s still a person,” Norell added.

  “Is he?” Rya asked.

  “Are you?” Norell crossed her arms. “You want us to believe that because his path took him to the Kael, that he trained to be an assassin in order to survive, that makes him less than human. What about your past, and your mistakes. You deserve to live don’t you, so why doesn’t he?”

  “The actions I’ve taken were to serve justice to those who deserved it. I will admit I’ve made some poor choices, but they will never amount to the horrible things Nix has done.”

  “None of this matter,” Cam interrupted. “Nix doesn’t care what we think of him. He isn’t torn between what’s right and what’s wrong. He’s plotting his next move, and he’s desperate to kill Rya. That’s what matters. If and when he comes for us again, I will be there to fight him, and if he dies in the process—so be it.”

  Dawn had caught up with them, and most of the others were curled under their blankets, lost in their dreams. Cam rested against her rolled up bedding, staring at the dying embers of their fire. She had taken the first watch against Rya’s wishes, wanting some time to herself to process what had happened. She ran her fingertips over her open palm, swearing she could still feel the chill beneath her skin. Glancing at a sleeping Rya, she wondered if it would ever happen again.

  “Mind if I join you?” Sora’s voice startled her. He was standing with his tiny frame blocking the sunrise behind him. “I couldn’t sleep.”

  “Of course,” she nodded. He sat at her side, tucking his legs against his chest. His hands toyed with the straps on his boots. She asked, “Are you really alright?”

  “Yeah,” he sighed.

  “It’s okay if you’re not,” she added. “What Nix did was horrible, and no one would think less of you for being upset.”

  “It’s not Nicolas that’s upsetting me,” he answered. “I’m unhappy seeing her this way.”

  “Who, Rya? You don’t like seeing her what way?”

  “Tormented.” He paused, still watching the queen sleep. “She’s usually so strong and confident. She doesn’t let anyone shake her, but this is different. It hurts me to see her so torn.”

  “You love her very much, don’t you?”

  The boy nodded. “As do you.”

  Cam rubbed the back of her neck. Sora had been at Rya’s side for years. He was as much her Kinsman as Thane was to her, and she knew he would have the answers to the questions she was afraid to ask Rya.

  “Can I ask— “Cam stammered, “—has Rya ever had anyone else that was special to her?”

  He shook his head, still staring at his feet. “She’s had a handful of young men and women who caught her attention. They would usually disappear into her room and be gone by morning.”

  Cam blushed. She didn’t know what she expected him to say, but the image of Rya leading someone else behind closed doors made her stomach drop.

  “She was never in love with them,” he added, sensing her unease. “My queen says she doesn’t believe in love, but I think it’s more than that. It’s like she believes she’s not worthy of love, or that she doesn’t deserve it. I’m pretty sure she believes she’s destined to die alone.”

  “Why would she think that?” Cam asked. Her heart cracking at the image of Rya in a cold empty room, closing her eyes and allowing death to take her.

  “You’ve heard her stories. You know everyone in her past has only used her for their own benefit. Love always came with strings attached. It was no surprise that she fell so hard when Victor came along.”

  “Who’s Victor? She’s never mentioned him.”

  Sora blushed and rested his forehead on his knees, hiding his face as his continued. “He was the son of a local shopkeeper. They met when she was thirteen and he was barely a year older than her. He spent years promising to marry her when she turned sixteen. He told her they were going to move into the house next to his father’s store, where they would grow old surrounded by a bunch of children and grandchildren. She was days away from fifteen when Gerrod came and dragged her off the Obsidian Isles. She waited and waited for Victor to come rescue her. She thought when he found out what happened, he’d ride to the Isles and steal her back, but he never came.”

  “Why not? Did he not really love her?”

  “He did,” Sora replied, “or at least that’s what he told Rya after she had him brought before her in chains. I stood in the corner watching him on his knees in front of her, begging her to understand. He kept saying he was young and naïve, and that her mother was a skilled liar. He claimed he had shown up at Rya’s home the morning after she left, demanding to know where she’d been taken. Her mother told him that Rya had gone with Gerrod willingly, and that she was desperate to marry Gavin because he was a prince. By the time he returned home he hated Rya, and cursed her name for fooling his heart."

  “Did she believe him, that he didn’t know any better?”

  “She might have,” Sora replied, “but she had returned to Asta after Gerrod had died, hoping that her new status as a queen would allow her to marry her true love. That’s when she learned how big Victor’s hatred had grown.

  “The Isles’ soldiers told stories of that visit. She had walked into the town center ready to reunite with Victor, only to find him seething and bitter. He spat at her. He called her names and accused her of sleeping her way to the throne. He attacked her in front of whole town while she stood in silence. The soldiers thought she would explode. They expected her to turn him to ash where he stood, but instead she walked away. If I had to guess, that was the day the Black Queen was born. She returned to the Isles a darker version of the girl who left.”

  “What happened to Victor?” Cam asked. “If I’ve learned anything about Rya, she would not have allowed him to get away with insu
lting her in that way.”

  Sora nodded. “She got her revenge. Masked guards had gone to Asta to retrieve him, that’s how he ended up begging her for his life. She let him talk without listening, and when he was finished, she answered with only a wave of her hand. The guards locked him in the dungeon in the Isles. For a full year she kept him alive, but miserable. She said it was how she’d felt when Gerrod held her captive. During the months that passed she spread false rumors about Victor across Kelda. By the time he was released his name, his reputation, and his family were ruined. He walked away from the Isles with nothing but the clothes on his back, and no honor to his name. It was the best punishment she could think of to match what he’d done to her.”

  “Oh, Rya,” Cam sighed. Her chest hurt, and her eyes stung.

  “’Oh, Rya’ what?” The queen was standing in front of them, her head tilted to the side, her eyes searching their faces. “What have you been telling her, Sora?”

  “Nothing,” he lied, scrambling to his feet. “I think I should try and sleep again.” He shuffled to his blanket, and pulled the fabric up to the top of his head, hiding his face.

  Rya took the seat next to Cam. She ran a finger over Cam’s cheek, wiping away a tear that had broken free.

  “I would say whatever Sora told you is a lie,” Rya huffed. “But he doesn’t have that in him.”

  “He was telling me about Victor,” Cam admitted.

  Rya flinched at the name. “He was another disappointment in my life. He tricked me into loving him. He made empty promises knowing he’d never keep them. I was a fool for ever thinking I could have a life like that.”

  “What about what Victor said about your mother, about her lying to him?”

  “I’m not an idiot. I know my mother would do such things, but he should have known better. I loved him and had told him a hundred times. He chose to believe her words instead of mine.”

  Cam wanted to defend him. She wanted to say that the betrayal came from her mother, and not Victor himself, that he was only reacting to the lies she had told, but Cam knew that wasn’t entirely true. She imagined someone trying to say Rya didn’t love her. She thought of how Rya herself had tried to hide her feelings from Cam, but Cam’s gut was stronger than any words. She knew what she felt, and she knew how Rya looked at her. If she had been in Victor’s place, she would have done all she could to get Rya back.

  “I promised you I would always protect you,” Cam said, taking Rya’s hand in hers. “That wasn’t a lie. Those weren’t empty words.”

  “I know.” Rya nodded. “But some things you can’t protect me from.”

  “Like what?”

  Rya sighed. “You can’t protect me from myself.”

  Twenty-Nine

  The Ivory Cape was the smallest of the kingdoms, tucked away at the northeastern edge of Kelda. The harsh winter storms that formed over the Nestian Ocean made harpooning dangerous work, and with blubber oil and large fish their main export, it left only a small number of people willing to live in such a cruel environment.

  The snow had started to fall as the road turned north again, forcing them to walk against the strong winds that swooped down from the shore. They slowed the horses to crawling pace, and even with Aero’s cloaks the cold gusts caused their teeth to chatter.

  “It should be easy to find Gavin here,” Thane smiled. He was always smiling. No matter how bad the situation got, he could find a way to be happy. Rya was going to miss that.

  “I think we should start there,” Cam said, pointing ahead. The shabby building was barely visible in the distance, masked by the flurries of white that zipped around the air. A sign swung back and forth just below the roof. Squinting, Rya could make out the word tavern in bold yellow letters. Cam continued, “Maybe someone will know him. If anything, we can see about renting a room and sleeping inside for once.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Thane nodded.

  They jumped off the horses, guiding them through the pressing wind. Their footsteps moved a little quicker the closer they got, powered by the idea of a warm meal and soft bed. Rya noticed the lack of footsteps leading to or from the stoop, and that the windows were boarded up. The roof drooped in the middle, and the door to the side stable knocked against the wall with each gust that blew. Without any sign of life, frustrated and angry, she was about to scream when the front door burst open. The sound of voices and clatter exploded from the opening, and a cloud of warmth swallowed her.

  “What are you doin’ out there?” The man standing in the doorway was tall with thin shoulders but a round belly that stuck out between the straps of his suspenders. His beard was salt and pepper in color, and the bits of face that stuck out were worn from the sun and the sea, reminding Rya of the people in the Isles. He squinted at them through the snow. “Get in here,” he ordered. “Unless ya plan on freezin’ to death.”

  A muffled shout inside produced two young men behind him. One of them took the reins from Rya’s hands while the other guided the other two horses towards the stable. Another gust stung her cheeks, and she rushed inside behind Thane.

  The building had four different fireplaces burning, one on each wall, filling the large open space with warmth. The bar sat in the corner, while the rest of the room was filled with tables and chairs. Men and women were scattered around, laughing and drinking, their cheeks pink from either the cold or the beer, and none seemed to notice the group that just entered.

  “Harold,” the kind man shouted. “Get these folks some drinks, would ya? They’ve been wanderin’ outside.”

  The man behind the bar nodded and pulled out five mugs and began pouring a steaming liquid into each of them.

  “The name’s Clint,” the man informed them. He walked to an empty table, waving a hand for them to have a seat. “I take it you all aren’t from around here.”

  “What makes you say that?” Norell asked, sitting across from him.

  “No one from these parts would be caught outside durin’ the winds. Don’t worry, though, they only last a few hours and then they peter out ‘till the next day.”

  The barman set the mugs on the table, and Rya took one of the handles, peering inside at the amber foam under the steam.

  “It’s not goin’ to kill ya,” Clint laughed. “It’s hot cider, best cure for the winds. O’ course, once you’re warmed up, ya should try Harold’s ale; he brews it himself.”

  “Thanks,” Cam smiled.

  “What brings ya this far north?” Clint asked, watching Thane drain his cup.

  “Vacation,” Rya answered. The man laughed again. He seemed kind enough, but she knew better than to trust just anyone.

  “We were hoping to find a room for the night,” Cam added. “Do you know if your friend Harold rents here?”

  “He does,” Clint nodded. “I know he’s got a couple free, but some o’ ya might have to share.”

  “That’s not a problem,” Cam replied.

  Clint rose from the table with a smile and made his way across the room, stopping to talk to Harold at the bar. Thane had his head tipped back, trying to get the last few drops of cider from his mug. Rya pushed hers towards him.

  “Here,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not going to drink mine.”

  “I don’t know why not,” he smiled. “It’s delicious.”

  “I prefer not to drink anything that will impede my judgment.” She was watching the men, trying to decipher their words but with the jolly atmosphere around her, she couldn’t hear any of it.

  Another minute passed before Clint nodded to Harold and returned to the table. He placed two keys in front of them, each marked with a scrap of leather that had a number burned into it.

  “Rooms 5 and 6,” he said. “They’re yours as long as ya need them.”

  “What’s the cost?” Rya asked, suspicious. “For the rooms and the drinks.”

  “It’s on the house,” he answered. “As long as ya promise to tell me why the Black Queen is lurkin’ around the Ivory Cape.�
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  His words froze Rya’s insides more than the cold winds that howled outside. She narrowed her eyes at the stranger. “Who told you we were coming?”

  “It’s my job to know who’s in the Cape. I’m in charge around here, and I can’t have just anyone comin’ into the village to make trouble.”

  “You’re in charge?” Sora asked, nose scrunched in disbelief. “You’re the King of the Cape?”

  “The one ‘n only,” Clint smiled. “We’re a small kingdom, and I take pride in workin’ these waters next to the men that serve me. The sea is tough, but we’re tougher.”

  “My apologies,” Cam replied with a bow of her head. “I’m Princess Camreigh of the Ashen Forest.”

  “I know who ya are,” Clint interrupted. “I know all your names; King Mikkel mentioned it in his letter. What I don’t know is why you’re here, and what ya need from us.”

  “My father wrote you?” Cam gasped. Clint reached into his coat pocket and placed a folded piece of parchment in her hand.

  “Ya should read it,” he urged. “I think you’ll find some things have changed since ya left your home.”

  Cam’s eyes scanned the words in silence. Rya could hear each beat of her heart as the seconds ticked by. She searched Cam’s face for any sign of the contents. Had Gerrod already won? Had the war been that brutal?

  “Oh—” Cam said, laying the note on the wooden tabletop. “That does change things.” She looked at the rest of them. “Gerrod was tipped off that we were heading to the Cape. He pulled the army back from the Ashen border, and he’s ordered them to surround the Isles’ castle. He’s barricaded himself inside, waiting for an attack.”

  “He knows what we came for,” Rya added. “He’s figured out the plan.”

  “And what plan would that be?” Clint asked, injecting himself back into the conversation. “I still need to know what ya want with Gavin.” His eyebrows raised at the shock on their faces. “Ya don’t think I know there’s a prince hidin’ in my kingdom? Who do you think is the one keepin’ him safe all these years? Now you lot show up and the King of the Obsidian Isles is hidin’ behind an army and stone walls, I’m not an idiot.”