Empress of Poisons ARC

by Bree Porter

Nikolai was finally convinced. He said goodbye to Odessa and baby ‘Dessa, before leaping into my arms. He sighed sleepily.

  “Let me give you a ride back to the estate. Instead of you having to carry him.”

  When he was younger and smaller, I might’ve been able to make the hike with him in my arms, but at nearly three, there was no way. Besides, Niko was too tired to walk by himself. I reluctantly accepted Konstantin’s offer, slinking into the back seat, pressing myself up against the window.

  Konstantin would look at us every now and then with a strange look on his face, but he didn’t say anything. We rode back to the estate in silence.

  17

  Elena Falcone

  Night enclosed the estate. The house grew still and quiet as my family slept and dreamt, but I couldn’t manage to close my eyes. I twisted and turned in my bed, careful not to disturb a passed-out Nikolai. I even tried reading beneath the golden glow of the lamp but found myself reading the same sentence over and over.

  My restlessness eventually got the better of me and I rolled out of bed. I would mill around the house until my exhaustion became too much. That was the only plan I had.

  When I wore a path through the manor, I escaped through the back door and made circles around the estate. It was freezing, and clouds covered the moon, but I didn’t go back inside. Shaking from the cold was better than shaking with anxiety.

  The ground eventually failed in calming me down, so climbing became the next best thing. I aimed for the largest tree in the garden, a tall maple tree that had grown awkwardly along the side of the house. I had to hike myself up into the branches using the side of the house, bracing myself on the window seal.

  Climbing in the dark was never smart but my long limbs easily scaled up the side. Bark dug into my palms and the earthy smell of the leaves surrounded me. Every now and then a wind would rustle the tree, adding to the symphony of the night.

  As I got higher, dim light from inside the house welcomed me. The tree had grown around a window, hiding the view of the world from the interior. I pulled myself up high enough to peer through, curious to see which room it was hiding.

  A bathroom was visible through the pane. White counter tops and clear tiles. It was neat, with crisp towels and an empty countertop. Was it the spare bathroom? It didn’t look like anyone was–

  Konstantin walked into the room, towel low on his hips. Water droplets clung to his skin, outlining the curve of his muscles. His tattoos stretched over his broad shoulders, the artistry configuring together to form his memories and past.

  My mouth parted. “Oh, my…”

  There wasn’t an inch of him that wasn’t beautiful, that hadn’t been carved for perfection. His light golden skin pairing with his blond hair made him look like something out a mythological tale, one where the golden king saves the village from the beast. Except…Konstantin was the beast before he was king. He was always the monster before the hero.

  I didn’t care.

  Konstantin brushed his teeth and combed his hair. Such domesticity, such casualness. I was unable to look away.

  He didn’t notice me as he dropped his towel, revealing the already hard length of him. With a rough hand, he grabbed the bottom of his dick, and dragged his hands up and down. His head tipped back, and his spare hand grabbed the counter for balance. I watched as he lips parted, his features contorting in pleasure.

  Thoughts were becoming harder to think, air was becoming harder to breathe. Energy stirred in every part of my body.

  His arms shuddered as lust rocked through him.

  There was something about seeing all his strength bundled up in his impressive form, the rapture he was giving himself, that had my mind spinning. Every movement, every stroke and flinch, added to the throbbing beneath my legs and the rapid beating of my heart.

  The branches groaned as my grip tightened.

  When he pulled his shoulders back, the pleasure reaching its climax, I felt desire throttle through me like a strike of lightning. I heard his groan through the window as cum spilled over his hands, the sound of it almost sending me sprawling to the ground.

  Konstantin’s head snapped towards me.

  His brown eyes trapped me in my place, his lips curving up into a smile.

  For a second, I was unable to move. I was a slave to his stare, the maiden to his beast.

  Run, my instincts begged.

  I can’t, I tried to tell them.

  Konstantin cocked his head to the side. Spying, Elena? He mouthed.

  I ducked, losing my footing and falling onto the branch below. Pain ricocheted through me as I rightened myself, grasping onto the closest ledge for balance.

  He saw me, he saw me.

  “Oh, fuck,” I muttered into the darkness. “Oh, fuck.”

  In times of great embarrassment, there is only one to do: Avoid everyone at all costs.

  I didn't need to avoid my family, not gentle-tempered Roksana or rough Roman. No, it was Konstantin I was hiding from. I left rooms he walked into and threw myself into random doors when I heard his voice down the hallway. I spent most of my time outside with Niko–who was more than delighted to spend hours with the horses.

  I made a game of avoiding Konstantin–a game Danika picked up immediately.

  "Why are you avoiding Konstantin?" She asked one day, peering over me as I laid in the grass and blocking the sun rays I had been soaking in. "Did something happen?"

  Niko and Evva were playing a few meters from me, both waving to Danika as she sat down beside me.

  "Hi Auntie Dani!" Evva said.

  Niko copied his new friend. "Hi Auntie Dani!"

  Auntie. The word sat with me for a second before Danika's sweet voice greeted them back. "Having fun?"

  They both made noises of agreement before going back to their game of tag.

  I recalled her question as she settled down next to me. "I'm not avoiding Konstantin."

  Danika ripped out pieces of grass, spreading them over me. Her eyes glinted as I scowled. "Really? It feels like you're avoiding Konstantin."

  "It's all in your imagination."

  "Elena, you left with a pancake in your hand when Konstantin walked into breakfast. Not to mention you ducked behind a bush when he was in the gardens yesterday–yes, we all saw that."

  I narrowed my eyes. "When did you get so observant?"

  "Always have been."

  "Tell me about Tatiana and I'll tell you why I'm avoiding Konstantin."

  Danika's eyes popped open. "Quite the trade," she laughed.

  I didn't even know why I had asked. I felt Tatiana's presence haunting the estate and found myself unable to stop worrying about the threat she incited. But it occurred to me, Danika knew Tatiana, not Titus. No one knew Titus–and that was the problem.

  "I'll try my best." She agreed. "Tell me why you're avoiding Konstantin."

  I rested my head on my arm. "I caught him masturbating."

  Danika blinked once, twice.

  "Oh." She finally said, face still slack with shock. "That is a good reason to avoid him." A laugh erupted from her. "I would die. Did he catch you?"

  "He did."

  Danika laughed to smother her second-hand embarrassment. "Oh God...Roman thought he had proposed and you said no. But this...this is worse."

  I rolled my eyes. "You two have too much time on your hands." I lifted myself onto my arm. "I told you why I'm avoiding Konstantin. Tell me about Tatiana."

  "What do you want to know?"

  "Anything you think is worth telling." When Danika tried to drop more grass onto me, I caught in my palm and threw it back at her. She grinned as she dodged, falling down into the dirt beside me. "Stop ruining the grass."

  She stretched out beside me, sighing deeply. "Tatiana...I met her when was fifteen. She and Roksana were the mothers I never had...I wanted to be just like them. Tatiana was sweet, warm. She could nurture even the worst parts of us."

  I stay
ed quiet, listening.

  "She was the only one who pushed me to finish high school. Everyone else was happy to let me decide, but Tatiana made sure I got my diploma. She dropped me off and picked me up, watched my grades. Roman would get to hang around with the adults but Tatiana made me do my homework." Danika's face was warm with wistfulness. "She really cared about me. She wanted me to have options, to be the best I could be."

  "To leave?"

  "No, leaving the Bratva was never an option. She wanted me to be powerful within the organisation, not just earning power through marriage." Danika shrugged. "It was Konstantin who taught me how to interrogate but it was Tatiana who encouraged me to listen to him."

  "It sounds like she believed in you a lot."

  She nodded. "She did. Tatiana believed in everyone. I think that's why Dmitri fell in love with her. She total faith in him and him in her...Though, in hindsight, none of us should've expected any sort of loyalty from her."

  I watched her. Sadness flickered in the golden-brown depths of her eyes, revealing a pain she tried hard to keep buried.

  "You should ask Artyom or Roksana," Danika said. "They'll know more than me. They were around at the very beginning–when Tatiana was still a young woman."

  "I wanted to hear from you." I laid back down on the grass, listening to the giggles of the children. "Where do you think she is now?"

  "She could be anywhere," Danika replied. "The wind, the sea, the ground. Tatiana won't be found until she wants to." A sad laugh escaped her. "Actually, that's something I'll never forget about. If Tatiana wanted something, she got it. No matter what."

  "I know." I stretched out my legs, shuddering as the tight muscles loosened. "But so do I. So we'll see who gets what they want in the end."

  Danika peered at me in interest. "Are you planning something I should know about, Elena?"

  "I'm always planning something. This mind of mine never stops," I answered.

  "Care to share?"

  I smiled at her. "Care to share what's going on with you and Roman?"

  Her cheeks went beetroot red. "You're one to talk," she muttered but her embarrassment took away the bite to her words. "Nothing's going on."

  "Nothing?"

  "The same nothing that is going on between you and Konstantin."

  "So nothing at all."

  We shared a look of camaraderie. One I imagined thieves and racketeers shared as they opened their mouths to lie.

  A loud crash caught our attention, followed by the cries of Evva. I sprung to my feet and darted to where they were playing. Evva was on the ground, a nasty scrap stretching over her knee. Niko was beside her, tears running down his cheeks.

  "What happened?" I crouched down beside Evva.

  "She–she tripped." Niko blubbered.

  I brushed the hair off her face, soothing the crying toddler. "Neither of you need to cry, my darlings. It's going to be okay." I looked to Niko, checking for any injuries. He was fine, just upset Evva was hurt. "Okay, Evva, darling, let's get you inside."

  Evva banded her arms around my neck as I scooped her up. Her tears soaked my shirt. Niko grabbed onto my leg, holding tight as I wobbled into the house. When Danika tried to fuss over him, he fell into another collapse of tears.

  I rested both of them on the kitchen counter, feet in sink. Danika grabbed the first aid kit before going to find Evva's parents.

  I tore open the wipes. "Okay, Evva, this is going to hurt." She whimpered. "But you're a brave girl, aren't you?"

  "No," she said.

  "Yes, you are," I insisted. "You have to be brave to feed the loshadi."

  Evva thought about it, her tears stopping for a second. "I feed the horses."

  "You do! Because you're very brave."

  She shared a pleased look with Niko. He asked, "Am I brave too, Mama?"

  "Yes, you're both exceptionally brave. Braver than me."

  "Nooo," Evva shook her head. "You're big."

  I swallowed down my laugh. "I am big, you're right. But I'm not as brave as you." I held up the wipe. "Now, I have to clean out your cut to get rid of the bad bugs. It's going to sting but that's just the bad bugs dying. Is that okay?"

  Evva nodded tearfully. "I'm brave," she decided.

  "Very brave." I tapped the wound gently. She hissed but didn't move her leg. Pride filled my heart–when I was her age, I would've pulled my leg away screaming. "All done!"

  "Bandaid?" She asked.

  Grazes did heal better when they were left alone but she had been so brave. I pulled out two bandaids, one pink with princesses and one green with frogs. "Which one do you want?"

  "Pink, please."

  "Very good manners." I sent Niko a meaningful look. He just grinned, tears forgotten. Evva watched as I gently applied to bandaid to the top of her cut. "There you go! All done."

  "Gross bit," she pointed to the graze. "Another bandaid?"

  "Just one band aid, darling. Grazes heal faster when they are alone."

  Evva looked thoughtful. "Bye-bye, bad bugs," she said finally.

  "Bye-bye, bad bugs." I smoothed down her dark hair. Strands had escaped her pigtails, giving her a half-wild hairdo.

  "Can I have one?" Niko asked.

  I laughed. I had never understood the obsession with band aids. "Did you hurt yourself?"

  He grinned. "Nooo."

  "Well, then no band aid." I pointed a finger at him. "That is not an invitation for you to hurt yourself, wild boy."

  My son's answering smile didn't comfort me in the slightest.

  "EVVA!" Artyom came skidding into the room, eyes wide. He beelined straight for us.

  "Daddy! Look!" Evva showed off her band aid. "It's pink!"

  Artyom didn't calm down until he checked Evva for injuries. When he saw the graze, he paled. "What happened?" His voice had darkened significantly.

  I stepped closer to Niko. "Evva tripped over and hurt herself. But she was very brave and let me clean out the wound. She'll be okay."

  "Braver than Auntie Lena." She supplied.

  Artyom didn't smile. His dark eyes flickered to me. "Thank you," he said.

  "There's no need to thank me. You would do the same for Niko."

  He nodded.

  "Can I head off now then?" A familiar voice said from the kitchen doorway.

  My brain blurred for a second. I knew that voice...

  Dr Melrose, my nosey boss from the pharmacy, stood in the doorway. He wasn't wearing his glasses or white coat, but I knew his face the instant I saw him.

  My two words collided. What was he doing here? Why was he here?

  I looked to Artyom as I recalled his words. Can I head off now then?

  He was already looking at me, eyes dark and inquisitive. So much like his daughters and yet so different. "Elena meet Vladimir Drozdov. You know him as Dr Melrose."

  I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out.

  Artyom filled the silence. "You didn't really think that I left you alone? Even for a second?" His features softened ever so slightly. "I've been taking care of you for years, Elena, waiting for when you chose to return home."

  An unnamed emotion rose sharply within me. All I could ask was, "Why?"

  "Why?" He blinked. "Why, Elena? Because we're family. It doesn't matter if you're with Kostya or not. You are my family, our family. Of course, I made sure you were safe."

  There was nothing else to say. I wrapped my arms around Artyom, hugging him tightly. Cautiously, he hugged me back, giving me a brotherly kiss on the forehead. The children quickly joined in, their little arms squeezing us.

  "This is your family.” He said, his voice filled with more emotion than I had ever heard it with. “Never forget that, sister."

  ~~~

  Konstantin found us in the kitchen. His eyes roamed over the dried cheeks of the toddlers and Artyom and I’s companionship. We had said goodbye to Dr Melrose, or Vladimir Drozdov, and indulged the childr
en’s wishes for a sugar-filled snack. Artyom was cutting up pieces of strawberry cake for them.

  “What’s going on here?” He inquired.

  “Hi Uncle Kostya!” Evva held up her knee. “Look!”

  Niko copied Evva once again. “Hi Uncle Kostya!”

  Coldness settled over the room as soon as the word’s left Niko’s mouth. Konstantin didn’t reveal anything on his face, but I saw the shudder of anger roll through him.

  Artyom stepped closer to the kids.

  I rubbed Niko’s back. “Not your uncle, baby.”

  His face twisted in confusion.

  “What did you do to yourself, Miss Evva?” Konstantin did a good job as levelling his voice.

  “I tripped.” She said mournfully. Her child-like speak blurred her sentence together, but Konstantin understood what she had said.

  “You poor sweetheart.”

  “I’m braver than Auntie Lena.” She added.

  Kon’s brows rose. “Then you must be very brave, indeed.” His eyes met mine. “We need to talk.”

  I had forgotten how embarrassing it felt to spy on Konstantin…and how hot it had been. My entire body warmed as it remembered the sight of his muscles coiled, his expression contorted in pleasure, the sound of his groan–

  “Fine.” I swallowed against my dry throat. “Can you watch Niko for a second, Artyom?”

  His eyes were on Konstantin. “Of course.”

  I patted Nikolai’s head as I passed him. “Be good. Mama will be five minutes.”

  My son was too invested in the cake Artyom was cutting to give me a proper response.

  Konstantin and I stepped into the foyer. The entire manor seemed to fall silent as we faced each other, both bracing ourselves for the discussion that was about to happen. I could’ve sworn I caught sight of Danika at the top of the stairs, but she moved too quickly for me to be certain.

  I twisted my fingers in my hair, trying to give my hands anything to do other than reach out and touch Konstantin.

  He wasn’t too close, in fact, the man was giving me an appropriate amount of space. But his entire presence seemed to fill the room, pressing up against the plaster and ceilings. I could breathe him in, fill my lungs with the essence of him like smoke, that’s how prominent he was.