by TJ Nichols
“What potion have you brought me?”
“Milk and honey and a little bread.” That was it.
Rodas raised an eyebrow. “Is that some miracle cure to give a man back his vitality?” For all his words and attempts at his usual humor, there was a thinness to his lips and a tightness around his eyes.
“Soothing for the stomach and for the soul. And since you won’t rest, I’ll give you restful food. No wine or brandy. You’re only to drink milk or a little mint tea for the next three days.”
“You know how to ruin today’s feast.”
Last night’s feast very nearly ended in disaster. It was only by chance that Nikko was walking around and not locked up. But there was still time for that. If Rodas fell off his horse that day, Nikko suspected he would taste his own poison.
“No meat. You may have bread and fruit.”
“Not even a slice of the fresh venison that I’m sure to catch.” There was an edge to his voice. Talking was taxing what little strength he had.
“A drop of its fat on bread, maybe, depending on how you are this afternoon.”
The manservant finished buttoning Rodas’s beautiful dark-blue riding coat and stepped back to make sure his master was happy. Rodas nodded.
“Some privacy while I eat my nursery food. Tell them I’m on my way.” He glanced at the window. It wasn’t full light, but the sun would be rising very soon.
The manservant left on his pointless errand.
Rodas picked up the sweetened milk and drank it. “You are serious about the food.”
“Deadly.”
“The king is deeply upset at the moment,” Rodas said as he ate.
“I can imagine. His son betrayed him.” And so had his nephew and poison master.
“He didn’t see it coming.”
“You did.”
“I suspected.” Rodas chewed and swallowed with a grimace. “I’ve never felt worse.”
There was no point trying to talk him out of going on the hunt when the king had all but ordered it. “Don’t overtax yourself. Your heart is delicate just now.”
“My heart has survived. I’m allowed to have an official lover as compensation for nearly dying at our gracious king’s pleasure and as a bribe to keep my mouth shut about what really happened. My bride-to-be will be informed of the situation, of course.”
Nikko couldn’t keep his face from betraying the sting of those words. Official lovers were never servants.
Rodas reached out and lifted Nikko’s chin. “It’s you I can claim before the court and any who care.”
Nikko’s heart all but stopped. Him? An official lover? That was a public commitment almost as serious as a marriage. Casting off an official lover required a payment, just like ending a marriage.
“And the king approves?”
“I couldn’t refuse something the king suggested.”
“You would want to refuse?” While Nikko lived at court, Rodas had his own estates to manage. Nikko had never asked what Rodas’s life there was like. He hadn’t wanted to know if there was another when Nikko kept to himself. The gossip around the palace never suggested Rodas had someone else, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have brief liaisons.
The silk pouch was warm against his skin. The emerald pin wasn’t a casual gift.
“No.” He placed a soft kiss on Nikko’s lips. “Not unless you want me to. I don’t want to trap you or make you unhappy.” He rested his forehead on Nikko’s. “Now I’m heir to the kingdom, my responsibilities will grow and change. I can’t slip away from marriage as I had hoped to do.”
“It’s you who has become trapped.”
“The kingdom needs me.” Rodas had never wanted the burden of ruling laid at his feet.
It did. It always had, but Rodas served the way he wanted, and his ability to do that had been taken away from him. “You will make a good king one day.”
“A king needs a poison master.” Shouts from the courtyard drew Rodas’s attention.
Nikko sighed. “And the hunt needs a leader.”
“I’ll be back.” Rodas kissed him, his lips sweet from the honey.
“And I’ll be waiting.” It was only after Rodas left that Nikko realized he’d never given the new heir to the throne a proper answer.
He pulled the emerald pin from its pouch. And he hadn’t thanked Rodas for the gift—the two snakes lovingly twined around each other. For so long he believed he couldn’t be loved, not the way other people were. All this time Rodas loved him, and he hadn’t believed it because he thought he was undeserving.
He wasn’t. He’d saved the king’s life, and in return, the king had offered him the new prince of the realm. A small part of him expected it to be a trick or a trap—that happiness and love would be snatched away as he reached for it. All life could be snatched away in a moment. He needed to grab hold and not let go.
He did deserve to be loved… and to love.
Chapter 9
NIKKO WAS sure the hunters were back later than they usually were. Had it been hard to find a deer? If they came back with empty hands after the death of Prince Fortin, people would expect the worst for the year.
Fortin’s death was announced by the king. He made no statement about the future of the kingdom, but whispers were already tearing through the palace.
Although it was cold enough to freeze tears, people found reasons to be outside when the hunters returned. Nikko was among them. As usual he was wearing black. His cloak was wrapped around him, keeping his body warm, but not his face.
The braziers were surrounded by people in fur-lined cloaks who usually would have been inside, sipping wine and playing cards. A shout rang out from the gate, and everyone turned.
Nikko could barely breathe. Was that Rodas’s bright-blue cloak fluttering at the front? If it was, they’d been successful. If the hunt had been unsuccessful, the leader would ride at the back. In years long gone, there would’ve been fighting to choose a new leader.
The mood in the crowd shifted as they realized Rodas was at the front. The strained faces gave way to smiles. Nikko allowed himself to relax. He let himself step forward a pace, but then stopped. He couldn’t greet Rodas as an equal. At least not yet.
Rodas eased off his horse. To most people it looked as though he were giving the horse a well-earned scratch behind the ear. Nikko saw it for what it was—a man leaning on his horse while mustering the energy to walk. Rodas’s smile was tight, and his moves lacked his usual careless elegance.
Then Rodas saw him, and his smile changed like the flicker of flame in a fire that had almost gone out. Nikko took another step forward, his own smile widening, and Rodas held the horse’s reins with one hand and beckoned with the other. It was a small gesture, but others saw it, and they turned to see who Lord Rodas, who was rumored to be the new prince, could be so eager to see.
The gaze of every noble and servant was on Nikko—a poison master who couldn’t even name his parents.
Nikko brushed aside the front of his cloak so it exposed the left side of his chest. The emerald pin Rodas had given him was there for all to see. Despite the gasps and whispers, he went to Rodas’s side.
Rodas didn’t seem to care what anyone was saying. He pulled Nikko into an embrace. If that didn’t create a fresh round of gossip that would lift everyone’s spirits, Nikko didn’t know what would. For a moment he savored the feel of Rodas’s arms and the smell of horse and cloves, and he ignored the louder whisperings.
“You’re all right?” Nikko put his arm around Rodas to help support him.
“Better now. My toes are numb, and I’m looking forward to feeling the heat from that bonfire.” He looked at Nikko. “That pin looks good on you. I’m glad you finally get to wear one of my gifts.” A flicker of doubt crossed Rodas’s face. “You will be wearing my gifts from now on?”
He’d had all day to deliberate and make up responses in case the king said something to him. But the king hadn’t asked Nikko what he wanted. Nothing had been s
aid about the affair at all. It was clear Rodas hadn’t changed his mind the way Nikko had half expected him to.
“Yes.”
Rodas grinned. “That’s the best gift I’ve ever received.”
THE BONFIRE burned hot and bright against the dusk. Music filled the air. While the previous night’s celebration was formal, tonight was anything but. Those who thought partying like a peasant was beneath them sat back and watched the other, mostly younger courtiers dance.
When Rodas held out his hand, Nikko didn’t hesitate. It didn’t matter if his steps weren’t precise, and it didn’t matter who saw.
“I think, after this dance, I might retire,” Rodas murmured in Nikko’s ear. “Join me in my chambers.”
“You won’t be missed?” Yesterday they’d been battling to keep their affair a secret, and today it was in the open.
“Let them miss me.” He spun Nikko around and then drew him scandalously close. “I don’t care. Tomorrow I will be their prince, but tonight I want to be yours.”
TJ NICHOLS is the author of the Studies in Demonology series as well as several novellas. Having grown up reading thrillers and fantasy novels, it’s no surprise that mixing danger and magic comes so easily. Writing urban fantasy allows TJ to make sure that evil gets vanquished and the hero gets his man.
With two cats acting as supervisors, TJ has gone from designing roads to building worlds and wouldn’t have it any other way. After traveling all over the world and Australia, TJ now lives in Perth, Western Australia.
Website: tjnichols-author.blogspot.com
Twitter: @TobyJNichols
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TJNichols.author
By TJ Nichols
Elf on the Beach
Poison Marked
The Vampire’s Dinner
The Wolf’s Résistance
ORDER OF THE BLACK KNIGHTS
By Ashe Barker: Gideon
By Alexis Duran: Matthias
By Thianna Durston: Vespar
By Evelise Archer: Jaeger
By RK Staunton: Gabriel
By Andrea Speed: Lochlann
Olivier
Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS
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Published by
DREAMSPINNER PRESS
5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Poison Marked
© 2017 TJ Nichols.
Cover Art
© 2017 Alexandria Corza.
http://www.seeingstatic.com/
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.
All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.
Digital ISBN: 978-1-64080-297-1
Published December 2017
v. 1.0
Printed in the United States of America