I tossed a bag of gold on the ground. "There. Happy?"
"Gold is meaningless," Celia said.
I tried not to roll my eyes. "It's kind of important, and time-sensitive. A man is dying, and I need an antidote. So please, take the gold and let me talk to her."
Celia motioned to her left and I took off running. Nicolasa and Callum were the healers in the camp, as they could do things with plants that normal doctors couldn't. Nicolasa, in particular, was fluent in the magical sciences. If anyone would know what the poison was, it was her.
"Nicolasa?" I said, walking into the healing hut.
"L-Larissa?" The Nestori woman poked her head out of the back room, surprise evident on her face. She was Forcadelian, with long black hair that she'd tied at the base of her neck, and a kind face that remained so even after all the sadness she'd endured here. She was usually the first person new kids saw when they arrived.
"My sweet girl," she said, walking over to me and cupping my face. "Did they catch you finally? Are you back for good?"
I didn't know the story Celia had told anyone, if there even was one, so I shook my head. "I just need a little help from you. It's about a poison."
"Have you ingested it?" she asked.
"No." I pulled the goblet from my bag and handed it to her. "Can you identify it?"
She sniffed it. "Smells like aranecea, a quick acting poison. It's a wild leaf that grows in the northern part of the country. Far away from here, close to Kulka."
So it was a Kulkan brew. "Any ideas who might be trafficking in the stuff?"
She tipped the goblet over in her hands, thinking. "It's a fairly uncommon poison in Forcadel, but Nestoris use it often to burn off warts and whatnot."
"You don't have any here, do you?"
"Not that I know of," she said. "Where did you get this goblet? And who's trying to poison you?"
"It's not me," I replied. "It's the…princess of Forcadel. This was her goblet and she and I both think it's the same poison that killed her father and brother, too. Luckily for her, she sniffed it out before she drank it."
"Lucky indeed. This poison isn't an easy death," she said. "It starts with horrific pain, like your stomach is burning a hole in your insides. Then you sweat and thirst like you've never had a drop in your life. Finally, you lose feeling from your toes all the way up to your fingertips. You die because you can no longer breathe."
"The prime suspect is currently suffering from it," I said. "Which further proves that he's a mere puppet. But a puppet with children and a wife who'd like to see him live a few more decades."
"The prince's wife, did she mention similar symptoms when he died?" Nicolasa asked.
"She said she just woke up and he was dead," I said.
"Then it's not the same poison," she said. "Or the prince's wife is lying to you. It's always the spouse, you know."
"I don't think it is in this case," I said with a chuckle. "Do you think you can brew an antidote for it?"
"Can the man speak?" she asked.
I shook my head. "Just air through his lips."
"Then it is too late for him," she said. "The poison has taken root in his body. He'll be dead by dawn."
"Clearly whoever hired him didn't want him to talk," Celia said, making me jump. I glanced over my shoulder to where she stood, leaning against the doorpost with a curious look on her face. The hairs on my neck rose, but I kept my face passive.
"Excuse me, Larissa," Nicolasa said, ducking her head as she rose. "I have to tend to my crops out back."
I didn't want to be left alone with Celia, but I also didn't want to show her weakness.
"So…" she began softly, walking to the bowls bearing leaves and flowers. "You've been busy these past few weeks."
"I'm sorry I barged in unannounced," I said then paused. "And for Jax."
"Jax had it coming, I'm sure," she said with a small chuckle as she plucked a white flower from the bowl. "I told you that you'd be back in power one day."
"Oh?" I quirked a brow. "Premonition? Or premeditated?"
"I don't think you'd be here if you thought I was responsible," she said. "And besides, why would I want you dead, my lovely little princess?"
"Doesn't mean you didn't kill the other two," I replied, leaning back on the table. "So eager to get me on the throne that you cleared a path?"
"I think your time in the castle has made you paranoid," she said, tossing the flower back into the bowl. "It's certainly made you a little stupider."
"In what way?"
"Come on, Larissa," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Do you really think, if a Kulkan was responsible, they would use a Kulkan poison?"
"I don't see why they wouldn't."
She glanced at the ceiling. "If you were a peasant and the only people involved were the local authorities, perhaps. But we're talking about the deaths of kings and princes. Your Captain Llobrega is no slouch, and neither are you. It's not hard to believe you both would uncover the truth rather quickly."
"So you're saying they wanted me to think it was a Kulkan?" I said slowly then nodded. "Because they're trying to frame someone. Vernice, perhaps."
"Or, perhaps, distract you from something else entirely," Celia said. "If I were you, I would ask myself what's to be gained by murdering the princess? Or at the very least, what's to be gained by sending her on a two-day wild goose chase when the main suspect is as good as dead already?"
"Discord on the Council, anarchy. Exactly what the prisoner said he was after." I shook my head. "Perhaps that's the end of it, after all."
"I don't believe that, and I don't think you do, either," she said, pushing herself off the table. "You've got a long ride back to the kingdom. I suggest you spend some of that time thinking about it."
She was almost to the door when I spoke again. "If I'm back in power, as you say, why haven't you come to ask me for a favor yet?"
"Because I have nothing to ask," she said, with a light shrug. "Life is good in the camp, for now. Besides, you're young. I may need something in ten years."
I rolled my eyes. "So I'm just supposed to wait for that day?"
"I suppose you could ask your captain to bring his soldiers here and raze the place, if you were so inclined." She winked and closed the flap behind her.
It was, indeed, a long ride back to Forcadel. I mulled over Celia's advice, bouncing through ideas and scenarios as fast as I could think of them. The only real solution I came up with was that perhaps there was someone trying to sow discord on the Council. Vernice was out; she was too smart to use a poison that could be traced back to her.
I supposed Niemen could be behind it, and by extension, Katarine. And as little sense as that made to me, I still had a duty to pull that thread until it unraveled or ended.
When I arrived back in the stables, the sky was turning pink. I handed my horse off to Riya and kept walking until I reached the dungeons. But the soft sound of crying told me the man had already passed. Felix and his guards stood at attention, and the woman I'd seen the night before was crying over the dead body of her husband. Her two children were nearby, their tears quiet, but no less heartbreaking.
Felix caught my eye, and we walked to a private spot. "Did you find an antidote?"
"Yes, but it was too late for him anyway," I said, showing him the vial. "The poison starts with stomach pains then slowly paralyzes the body." I gave him a side-eye. "Was that…how August died?"
"No stomach pains," Felix said. "He just didn't wake up. It doesn't sound like it was the same potion."
"We should ask Katarine, to be sure," I said. "She was the last person to see him alive." I looked over my shoulder. "Did you get anything from his wife or children?"
"The first they'd heard of him being involved was when we arrested him," Felix said.
"How did someone get in to poison him?" I asked. "I thought your guards were keeping an eye on him?"
He swallowed hard, glaring at the wall. "I have a feeling…there might be
a problem in my ranks. I'd hoped it wouldn't come to this, that it was just my failure to protect August and your father. But I had a tight guard around him. People I trusted. Either someone's not doing their job—"
"Or they're involved," I said. "I'll ask Katarine about August. If we know what we're looking for, we could isolate the poison." I looked behind me as the wife and children walked out of the cell, covering their faces as they wailed in misery. "I don't believe it's Vernice, though."
"Why not?"
"Too sloppy," I said. "If a Kulkan was trying not to get caught, they wouldn't use a poison from their homeland. But if they were trying to frame someone, they would." I ran my hand across my face. "At least, that's what Celia thought—"
He grabbed my arm. "Celia? You spoke to…" His face went slack. "The Nestori was Celia's."
"Nicolasa is her name," I said, staring into the dark prison cell. "She's the only one I know who would know about the poison, and she did. Celia just happened to wonder why I decided to show up for the first time in three years." I loosed a shaky laugh. "Surprised she didn't ask for that favor she's been talking about. I mean, I'm back on the throne, I'm sure she'll be knocking—"
"Brynn." Felix rested his hands on my shoulder. "Say the word and I'll take care of her for you."
I brushed his hand off. "She's not our biggest problem right now. There's a murderer on the loose and our best lead just died." I exhaled, shaking my head. "I just hope it was worth it to him."
Chapter 28
I spent the morning pacing my room, thinking about what I'd missed and how I might pick up the trail. Everyone was a suspect, and no one was. It was hard not to get discouraged, especially as Beswick had taken a backseat and my timeline to deal with him was growing shorter by the day.
I was now convinced that, although Vernice wanted me off the throne, she wasn't trying to kill me. At least not actively. Beswick remained a suspect as well, but only because I wanted him involved in some way. And although Katarine and the Niemenians were also suspects, that wasn't a bridge I was willing to cross until I had more information, especially as Felix wouldn't take kindly to me investigating his only remaining best friend.
But if I was going to find a killer, I needed to go back to the previous murders and investigate. Perhaps I would uncover something that Felix and his team missed.
The next morning, I had Felix take me to my father's quarters on the top floor of the east wing of the castle. He unlocked the engraved double doors at the end of a long hallway, revealing a sitting room that was bigger than the entire butchery I'd been living in. Gold adorned everything, from the chairs to the columns—even the red velvet drapes had gold stitching. Ostentatious could take a lesson.
"You know how many people we could feed by selling one of these drapes?" I said, nodding to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
"It will ease your mind to know most of this was here before your father took possession, and that when August was to be king, he asked if he could redecorate."
"Can I?"
"Absolutely." He smiled. "You're free to move in whenever you like, as well."
"Oh?" I spun around. "You trust me that much now?"
"You've left the castle twice and come back unscathed," he said, brushing past me. "But when we get back to Beswick's investigation, I'm going with you."
"Fine," I replied. Did I actually miss him? "Just take me to his bedroom."
The room was a bit homier than the other rooms, with a large bed in the center and floor-to-ceiling curtains on the window. There was a musty scent to the room, but I only supposed that was because it hadn't been touched in several weeks.
"What did you want to see?" Felix asked.
"I don't know," I replied, walking to the small table in the corner of the room. It was similar to the one I took my meals on. "What did he have for dinner the night before he died?"
"Some braised fish, potatoes and carrots. He ate with Garwood." Felix spun around. "His man found him not breathing when he brought breakfast."
"Did you keep the dishes?"
"Obviously not, as we had no idea he'd been poisoned," Felix said, leaning against the wall. "But we questioned everyone with access to his food. Most have worked in the kitchen for decades."
"So had our place setter," I said with a pointed look. "I wish we could've questioned him more before his death. Did he tell you anything?"
"No," Felix said. "Other than confessing to the crime, of course."
"Falsely confessing." I ran a hand through my hair. "Are there any deals my father was negotiating? Anyone get the short end of the stick who would want him dead?"
"No more than usual," Felix said.
"And who did August meet the night he died?" I asked. "What was he eating? What did he drink?"
"He and Katarine met with Zuriel," Felix said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't understand why we're going through this exercise."
I wiggled my eyebrows at him. "Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to see something you missed."
"Is that what Ilara told you?"
"Down, boy," I said with a chuckle. "I'm merely walking through the list of suspects again, double and triple checking. There's got to be something we've missed. A suspect we haven't considered yet. Maybe one of the other Councilmembers, like Zuriel."
"Could've been Garwood."
"Felix, come on." I rolled my eyes. "Garwood and my father were best friends. His sister was my mother, for crying out loud."
"Both excellent covers. He could've killed them both, expecting to put himself on the throne, but when you showed up, he manipulated you into doing what he wanted."
I turned around to argue with him, but stopped at the teasing smile on his face. "Are you making fun of me right now?"
"Maybe a little," he said. "I understand you want to find the culprit, but perhaps you should let it go and let me handle it. I can't believe I'm saying this, but you should focus on Beswick instead of this. Because we have this covered."
"Yes, I can't believe you're saying that," I replied, tilting my head at him. "Maybe you're the poisoner."
"Brynna, if I wanted you dead, I would've shoved you off a rooftop many weeks ago," he said, pressing his hand against the small of my back as he led me out. "C'mon, let's get out of here. I think we can have the attendants get it ready for you to move into."
"But I'm so at home in my locked tower…"
My father's murder scene was a dead end, so I turned my attention to August's. In this case, there was a witness to the death, and one who was friendly to me. Still, I wasn't going to let our friendship cloud my judgment. She may not have had a clear motive, but that didn't mean she didn't have one.
When she arrived for my morning tutoring session the next day, I let her dive into the details of how we'd taken over a port city in the west from the Kulkans, and why that meant the mayor there needed to be from a certain family, but I didn't absorb what she was saying. I bided my time, waiting for a lull in the conversation then painted a pensive look onto my face.
"You were with my brother when he died, weren't you?" I asked.
"Yes," she said, looking up from the book she was showing me. "Why?"
I leaned forward on the table, making sure to keep my face curious and not accusatory. "Did you notice anything about August before he died? Remember what he ate or drank?"
"That whole week was a blur," she said, looking down at the book.
"Felix said you were entertaining Councilman Zuriel," I replied, hoping to prod her along. "In the main hall."
"Right." Katarine nodded, casting me something of a worried look. "Zuriel was trying to get a leg up, since August was to be coronated soon. Most boring dinner of my life."
"Most important dinner," I corrected her. "Do you think Zuriel could've been behind the poisoning?"
"No. At least, it would've been incredibly dumb to invite us to dinner then poison August."
"What else do you remember about the night he died?" I asked. "
Did he complain of stomach pains, or chest pains?"
"No, we just had dinner and went to bed," she said, sitting back. Her cheeks had become pink, which set off warning flags in my mind.
"But that night, do you remember anything?" I pressed. "Like did he cry out in his sleep, snore, anything?"
Her face was now blotchy red. "I'm a heavy sleeper, Brynna. I just woke up and…"
I nodded, but my mind raced. Felix had said Beata had found him dead. There was a big difference between finding your husband dead and the maid finding him dead. And if they were sharing a bed, and if it were the same poison, August would've at least done something to alert Katarine before he died.
"Why are you asking me?" she asked quietly.
"Just curious," I said with a fake smile. "Can we continue with our lesson?"
"Of course."
I couldn't shake the feeling Katarine was lying to me. But if I went to Felix, he would shut me down. He was already pushing me out of the investigation, and I didn't like that either. So if I wanted the truth from her, I'd have to get it myself.
And perhaps burn a few bridges along the way.
That night, I donned my vigilante mask but didn't leave the castle. I went down the usual path, free of guards and witnesses, but didn't continue into the garden where Felix normally met me. Instead, I took a left turn into the cupboards and waited. After half an hour, I heard his annoyed panting as he came into the kitchen.
"Have you seen her?" he asked.
"No, sir," Joella replied.
He let out a string of filthy curses, to which I had to stifle a giggle. I hadn't known his vocabulary was so large.
Once he'd stormed off like a petulant child, presumably to search the city for me, I left the closet and crept down the hall. Felix's downfall was his regimented schedule; the guards passed the same spot every fifteen minutes. So when one set passed, I moved to the next hiding spot. And so on and so forth, until I was in front of Katarine's door.
Instead of going in, I opted to break into a room one door down. It was yet another empty guest room, the same four-poster bed, the same musty linens. I went to the window and opened it, looking out onto the courtyard. I was at least a hundred feet from the ground, and with my dark clothes and the clouds overhead, I could move out onto the ledge without being seen by the patrolling guards below. I wriggled closer, reaching the lighted window and squinting as I searched the room for Katarine. She was sitting at her chair in her dressing gown, her long blond hair flowing down the front of her body. She looked almost like an exquisite doll, right down to her rosy cheeks.
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