Page 36 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

“Cedaar, you look well,” she greeted, waving her hands. “Please, have a seat.”

I smiled at her, my hand instinctively going to my side as I sat. “How are you this evening, Queen Frilla?”

Her cheeks flushed as she sipped her drink. “Very well. I hope you don’t mind that I called this dinner.”

Her consorts walked around the room, placing plates of fruits and meats in front of Frilla, then me. I tried to hide the curl of my lip at the smell. My stomach still had not settled.

“No, not at all. I’ve been meaning to speak with you as well.”

“Oh?” She tipped her head toward me as a glass of wine was poured near me. “What of?”

“The youngest healer here,” I said, raising the glass of wine to my lips. The others in the room froze. “I don’t think she is treated fairly by the older ones here.”

Frilla bristled. “I assure you she is. She has a room, a bed, food in her belly, and the opportunity to learn the art of healing. She is just young and thinks the world is against her. You know teens.”

My stomach pinched as the liquid settled, and I placed my glass down. “Yes, I am also aware that less than kind words or tactics at such a young age can affect growth and development,” I said, glancing at a few healers who had stopped eating and were openly listening to our conversation.

“She’s young,” Frilla said. “She probably embellished stories of how she is mistreated, hoping a daring, young male will swoop in and save her. Are you to be her knight now?”

The words were laced with an edge of bitter hate, and I knew Miska’s words rang true. They did despise her mother for whatever she had done and were taking it out on Miska.

“I am no knight, I assure you, just simply an observer.”

Frilla’s sweet demeanor melted away. She didn’t like to be challenged. That seemed to be the only thing we had in common. The doors behind me opened and closed as a healer entered and shuffled across the room. She didn’t spare me a glance before leaning in close and whispering to her queen. I grabbed my side, another pinch of pain making me nauseous.

The healer and the queen finished their hushed conversation, and the old woman hurried from the room. A look of pure contentment crossed Frilla’s face as she sipped her drink.

“I’ll be sure Miska is well taken care of. How about that?”

I offered her a soft smile. “Fantastic. I’d hate for any harm to come to her in retaliation for me merely inquiring.”

She sat up straighter and pointed toward my plate. “Are you all right? You haven’t touched your food.”

“Oh, yes.” The smile I forced was anything but friendly. My trust in her and this city was dwindling by the minute. “I am just not hungry. My apologies.”

“Well, that makes sense, given your wound.”

I nodded.

“Especially since I’ve been slipping a tiny bit of poison into your food every day for the last few weeks. In your drinks, too, even the water you bathed in. It was such a small amount that even your blood drinker did not detect it. It will work on her, too, since you share so much.”

The room spun, my side pulsating as nausea once again crept forward. I stared at my drink, my vision blurry as I tried to focus.

“I was kind of worried you’d catch on at first.” She plucked a small needle from her hair and slowly rose from her chair. “The extract in these zeile seeds can knock out even the strongest beasts. It attacks the blood slowly, hindering the healing process before targeting the nerves. Objects that weren’t heavy before suddenly are. It can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, and even a fever. Given your history, I needed to be sneaky about it, and I needed time for them to arrive. They have been so busy in the realms, you know. Securing our one true king’s power.”

Her laugh was vindictive and cruel, but she was wrong. Dianna had not been feeding on me, but she had eaten the food. Fuck. I needed to get to her, to warn her. I struggled to my feet but nearly collapsed when my side split open. Those lines, it was the poison and why I wasn’t getting better.

My hand pressed flat on the table as I tried and failed to push myself up. A sharp pain echoed through my gut, and I fell back into my seat. Frilla stopped at my side, the needle seed still in her hand.

“Jade City was renowned for its healers. You and your beast have corrupted it.”

I coughed, and the room spun sideways.

“We are still known for it, but only for those under our king’s rule. Our specialty now lies in poisons. It is what truly makes her happy.”

Frilla trailed a hand over my throat and leaned in close to me. I flinched as the needle pierced my neck, and my limbs went slack.

“Undiluted, the seed can act as a paralytic for a short period. It’s how it protects itself in the wild. I figured this would make it easier to transport you.” Her hands trailed along my shoulders and biceps as she leaned forward. “Given all the extra muscle you have.”

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