Page 46 of Oath of Rebellion

Chapter 16

KNOX SAT IN THE CORNER of the tavern and watched the rest of the patrons get drunk. He nursed the same mug of ale that he'd gotten over two hours ago when he'd arrived.

Ashur nuzzled up with a bar maid on his lap, and her giggling was bloody annoying. He was anxious.

Eirwyn should be here soon, unless their little infiltration and drugging of the entire castle caused a bigger problem than he thought.

Why hadn't he gone upstairs to search for her? He'd searched the ground floors and the main reception floor and ballroom.

When they'd left, the back gate guards having been put to sleep as well, they'd all split up into pairs. They were to rendezvous at the tavern in a few minutes. Knox and Ashur had arrived hours ago.

Knox finally rubbed his temples and accepted that she wasn't going to show. The drunken revelry just grew louder and louder, so Knox checked the clock above the bar and went outside. He had a few minutes before the rest of the crew showed up, and he needed some air.

He wasn't used to the closed spaces of town. Even after years of going in and out, he still didn't feel comfortable with so many people around. If someone saw his head, they'd panic and run him out of town. It'd happened before when he was younger. Different time, different town, but still painful.

He'd been careful to stay cloaked in public ever since. Only three people knew what he looked like without the hood, and that was fine by him. He frowned and stared up at the stars. Well, four now, if he included Eirwyn's maid.

He walked around the tavern, checking on the horses in the stable. He tried to work out the tension and worry about Eirwyn's absence, but something about it made his stomach twist. Then he walked around the square.

An old woman sat rocking in front of the apothecary shop. He walked a wide arc around her on his way back to the tavern, but his feet grew heavy.

He turned to look at the woman as if pulled like a puppet on a string.

She looked up at him with her rheumy eyes as she stopped rocking. She stared into his eyes, and he felt uneasy as she didn't blink.

"I know you," she said softly.

He looked behind him. Perhaps she meant someone else.

"Yes, you. Knox. You're Olive's boy. Except you're no boy, are you? I met you when you were just a few days old. Olive sent for me. My, how you've grown."

His mind spun. Why would Olive send for this old woman?

She turned her head as if peering through him. "Do you know who I am?"

He shook his head, his feet heavy and rooting him to the ground even as he wanted to leave her presence.

"They call me Lailant here, but I've gone by many names in the past."

His eyes widened. "I've heard you can cure any curse."

She cackled a laugh, her head thrown back and revealing a missing tooth. "For most, yes. For you? No."

He frowned, his spine straightening. "What does that mean?"

She shrugged and started to rock again. "It means you're not cursed like you think you are. But if you want more information, you'll need to give me some of your venom."

He clenched his fists at his side. "No," he said. Who knew what kind of dark magic could be used from the venom? No, it was safer to keep him far away from others who could die from it.

"Don't you want to know about the princess?" Her voice was smooth and hypnotizing.

He swayed on his feet, feeling the pull of her magic.

"What about the princess?"

She held out a small vial. Where it came from, he had no idea. "Hand over the venom."

He wrapped his hand around the tail, shifting it into a barbed deadly weapon. It was shaped like a dagger tip with notches on the sharp edge. It didn't hurt him though, as he dripped the gooey liquid into the vial.

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