Page 81 of Wingless Crow: Part 1

Besotted.

The word sounded ominous somehow.

With a knock on the door, the guards arrived, ready to lead me to the man I belonged to.

With an encouraging smile, Brebie leaned toward my ear. “King Tiane is a skilled lover, I’ve heard. He’ll make it good for you.”

I tried to hold on to her optimism while ascending the many stairs up to the tower with the king’s rooms.

Despite some later developments, King Tiane had been kind enough to me. Because of him, I had a roof over my head, food was delivered straight to my room, and plenty of servants were there to do my bidding.

He hadn’t asked for much in return. His attention hadn’t been a burden. All I’d had to do so far was to grace his lap with my presence whenever he wished, which wasn’t even that often.

After a month in Elaros, I still only had a vague idea of what kind of person King Tiane was under the façade of golden paint, wide smiles, and glamorous clothes.

Maybe tonight would bring us closer? Maybe I’d get to know him better, on a level that would endear him to me?

I brushed away the memories of the cursed in their cages, unable to deal with the dark emotions they stirred in me. But maybe I could get a better insight into the king’s behavior that day, too? There must be an explanation for that cruelty. It had seemed so out of character for the smiling, easy-going monarch.

He waited for me in his bedroom in one of the tallest towers of the palace. And what a gorgeous room that was!

Snow-white vines created intricate designs between the opaque crystal panels of the walls. In the center of the high domed ceiling, the vines held a round clear glass. It would present a magnificent view of the starry sky, I imagined, had the sky not been so thickly overcast tonight.

The royal bed stood in the center of the round room, right under the glass dome. The bed was also round. The graceful vines that grew straight out of the floor served as the six bedposts. Gauzy curtains billowed softly around the vines, delicate like the river mist.

King Tiane lounged in a chaise by the bed, wearing a blush-pink robe embroidered with bright sunrise clouds along the hem.

He rose from his seat at the sight of me. The usual brilliant smile split his face.

“There’s my favorite little human,” he murmured.

The soft tone of his voice and the familiar smile put me at ease somewhat. I ventured a step in his direction, clutching my robe at my chest.

“Welcome, welcome to my bedroom, my baby chick.” The king lifted two crystal flutes from a marble stand by the chaise. Coming closer, he handed one to me. “To many more nights together, shall we?” He winked, tapping the bottom of my flute to urge me to drink.

The sight of the pink and blue liquid shimmering in my glass sent cold shivers down my spine. The drink resembled closely the one I had with Trez on the last day of my past life.

“I can’t…” I swallowed hard as my throat tightened. “I’m so sorry, Your Majesty, but I can’t drink this.”

The sensation of helplessness clamped around my limbs at the memories of the last time I drank this. I remembered what Voron and Brebie had told me about the drink, as well as the knowledge I’d added to their words by reading about it lately.

Camytemade one oblivious to what was right or wrong. It also made it possible for someone to impose their perception on you. Sometimes, permanently. If the pink glacial saffron had been added, too, it would make me a mindless puppet, numbly following orders of anyone who wished to boss me around.

“I won’t drink it,” I repeated, more firmly this time.

The king tilted his head in displeasure. I’d disobeyed him, openly and adamantly, for the first time ever. He clearly didn’t like it. I pulled my head into my shoulders, bracing for his wrath.

“It’s perfectly safe, my pet.” To my surprise, he didn’t sound angry. His voice remained soft and coaxing. “I wouldn’t serve you something I wouldn’t drink myself. Look.”

With his finger under my chin, he lifted my face to his. Holding his glass in his other hand, he took a long drink from it.

I watched him closely. He didn’t just dip his lips like Trez had done. He actually pulled the liquid into his mouth and swallowed, his lips immediately stretching into a smile right after.

“See? It’s safe.”

My surprise spiked, but then I realized that among the many pieces of jewelry decorating his hands, antlers, and chest, there must be at least one that was warded against the harmful effects of the magical substances. It protected the king fromcamyte. Just like the necklace Voron had given me would protect me from it, too.

“Why would you drink it?” I asked. “If not for thecamyteeffect?”

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