Page 53 of Cursed Shadows

Another of her henchmen, seated on the other side of her, grunts, his arms crossed against his chest. Clearly, he’s upset at falling out of her favor.

I can only wonder if both of these brutes are fucking her.

Ugh. Disgusting.

“Crawler mucus?” Anona asks, pulling out the vial and unstopping it.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” says a calm voice to my left. It’s Baron, awake against his tree. I wonder how long he’s been quietly sitting there, watching them just as I am.

“Ah! Our mystery assassin is awake!” cries Anona. I hear her put the stopper back in the bottle. “And he looks the worse for wear.”

Mystery assassin? I think to myself. Hmm, it appears Anona doesn’t realize Baron’s true identity. I wish I could say the same for myself.

“Swamp Breathhas that effect on a vampire,” he grumbles with a smirk. And, from the looks of him, theSwamp Breathdid a number.

“Why are you smiling?” she asks immediately, sounding annoyed.

“No reason.”

“No one smiles for no reason,” she argues. “What do you find so amusing?”

He shrugs. “That you’ll be dead in a matter of minutes.”

I wonder at his casual confidence. I find it irksome—we’re obviously at Anona’s mercy, not the other way around.

“You’re in no position to be making threats,” she admonishes, irritation in her voice. I can’t help but agree with her.

“It’s not a threat, it’s a fact,” Baron responds in that offhand manner of his. “Crawler Mucusis an airborne toxin.”

Anona’s expression falters. “So what?” she asks but there’s worry in her tone.

“So you just inhaled quite a lot of it. Unless you reverse the poison with the antidote, you’ll be dead in about an hour,” Baron finishes.

“You’re lying,” she counters.

“Am I?”

She nods and eyes him narrowly. “I never inhaledCrawler Mucus.I merely looked at it just now.”

“When the truck caught fire, do you recall the green flames?” Baron continues.

She nods.

Truck?I think to myself as I don’t recognize the word.Ah, the wagon contraption is referred to as a truck.

Baron continues. “When was the last time you saw fire burn green?”

“Never,” she admits slowly.

His smile broadens. “Exactly. The flames were tainted withCrawler Mucus,which is why the fire burned the color it did. Just before the explosion, I released theCrawler Mucusinto the air.”

“We took your bag o’ poisons,” Dravon pipes up.

“An assassin never limits his poisons to merely one location,” responds Baron, his tone of voice one of smug satisfaction.

It’s a moment before anyone speaks.

“Which one is the antidote?” Anona asks as she stares down at the satchel.

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