Page 158 of Crowned In Venom

The words slice through the air.

A stillness falls over the room, suffocating, unbearable.

"Replaced it?" I repeat, my voice barely a whisper.

The Ghost inclines his head.

"With something stronger."

My blood runs cold.

Varkos stiffens.

"What?"

"Your poison was weak," the Ghost continues, his tone almost dismissive. "Too slow. Too merciful."

He steps closer, and the firelight finally catches the lower half of his face—just enough for me to see the cold amusement in his mouth.

"I used something undetectable. No smell. No trace. No color."

A different kind of fear coils in my stomach.

I look at Varkos, but his expression is unreadable, his mind working through the implications, calculating every possible meaning.

"You're lying," Varkos says, but his voice is hollow.

The Ghost shrugs. "Why would I?"

"Then why are you telling us now?" I demand, my voice sharper than I expect.

The Ghost turns to me.

And then—he smiles.

"Because it's too late."

A breath catches in my throat.

"What do you mean, too late?" Varkos demands, stepping in front of me, his body a wall of protection.

The Ghost watches us both, as if amused by the futility of our horror.

"The poison remains dormant," he explains smoothly. "Unless activated."

Activated.

The word feels heavy, full of unseen implications.

Varkos narrows his eyes. "How?"

The Ghost finally looks at me.

And for the first time, something like regret flickers in his gaze.

"Heartblood of someone who ingested the poison."

The air vanishes from my lungs.

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