Page 42 of Scales and Seduction

I squeeze my eyes shut as the image of Ruby flashes behind my eyelids. Her pale, clammy skin and the black streaks that snake along her back. “My mate was poisoned with a mushroom from the Underdark. It didn’t come from thin fucking air.”

There’s a beat of silence, then Avalon rustles around in the background as if she’s moving from her bed. “What mushroom?” Every word is laced with concern. “Gods, Gideon…” She pauses momentarily, the silence stretching long enough that my anxiety begins to bubble up. “Is she?—”

“Alive,” I cut in, grinding my teeth in frustration. “For now. But not for long if I waste any more time with your lies.”

“I—I don’t understand,” she says with a trembling voice. “Witches’ Kiss hasn’t been used in centuries. What happened?”

“The draugr,” I say tightly. “Avalon, I don’t have time to explain. Please say you have the antidote.”

“I’ll meet you in ten minutes on the bridge.” As the line goes dead, I slump over, clutching my heart as I feel the thread between Ruby and me slowly thin out. She doesn’t have much time.

The bridgeto my cottage looms ahead, and a thick mist rolls over the edges of the worn wooden planks. It’s so late, I feel my body burning because every move feels like a lifetime. I hardly notice the figure standing just on the other side of the bridge until her voice cuts through the turmoil in my mind.

“Gideon.”

Avalon’s calm, brisk tone freezes me instantly. She stands in the center of the bridge now, her torso draped in a dark maroon cloak, hiding her face from view. Her pink hair is a curtain of silky strands hanging limply in her eyes. She meets my gaze with urgency and something else that reminds me of regret.

“Avalon, I don’t have time to argue,” I snap, forcing myself to stand just in front of her, arms crossed. My pulse pounds like a drum in my ears as urgency continues to claw at my insides. “Please, the herb.”

“Where is she?” Avalon asks, her voice tight with concern. “How bad is it already?”

My hands clench into fists as another wave of images of Ruby in pain flashes in my mind. “Bad.” The word barely makes it past my throat without breaking.

Avalon doesn’t argue with me. Instead, she steps closer. “I had nothing to do with what happened at the club or the attacks.” She calmly reaches into her cloak, pulling out a small leather satchel from against her chest. “This is Adamatheas. The poison is derived from the mushroom Misthalas Mique,” she continues. “It should work, but, Gideon, Witches’ Kiss is ancient. Who did this?”

I snatch the satchel from her hand, my fingers curling around the pouch like a lifeline. My jaw clenches tightly as I carefully choose my words. “If I knew, I’d be hunting them instead of talking to you.”

Avalon’s expression softens, and for a moment, she glances down at her feet. “I swear to you I had nothing to do with this,” she mutters. “I would never?—”

“I know.” The words slip out before I can think to stop them. Something in my guts says she’s telling me the truth. My instincts right now are all I have.

I watch her shoulders ease only slightly, but her head tilts back up to me, and the concern in her eyes makes me unsteady. “The draugr are after something, and it’s very likely whatever brought your pretty mate to the Vale.” She hesitates, glancing back up at me solemnly. “They are too stupid to directly suspect that it could be a dating app. Perhaps you should work with the council to ban it.”

As I study her, my anger gives away to weariness. I feel my shoulders soften, and the guard I have up fades away. “No. We won’t ban it, not yet. For all we know, Ruby is the only human who has access to the app, so there is no certainty that it will happen again. Who am I to keep people from finding their happiness?”

I haven’t discovered what it was my brother was working on. He must have known about this app prior to Avalon or even me finding it. If it’s to do with the curse that keeps our realms separated, I want to know more first.

“You love her, don’t you?”

A soft smile grows over my face. It’s a vulnerability I hadn’t wanted to share with her, but her words are true. I’ve grown to love Ruby. She brings out a side of me I’ve never shared with a partner before. The only people who have truly known me inside and out are my best friends and my brother. Even Avalon knew only the crafted personality I chose to show her. Ruby sees all sides of me, and I have never felt afraid to share it.

Avalon’s voice grows tense for a moment as she suppresses a sarcastic chuckle. “I want a place on the council.”

I freeze as my pulse slams against my skull. For a moment, all I manage is to stare at her. Then fury boils beneath my skin, and I step forward. A bitter, hollow laugh tumbles from my mouth. “I knew it,” I hiss. “I knew you’d want something in return for just being decent.”

Avalon flinches, taking a long step backward from me. “Gideon, that’s not?—”

“I don’t have time for this,” I snap at her. “You think I have that kind of sway? You think I can just hand you a seat at the fucking council like it’s a favor?” My hands shake at my sides. “Ruby is dying.”

“That’s not fair,” Avalon says sharply. “I gave you the herb, no strings attached, but I need this, Gideon. This is my only chance to ask for it.” Avalon’s jaw tightens. “I don’t want to be queen here, but my mother expects it. It will be enough for my mother to feel assured that our alliance is met. She wanted me to be queen here as well as at home. But, if I’m on the council, I’m still queen in Eryndil, and I have political sway here.”

My body vibrates with anger, and I know I should walk away. I should tell her to go to hell, but the truth is, she has helped me, and I can’t afford more enemies.

“Fine,” I grit out. “It’s yours, but if you’re lying to me…”

“I haven’t,” she says firmly. “And I’m sorry Ruby was hurt.”

Her sincerity feels unsettling, but I have wasted too much time already, and there’s no time to unpack it.

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