Page 75 of Kingdoms of Night

No! Blood beetles.

She struck the ground with her fist and moved over yet again even as the yerba maté continued to flourish and reach up to the sky. Some force was definitely affecting her summoning here.

Growling, she muttered the words again, focusing even harder. Something that burned a little bit, almost a thread of venom, pricked up against her hand and into the stream of energy. She caught it and channeled it.

The intensifying surge of energy sent her head spinning. Then something sharp pricked against her palm.

Yes! Yes! The feathered thorn plant rose from the ground, several of the red thorns already half the size needed for her blowpipe.

Relieved, she carefully broke three thorns free, thanked the feathered thorn plant, and then returned to the venom. The black lid easily screwed off the pot. Dipping each thorn and letting the venom dry would only take seconds.

Kopo seized the newcomer by the shoulders and lifted him off the ground. “Tell me where Annette is!”

Good for Kopo. He finally got a win.

She blew on one of the thorns and shook it in the air. Maybe now they’d get some—

The newcomer grabbed Kopo by the face, leaned in, and kissed him.

Well—there was an escalation.

Kopo jerked back, dropping him. He swore loudly. “The hell was that?”

“You did sweep me off my feet.” The newcomer polished his black fingernails on his velvet jacket and then studied them. “Wasn’t that the next logical step?”

“I didn’t say you could kiss me.” Kopo dragged his forearm across his mouth.

“And I didn’t say you could pick me up.” His maroon-and-black tattoos shimmying excitedly on his hands, the newcomer zipped out of the way as Kopo tried to strike him once more. “Or any of this actually. Exceptionally mixed signals, darling.”

“I didn’t ask to be here.”

“True. No one does. Which is why I won’t take any of this personally and neither should you.”

“Tell me where Annette is.” Kopo lunged at him.

“Now where’s the fun in that?” The newcomer danced to the side, letting Kopo skid across the brick path and into the thin grass and packed dirt. He was faster than a viper.

She slipped the feathered thorn into her blowpipe. The range wasn’t long compared to most, but it should work in a pinch.

Hopefully it would do a little moredamagethan a pinch, short of killing him.

Most people suffered sluggishness and lower extremity collapse from veru venom. Others got a rash and a headache and couldn’t move for a couple minutes. But if he wasn’t of one of the known races, well—she aimed and blew.

The feathered thorn shot through the air and struck him in the neck as he started to mock Kopo again.

“Ah.” The newcomer gaped and clamped his hand over the feathered thorn. His bright eyes bulged as he turned to face her. “Rude. Where did you get that? Are you jealous because I didn’t give you a kiss, love? I promise I was getting to you. You didn’t have to go and take all the fun out of it.”

The venom had chilled his mood, but he wasn’t falling over. Nor was his breathing impaired. So it wasn’t deadly. Good. Maybe?

Kopo pulled back as well, eyeing her, eyebrows raised.

She loaded the next feathered thorn into the blowpipe. “I want to know where Lalko and Annette are.”

“Fine,” the newcomer said, the playfulness utterly gone from his voice, “if that’s all you two want to know, you need to go to that castle.” He gestured with one hand in the general direction of the castle while keeping the other over his neck. “In the upper chamber with the indigo door. Can’t miss it. Everything will be clear then. No need to worry, though. Both girls are as safe as they were when you last saw them. Once you complete that and everything is made clear, you’ll be able to go your merry way.”

Kopo, eyes fixed on the castle in the distance, started heading in that direction, shaking his head and waving off the newcomer dismissively. Did Kopo believe this newcomer so easily? Was he that gullible?

“Well, love, aren’t you going as well?” He pulled the thorn out and grimaced. A large red welt marred his smooth lightly sun-kissed skin, but that appeared to be the extent of the damage, aside from flattening his otherwise lilting voice. “If you run, you might catch up with him. Unless you’re planning on shooting me again.”

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