Page 186 of I Ran Away to Evil
The marquess just raised an eyebrow. “Havork is sworn to obey the king and queen of Drendil, notyou,” Dorset retorted. “Who do you thinkthatwill be when you’re dead?”
“I’m too pretty to die.” Queen Thalia burst into tears.
“I assure you, that is not the case.” The marquess pulled out a vial.
Keith pointed out the obvious to stall for time. “You can’t kill the king and queen of Drendil and expect the council to accept you ascending to the throne? You’ll have the King Killer title.”
“Ah.” The marquess smiled at Keith. “ButIdidn’t kill them.You did.”
“Are you offering to give me the chance?” Keith turned a thoughtful look on the king and queen. Hehadbeen daydreaming about that very thing.
They shrank back from their cell wall.
“Thatwouldmake things easier.”
Keith sighed. “As much as I’d love to, I’ll let you do your own dirty work. I’m interested to see how you’ll manage this.”
“Can we talk this over?” King Simon cut in, but the fight was leavinghim. Keith could tell. He had backed down from the cell door, going to stand beside his wife. “It’s not too late to let us go and go back to working together.”
“I’d like to see you try to get one past Witch Agatha.” Queen Thalia stopped sobbing to glare at their captor. “That woman can sniff out the truth like a dog. A most unbecoming ability, but I’ll allow it if it meansyou’ll pay for what you’ve done.” She waved at her legs. “Just look what you’ve done to my dress! This is embroidered with arachne silk, you uncultured, pathetic beast!”
Watching the marquess suffer what Keith had suffered almost made the past few hours worth it.
“Bring in the slave,” Dorset snapped, and the servant left. He came back with an unconscious Lieutenant Franni Bertand slung over his shoulder. She looked much the worse for wear, but was still breathing.
“Oh, great!” Queen Thalia moaned. “Another monster.”
King Simon eyed the lizardkin and took a slight step behind his wife, putting her between him and Franni.
Keith frowned. The last time he’d seen the lieutenant, he’d sent her to the border with a lot of assassins trussed up with Veralyn’s Enchanted Restraint Manacles, one of which Franni waswearing. He didn’t like the implications of what that meant … but it explained a lot.
The man handed the marquess a high-level antidote, and Chadwick uncorked it, downing the contents. The servant showed off another Rogue ability when he pulled a glass container holding a small poofy black mushroom with ominous swirling blue mist from out of nowhere.
“A shroomdoom,” Keith remarked. “I see you came prepared. You’re planning to frame me through a servant?” He knew of a dozen ways that could go wrong, but he wasn’t about to tell hisenemythat. The mushroom was a very deadly fungi that when disturbed, exploded highly poisonous spores. He had prepared his own shroomdoom antidote, as well as one for Henrietta, and pulled it out of his storage ring now. It didn’t hurt to not take chances with his magical prison.
“Correct.” The marquess smirked.
“Wait!” Simon cried. “You can’t do this, or you’ll break the magical contract.”
“Actually, you’ll be happy to know that I’m not the one who’s hired this man. I’m just here towatch.”
The servant, who’d presumably already downed his own antidote, smiled as he put the shroomdoom on the floor in front of the royal’s cell.
“How much are they paying you. Whatever it is, I’ll pay you double—triple!” Queen Thalia wheedled, a hint of fear in her eyes.
The man ignored them, stood up, and tossed the lizardkin onto the shroomdoom. Great billowing plumes of spores filled the room, their glowing blue dots almost beautiful.
“See?” the marquess gloated at the king and queen’s unfortunate ending. “My plans are going perfectly.”
Keith let the man think that as he hooked a thumb through his belt and calmly waited for his princess in shining armor to come and rescue him.
CHAPTER 113
Could I Fight While Flying If I Rode Keith from Behind?
Henrietta
[You have been affected by the Perk:Strength of Sound. +2 Strength for 10 minutes.]
