Page 56 of Of Vows and War: Special Edition
Drown her in the sea? Possibly, though I wagered there would be a Water in the next crew. Our last one had barely made it off the ship in time, I doubted they wanted to risk their lives again. A new crew would have no idea just how dangerous it was to travel with us.
I could save them the trouble and danger if I ended her now.
Maybe poison was not such a bad idea. It was simpler than the other plans, less obvious.
“Okay, feisty little wife, here is your rum,” Sterling said from behind me. I jumped, not having heard him. I was losing track of time. Dangerously oblivious to the world around me more often than not. I had to focus.
“What you should be doing is learning about your realm and preparing for war, yet you remain in your fantasies and allow yourself to be at risk,” Wrath whispered as I took the bottle from Sterling. Of course he would buy the entire thing. “If you kill the queen, the Fae Realm might just fall. You would risk the lives of every fae here just to—what? Prove a point? Get revenge on a female who is practically your mother?”
“She is not my mother!” I growled out. From the corner of my eye, I saw Sterling staring at me in nervous bewilderment. Sighing, I straightened my spine, shaking my head slightly. Myhair, styled in silky waves, fell around my face and momentarily protected me from his scrutiny. “I need a poison that has no taste, color, or smell. Something untraceable.”
Sterling deserved credit for his composure. He did not so much as flinch at my question. “Arsenic.”
“Excellent, where can I get that?” I inquired, ready to finally take the action needed to stop this war in its tracks.
“There’s an apothecary near the tavern.” With a finger, Sterling pointed towards a small brown building with a bright red sign that readApothecary: Healing and More.
“Is themorewhat we need?” I asked, looking up at him. He smirked, taking a swig from the bottle he snatched from my hand. Then, he nodded, waving a hand for me to lead the way. “Fantastic. I love bloodthirsty Healers.”
We walked silently, trading the bottle back and forth like two miscreants on a mission to cause chaos. In fact, that was exactly what we were—crowns aside. A bell rang as we opened the door, a musky and thick smell wafting our way. A female with long auburn hair and deep brown skin smiled at us from behind the counter, but any view of her was quickly blocked when two other females cut into our path.
One of them had curls that swirled around her like a tornado, the color that of coffee before cream. She was round everywhere but her eyes, which were the shape and color of almonds. Beside her was a female that looked like she crawled up from the Underworld. Her eyes were dark as night, her smile feral. She had dirty blonde hair that clashed with her pale skin. She was terrifying.
“Apologies, Princess Asher. We were just grabbing supplies for our voyage and simply had to say hello.” Shallow bows were offered so quickly they might have been figments of my imagination. As it seemed many things were these days.
“It is nice to meet you both. Unfortunately, we do not have time to talk, as our ship has been turned into firewood and we must find new passage. But I wish you both the best.” I tried side-stepping them, but the dark-haired one got in my way. She lifted her arms, making motions and gestures with her hands and fingers that seemed intentional.
The blonde nodded, chuckling softly before turning my way again. “You are in luck, we have room.”
III
Act III
Chaos and Order
Chapter Twenty-Five
Asher
The captain had a preference for the ostentatious. She was bold with her gestures, which her crew called signs. Every move she made was flamboyant and entertaining. Mia seemed to greatly dislike her, preferring to stay below deck rather than remain in Perdita Harligold’s presence. It made me like the merchant even more.
She was currently waving her hands in dismissal at one of her crewmates that tried to stop her from scaling the ropes that tied the sails in place. It was hilarious, watching her be both a terrifying and ridiculous sailor. The seasickness that still tortured me was worth such a sight.
Absently, I used my fingers to trace the spaces my scars had been. I kept inventory, reminding myself of the story once etched on my skin.
Wrath remained silent at my side, his head resting on the edge of the boat as he watched the rolling waves. He had taken to only correcting me when I thought something he viewed as particularly idiotic. Still, he remained, usually only visiting when I thought of my time with Bellamy. Like a reminder that my brain was capable of deceiving me.
When my eyes moved back to the place the captain had been, I found nothing but rope and open sky. She was gone, nowhere to be seen. How had she moved so quickly? Was she alright?
“Excuse me!” I yelled to the blonde who had been with Captain Harligold in the apothecary, where we sadly were not able to get any useful poisons. Bek was her name. She turned from her spot on the deck, smiling wickedly as she made her way to me. “Where did your captain go? Is she safe?”
“I am not sure, let me see. Are you safe, Captain?” Her hands moved with such speed I was not quite sure how on Alemthian anyone could understand the signs. Looking over my shoulder, I spotted her. Perdita flashed me a coy smile from her spot mere inches away. I leapt back, surprised and slightly unsettled by her nearness. She offered a couple sharp moves of her hands and a wink my way. “She says she is more than fine.”
“Well that is good. I just wanted to make sure since I saw you upon the masts and then you were gone.” How had she done that?
The two of them chuckled, Captain Harligold’s nearly silent.
“You underestimate Harligold’s speed. She is not the most notorious…merchantto sail these waters for nothing. Onto more important things though.”
