Page 19 of A Heart Of Bitter Poison
Eryx stirs and Ediye pins Cole with a dark look of alarm, her eyes flashing briefly to mine. “Then I’m sure his twin won’t be too pleased that we killed her brother.”
“Probably not.”
Ediye lets out a heavy lungful of air and gives a resigned nod. She turns her attention over to me, reaching out a hand to trace a finger across the thin thread of blood on my neck. She tries to keep her expression serene when she meets my eyes, but I can see the wariness in her gaze. “Tell me what happened.”
I let go of my own sigh. Ediye translates my words for Cole and I leave out no details about how Ningish tracked my scent or how he burst through the wall. I describe every missed bite, every spray of venom. A crease appears between Ediye’s brows as my hands slow until the words dry up in my flesh. I finally stop when I reach the moment I plunged my blade through the eye of the monster. But Ediye doesn’t push for more. She just waits for me to continue, watching as my hand drifts down to mykaiken, tensing and easing on the handle. When I shift my attention to Cole instead and glance back to her, I see a spark of pride and relief in her eyes.
I’d already killed the snake. Ashen appeared and beheaded it,I sign after I reluctantly let go of my dagger.
“You may have killed Ningish here in the Living Realm, but Ashen kept him from coming back,” Cole says.
My brows draw together as I consider his observation. I hadn’t thought of that, but he’s right. We have the head sitting right here with us. There was no glittering ash when it died. Ashen must have given it an everlasting death with something more than just the burn of hellfire on his Reaper blade. Either that, or there was still enough Angelwing residue on my own dagger for one more final kill.
I picture the sword in the grip of his palm and tilt my head as the image replays in my mind.Ashen had new tattoos on his knuckles. A date, two days ago. What does that mean?I ask, Ediye putting words to the motion of my hands.
Cole’s expression grows stern and his eyes drift down to the self-inflicted wound on my neck. His lips thin as he chooses his words. “The Council has formed an army. Ashen’s been made Master of War. That’s the mark of his status.”
A cold wind skirts across my skin but I still snort a laugh.Master of War?
Cole gives a single nod. Judging by the serious look on his face, he doesn’t think the grandiose title is as funny as I do. “It gives him not only more political power within the Shadow Realm, but more physical power. He’s faster. Stronger. And Ember, she’s been given a position on the Council itself.”
Fuuuuuck, I mouth, drawing the word out. That can’t be good for anyone.And his blood in the thermos, how did you get it?
“He gave it to Imani. He told her to add the spices and warm it when she was ready to give it to you.”
“Imani?” Ediye asks, her gaze bouncing between us.
“She ownsBit Akalum, the club where all Reapers congregate, no matter what House they’re from. She’s not on the Council but she has a lot of power, and interests beyond the Shadow Realm. Interests that depend on a balance between realms. She’s been helping Eryx and me, setting up safe houses for us like this one, making connections with a few allies.”
“And the dagger and notebook?”
“Ashen gave her those as well.”
“If he gave all these things to her, did he know she was involved with your plan to get us out?”
Cole blows a thin stream of air through pursed lips. “If he knew of our plan, he never said anything to me or Imani about it. She told me Ashen just gave the items to her without any instruction aside from how to provide the blood. I’ve barely seen Ashen around lately, and haven’t spoken to him at all since you were captured.”
Ediye tries to keep her expression impassive, but I see a star flicker briefly in her eye. “There’s a good chance he knew you were planning a rescue if he gave Imani these things, unless he just wanted her to smuggle them in for us. But why take such a risk that they would be discovered? He would know there was hardly any place to hide them in the cell. And Gallus would probably notice if Lu was feeling even a little better after a decent meal.”
Ediye’s comment about Gallus sparks a dark thought that, once ignited, paints Ashen’s actions with a sinister light.Semyon arranged for me to feed before he blew the roof off The Maqlu club,I sign, my skin erupting in gooseflesh at the memory. Semyon knew I’d need blood in my system to survive capture and what he planned to do to me afterward. Maybe Ashen’s motivations are the same. Maybe he needed me to live to finish the process, to become the weapon for the Master of War.
Ediye’s hold on my eyes sharpens and I sit back against the sofa, lifting my shoulders in a noncommittal shrug. Now that I’ve thrown that thought out there, I’m not willing to delve any further into what Ashen’s motivations might be for giving his blood or retrieving my belongings.
Maybe he did it for my benefit, maybe for his. Maybe he knew their plan, maybe he didn’t. The reasons why don’t matter anymore. Because the fact still remains, he stood on that dais and never raised a protest to stop us from being dragged down to hell. He didn’t petition for our freedom. He didn’t deny Ember’s claims, not about luring me in, or letting those fucked-up hyenas loose, or about his role in ushering me over to Semyon. Come to think of it, there was only one word he actually spoke that whole time. The name of another woman.Davina.
Ashen watched it all unfold, then seized power from it.
Motherfucker. I wish I could have a do-over of our encounter in the barn just now. I’d hurtle mykaikenstraight at his dick.
“Did he say or do anything else?” Cole asks, his eyes narrowed and wary as he watches my face. I realize only now that the red light is gleaming in my pupils. My fist is closed tight around the handle of my blade, my hand vibrating with rage. Cole says my name like a question and I force my expression into something less menacing.
I nod at Cole, then turn my gaze to Ediye as I sign.He asked what I was doing there. He said he told me to stay inside, which didn’t make any sense at the time. But then he referred to his note.
“A note? Where, in your journal?”
My gaze slides between Ediye and the notebook next to me on the couch.Yes. It just said ‘I’m sorry’. The necklace you gave me was taped next to it on the page.
“Are you positive there was nothing more?”
