Page 170 of A Crown Without Mercy

“Why the hell do you have him tied up?” Just as she started to slide off the bed, Riordan squeezed her thigh.

“Stay away from Kieran,”he mumbled telepathically.

“Why?”she asked.

“Syl, Kieran did this to Rio,”Nicolai admitted.

“What? No! He would never hurt either of you,”she protested.

“He did it. We all witnessed him attack Rio.”

“Nicolai, I don’t understand? Why would he attack his brother?”

“There were three of you standing before us after you and Vispera disappeared. We believe they got to Kieran at the same time. Either he’s a shifter or they fucked with his mind? We just don’t know?” Nicolai answered.

She stared at Kieran, who smiled and winked. However, there was something peculiar behind his warm expression, and absent was the familiar gleam in his eyes. She looked back at Nicolai for reassurance. He again nodded to Kundar, who removed Kieran from the cave.

Tears ran down her face and Nicolai picked her up and she wrapped her arms and legs around his body and tucked her face into the crook of his neck.

“Your blood will heal Rio and we will find a way to get Kieran back. If it is a Faye Shifter, in order to keep his form, they need to keep him alive,” he said, trying his best to comfort her.

Cathagne walked over to Kadric and whispered. “May I see Riordan’s wound?”

“I suppose?” He then addressed Nicolai. “Milord, would you allow Cathagne to look at Riordan’s wound?”

“Why?” he asked, as he set Sylvana down.

“Milord, I may know why he is not healing.”

Nicolai nodded, and he and Sylvana stepped aside. Carefully, she undid the strap and pulled the material back.

Sylvana looked behind her at Nicolai. “It’s barely healed?”

He wrapped his arms around her chest. “Thanks to you, it’s better than it was.”

Cathagne studied the wound and picked up on a subtle scent. She slid her fingers over the blood, rubbed them together, and smelt them; she then looked at Nicolai. “They have poisoned him with Ifyinpetta.”

“What the hell is that?” Nicolai questioned.

“It is toxic to thy Faye. Why would they poison him with it? He is Nosferatu, yes?” she asked.

Nicolai looked at Tobias, who was leaning against the cave’s wall near the bed. He pushed himself off and looked at Riordan before addressing Nicolai telepathically. “The three of you carry the powers of the Faye.”Tobias then looked at Cathagne. “What will it do?”

“If he does not receive thy panacea, it will kill him.”

“How do we acquire the cure?” Nicolai asked. “I can make it. However, I need to gather enough sap from thy Azunpary flower.”

“We will get whatever you need. Where is it?” Tobias asked.

“I need to go. It is a delicate plant, and you won’t know how to extract its sap. It grow’s only in thy Marsh of Savatham.”

“How long does Rio have?” Sylvana asked.

“I have never seen thy would heal on one who has been poisoned with Ifyinpetta. I suppose as long as you feed him, he will survive until we return?”

“Well, that was reassuring,” Sylvana mumbled under her breath.

“Cathagne, my men and I will take you, and I want to leave now,” Tobias said.

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