Gerch shook his head. “I don’t know. He was fighting his way through an impressive array of Nille’s guards and he suddenly just dropped. I had my hands full keeping them off him when he went down.”
Dialle’s skin beneath my fingers was cold. It was quickly turning gray. “We need to get him back to court.” I tried to lift him but my strength was too depleted. Gerch pushed me gently away. “Allow me, my queen.” He easily lifted Dialle.
I scrubbed a hand over my cheeks and found them wet. Tears. Damn! I turned to Slayer and Brina. “I’m taking Dialle to the court. You’ll finish up here?”
Slayer nodded. My gaze met Brina’s. “Thank you,” I told her.
She inclined her head slightly.
“We must hurry, my queen.”
I touched Gerch’s arm and pictured Dialle’s chambers in my mind. As the air started to shimmer around us I turned to Gerch and said, “Don’t call me that.” His grin made it possible for me to breathe again.
Maybe Dialle would be all right.
* * * * *
The hardest thing I have ever done, ever, was agree to let Astis heal Dialle. But though I tried to resist, the court healers didn’t have the skills needed to save him. As I paced his chambers for hour after hour, his skin grew cooler to the touch and the warm, golden tones of it turned grayer by the moment.
When his breathing sounded rough and ragged and his broad chest heaved with the effort of dragging air into his lungs, I knew I couldn’t wait any longer. I sent Gerch to get her.
The faithful Gerch led the evil witch into Dialle’s chambers on the end of a golden leash, noticeably keeping her as far away from his body as he could.
I knew how he felt. Just having her in the room made me long for a shower.
He handed me the leash and stepped away, moving just beyond the reach of the golden links but not too far, in case I needed his help.
Astis peered at me through hooded eyes, her smile telling me all I wanted to know about her mood. If she had her way, she would make me beg for her help.
I had no intention of begging.
I yanked the leash and she fell toward me, gasping with delight as the cutting links tore into the delicate flesh of her throat. Her small hands fell to my chest as she landed hard against my body.
Her fingers twitched with the desire to pinch.
“Don’t even think about it, witch.”
She gave me a breathless laugh, already deep in thoughts of pain and pleasure.
I dragged her toward Dialle and stopped, twisting the leash at her throat until she moaned with pleasure. Bending close to her ear I said, “This is the way it’s gonna be. You will heal him quickly and with as little pain as possible. Or I will send you to the pleasure parlor, to be petted and pampered and touched in the gentlest of ways for an entire month.” Astis shuddered at the thought. “Are we clear?”
With a stuttering sigh, the witch bit her lip and nodded. “There’s no need to get nasty, Tweener.”
I loosened my grip on the leash and she frowned. “I think there’s every need. Now, get busy.”
Astis dragged the covers back from Dialle and I gasped. His flat, hard stomach was a mottled black and blue. It looked as if he’d been beaten severely. Astis reached out and pressed her fingers into the area, causing Dialle to cry out and surge upright, his pretty black eyes spiraling with the greens and browns of pain.
I gritted my teeth and reached for her, gently stroking her arm until she cringed away. “I need to test his injuries.”
“And I told you not to cause him unnecessary pain.”
Sighing theatrically, Astis placed her pale hand over Dialle’s stomach and the air around it shimmered.
Dialle’s head thrashed from side to side and he groaned.
“What’s wrong with him?”
Astis slid me a sideways look. “He has been poisoned. As you were.”
I was stunned. I’d assumed I’d been poisoned by the creature in Betty Davis’ house. Dialle hadn’t been anywhere close to the dog-like creature. “Do you recognize the poison?”
Astis’ expression looked fierce, her pale skin covered in a light sheen of sweat. She ignored me and I let her get away with it. I knew it had taken nearly everything she had to heal me. I didn’t know if Dialle was worse, but I wasn’t willing to risk him by distracting her when she was trying to heal him.
So I stepped back, handing the leash to one of the healers standing by. Turning to Gerch, I met his worried black gaze. “Do you know a Royal named Brina?”
He frowned but nodded.
“Bring her to me. I need to speak to her.”
I could tell Gerch was more than curious at my request but I wasn’t ready to explain or share my relationship with Brina yet.
Hades, I didn’t even know what my relationship with Brina was yet.
With a final worried look in Dialle’s direction, Gerch strode away. I turned back, watching Dialle and feeling helpless. If only my healing skills were stronger.
The air beside me shimmered and Slayer appeared. “How is he?”
I just shook my head, too upset to say the words. He wasn’t good. In fact he was really bad. But I felt that if I said it out loud, his dire circumstances would become a reality. I just wanted to pretend he’d be fine.
Slayer stood beside me frowning. I knew he wasn’t all that fond of Dialle so I had to wonder what he was upset about. Before I could ask, the door to Dialle’s chambers opened and Brina strolled in, her rapier strapped to her hip.
She gave Slayer a smoldering look and touched the pommel of her rapier as she strolled past and addressed me. “You rang?”
“I need to find out how Dialle and I got poisoned.”
“And you think I know?”
“No. But I need you to find out. You and Slayer.”
She cast him a look and snorted. “Surely you jest?”
“I never jest where Dialle’s life is concerned.”
She cast a look toward the bed for the first time, her expression growing more serious. “The king languishes?”
I frowned.
“I think I might know who you’re looking for.” Slayer stepped forward so that he faced Brina and me, his back to the bed. His frown had deepened.
“Spill it, Slayer. What do you know?”
“I recognized a magic signature at the cave. One that I sensed at Mx. Davis’ home and at the old lady’s.”
“Mx. Diamon’s?”
“Yes. I couldn’t place it at first. It’s been bothering me. But I think I’ve got it now.”
He glanced at Brina, looking as if he was uncertain he should speak in front of her.
“Slayer!” I was quickly losing my patience, never a snake with a long tail to start with.
He hesitated a moment longer, until my glare made a big enough impression on him, and then said, “I think it’s Crisanne.”
Brina lifted a dark eyebrow. “Is she a witch?”
“No. Why do you ask?”
Brina glanced at me. “The poison. I recognize its effects. I don’t know which one it is exactly, but there’s only one class of poison that creates a dying belly like that. From the benedictine plant on Mars. It’s popular with sorcerers and witches because several different poisons can be made from it. All of which kill the internal organs and rot the victim from the inside out.”
Placing a hand on my belly as it spun in memory of my own bout with the poison, I gave the Royal a sharp glance. “I thought you didn’t know where the poison came from.”
She shrugged. “I don’t. Specifically. I only know where it probably originated from. Mars initially, and then somebody’s coven.”
My gaze slid to Astis and an ugly suspicion danced across my mind. “How is this poison administered?”
Brina shrugged. “It depends on the particular poison, of course. I’ve heard the covens have perfected a poison that can be transmitted through a kiss.”
And with those seemingly innocuous words, my entire world crashed down around me.
My knees buckled and I started to droop. Slayer grabbed my arm and yanked me upright. “What’s wrong, Astra? You just lost about four shades of color.”
I shook my head and pushed Slayer’s hand away, striding toward the witch at Dialle’s bedside. I grabbed her arm and yanked her violently around.
She sighed with pleasure.
“What is the name of this poison?”
Her smile made me want to send a power arrow between her eyes. I think the only thing that stopped me was the sure knowledge that she would enjoy it for the few seconds before she died.
“I have two words for you, witch…pleasure parlor.”
She glared but finally responded. “Benificious. It is a particularly vile concoction, generally fatal. I am one of few who know how to remove it totally from the victim’s system.”
I glanced at Slayer and Brina. “Isn’t that awfully handy for us? Who uses this poison?”
Astis’ expression was slightly smug. “Few covens know the secret of its makeup. It is what you might call a designer poison, made up of the worst elements of all its cousins. My coven has used Benificious against our enemies for decades.”
“So you’re telling me the Angel City Coven is behind Dialle’s and my poisonings?”
“Not at all. We sell some of our stock to other covens.”
“I’ll need the names of those covens.”
She named three out of dozens of area covens. They were the largest three. Apparently Benificious came at a price only the wealthiest covens could afford.
“Who else might have access to this poison?”
Astis shrugged, her glance sliding away guiltily before she shuttered it.
I grabbed her shoulder. “Tell me!”
She shuddered with pleasure at the harsh treatment and looked at me from under lowered lashes. Her tongue slipped across her lips in a purely sensual way.
“Cut it out, Astis!”
“But your reaction is so much fun, Tweener.”
Before I could stop him, Slayer strode across the room and grabbed her arm, yanking her up off the floor in a quick, brutal move. Something in her shoulder popped and she cried out, her eyes rolling closed with pleasure.
“Slayer!” I grabbed his arm. “That isn’t the way, I need her thinking right now, not having an orgasm from rough treatment.”
His pretty golden eyes widened as he realized what I was telling him and he dropped her arm like a red-hot lump of coal.
I touched Astis’ arm, sending healing power into it until the shoulder popped back into place.
Her eyelids fluttered and opened. She eyed Slayer up and down, licking her lips. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know if this one will beat me.”
I think Slayer growled. If he didn’t it was me. I’d prefer to think it was him. “I need information and I need you to heal Dialle.”
Her silver-gray gaze slipped down Slayer’s body, assessing. “Then he’ll beat me?”
I expelled a breath and glanced at Slayer. His lips were twisted in disgust but he met my gaze, finally nodding.
“Yes. Get on with it. Dialle’s getting worse while you play your stupid games.”
“I had some of the poison in my things.”
My stomach sank and dizziness swamped me again. I had known. But I didn’t want to admit it fully to myself. I sucked air and forced my knees to straighten, pushing away the sadness that made my stomach roil. “Let me guess, you put it into a lipstick and kissed him?”
She snorted. “Stupid Tweener. Do you honestly think I’d kiss an enemy? My poisons are all in oils.”
Slayer nodded. “To tip weapons, fingernails…”
“Claws?” Brina stepped forward. She looked at Slayer. “The Puka.”
He nodded.
“Yes. The poison was in a small blue bottle.” She glanced at me. “When you became ill I went looking for it. It was missing.”
“So someone in the Royal Court took it?”
“That was my assumption.”
I nodded, frowning. Glancing at Slayer, I asked, “Puka?”
“What were you doing during your Human Mythology classes, Astra?” Slayer shook his head.
“Sleeping. They were always the early morning classes.” I grinned at him. “I didn’t do mornings back then. I was determined not to join the adult world any sooner than necessary.”
“Some would you say still are,” the witch murmured.
Brina snorted and I glared at her. “Tell me about the Puka.”
“That creature who attacked me at the old woman’s house,” Brina offered. “It was a Puka.”
“Ah. Yes.” I nodded, the pieces sliding together. “As I recall, the Puka is a mythological fairy and shapeshifter that can assume all sorts of forms.”
“I’ve seen them take the form of a horse, a rabbit, a goat and a dog,” Slayer offered. He looked at me. “Didn’t you say you saw one in the Davis home, right before you got sick?”
“Yeah. I was scratched.” I frowned. “That would explain my poisoning, but not Dialle’s.”
“Could he have gotten sick from touching you?” Brina looked at Astis.
“Not likely.” Turning back to Dialle, she pointed to a line of scratches that ran from his armpit to his waistline on one side of his torso. Despite her healing efforts, the scratches remained deep and still festered. “This is probably where the poison was introduced. I’d say from gargoyle claws if I had to guess.”
“So the Puka took the form of a gargoyle?” I glanced at Slayer.
“Possibly.”
“Or someone behind the scenes is orchestrating the attacks, using these other creatures to cover for him.”
“Or her,” Slayer added, lifting an eyebrow to remind me of our earlier conversation.
And we were back to his former girlfriend, Crisanne.
“Brina, take Slayer around the court and see if he can find this Crisanne chick. If she’s behind this I’m going to bitch-slap her onto the next moon.”
She nodded and turned away. Slayer touched my arm. “Will you be okay? Maybe you should call Darma to be your backup.”
I snorted. “I’d rather take your place beating the witch.” Shaking my head, I turned back toward the bed. “I’m going to stay here with Dialle. I’ll be fine. Gerch will be here with me.”
Slayer looked at the massive royal soldier standing just inside the door, his thick arms crossed over a huge chest and his wide red face intense. “Okay. You know what to do if you need me.”
“Coming, Tweener?”
Slayer rolled his eyes and started toward the door and the petite Royal waiting impatiently for him.
I turned back to the bed and was relieved to see that Dialle had a little more color. Astis’ magic was working.