Casimir’s dark gaze fell to the silver snake coiled around my throat. “He was a serpent, after all,” he mused. “How did Sinclair discover that you were the Heir?”
“My mother sent a box of my father’s old things at the beginning of term. There was a journal, among other things. August stole it from our dormitory before I ever got a chance to read it, thinking it was mine.”
Surprise flared in his eyes.
I continued, “Soon after, Devereaux forced August into a veilbound bargain to prevent him from leaking any information that might stop the blood ritual.” I explained how this also applied to his knowledge about my status as the Heir. “This being the eve of the ritual, I suppose the window for interference has closed, so to speak.”
“Which is why August was finally able to tell you tonight.” Casimir concluded. “Well, that explains why he wanted you to flee,” he added grimly. “And did you learn the Keeper’s secret?”
I nodded, the secret on the tip of my tongue, when Casimir clapped his hand over my mouth, startling me.
“You can’t tell me,” he warned. “You cannot tellanyoneelse this secret. Not even your mortal friends. It’s far too dangerous.”
I frowned as he removed his hand from my lips. “But August already knows the secret.”
Casimir’s irises were dark as he met my gaze, but he did not reply. Instead, shook his head and pulled me closer. “Come on, let’s dance.”
I agreed, and we maneuvered through the throng of dancers as the string quartet picked up a wistful tune. I felt myself drifting, lost in the thrum of the music and trapped in Casimir’s gaze. My eyes widened in surprise as he suddenly leaned in to press a kiss to my lips. Still, he seemed unaffected by the potion I’d slipped in his drink. My arms wound around his neck, drawing him close, trying to make the moment last. He drew back so that he could spin me around once, twice, the lights from the chandeliers blurring in my vision until I was dizzy.His eyes were liquid chocolate as they gazed into mine. Maybe everything would be okay. Maybe the potion wasn’t nefarious after all. Perhaps Evren had just wanted to fuck with me.
With an elegant, fluid movement, he dipped me back, exposing my neck to the ballroom as all around us couples twirled on the dance floor, the melody humming a sensuous rhythm into my bones. My cheeks were blazing with heat from the frenzy of our dancing, my skin thrumming with need, aching to be alone with him, to feel his touch once more.
Casimir smirked as he dipped me lower, his lips cold as ice as he pressed them against the hollow of my throat. Several pairs of eyes flashed in our direction, curious to know the identity of this darkly handsome student dropping kisses on Arden Farrow, the scholarship girl, of all people. My breath hitched, and I knew Casimir heard the gasp escape my lips. He flicked his tongue over my throat, tasting my sweat and making me shudder.
“You taste sweeter than Daemon wine,” he murmured against my skin, his words slurring together.
Liquor had never affected him much before. Something was wrong. My heart plummeted.
He gazed back at me, glassy-eyed and smiling dazedly. His eyes roved over my dress, over the chainmail clinging to my waist and draped over my bust. All thoughts fled from my mind as his hands slid lower on my hips, drawing me flush against him.
“I never told you why I made that bargain with you in the first place,” he said abruptly, and my mind emptied of all thoughts.
“You didn’t want me to get in the way of your plans to stop the Order,” I replied. “The bargain ensured I wouldn’t.”
“No,” he said. His words, the heat of his breath in my ear, were all that remained. He leaned back to examine my expression.
“I wanted to get to know the girl who was prepared to beat her attacker with a lamp in the middle of the library.”
“You thought I was mad,” I guessed, my lips twitching.
“Partly,” he said, drawing me closer once more. “But it wasn’t just that. You know it wasn’t.”
“And now?” I whispered.
“Now, I don’t ever want to be unbound from you.”
I bit my lip. “Swear you’ll never betray me.”
“Never.”
The promise set my pulse fluttering. It was selfish to ask such a thing of Casimir, to whom I’d already told so many lies—to make him swear never to betray me, knowing I had already betrayed him. I leaned in to kiss him, but stopped, my breath hitching on a gasp. His warm bronze skin had faded to a sickly shade of ivory, and a sheen of sweat that had nothing to do with our dancing bloomed across his forehead.
On a hot evening last summer, I’d stumbled across one of Gwen’s books on foraging. I’d decided to read it with the idea that I might traipse the forest, searching for edible flowers and mushrooms. The text warned that while certain plants appeared harmless, they could induce toxic effects and even lead to death if consumed. The book also stated that sometimes symptoms of poisoning manifested as a viral illness. For instance, opium caused weakness and euphoria, whereas Hemlock triggered body tremors and muscular paralysis. Ingesting Belladonna caused victims’ pupils to dilate, their skin becoming pallid and sweaty.
I saw now that his eyes were glazed over, the amber soft and unfocused, like the surface of a glassy pond, his pupils blown wide. Ohgods.What had I done?
Horror sucked the air from my lungs. It wasn’t a trick; the vial had been poisoned.
I’d poisoned him.