To think that of all the people who’d wished him harm, I had been the one to offer him the poisoned chalice. His lips were a pale blue, his eyes dazed and unfocused. He swayed where he stood. Terror spiked through my veins, making my breaths come in rapid pants as I wracked my brain for a solution.Fuck. This was very bad.
“Casimir,” I said, careful to keep the panic from bleeding into my voice so as not to alarm him, “we need to go. I think you’ve been poisoned.”
I poisoned you.
I tugged at his arm, but he remained immovable.
“What? Why?” he whined, yanking his arm back so hard that I nearly fell against his chest. “I want to keep dancing.”
Feeling as though I were negotiating with a petulant toddler, I said, “I promise we can dance more later. But right now we need to get you some water, okay?”
With the promise of more dancing, Casimir allowed me to drag him off the dance floor into a secluded corner so that I could figure out what to do. I racked my brain for everything I’d read about poisons.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” he groaned.
Another passage from Gwen’s foraging text swirled across my consciousness.
“In the early stages of poisoning, some fungi, such as false morels and death caps, may trigger nausea and uncontrollable retching.”
I wished I knew what he’d ingested. Depending on the poison, retching would either alleviate his nausea or destroy his stomach lining. Casimir was displaying an array of symptoms that could apply to any number of poisons, from arsenic to aconite. But I didn’t need to be an expert on poisons to know what obvious next step was:seek medical attention as soon as possible.
When I’d been poisoned with Daemon wine at Bryce’s party, Casimir had brewed and dispensed a powerful antidote.But, I rationalized,even if I could identify the nature of the poison Evrenhad used, I had no way of procuring an antidote. Therefore, my only option was to find Evren and force him to give me the antidote. And every second we delayed, Casimir was getting worse. Panic licked a path up my spine.
A small bubble appeared between Casimir’s pale blue lips, and he groaned.
“Are you in pain?” I asked frantically.
“I just want… to lie down…” I caught him as he stumbled forward, staggering under his weight. He leaned against my shoulder, murmuring apologies, his eyes fluttering closed.
Up close, I saw just how pale he looked.Shit. I couldn’t lose my head, not now, when Casimir was so vulnerable. Frantically, I leaned over him as he sank back against the wall. “Casimir.” I roused him with a shake of his shoulders.
He gazed up at me and brushed his knuckles against my cheek. “You…so beautiful?—”
“Casimir, listen to me,” I urged. “You’ve been poisoned. We need to get out of here.”
The cacophony of laughter, the smell of booze and sweat, and the screeching of instruments had suddenly become unbearable.
“Have I?” he asked dazedly, a giggle escaping his bluish lips. “Well, I did say you’d be the death of me.” He choked on a hiccup. “And here we are…” With a hiss of pain, he fell silent, his eyelids fluttering.
It dawned on me with increasing dread that poisoning Casimir had likely been part of Evren’s plan from the very beginning. He’d known I had too much pride to reveal this aspect of our bargain to Casimir. Knew Casimir would trust me enough to drink anything I put into his hands. In one move, he had ensured my betrayal and Casimir’s compliance. The result was Casimir’s demise at my hands.
Knowing Casimir could die had shattered my resolve and broken through the floodgates that guarded my black heart. Therewas no longer any reason to pretend or deny it any longer. Every surreptitious touch, every stolen glance and word that had passed between us, every lie I’d told myself, every denial and curse belied every other possibility but one. His name may as well have been carved into my bones for how irrevocably he was etched across my soul.
I was in love with the Darkseer. And I would do whatever it took to save him.
36
We got as far as the hallway just beyond the ballroom doors before Casimir hurled up the contents of his stomach onto the floor. As though he’d been waiting for us, Evren stood leaning casually against a wall, a wolfish grin plastered across his mouth. Like he was delighted that we’d fallen right into his trap.
“Right on schedule,” he drawled.
The sight of him looking so smug sent a pulse of fury surging through me. I palmed the dagger still strapped to my thigh beneath my silk dress. If it came to it, and I had no other options, I wouldn’t hesitate to use it.
I guess I’m dressed for battle after all.But even if I incapacitated Evren, how would I procure the antidote? What if therewasno antidote? Panic seeped in at the edges of my vision—but no, I could not—would not—consider that possibility.
I forced myself to remember that I was the Heir, the Keeper of the council’s secret. If all else failed, I could use that as leverage. The unpredictability of it all made me sick to my stomach, but one thing was for certain: I would see Evren’s blood spilled for what he had done.
The Bloodweaver pushed off the wall and strode over to where we stood, eyeing Casimir’s slumped frame and pale countenance. “Oof, your Darkseer’s not looking too well, is he?” he said, smirking.