Page 76 of King of Serpents

“Are the noble houses not meant to be equal in sharing the burdens of the shinara and speaking for the Seshanamitesh who occupy our great shinara?” Therxian inquired. “After all, this male here is from the eighth house, and your mother-line still found him worthy enough.”

She froze, her eyes snapping to the male in question, who remained in place with his head bowed. His gavo flattened under the weight of his scrutiny and hissed in disgust.

“Who gave you permission to idle here?” she demanded.

He shrank visibly, his gavo flattening further.

“I invited him to remain with me while he waited,” Therxian interjected coolly. Dehv’s head lifted slightly with a look of surprise before ducking again, though with far less tension.

Gareiia’s gaze trailed back to him. “How... considerate.” She suddenly smiled, the multiple fans of her gavo rising flirtatiously. “It is a pity that the queen insists on keeping her orders in effect... and that you are otherwise engaged,” she added as she turned a telling look toward Jathella, who was waiting patiently at the entrance to the queen’s nest.

“Yes,” he replied tonelessly. “But regretfully, I must go and see my mother. I cannot leave her waiting.”

“Naturally,” Gareiia replied. She drew back, her tail flicking, fanning her gavo toward him, sending another thick burst of pheromones cascading everywhere. She smirked and turned to leave. “I will see you very soon, Therxian.”

Therxian silently watched her depart with Dehv hurrying after her before finally turning toward Jathella, his wings expanding and flapping casually as he rolled his shoulders to relieve the tension gathered in his wingbase.

“Ridiculous female,” Jathella grumbled as she peered suspiciously down the empty corridor before turning abruptly back toward the entrance. “We have a crisis on our hands, and she is worried about securing her right for the next breeding rotation.”

“Can you really expect anything else from the greater majority of the noble families?” Therxian murmured as he drew up to her side. “That Mother tolerated their company at all is surprising.”

“Not so surprising if you had been here to witness her contend with the council. She has long suffered them and swallowed her own grievances to be the queen the shinara needed. But I think you know this now,” Jathella concluded, her gaze weighing him thoughtfully. She shifted the weight of her velkat to her other hand and sighed. “Your mother’s restraint is admirable as ever. Speaking of which, she is waiting for you. Let us not strain her patience any further than necessary.”

“I am grateful that she was able to make time for me. I had not been aware that she was so occupied,” he grumbled as Jathella slipped into the short corridor that formed the nest’s entrance.

“She was not supposed to be entertaining anyone at all,” Jathella hissed unhappily. “Healer Zhia was quite displeased, though I thank Mother Shangla that Elder Goyu has refused to leave the queen’s side. She proved to be a very effective buffer between Zara and Zathexa. She assisted Zathexa in keeping control of the situation despite her fragile health.” She glanced back at Therxian, and her expression softened. “Your mother is eager to see you. It seems that she had already planned to send me out to summon you. So your visit was quite fortuitous.”

“She wished to see me?” Therxian echoed in surprise. “Why?”

Jathella’s ear flicked, and she looked away just as his mother’s weak voice somehow still managed to carry from her sleeping chamber.

“Should a mother have a reason to wish to see her offspring?” Zathexa demanded crossly, and Therxian felt a smile pull at his mouth despite himself as he proceeded to her side.

“Mother, you should have thrown them out rather than let them tire you,” he admonished as she bent down to touch his cheek against hers.

She smiled weakly and huffed a small laugh. “Do you imagine it would have done much good? They would have just found another excuse to return and sink their teeth into me. Vicious females. It is difficult to believe that they are close relatives of mine. But then again, I never would have believed Yilada was capable of her crimes if I had not witnessed them with my own eyes. Perhaps there is a taint there that Mother and I never saw within our own related mother-lines,” she observed as she sank back into her cushions with a tired sigh. Elder Goyu smoothed her gavo with one tender hand, an expression of concern on her aged face.

In a rare demonstration of public affection, Zathexa covered the elder female’s hand with her own and tipped her head with appreciation. A faint, tired smile pulled at her mouth before she refocused on Therxian. “But let’s set aside why I wished to summon you for a moment. Since you arrived before I had the opportunity to call you, I am curious... what was so urgent that you requested an immediate audience? Especially when you have seldom come to me before now.”

“I have something for you,” he rasped, lifting the scroll. He hesitated at the last moment and turned toward Healer Zhia. “Or perhaps, more for you,” he amended.

The healer’s gavo rose and his mother struggled partially upright with interest before Elder Goyu managed to coax her back down onto the cushions.

“Where did you get this?” the healer whispered in awe. “I have no access to any of these poisons, but with this framework I can follow with logical substitutions that will better manage the queen’s symptoms.”

“My mate—Alex—she discovered it within the elder palace,” he slowly replied as he looked over and met his mother’s sharp gaze.

Zathexa drew in a sharp breath and silence thickened within the chamber for a terrible moment before she released it with a quiet laugh. “This human intrigues me more and more. She was the one who found the first clue as to my Vorahna’s fate, and now this. Truly, the scrolls must seek her out. A mistress of scrolls.”

“I believe Zhia’s pain tonic has finally kicked in,” Elder Goya observed with a chuckle.

The healer returned to the queen’s side and touched her clawed fingers to her pulse point. “Good. I was required to up the dosage, but it seems that this is continuing to manage the pain for the time being. I do not know how long that will last, however.” She sighed as she straightened, her attention returning to the scroll. “These will be impossible to find in the shinara. The Uralial merchant has disappeared. I have, however, committed the list to memory,” she replied as she rolled it back up and gravely returned it to Therxian.

He very gently pressed it back toward her. “It would serve far better use with a healer than with me. Keep it safe.”

The healer’s eyes widened, and she clutched it to her chest. “On my life, my prince.”

He inclined his head. “The others who were poisoned—”