Page 65 of Only Flames Remain

A blush rose to her cheeks and I could feel myself taking a step forward without consciously meaning to do so. I was unequivocally drawn to her. I shook my head before taking a step back once more. I hadn’t realized my mouth had fallen open until all eyes in the room centered on me.

“Well, now that everyone has met…let’s eat!” I moved to the head of the table, pulling out the plush navy chair and sitting.

The others followed suit, Rensford sitting to my right as he always did, Voirel to my left. Aveline took the seat next to her. Only moments had passed between taking our seats and the first course being brought out, but it felt like an eternity of awkward silence.

Aveline in that dress had completely erased anything of use in my, apparently, pea-sized brain. Wiped clean like a slate. All I could think about was the roundness of her cheeks. The tint of her rose-colored lips. Those haunting eyes.

What the hell was happening to me?

I reached for the goblet at my place setting and took a deep drink of the wine that had already been poured. One drop on my lips was all it took for me to taste it, despite its dilution. I immediately pulled the goblet back ever so slightly.

I did not place it down.

I held it to my face as if I were still drinking. I tried to keep my face neutral and composed, but beneath the surface my blood was boiling.

Poison.

And not just any poison.

Ixia.

The bitter, floral taste was tangible on my tongue. If you had never tasted it before you might not recognize the unique flavor, but I was no stranger to it.

Ixia was one of the components in the tinctures Azhar made in order to control the pain of my curse and conceal its effects. It might be a poison…but it was effective at masking the curse. I had been taking it for years, and the recognition was immediate.

But…who would try to poison me? And in my own home?

My mind immediately drifted to Aveline.

I took another sip, a slow and sinister smile spreading across my lips as I gulped, placing the goblet back down. From the taste of it, I could easily down the entire glass and have no ill effects. It had been days since I had taken the tincture, and I was due for another dose, anyway.

There were three drops diluted into the wine, maybe four judging by the intensity of the flavor. It would have killed me had I not already built up a tolerance to it.

Was my cup the only one that had been altered? My gaze slid toward Ren and Voirel who were bent toward each other, engaged in conversation. It slid to Aveline last, no obvious signs of guilt distinguishable in her features.

Sure, it could have been one of the house staff.

But truthfully, Aveline had already admitted to having poisons in her possession and being a master at herb craft. It was bold of her to try to poison me outright. And at Stormgaard, no less.

She had no way of knowing the poison would have no ill effects on me.

Should I play into the charade and fake weakness? Faint? Or call her out in front of Rensford and Voirel?

No.

I wanted to watch her squirm. I wanted her to wonder why her plan hadn’t worked.

What a clever little human.

Rensford had been right, after all. King Faris, Queen Dyata, and likely even the princeling himself had sent her here for a reason. Who better to hide in plain sight than a human?

I felt the immediate relief from the searing pain in my side and I sat back, satisfied. If I didn’t know any better, Aveline was trying her very hardest to avoid my gaze. She was feigning interest in whatever it was Ren and Voirel were speaking about animatedly. When her gaze finally did reach mine, I raised my goblet in cheers to her, taking a greedy sip.

Her eyes widened ever so slightly.

She was smart to have waited until we were in Stormgaard, I had to give her credit for that. There was no army here. No Blackwater princes to protect me. No guards or royals in sight. She hadn’t counted on Rensford being here, but she likely assumed it was a calculated risk.

I had to admire that she had one single chance to slip the poison into my cups and she took it. No hesitation.