Tentatively, I took a small sip. This drink was much sweeter than the wine.Finally, something drinkable!I gulped more down, relieved I enjoyed the taste and I wouldn’t have to worryabout offending Rogam. Corvin seemed to enjoy its taste as well. Rogam held his glass loosely in his left hand, swirling the drink, looking thoughtful. “Tell me—what brings you to my manor?” An edge of genuine curiosity laced his words.
Slowly, I took another drink, bracing myself. I hoped the backstory Corvin and I concocted on our travels would seem believable. “My fiancé comes from a prestigious military family. A long line of banshee warriors. The spirit of his great-great-grandmother clung so fiercely to the land that she has twice returned to guide a warrior bearing her bones. They…disapprove of our relationship. The details are irrelevant. But I need something to endear me to them. Something that would appeal to a military family.” I finished the contents of my glass. “Something so valuable that they couldn’t help but accept me. I would pay a large price for something like that.” I leaned forward, laying it on thick. “And keep on paying.”
The moment of truth. Would he bite? The back of my neck flushed from the anticipation—or from the alcohol.Perhaps I shouldn’t have drunk it all so quickly.
Rogam continued to swirl his glass lazily, not yet taking a drink. “I do have something that would appeal to a military family’s sensibilities. One of my greatest acquisitions. It would most certainly require a lifetime of payment. Of course, I could also offer you something more affordable—a relic with a powerful spirit slumbering within. That would do the trick. I have a knack for finding them, powerful relics. I dare say it has endeared me to Queen Elasha in the past.” Rogam was still speaking, but I began to have a harder and harder time focusing on his meaning.Maybe I really did drink too much.
I shook my head, as if I could shake off the heavy cloud seeping into my mind.
What did Rogam just say again? Something about making a choice?
My head swam dizzily. “I would rather be…in debt to you for life…than pass up the chance…to gain my in-laws’ approval.” I managed to respond, though each word required far more effort than was normal to spit out. Was this what happened when you drank heavily? My eyes darted to Corvin, trying to send him a subtle sign that something was wrong with me. He looked confused, eyes uncharacteristically glazed over. As I watched him, his head slumped forward onto his chest, the glass dropping from his hand, shattering at his feet in a loud cacophony, each shard clinking against the marble floor.
“Hel— Helpp…” I reached for Corvin, tongue thick, my plea for help coming out slurred. I tried to stand, only to fall to my knees. The room became a confusing whirl of light and color—everything spinning, spinning, spinning out of my control. Soon, even the colors started to fade, my vision rapidly blurring into nothingness. I collapsed onto the floor, a dry heave racking my body. Rogam peered down at me, a callous sneer etched across his face.
It was the last thing I saw before everything went black.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The marble floor was cool against my heated cheek.
My eyes slowly fluttered open. The rest of my body was less compliant. I tried to move a muscle, any muscle. But try as I might, my body was no longer mine to command. Paralysis settled over it like a heavy blanket. From my position lying on the floor, I could tell I was still in Rogam’s study. I spotted Corvin slumped over in his chair and would have given into despair if not for the steady rise and fall of his chest.He’s alive.
Had Rogam poisoned us? If so, with what? The Fae were able to naturally cleanse many toxins and poisons from their body. Theoretically, I had some of that same immunity flowing through my blood. But I had no idea how far back my Fae ancestry went. How potent that protection may or may not be. The sound of footsteps heralded our host’s return to the study. I kept my eyes half-lidded, trying to hide that I was awake.
Eventually, Rogam entered my line of sight. He reached for a long rope dangling from a crevice in the wall; I assumed he was calling for his servants. Only, it wasn’t a member of his serving staff that answered the call. But rather, several heavily armed guards. I heard them before I saw them, unable to turn my head even a fraction of an inch.
Rogam exited my purview, disappearing somewhere behind the study desk. Shortly afterward, a section of bookshelf swung forward, revealing what looked to be a downward staircase. The hinge didn’t even creak. If it led to a dungeon, the passagewaywas well maintained, suggesting he made ample use of its presence.Bastard.
This wasnothow I wanted us to find the entrance to his hidden wares.
“Tie them up,” Rogam barked at his guards. Quickly, I squeezed my eyes closed again.
“Are they poisoned?” one asked in a flat tone, all business.
Rogam’s response was equally devoid of emotion. “Paralytic Grilbur Toxin. Knocks ’em unconscious and freezes their muscles.”
“A fatal dose?” inquired a female voice, shuffling closer to my body as she spoke.
“No—the Fae want her alive. We’ll assume the same for him until we hear otherwise. They’ve been given just enough to incapacitate them. Not enough to still their lungs. Bind their arms and legs to be safe. This must be handled extremely carefully. We cannot risk offending the Fae. Ingwar, dispose of the glasses on the end table. They’re coated with toxin. Ciradyl, remove the woman’s necklace. It looks magical to me. I suppose if she was ordinary, the Fae wouldn’t have put a bounty on her using underground channels.”
“They’ve been informed?”
“I released the homing pigeon that delivered their message. It should find its way back to them.”
“Very good, sir. And when the Fae arrive? Should we be worried?”
“Be on alert. They can be very temperamental. But we have something they desperately want. That gives us the upper hand. Still, it would be best to inform the staff not to speak to them directly.” Rogam let out a disgruntled sigh. “Of course, I would have preferred not to deal with them at all. But then she went and lost me what could have been my biggest sale of the year. And damaged my reputation with Queen Elasha.” His voicedripped with outraged disgust. “I had to sell Kharum that book forone-thirdits value to save face. Tie them up, and let’s be done with it.”
Rough hands gripped my arms, yanking them behind my back. A moment later, they were bound. The rope was coarse, abrasive against my skin. The guard tightened the knot for good measure. Then tightened it again. An interesting quirk of anatomy that I couldn’t move but could feel pain radiating from where the rope bit into my flesh, cutting off my circulation. No gasps of pain escaped my lips, however—my vocal cords were frozen in place. The guard bound my feet next with the same lack of care.
A hand brushed the back of my neck, reaching for the clasp of my necklace. Nothing happened. She pulled the chain taut against my throat. It was giving her trouble. She swiped at the clasp a second time. Followed by a growl deep in her throat. “Sir, there’s something going on with the necklace. I can’t remove it.”
The second guard chimed in, “The man’s cloak too, sir; it won’t unclasp.”
Rogam’s voice held little patience when he responded. “Fine. Leave them on. The Fae should be here soon enough.”
“Where do you want us to put them?”
