Her jaw tightens.
I lean back.“And perhaps you’ll get good enough one day to kill me yourself.”
Her eyes narrow; she isn’t dumb.
But she can’t pass up the opportunity to learn more ways to protect the woman she loves.
As shebegrudgingly starts to answer my questions, I listen intently.Arienna might only see the monster now, but I’llmake hersee the man.
Thirty-Two
A good brownie never leaves the table until everyone isfinishedeating.
Uh… ah… um… hm… - Arienna
Standing in the middle of the royal kitchen,baking a cakemere hours after we got back from Brownston,Ihave never been more nervous in my life.At leastwith the wasps,I wasn’ttechnicallybreaking any rules.It’s not murder if youinvite someone over, and they justhappento get eaten byyour pets.That’s just… life.Things need to eat.Accidents happen.People die sometimes.But this?Baking him a cake full of poisonin his own kitchen?
There’s no two-ways about it.This is bad.So bad.I’m a terrible brownie.I need to take myself to jail.
A high-pitched giggle escapes me as I whisk the batter inthebowl, flingingbits of it everywhere.My eyes wide, I try not to think about the two female guards behind me.
They’re standing at attention on either side of the door leadinginto the hall, one hand on the hilt of their swords.Dressed in the black leather and purple trim of the Royal Guard, they cut a fierce shape in the otherwise cosy, yet state-of-the-art kitchen.The high ceiling arcs above me.The wooden countersand islandsit in a wide-open space.And yet,the room stillseemsto be suffocatingme.
Yanking at the collar of my jumpsuit, I set the bowl down and turn on the oven.The sun-shaped rune, symbolingheat, turns red,and I ratch around the cupboards, looking for a suitable cake tin.All the while, I giggle uncontrollably.
But at least I look happy.Andthe guards won’t suspect a thing if I look happy.My laughter gets a little bit louder.The oven heats.I put in the cake.I try not to wring my hands.
I’m doing the right thing, I tell myselfas I wait for it to bake.It’s my responsibility to save Karl, and I don’t want to die either.And if I die, then Fabia will go on a murder spree, I’m sure, and then she’ll die too.So really, I’m saving three people by killing one.
Even if he did save my wasps.
Even if his eyes told me how desperate he is to be seenassomething more thanthe monsterthatpeople fear.
Even if the guilt in my chest is crushing me even more than this room is, the walls folding in on me until I can barely breathe.
The laughter choking in my throat, I hesitate when the oven dings.Do I really want to go through with this?
Yes.
Yes, I want to live.
Taking the cake out of the oven, I let it cool a bit before covering it with icing.Then I take a deep breath, prepared to turn around and ask the two guards to take me to my king.Perhaps, if I’m lucky, I’ll get there before he steps into the fairy ring with Karl.But just as I start to turn, I realise one horrible, terribletruth.
Oh, bugger, I forgot the poison.
Placing the cake back down on the counter, I start to lookthrough the cupboards.Standing on my tiptoes, I peer into the ones aboveme.Crouching, I sift through the ones below.Annoyingly, there only seems to be food-safeingredientsin here.Where the heck do people keep their poison?With half of my body still inside a cupboard, I bite my lip as I try to think.
“Whatchalooking for?”Jace askscheerfully, andI jump ona gasp, slamming my head into the wood.Wincing, I duck out of the cupboard, rubbing my head furiously.
“Pois–sy scenters!”I say as I shoot to my feet.I cough as I clear my throat and try again.“Pussy scenters.”
“Pussy scenters,” he says slowly as he stays in his crouch, looking up at me.
I nod sharply, then wince again as a headache starts to form.
“In the kitchen?” he says as he stands.
“Where else would you keep them?”I ask, wrenching on abigsmile.“They make your pussy taste likefood, and food belongs in the kitchen…” I swallow audibly.
