Page 93 of King of Serpents

Therxian tensed as there was a soft sound of the guards shifting, their tails sliding and wings scraping along the wall of the entry tunnel, drawing closer. The healer’s eyes sought him out and found him the moment she entered. Something flickered in her gaze that made his scales prickle. His gavo rose slightly and his eyes followed her approach as he rose from where he was lying prone in his nest. She slowly blinked at him as she moved around to his side.

“I am sorry, my prince,” she said, her voice rising in a way that was a touch peculiar compared to how she had previously addressed him. “This must be done. I have little choice.”

The guards behind her exchanged a look, and the female on the right sighed in annoyance. “Just get on with it. He is just a male. This is their lot in life. He should be pleased that he will be the mate and breeding male for the rightful queen of the shinara.”

“Indeed,” Zhia replied, and she slowly opened her bag and began rifling through it. “I will get started immediately. I just need to find the right vial. Where is it?”

Her mouth tightened in a frown, and she moved over to the table and dropped the bag on it, pushing aside the dishes set neatly on the table. They clattered as they rolled across the surface and dropped to the floor in a startling commotion that made his tail twitch from the unexpected noise. The guards moved quickly to the table and began to pick up the fallen dishes with reproachful mutters. He watched them in fascination, still trying to make sense out of what exactly was going on and why the healer was suddenly focused so raptly upon him. But then he saw it: two shadows moved stealthily within the entry hall as Jathella and Kitanara slipped inside.

The sisters moved with lethal speed, descending upon the two oblivious guards with a deadliness that neither saw coming. Delivering blows with the blunt of their velkats to the females’ heads, Jathella and Buosoa dropped the guards effortlessly. Kitanara grimaced apologetically down at their prone forms as she bent and removed the key from the belt around Dea’s waist and tossed it to her sister.

“Hurry,” she whispered.

Without sparing them so much as a glance, Jathella snatched the key from the air and gave a sharp snap of her gavo in affirmation. Her expression grim, she hurried toward him as Healer Zhia shifted away from his side to give the captain room to unlock him.

“What happened? The guards said that you were confined—”

“We were confined,” Jathella stressed. “The palace guards were left unaware while the guards serving the council locked us within the palace cells. Thankfully Gorgona suspected that there was some trouble when we did not return and sent Buosoa to find us. Naturally, she had no problem seeing to it that we were freed.” The corner of her mouth inched upward. “Our sister is quite formidable. Once she heard where we were being held, she assembled a small unit of guards loyal to the queen to attack and replace the guards stationed at the prison. It was naturally made possible also because of Healer Zhia,” she added as she freed one of his wrists and promptly went to work on the other.

The healer lowered her head humbly. “It was merely the good fortune blessed by Shangla that we met in the great corridor. I had been on my way to inform the queen of what I had found in the records. I heard a rumor from another healer that Ferinia was not under the care of a healer. It made me... curious. Naturally, I began searching the palace records regarding the fourth house, and I quickly realized that there was no record of birth that could be verified with a mid-mother. My evidence, though it came too late to forewarn you, was enough to convince the guards of Ferinia’s treachery. It is unfortunate that my discovery was too late to do you any good.”

“We immediately reported the matter to the queen and hastened plans,” Jathella added.

“And Buosoa—did you send her to my mate?” Therxian urgently hissed.

Jathella met his eyes, her gavo snapping reluctantly. “I sent her, but Therxian, you must realize that the likelihood that Buosoa arrived on time—”

“Do not say it,” he rasped as his other wrist was freed. “I know my mate is alive. I would feel it within my bones if Dehv extinguished her life.”

Exchanging a glance with Kitanara, Jathella sighed. “Very well. We hope that you are right. All the same, we must prioritize moving the queen. Gorgona is preparing her for travel as we speak, and Healer Zhia has everything that she needs to keep Zathexa stabilized.”

“So long as we do not go above to the desert, she will have a chance,” the healer murmured in agreement as Jathella unlocked the manacle around his throat. The relief of the chain dropping away was nearly instantaneous.

“Then we take her to the elder palace, below, and rejoin my mate,” he rumbled, rubbing at the abrasion he could feel forming on his throat as he met the captain’s eyes grimly. “So long as we block the passage. Sealing it should buy us time to find a way out once we have seen to Alex’s safety. Dehv will die if he dares to harm her.”

Kitanara gaped at him. “Sure, kill Dehv, but why seal the passage? If we do that, how will we return to the palace? We will be trapped.”

He regarded her grimly. “There are other ways out, but we will require time to find them. Time that can only be bought by sealing the passage completely.”

“And our return?” Jathella queried.

“The Uralial have routes hidden to us and ways of traveling from the waterways to the shinara. We will find them and find a route back to the palace. Ferinia will not escape unscathed,” he hissed.

Chapter 63

Therxian watched anxiously as Jathella and Kitanara carefully hoisted Zathexa between them. The queen’s face was ashen with the effort, but when he moved in to protest, she waved him off.

“I am fine. We must make haste,” she rasped and looked over at Elder Goyu with an appreciative smile as the female draped a warm weave over her shoulders.

Waena remained tense a short distance away, his eyes flicking apprehensively down the corridor as they made their preparations.

Elder Goyu handed a heavy woven travel bag to Therxian with an encouraging smile. “That should be all of it. It is not much, but if you ration it, there is several days’ worth of food packed for you.”

“Are you certain that you will not come with us?” he urged. “It will not be safe in the shinara.”

Waena looked over at his question and exchanged a silent look with his mate. She dipped her chin with a quiet laugh.

“We are certain. We will best serve your efforts by remaining behind to cover your retreat.”