Flamecaster (Shattered Realms, #1)(81)

But Queen Marina tilted her head back and drank greedily, three huge gulps, before Father Fosnaught wrenched the cup from her hands and handed it off to a blackbird. Then he gripped her wrist and thrust his face into hers, haranguing her about something.

“Who was that—the one that fell?” Ash whispered.

“That was the king of Arden’s taster,” Lila said. She pulled him into a corner and got in his face. “Do you know anything about this?”

“What do you mean?”

“No doubt they’ll search all of us. You’re not . . . carrying anything you shouldn’t be, are you? If so, give it to me and I’ll get rid of it.”

“Besides an amulet?” Ash touched his amulet, in the process returning his sting to its sheath. “Do you think I’m stupid? Only a fool would use a fast-acting poison on a target with a taster. The taster goes down before the king gets it into his system.”

Lila blinked at him, as if surprised by this display of logic. “What about the viper?” she persisted. “Were you responsible for that?”

“I may be good with animals, but until I can teach a snake to bite the right person, I wouldn’t use one to try and kill someone. Either this would-be killer is an amateur, or someone wants to put the king on his guard.” Ash watched as Merrill forced his way through the crowd to kneel at the taster’s side.

And that’s when the queen collapsed. Her ladies surrounded her, fluttering like birds. Merrill abandoned the taster and knelt by the queen’s side.

“Blood and bones,” Ash muttered, debating. He hated to leave the queen in Merrill’s incapable hands. There was no escaping the hall, anyway.

You can’t save everyone, sul’Han. That was becoming his mantra.

And suddenly, somehow, Destin Karn was there, in Ash’s face. “Come with me,” he said, gripping Ash’s arm, “and see to the queen.” The lieutenant seemed unaccountably agitated. Maybe he was worried that if the queen died, he would get the blame for not somehow preventing it.

“Master Merrill’s handling it,” Ash said. “I’d rather not butt in. He’s furious with me already, and I’m still a little shaky from—”

“Listen to me, healer,” Karn said. “The queen is the kindest, most compassionate—the only truly decent person in this entire court. You are going to come with me, and you are going to heal her if you can, understand?”

“All right,” Ash said. “Let’s go.”

“That’s what you get for being so damned capable,” Lila called after him.





28


DEATH’S DOORSTEP


The crowd parted to let Ash and Karn through. He climbed onto the dais to find Merrill waving a pomander under the queen’s nose. “Stay back and give Her Majesty some air,” he cried.

Montaigne leaned against a marble pillar, guards on every side, arms folded across his chest. His eyes were like chipped ice, fixed on Destin Karn. There would be no getting close to the king now.

“That poison was meant for me, Lieutenant. How could you let this happen, when there has already been one attempt on my life. You knew there was an assassin in the palace.” He gestured angrily, the stone on his right hand glittering. “Apparently he has the run of the place.”

“Nobody leaves this room without being searched and questioned,” Karn said. “The kitchen staff are being interrogated as we speak. We will find out who’s responsible.”

Ash knelt beside the queen. She lay on her back like a princess in a story, her skin pale as porcelain, her breathing shallow and ineffective. There was a blue tinge around her lips and fingernails.

“Go tend to the taster, boy,” Merrill snarled. “I’ll handle this. I’ve been treating the royal family for years.”

“Then they are lucky they are still alive,” Ash murmured. “I should let you treat the queen, and when she dies, you’ll reap the consequences. But I’ve taken oaths. I can’t do that. Now get out of my way.”

“Merrill!” Lieutenant Karn said, planting a hand on the master’s shoulder. “Do as he says, by the king’s command.”

The look Merrill gave him was pure poison itself. The healer rose, straightened his tunic with great dignity, and crossed the dais to where the taster lay, neglected.

Ash sent up a prayer for the taster, then turned back to Queen Marina. Using his thumb and forefinger, he slid back her eyelids and did not like what he saw.

He looked up at Karn. “Bring me the cup she drank from.”

Karn did as he was told.

When he handed Ash the wassail cup, Ash sniffed at it. Sniffed again. There, amid the cinnamon and clove and rum, he smelled something familiar.

Gedden. Made from a fungus that grows on yew trees, it was easy to find throughout the Seven Realms. There was no time to lose.

He rummaged in his kit, came up with a small brown bottle, thrust it into Karn’s hands. “One part powder, one part water, cook over flame until it dissolves.”

Karn glanced over to where Merrill was hunched over the taster, but watching them. “Perhaps Master Merrill—”

“No,” Ash said, recalling the water hemlock incident. “Whatever you do, don’t get him involved. Do it NOW!” he roared when Karn hesitated. “Are you going to wait until she is dead?”