Page 73 of The Barbarian King's Assassin (Magic and Kings 1)
“Too late,” I mumbled. Cold spread through my veins, a chilling lethargy that oddly fevered my flesh.
I fell forward, catching myself with my hands, clawing at the stone. Hot. So hot. I’d surely melt or burn to a crisp. The intensity had me writhing, the pain sharp.
“Ilyana!” A firm voice called for me, but I couldn’t answer.
I thrashed in the throes of painful spasms. Froze as if left outside in a harsh winter.
Konstantin left, bellowing. No amount of shouting would help. Without an antidote, I’d die.
For a while, I knew nothing other than pain. When I finally emerged from it and blinked open my eyes, my body ached, but I could move my arms and legs. My head felt surprisingly clear, no headache, although my throat did feel parched.
I must have fought off the poison. Or…
A single lamp had been left burning, highlighting the person in the chair.
I offered a wan smile to Jrijori. “About time you got here.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
My quasi-father saidnothing as I sat up in the bed, stretching my limbs and neck. Jrijori sat across me in the chair by the hearth, his sword across his lap, grim of countenance, his cloak pulled back.
“I supposed I have you to thank for being alive. Or is it your fault I was poisoned?” I queried as he remained quiet.
“It wasn’t mine,” he grumbled. “And you’re lucky I heard about it and had something to counter it, or you’d be dead.”
“Glad you got here finally, then. Took you long enough.”
Accusing Jrijori of slowness only annoyed him. “I took too long? I left the moment I knew of your disappearance.”
“And yet only just joined me?” I accused because under normal circumstances he’d have located me within a day. The funny thing being Jrijori portrayed himself as the unsentimental type. He always told me if I was dumb enough to get caught, I’d have to deal with it. Yet each time I had a problem, guess who came to my rescue?
Got injured on a job and had to hole up in an attic while a hunt was on for me? Jrijori found me, patched me up, and led that tightening net on a chase that allowed me to flee.
“No one expected the king to leave during the party. One moment the barbarian scowled at everyone while being ignored by his very drunk fiancée, and the next he was gone. As in packed up and fled from the castle.”
“He doesn’t like to be predictable.”
“I didn’t realize you were missing until the following morning. Even then, I might have spent longer searching the city if I’d not heard rumor the king left with what appeared to be a body over his spare horse.”
“That would have been me. He returned before the party ended and caught me in his room.”
“Sloppy.”
“There were unexpected challenges.”
“Which you obviously failed.” Jrijori hated excuses.
I rolled my shoulders. “Seems like we’re both not up to par of late. Emphasis on late.”
He grimaced. “It’s those horses of theirs. They move so fast it’s impossible to keep up. I really need to get one.”
“They are incredible,” I agreed. “When did you arrive?”
“Late morning. The place was in quite an uproar what with the king’s mistress falling off a cliff.”
I bit my lip. “I fell by accident after I killed a dragon.”
“So I heard. The rumors are true, then. They have returned.”