A Kiss of Venom (An Araneae Nation Novella) (7 page)

I paused mid-step.
“I should be going.”

“Why’s that?” He chuckled softly. “You’ve only just arrived.”

Forcing myself to play my role when I would rather wrap my hands around his meaty throat for savoring his memory of Maisy, I laughed nervously. “I know it’s silly, but at the party last night I overheard this dapper young fellow telling a few guests stories about the history of the nest. He told them the west end was haunted.” I rubbed my arms. “I wanted to come see for myself. I didn’t know the area was guarded, or I would never have come. Is there any way I can make it up to you?”

“You want a tour?” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “Come on. I’ll show you.”

I took small steps closer. When I was within reach, he grabbed me around the waist and hefted me up against his chest.

Reaching into my pants pocket, I pinched some of the
valerian root powder from my stash. When he lowered his head, I lifted my hand and blew the sedative into his face. Since his mouth had been opened for a kiss, the white dust flew down his throat.

“What was that?” He coughed while staggering backward. “Who are you? What…
?” He shook his head. “What are you doing here?”

I pried
free of his arms and shoved him onto his knees. While he knelt with his head in his hands, I eased out of range and checked the tunnel to ensure we were alone. His tongue was so thick now he could barely mumble. I had seconds until he collapsed.

Then I had two, three questions maximum before he passed out cold.

When his head hit the dirt, I knelt beside him, slapping his cheeks to keep him awake.

I
held his eyes open with my fingers. “Where is Pascale?”

He blinked at me. “Who?”

I leaned closer. “The maven’s sister
Pascale
, where is she?”

“Not here.” His eyes crossed. “Went…I don’t know. Away.”

“She isn’t in the nest?” I grasped his collar and shook him. “She isn’t in Erania?”

“This is Erania.” He gave me a puzzled look. “Do I know you?”

Careful this time to measure out how much valerian root I gave him, I put a few tablespoons of the stuff in his mouth and helped work his throat until he swallowed it all. He belched a white plume.

With the kerchief from my bag, I wiped his face clean and dusted his shirt as best I could.

Valerian root was a strong sedative, but it required help in the form of powdered venom before I’d discovered the perfect mixture for my line of work. With the amount this poor male had ingested, I’d bet he’d wake up in the morning with the worst headache of his life and little memory of me. In any case, I had what I came for—confirmation Pascale was not in Erania. That meant my plan had to change. It meant one way or the other, Maisy and I were leaving tonight. The sooner I got us packed, the better.

I turned to
go, pulling up short when a figure eased from the shadows.

I tensed with a hand in my pocket, my fingers measuring yet another dose of
the sedative.

“Is the guard alive?”

Armand’s voice sent cold sweat rolling down my spine. I nodded. “He’s sleeping.”

“You drugged him.”

“I did.” There was no point in denying what he had obviously watched me do.

“Why are you here?” One hand went to his belt, to the short knife sheathed there.

I dropped my arms, powder cupped in my palm. “Perhaps I wanted to explore.”

“Perhaps you ought to tell me the truth before I take this matter to Rhys.”

“I got lost.” My hand clenched until my knuckles popped.

“If you were lost,” he asked,
indicating the collapsed male behind me, “why attack the guard?”

“I didn’t attack him.”
I nurtured my indignation. “If anything, he attacked me.”

“I’ll ask you once more.” He stepped closer. “Why are you here?”

I squinted at him. “What if I said I came to investigate the eerie sounds in the west end?”

“I would say we gave permission for the pair of hunting kittens to be hidden down here until the celebration. Lourdes
visits the stables daily. The surprise would have been ruined if all that mewling led her right to them.” His sigh told me his patience was wearing thin. “You’re stalling. Answer me.”

I
approached him slowly, holding my arms out to my sides so he could see I was unarmed. With his eyes locked on mine, it was easy to get in close, to drop down and swipe his legs from under him. He never saw me coming.

He grunted on impact
, and while he was down, I cupped my hand over his mouth. “I wish it hadn’t come to this.”

Coughing, he swiped at his face and spat on the ground. It wouldn’t help, at least not much.

When his struggles ceased and his eyes shut, I ran.

Armand
and the guard would be found soon, and I couldn’t afford to be here when they were. They would have questions, and any answers I gave them would result in my neck getting fitted for a noose.

The Araneidae stashed caches of clothing and food in hollowed-out trees on the fringes of their forests. When winter storms came, their clansmen never had to go without shelter or supplies as long as they knew where to look, and I did.
Every member of their clan was taught their locations, and I had been educated right alongside the other Araneidae children.

If Maisy and I made it that far, we could raid a cache and replenish our stores.

She was all I needed. Too bad I had no idea where the maven had taken her.

I had to grab Maisy before the alarm cry lifted and the nest was locked down tight. We could hit the stables, borrow an ursus and escape through one of the smaller stable hatches. The guards, well, I could get past them. I prayed their removal wasn’t by deadly force. I didn’t want Maisy to witness it.

Tiah
. I had a good idea of where they would have caged her. My vision blurred at the thought of leaving her, but Maisy’s safety came first. My falco could survive without me, my daughter couldn’t.

But where did I find the maven?

When I stumbled into the heart of the nest, I bumped into two females. Their heads had been bent in deep conversation before I collided with them.

I scoop
ed up a glove one had dropped and held it out to them. That was when I noticed their heavy coats. “Where are you going?”

The nest remained a constant temperature. If they were dressed for winter, it was for a reason.

The bolder of the two jutted out her chin and took the glove. “The maven said anyone could go.”

“I’m sure she did.” I noticed the dull gold collar of her shirt—Araneidae livery. “But where?”

The shy one said, “Fireworks are tonight, miss. The wicks were too damp to stay lit last night. I heard someone left the door open from the storage room to the outside. In any case, the maven knew how the children—how we all—looked forward to the display, so she rescheduled for tonight. You’d better head up soon if you want a good seat. Everyone will be going topside in the next half hour.”

Her friend yanked her arm. “We have to go or we’ll miss out. The best spot
s are on the wall.”

The quiet one shushed her. “Is there anything else,
miss?”

“No
,” I murmured, daring to hope this was a change in my fortunes. I stepped aside to let them pass. “That’s all.”

This might work out better than I ever dared hope. If I was waiting when Lourdes arrived with Maisy, I could grab her and sneak away while the nest was preoccupied with the fireworks display. I thought for one shining moment we had a real chance. So many ifs, too many unknowns, but I had to make it work. I smothered those doubts and dashed to grab my winter gear and stuff my pockets with as much food and as many weapons as possible. Tiah would have to wait. I could pay for someone to smuggle her out of the nest later, if I survived. If not…Tiah would be safer in her cage than with me.

Hope warring with caution, I uttered one last prayer and went to find my daughter.

Chapter Four

Fresh air sliced my cheeks raw on my first step from the nest into the city streets. My eyes stung from the temperature, but the crush of bodies filtering toward the city center kept me shuffling in the right direction. Stealing glances over ducked heads, I scanned for an indication of whether the maven and her family had arrived. Though fireworks were a new extravagance, I had a good idea where the ruling family would gather for the display, the same balcony where they oversaw the summer games.

Gaining entrance to their box would be simple. Extracting Maisy would be the difficult part.

As I drifted in that direction, a hand clamped over my wrist.

A male’s sultry voice purred, “Have you made any progress?”

Whipping around, I snarled at the handsome man from last night.

“I’m handling the situation.” It wasn’t a lie. I was getting Maisy and we were
leaving.

He studied me. “You look rattled.”

“Only my teeth.”

“You’re alone.” He glanced around. “Where’s the girl?”

“With Maven Lourdes,” I said, suddenly grateful that meant she was in the safest possible place.

“Ah.” He sounded thoughtful. “Separation anxiety. I’ve heard that’s common with mothers.”

“Lower your voice,” I growled.

“Or you’ll do what?” He grinned. “You’ll run to the maven? And tell her what? You’ve come to murder her darling sister?” His head bent closer. “Or that her darling brother got you with his child?”

I almost swallowed my tongue. “Who told you—?”

“Who do you think?” His grip tightened. “You signed a contract, and its conditions are binding. Maven Colleen agreed to compensate you handsomely to complete this job, and so you shall. All she wants
is revenge for her son’s death. You understand revenge. You’ve craved it. You can’t lie and tell me you haven’t. A female cast out by her lover, by her clan, by her own family… You want to make him hurt as you have been hurt, to understand loss of the same magnitude as you have experienced.” The stubble on his cheek rasped against mine. “You want this. I can smell it all over you.”

“All I smell is your breath.”

“Cute.” He chuckled. “I suppose that comes from keeping company with a child.”

I eased a knife from my pocket, angling it at his groin. “Tell
your maven she can keep her gold.”

Losing that gold meant breaking my word to Maisy, but she would understand I had no choice.

“You can’t unmake a deal because you’re having second thoughts about holding up your end.”

“I’m unmaking our deal because Maven Colleen’s information was wrong. Pascale isn’t here.” I dug my blade deeper and relished the twitch developing beneath his eye. “I can’t very well kill her if she isn’t here, now can I? That was the reason she hired me. She knew I was familiar with the nest.”

A slow smile lifted his lips. “Is that what you think?”

That was what I had been told.
Fool that I had been, I had not questioned her.

Doubt made my voice waver. “I’m finished with this conversation.”

His grin widened. “She wanted you because you’re easy to control. You have a wound she could pick the scab off and make bleed. The thing about old sores is they fester. Pascale’s life is no longer enough. Revenge is not enough. Colleen wants retribution.” His gaze flickered past me. “Pascale’s line dies with her. Her family will be destroyed as Colleen’s was, even the bastards.”

My blood ran cold. “You wouldn’t dare. Not in this crowd, in this place.”

“I wouldn’t.” He shrugged. “But you and I aren’t the only ones with access to Bellaire’s flower shop. A drop of that venom killed the Araneidae maven in minutes. Can you imagine what it would do to a child?”

“Call him off.” I pressed deeper.

“I can’t.” He grimaced. “Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t catch him now.”

I twisted the blade. “You would kill an innocent girl so easily?”

“Don’t give me that look.” He bared his teeth. “You came here to bloody your hands as well.”

“You’re right.” I eased the pressure until he relaxed. “But this is my baby we’re talking about.”

I sheathed the knife behind his balls, watched the color drain from his face and a scream well on his lips. I took a pinch of valerian root and blew it into his open mouth when he began to gape. When his eyes rolled back, I met the stare of a female standing behind us. She’d seen enough to be dangerous to me.

I met her earnest stare
with a plea in mine. “I found him with a serving girl.”

“I beat mine near to death with a frying pan
when I caught him diddling ours.” She laughed at the male’s groaning. “I’ve never seen one go down so hard. Did you twist his cock clean off?”

“I’m sorry you had to see that.” I hid my bloody hand behind my back. “I was angrier than I realized.”

Ducking her head, she eased beside me, taking one of his arms over her shoulder, and helped me move him to a bench and out of harm’s way. I think she was under the mistaken impression I cared if he was trampled to death. Desperate to be the first who found Maisy, I turned to the amused female.

“Thank you for that.” I meant it. She had bought me more time.

“It won’t kill him.” She winked. “It’ll just give him something to think about next time.”

She was more right than she knew. He wouldn’t die from his wound. Once he woke up and the pain set him, he might want to though.

Once enveloped in welcoming shadows, I made a loop in the hopes of shaking off curious stares from less forgiving folk. Panic was making me sloppy, and careless assassins got killed. Slowing my breathing, I forced my mind from thoughts of Maisy and focused instead on finding my target. Once he was down, I could go after her. Odds were that he would lead me right to her, which meant facing the maven’s guards and praying they didn’t haul me off for what I’d done.

I should be safe enough unless the male I’d stabbed raised the alarm, but then he would have difficult questions to answer too. A blade to the balls was about as
intimate an injury as they came. The guards would know there was a story there, some connection between us, and that should keep me protected a while longer.

A round of applause clued me in to the arrival of the ruling family. Heading for higher ground, I stood on the base of a monument to get a better look. Maisy held Lourdes’s hand, her eyes shining
, while the paladin’s dark gaze skimmed the crowd. He pulled a guard aside by his collar, and fear painted the male’s face white. Whatever Paladin Rhys saw, he clearly wasn’t happy about it.

Hope flickered before I dampened the spark.

Perhaps he had spotted a male standing too close, one looking too hard toward his wife, where I last saw Maisy. If he caught the assassin before I did… No. That was wishful thinking. In this, I was on my own. I had to find him, somehow, and put him down. With that done, I could sort out the rest.

Striding into the crowd, I worked my way closer to Maisy. When she ascended to the balcony, I gritted my teeth. From where she sat, she was too exposed. The guards to either side of her wouldn’t do any good against a well-aimed arrow or dart. Following the milling crowd, I shuffled beneath the balcony, wasting precious time for one last futile glance. As my gaze
passed over dozens of faces, I spotted him. Tall, handsome as his friend, he wore dark colors and a grim smile. He saw me too. He winked.

My mouth went dry. This was it. I was going to catch that bastard and wring his neck for threatening my girl.
I had lost everyone I had ever loved. I would not lose her too.

Shoving people out of my way, I ran for him, heedless of the spectacle I made.

His expression lit with amusement. He jerked his chin as if to say
come on
.

I accepted his challenge, legs pumping until my calves ached and my lungs were on fire.

Each time I came within tagging distance, he slid through my fingers. And he laughed.

That’s what did it. That’s what cut through the terror shrouding my mind.

He was toying with me. From what I’d seen he was unarmed. That meant he had an accomplice.

Merciful gods, h
ad there been three of them all along? I had focused on the male he showed me, the most obvious threat, the decoy. I never suspected there might be a third male working in tandem.

I skidded to a halt just as the first firework lit up the sky. The explosion rumbled under my feet.

The assassin had stopped too. Either he sensed he was no longer being pursued or…

A wicked grin split his face.

I spun toward the balcony, yards away from where I’d started. Red light bathed Maisy’s face. Wonder rounded her mouth as she pointed to the constellations made by the whirling fireworks.

I absorbed all that in the same instant I spotted a tall figure glide into the
royal box.

“
No
.” I screamed until I tasted blood.

A few concerned looks were cast my way, but the air was thick with noise and muffled me. I set off at a run, shouldering onlookers aside, drawing the notice of guards scattered in among the crowd. I was a breath away from climbing the stairs to the box when a brilliant burst of color illuminated the face of the male striding up behind Lourdes.
Armand
. He bent to his sister’s ear, and what he told her had Rhys grasping her arm, jerking her to her feet. He shoved her behind him, his body acting as her shield. In a huddle, the guards formed a circle around Lourdes and vanished. There must have been a second staircase or other means of escape. The box sat empty now, except for Maisy…and Armand.

He knelt before her, talking
. Her lips compressed flatter with his every word.

Armand reached for her, but she spun aside and ran toward the stairs
, and that’s when he saw me.

His fingers cinched around Maisy’s arm, dragging her screaming the way Lourdes had gone.

I was halfway onto the platform when something hit me in the shoulder. I reached up and pulled out a dart. Glancing below me, I spotted the second assassin. He tossed his blowpipe then tipped his head.

The poison worked fast, I’ll give him that. Already I couldn’t feel my lips, my face.

I tightened my grip on the rail and hauled myself up higher, closer to Maisy.

Armand shouted, shoving Maisy behind him. Too late. She’d seen me.

She stomped his instep and ran for me, her arms outstretched.

Numb. So numb, I drifted in a daze that promised me the sweetest slumber. No more shame, no pain, no fear. No more hurt. I was free. My hand slid. Maybe I let go. I’m not sure. But I was falling.

Armand scooped Maisy off her feet. Her nails sank in his arms. Her heels hammered his shins. Horror twisted her expression when she realized what was happening. One arm shot out toward me, her graceful fingers curling for mine. Hot tears sprang to my eyes when I read her frantic lips.
Momma
.

Armand’s jaw came unhinged, and for some reason, I found that amusing.

I laughed all the way into oblivion.

Soft voices woke me. Two males, I thought, warring with growls over my head. Seeing as how I wasn’t in the habit of inviting strange males into my bedroom to fight over me, I blinked up at them.

“This…” my speech slurred, “…is not my room.”

“No,” the male to my left said. “This is my laboratory.” He pressed the heel of his palm against my forehead, using his thumb to hold open my eye. “You’re sure this striation wasn’t there before?”

“Her eyes were hazel when she arrived.” Armand bent over me. “They’re much greener now.”

“It’s dangerous, but there is an herb that can discolor the iris temporarily. It will cause blindness if used over a long period of time.” He shook his head. “The girl’s eyes are show
ing signs of use also?”

“Her eyes were
blue.” Armand’s gaze never left mine. “They’re lavender now.”

“Lavender,” the first male murmured.
“Like yours.”

“Don’t give me that look, Henri,” he snarled. “
Maisy is not my child. It’s not possible.”

Henri cast Armand a hard look. “
Nicolette came here to kill our sister. We have a sworn statement from her accomplice. I should have let her die.”

“
You don’t mean—” Armand started.

Henri’s glare
slid onto me. “The poison in your system was the same as what killed our parents. You’re fortunate I made a study of that particular strain, or you would have died on this table within the hour.” He rolled his shoulders. “Though I suppose I ought to thank you for testing my antivenin.”

Armand scrubbed a hand down his face. “Lourdes said—”

“Lourdes has felt guilty for a decade,” Henri reasoned. “She would sooner cut off her own hand than strike against this female until her curiosity is sated. She bore your hatred once. She can’t endure it again. Not over—”