Kiele, until I give you the signal that the area is clear.”
“Fine.” She knew he’d stand here all day waiting for her consent.
His pistol aimed, he pushed the door open and eased inside, keeping his back to the wall. After endless seconds he waved at her and strode forward.
She stepped inside—and sprinted when she spotted Kiele, halfway across the huge main room, sprawled on the floor. A blood trail marked his path. Her heart pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat, Anji crouched next to him, terrified that they were too late.
“Kiele.”
He let out a raw breath and lifted his head. “Anji,” he whispered. “How—ˮ
“With help, Commander.” Orlen crouched next to her. “Where?”
“Left side. Sonia—poison—ˮ
“What kind?” Orlen’s calm voice penetrated the panic threatening to drown her.
“ Rutha ,” he whispered.
“How long? Kiele—how long?”
“Not—long. Still burning.”
“Anji.” Orlen turned to her. “I need you to find the kitchen and gather the following: garlic, bitter herbs—ˮ
“Oil and white vinegar.” She stood. “I know what she used. We call it something else.”
She ran toward the closest exit, her bare feet slapping the stone floor. When she reached it, she stopped, faced with a hall going right, and another going left. The smell of herbs came from her left, and she headed that way, finding the enormous kitchen at the end of the hall.
Servants froze when she burst through the doorway.
“I need to find some ingredients. One of your people is dying out there.”
A tall, thin T’An female approached. “Tell me what you need.”
“Lili,” another of the servants hissed. “You cannot assist! The mistress—ˮ
“Most likely is the cause. Come, tell me what you need.”
Anji followed her, rattling off the ingredients. Lili gathered them in a basket, and added a bowl and marble pestle to crush the herbs.
“Thank you.”
“This is for rutha poisoning. I can help.”
“He’s in the front room.”
Lili ran ahead of her, long legs giving her speed Anji would never have. She caught up in time to see Lili on her knees next to Kiele, bent over the basket. Orlen had his pistol aimed at her, but he obviously knew what she intended, because she was smashing the herbs and oil together in the small bowl.
Anji moved to Kiele’s other side and took his hand. He was stretched out on his stomach, his shirt pulled up to reveal the small, bloody wound. His body trembled from the effort of fighting the poison, of staying conscious.
“Hey,” she said, trying to hide her shock at how much he had deteriorated in the few minutes she’d been gone. “It looks like Sonia doesn’t have many fans. Lili offered to help almost before I finished asking.”
“Not—the most pleasant of my—family.”
“God—she’s family?”
“His aunt,” Orlen said, his voice tight with anger. “Stop talking, Kiele. You are using what little strength you have.”
Lili lifted the bowl. “It is ready.”
“Thank you.” Orlen eased Kiele to his back. “Hold his shoulders, Anji. This is going to hurt him more than the poison.” He grabbed Kiele’s ankles, and nodded to Lili. “Now.”
She coated her palm, then laid it against Kiele’s wound.
He let out a scream and arched off the floor.
Anji fought to keep him from recoiling as Lili applied more of the antidote. Smoke curled out of his wound, and he convulsed, his muscles clenched so tightly they looked like corded steel under his skin. Lili dipped two fingers in the oily mixture and slipped her fingers inside his wound. Kiele screamed again, reaching for the source of his torment.
Orlen let go of his ankles and lunged forward, trapping his wrists before he could touch Lili. She kept all her focus on his wound, pushing more of the antidote inside. Finally, she sat back on her heels, sweat trickling down her face.
“It is done. All we can do now is wait, hope the antidote reached the poison in
“Fine.” She knew he’d stand here all day waiting for her consent.
His pistol aimed, he pushed the door open and eased inside, keeping his back to the wall. After endless seconds he waved at her and strode forward.
She stepped inside—and sprinted when she spotted Kiele, halfway across the huge main room, sprawled on the floor. A blood trail marked his path. Her heart pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat, Anji crouched next to him, terrified that they were too late.
“Kiele.”
He let out a raw breath and lifted his head. “Anji,” he whispered. “How—ˮ
“With help, Commander.” Orlen crouched next to her. “Where?”
“Left side. Sonia—poison—ˮ
“What kind?” Orlen’s calm voice penetrated the panic threatening to drown her.
“ Rutha ,” he whispered.
“How long? Kiele—how long?”
“Not—long. Still burning.”
“Anji.” Orlen turned to her. “I need you to find the kitchen and gather the following: garlic, bitter herbs—ˮ
“Oil and white vinegar.” She stood. “I know what she used. We call it something else.”
She ran toward the closest exit, her bare feet slapping the stone floor. When she reached it, she stopped, faced with a hall going right, and another going left. The smell of herbs came from her left, and she headed that way, finding the enormous kitchen at the end of the hall.
Servants froze when she burst through the doorway.
“I need to find some ingredients. One of your people is dying out there.”
A tall, thin T’An female approached. “Tell me what you need.”
“Lili,” another of the servants hissed. “You cannot assist! The mistress—ˮ
“Most likely is the cause. Come, tell me what you need.”
Anji followed her, rattling off the ingredients. Lili gathered them in a basket, and added a bowl and marble pestle to crush the herbs.
“Thank you.”
“This is for rutha poisoning. I can help.”
“He’s in the front room.”
Lili ran ahead of her, long legs giving her speed Anji would never have. She caught up in time to see Lili on her knees next to Kiele, bent over the basket. Orlen had his pistol aimed at her, but he obviously knew what she intended, because she was smashing the herbs and oil together in the small bowl.
Anji moved to Kiele’s other side and took his hand. He was stretched out on his stomach, his shirt pulled up to reveal the small, bloody wound. His body trembled from the effort of fighting the poison, of staying conscious.
“Hey,” she said, trying to hide her shock at how much he had deteriorated in the few minutes she’d been gone. “It looks like Sonia doesn’t have many fans. Lili offered to help almost before I finished asking.”
“Not—the most pleasant of my—family.”
“God—she’s family?”
“His aunt,” Orlen said, his voice tight with anger. “Stop talking, Kiele. You are using what little strength you have.”
Lili lifted the bowl. “It is ready.”
“Thank you.” Orlen eased Kiele to his back. “Hold his shoulders, Anji. This is going to hurt him more than the poison.” He grabbed Kiele’s ankles, and nodded to Lili. “Now.”
She coated her palm, then laid it against Kiele’s wound.
He let out a scream and arched off the floor.
Anji fought to keep him from recoiling as Lili applied more of the antidote. Smoke curled out of his wound, and he convulsed, his muscles clenched so tightly they looked like corded steel under his skin. Lili dipped two fingers in the oily mixture and slipped her fingers inside his wound. Kiele screamed again, reaching for the source of his torment.
Orlen let go of his ankles and lunged forward, trapping his wrists before he could touch Lili. She kept all her focus on his wound, pushing more of the antidote inside. Finally, she sat back on her heels, sweat trickling down her face.
“It is done. All we can do now is wait, hope the antidote reached the poison in
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