A Queen of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 4)

She nodded.

“Dessia,” I said, turning. “Get water and dab her forehead. Put a cold, wet cloth on the back of her neck.” My attention back on Calia, I said, “Just stay calm. Trust in me, okay? I’ll see you through this. You need to give Vemar more time. Your castle is fucking huge. He’s got a long way to run.”

Her smile was pained, but it was there. She closed her eyes, and I motioned for Nyfain to lift her up.

He did so as I ran my arms across the place in front of her, knocking glasses and plates and utensils to the ground.

People were yelling now. Screaming. The king was demanding to know what was happening.

I shut it all out. Arleth would handle their questions.

“This will be more comfortable.” I motioned for him to set her down on the table where it would be easiest for me to attend to her. “Go ahead and curl up into the fetal position. That’s what the body will want to do.”

No seizure—that was good. She was conscious still, and probably would be until her throat completely closed and she ran out of air.

I checked her body. No rash. No shivering.

I nodded, rolling through the options, not finding anything that the crowded everlass couldn’t take care of. Whoever was trying to kill Nyfain or me didn’t know what a crowded everlass elixir could do against poison. That was why it would remain a secret, hopefully, passed down through the generations with care, only discovered by those who would use it well and keep their mouths shut.

“You’re doing really great, Calia,” I said, leaning over her and rubbing her back.

She swallowed once, then again, jerking on the table.

Shouts and screams accompanied people asking, “What’s happening? What does this mean?”

“It means her throat has closed up,” I said as Hannon jogged back in with two mugs and a small pot filled with steaming water. “It means we’re on the clock. There should be plenty of time, don’t worry. As soon as Vemar gets back here, we can get this sorted.”

A sudden panic gripped me that Vemar would be accosted while trying to get that trunk. A panic that partially cleared when I remembered Leala was in our rooms with Urien, putting things away and organizing post-dinner clothing for us. While I wasn’t sure Urien would be of much help, no one would get to Vemar with Leala playing defense. She was an expert with that whip. All he needed to do was get to her.

“You’re going to lose consciousness soon, Calia,” I murmured as someone fought to get to us. My people kept them at bay. “It’s okay. It’ll be scary, I’m not saying it won’t, but it does not mean you’re going to die. It means you’ll have a good story to tell your new friends after you wake up, okay? I won’t let you die. I have this firmly in control—”

“Here!” Vemar sprinted into the room, the trunk in his hands, sweat dripping down the sides of his face. “Got it.”

“Thanks,” I said, moving quickly but not hurrying.

I took a deep breath. Then another. Oxygen helped the brain think clearly. It steadied the nerves.

“Dessia, take my place,” I said calmly, trying to ease the panic I could see written across Dessia’s face. “Rub her back. Murmur encouraging words to her.” I put the trunk at Calia’s head. I didn’t want her to spasm or thrash and hit it, spilling the contents.

Hannon stepped in beside me, mug in hand. “How are you going to administer the antidote with her throat closed?” he asked.

“I am not. You are going to give her a shot with the serum. Fuck, I hope I don’t kill her.”

“It wouldn’t matter if you did. She will die without you. She might live if you try to help.”

Deep breaths.

Watch closely as Finley tries injecting crowded everlass plant into a person for the very first time, I thought, sweat sliding down my temple. Let’s see if she fucks up, kills the prized faerie, and then gets blamed for poisoning her. A real nail-biter, folks.

My dragon didn’t comment. Thank fuck.

I mixed the ingredients, adding a few things to speed up the effect of the crowded plant but nothing that would make it more potent. After a quick and dirty grind, I motioned for Hannon to fill the mug with water.

“Time,” I barked. “I need a timer for thirty seconds.

“On it,” Hadriel said. He retrieved a syringe and handed it to me.

“Right. Okay. Let’s all just take a deep breath. Everyone take a breath.” I pushed Dessia out of the way and traced my fingers down Calia’s limp arm before poking her chest. Chest would be faster. I didn’t need to get it into a vein, just into her body. The chest had more circulation. It also had a lot of bones. I felt down by her ribs.