“Magical poisons need magical cures,” I muttered to myself, Alaric remaining strangely quiet.
Magic.
I shivered. What did I know about magic? Other than it would see me burned alive.
The last day I spent at Yaga’s side came to mind. The stone she’d tried to foist off on me. Her warning that I would come to regret the decision.
“Flark,” I grumbled in a low curse.
“What?”Alaric asked, tone hopeful.“You’ve thought of a cure?”
“I know what I need.”
“Anything,”he bit out.“Tell me and it is yours.”
There was no fighting this. “I’ll need a fresh supply of herbs, more liniment, and a sturdy horse so that I can see an old woman about a rock.” Along with a fork for a big slice of humble pie.
Chapter Fifteen
THORNE
I was being punished,though the woman riding beside me would never admit it. The early hour and the miserable horse beneath me were proof enough. Somehow, while I was deep into my second bottle of Ambrosia last night, Serafina and Alaric had formulated this half-baked scheme without me.
Apparently, the two had reconciled after the pool incident, spending the evening together. Possibly the whole evening. My flame sparked at the thought, a low growl rattling my throat. Not that I cared. Alaric could confide in his little pet all he wanted. Tell Sera all about our royal heritage and our lost kingdom. It came as no surprise that he’d want her to know he was once a king. Women swooned over that kind of thing.
Naturally, he skipped right over anything that would have cast him in a bad light, informing me he’d shared all sheneededto know. Always polishing his proverbial scales. That was fine. I’d tried to forget the past, anyway.
I massaged my aching temples against the rising sun. “Tell me again why we are traveling to Ironwood Market?”
“Because that is where my mentor said she would be when she left Rottbarry. It’s my hope she’ll have a magical stone to cure Alaric of this poison. She is also a skilled seer who might know a thing or two about curses and missing children.”
“He’s spoken with many seers. All claimed to have the answer for the right price. None of them had a clue. I don’t see how this one will be any different.”
Serafina’s pert little nose jutted higher. “Because she is Yaga.”
“Yaga, did you say?”
“You’ve heard of her?”
“Heard of her, yes. Met her, no.” Damn powerful though if she was the same hag who aided Carcerem’s new rulers. Maybe she could help after all.
“I hear we are shopping as well?” And yet Alaric claimed this was no punishment.
“I’m out of the herbs. Ironwood Market will have what I need. And with any luck, I’ll find survivors from Nefarr there, too. Surely, they’ll know something about Speck.”
“Strange, how you sound almost eager to help my brother. What happened between you in the wee hours of the morning?” A low rumble entered my voice, and I coughed to cover the sound.
“Nothing. Why shouldn’t I help him?Heisn’t the dragon who bit me.”
“Figured that out, did you? In my defense, you did fling a pile of dung at me.” I tensed at the memory, the horse beneath me tossing her head in response.
And still no apology. Not that I expected one.
“You didn’t tell him, did you?”
“What, that you shifted in sight of the village, disobeying a direct order from your king?”
“My king,” I grunted. “Nobody has called the dragon that in a long time. King of what? A pile of rubble and rotting bones?”
