The poisons were stored in a shed near the estate, but therealalchemy, the forbidden work, was done in the Phytomancer’s Den. And now,finally, Raul would open that world to me.
“We can go as soon as you’re finished tending to our child,” hesaid. Then, with surprising tenderness, he rose and lifted Angelo from my arms.
“I’ll take him to the wet nurse so we may begin.”
Raul cooed nonsense to the baby as he spun through the room, waltzing past velvet curtains pulled wide to let in the golden glow of summer. Angelo shrieked with laughter, his chubby hands reaching for the woolly stuffed bear Raul snatched from the shelf.
Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm halo over the polished marble and ornate rugs as Raul danced out of the room, our son in his arms, and my future in his trust.
Outside, we pushed through the wild, overgrown forest surrounding Raul’s estate, the thick foliage pulling at our clothes as we made our way toward the Phytomancer’s Den.
“Who knows about this place?” I asked, gripping Raul’s hand as he helped me over a fallen log slick with moss.
“Very few,” he replied. “It’s buried deep in the forest, hidden from all but the initiated. Only those trained in the darker arts of poison-making—the Timehunters—know of its existence.”
Through the tangle of trees and vines, the den came into view—a crumbling stone tower, half-swallowed by nature. Ivy strangled its surface, and gnarled trees leaned in like whispering secrets to its decaying walls. Toxic plants with oily leaves and unnatural blooms clustered near the base, exuding a sickly-sweet aroma that turned my stomach.
A greenish mist drifted low to the ground, clinging to the roots and rocks like a living thing. It reeked of rot and alchemy, and the air vibrated with an eerie hum.
Then came the hissing.
Low at first, then louder, surrounding us like a warning chorus. I froze as Raul’s hand shot out, halting me mid-step.
“What is it?” I whispered. “What’s making that sound?”
“The guardian serpents,” he said calmly. “Don’t move. They strike without warning.”
My blood turned to ice.
Raul lifted his chin and began speaking in a strange, fluidtongue—ancient, guttural. The forest responded in kind. The hissing deepened and multiplied, like a hundred serpents drawing breath in unison. The mist thickened, curling around my ankles like ghostly fingers.
I loathed snakes. The mere thought of their scales against my skin made my stomach twist. There was no creature I feared more.
And yet, I stood frozen—my terror swallowed by awe, by reverence. This was the entrance to the forbidden. And I was about to walk through it.
Raul continued his strange chanting, his hands weaving deliberate, arcane gestures through the thick air. The rustling around us ceased. Silence fell—tense, heavy,watchful. I couldn’t see them, but Ifeltthem. The serpents were hidden in the mist and undergrowth, coiled and listening, waiting to decide whether we lived or died.
Finally, Raul lowered his arms, the last syllable of his incantation dissolving into the stillness.
“It’s safe now,” he said calmly.
“Are you sure?” I whispered, clutching his sleeve.
He gave me a brief, confident nod. “Of course. I’ve been the overseer of the guardian serpents for years. They know me.”
His words offered only the smallest comfort. My heart pounded as we approached the entrance, every instinct warning me to tread lightly. One wrong move could mean venom in the veins—death, fast and unforgiving.
We stopped before the door—an ancient slab of wood and metal, intricately carved with rows of arcane symbols and glyphs that shimmered faintly beneath the moss. Raul raised his hands again, murmuring another set of incantations, his fingers forming precise, ritualistic motions. Slowly, the carvings began to glow with an eerie, golden light.
With a creak like a sigh, the door swung open.
He stepped aside. “After you.”
I hesitated for just a breath, then stepped over the threshold.
The air inside the den was pulsing with a strange energy—humid, spiced with the scent of crushed herbs, decay, and something darker. The chamber was dim, lit only by faint phosphorescence bleeding from the stone walls.
“Besides the serpents,” Raul said behind me, “there are manysentient, carnivorous plants within these walls. They can sense ill intent… especially toward the poisons. Their instincts are as sharp as their teeth. With a single snap of my fingers, they’ll awaken.”
