“He’s lying to you. He has been.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Did you know that there is a threat against your life?”
Not knowing how to respond, I stood there, shocked and confused.
“I wish it wasn’t true, but my sources have told me that the Lich King is searching for you, and Kane plans on handing you over.”
“He wouldn’t.”
The pity on Gideon’s face made the reality of the statement ring true.
Tears, full of shame and hurt, filled my gaze and I turned my head, unable to look at Gideon.
“I have a way out, and I promise no one will hurt you. Here.”
He took hold of my shoulder and turned me back to face him, then rubbed something on my lips.
The brazen action caught me off guard and I shoved him back. “What did you just do?”
“It's a lip balm. If you're like others who wield the element of plant, then you're immune to all poisons derived from them.” He placed the jar of poison into his pocket.
“What are you asking of me?”
“Tonight, call the king to your chambers and when he's there, kiss him with this on. Using my invisibility, I’ll stay nearby, waiting. Once he’s incapacitated, open the door, and ask the guards to go inside and handle a delicate matter, make something up, anything to get them inside—I’ll follow them in and put them to sleep.”
My lips tingled where he’d rubbed the balm. Almost as if they knew the sin they were about to commit. A poisoned kiss? Was this the prophesied queen I was destined to be?
This was too much. I couldn’t think through everything quick enough. “You want me to kill him? How could you ask this of me?”
“No, it’ll paralyze him. Even though he's immortal, he can still be poisoned. This one will paralyze him long enough for us to use his hand to open the gate to the Dryads.” Gideon eyed me, waiting for me to agree, but how could he expect me to make this type of decision so quickly?
“I can’t do this. I’ll speak with him. If your claims about his plans for me are true—”
“There’s no time.” His voice dropped, and he moved closer. “It has to happen tonight.”
Not only was he asking me to kiss Kane, but to poison him while I did it. “But I’m Queen of the Fae.”
“You saw what happened in the village.” Gideon’s expression softened, and the pity in his blue gaze made me feel less like a queen and more like a naïve little girl. “Prophecy or not,the fae have grown to hate and distrust humans. A human queen is not our way. They will retaliate just like they did in that village.”
“They were scared,” I said, trying to convince myself. “In time, that could change. What happens after we find the stone?”
“Once we have the soul gem, we can turn Kane mortal again.”
“Are you going to kill him?”
“No, but he will be imprisoned. I will get you out of our kingdom and you can live freely, hidden from the rest of the world.”
“You're asking me to betray the king.”
“I'm asking you to set yourself free and the rest of us too. A dragon was never meant to rule the fae, and ever since his father came to court, our people have suffered. Do you not see the rot? The swamp so close to our home? His hatred and anger and isolation are changing everything.”
There was no denying the truth in those statements.
“It happens tonight or not at all. The castle is in chaos from your disappearance. It’s our best chance.” Gideon walked over to the door without waiting for a response.
Was this what I still wanted?
