“Feeling alright?” Livia asked in feigned concern.
“What in confinement did you do to me?” I gritted through my clenched jaw.
“Those manacles are crafted from silver yew. From the look on your face, I’m assuming you’ve heard of it.”
All warmth and color left my cheeks. This was bad. Very bad.
Livia had retrieved the dagger and was back at Amalie’s side. I watched helplessly as she once again raised the blade to her palm.
“Get your claws off of her,” I bellowed, thrashing against the restraints. It was like trying to build a sandcastle on the beach during high tide. Utterly useless. My entire body felt weakened, as though it was fighting off some terrible illness.
Ignoring me, Livia carved a shape into Amalie’s flesh. The symbol—she was marking her with that symbol.
“Whatever you’re doing, please stop!” Panic entwined every word. “Use me instead.”
My pleas were about as useful as my attempts to escape. Livia continued as though she hadn’t heard me. When she was done, Magnus handed her an empty vial.
“Don’t look so shocked,” she said with a low laugh, collecting Amalie’s blood into the vial. “I only need a drop. At least, let’s hope so, for her sake.” I didn’t miss the threat behind her words.
“Then you’ve got what you needed. Give her the antidoteand let her go.” My voice was becoming hoarse. The effort of shouting in my weakened state was taking its toll.
She pointed the dagger at me. “I still need her, so you don’t try anything foolish.”
“What did she offer you? Or am I supposed to believe that you would slaughter innocents in the name oflove?” I sneered at Magnus.
“Then you underestimate how good she is at sucking my cock,” he said with an arrogant curl of his mouth.
I didn’t bother to hide my revolted shudder. “I may actually retch.”
“Don’t act so high and mighty, we all know how much you Velcarin love to fuck,” he said with a suggestive wink.
“None of them were innocent,” said Livia, before I could retort. She began to remove dust speckled glass jars and vials filled with herbs and liquids from the basket. Now I knew what had happened to Basia’s collection.
The coarse bark of the tree gnawed at my back, and my arms began to take strain from the awkward position I’d been forced into. Ignoring the discomfort, I asked, “What about Runa?”
“Runa was working for me,” she said, matter-of-factly. “Feeding me information about you. I even had her deliver that first little note.”
I recoiled as if I had been slapped. Surely not? Runa wouldn’t, would she?
I shook my head. “I don’t believe you.”
“Offer someone gold, and you’d be surprised what they’re willing to do. Her problem was, she was too clever. After what happened with Hugo, she pieced everything together. She realized I was responsible for my dear husband’s untimely demise, so I had to get rid of her. Or, more accurately, Magnus did.”
My throat bobbed. Runa’s betrayal felt heavy, but the smiling, chatty maid didn’t deserve her fate. Then it dawned onme—Livia had been away when Runa was murdered. “You got Magnus to do your dirty work for you while you were away at your cushy country manor?”
“I’m always happy to make a woman scream.” Magnus chimed in from where he sat, sharpening one of his swords on a whetstone.
Ignoring the roar in my blood at Magnus’s words, I went on. “And Hugo? Was that you, too?”
“He was going to get rid of you. I couldn’t have that. I needed you,” said Livia as she emptied the contents of her jars into the cauldron.
“How did you know? Unless…” It all started to click together. “Runa saw him going into my bedchamber, didn’t she? And Magnus stole Helvig’s keys the night of the ball. That’s how he got into the dungeon.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You are quick. Yes, Magnus was already waiting for him—”
“I struck that pompous ass from behind,” he bragged.
Livia’s eyes flashed. “But, before I arrived to kill him myself, you showed up.”
