Guldan shook his head.
Godsdammit. I clenched my fists. “Show me where this happened.”
With my senses attuned to Leda, I might be able to distinguish her scent from the others more clearly.
My commander nodded, and I followed him out of the house and around the side to the herb garden just outside the kitchen door. Masu was still stretched out on the ground, eyes closed and gray skin much paler than usual, but she was breathing steadily.
A young daemoness bent over her, a hand on Masu’s forehead and another on her chest. I could see the faint white glow of magic from her palms and wondered if she held some sort of healing magic, but this was not the time to ask.
I walked to the spot on the ground where Leda’s scent was the strongest and the grass was still slightly flattened. I smelled her anger… and her fear.
“This was used to poison Masu.”
I looked up at the sound of Guldan’s voice. He held a small dart out to me, and I took it, bringing it to my nose. I smelled Masu’s blood, the bitter tang of the poison, and a male daemon. His scent was somewhat familiar, but it was impossible to tell who it was though. With the layers of other scents, I could not isolate it.
I looked up at my second-in-command. “Who is off duty today?”
“You think it was one of our males?” Guldan asked.
“Yes. I know this daemon’s scent. It is too muddled with other smells on the dart, but we can see who is not on the estate today. It will be a place to start.”
“The roster is in the barracks.”
I straightened, ready to sprint straight for the barracks, but a weak voice interrupted me.
“It… it was…”
I looked over to find Masu lifting her head up to look at me. The daemoness healing her shushed her, trying to get her to lie down. The imp batted at her hands.
“Help me hold my head up, female,” Masu insisted, her voice a little stronger.
The daemoness sighed, but moved to rest Masu’s head on her thighs so she could look at me.
My housekeeper cleared her throat and took a wheezy breath. “It was Talus,” she stated. “I saw him before I passed out. He was shooting darts at Lady Leda as she ran from him.”
My vision hazed red. The daemon was dead. He just did not know it yet.
“I saw him talking to one of Venna’s soldiers the last time she was here,” Masu rasped. “It did not look friendly at the time, so I thought nothing of it.”
I walked closer. “Thank you, Masu. I will not forget this.”
“I did nothing.” Her voice broke on the words, and tears filled her eyes. “I heard him coming, but did not get her into the house as I should have.”
“You are alive, and you gave me a place to begin looking for my mate. You have done more than enough. Rest and regain your strength. I will return with Leda.”
Her eyes closed, and she nodded her agreement.
I turned to Guldan, but he spoke before I could. “We cannot gather the soldiers and invade her estate. It would be adeclaration of war. Especially when we have no proof that she took the human.”
“I know,” I replied. “Follow me.”
I went into the house and walked straight to my personal armory. I strapped a sword around my hips and another to my back. Daggers went into my boots. Potions were placed in a special pouch on my sword belt.
“You cannot go alone, General.”
“I am not. You are going as my distraction.”
He frowned at me. “We will send someone else as the distraction. I will fight at your side.”
