Poisoned Lips

Prologue + map

Under the hot Brausee sun, Cozbi examined the oranges that were put on display, sweat dripping from her forehead. The woven basket she held weighed down the left part of her body, making her look uneven.

Women were gathered in the street market, huddled by stalls. They spoke about the looks of the new King of Brausee, their kingdom.

She moved away from the orange stall and pushed her way through the rainbow crowd until she stopped in the fish section. The foul odor of seafood traveled up her nose and she held in her vomit.

"Good day, sir," She said.

"Cozbi!" He exclaimed. "How is Dolion doing?"

"Great." She smiled tightly, not in the mood for small talks. "Can I get three mackerels please?"

"Ok. Give me a second to bag that." While he was preparing her order and weighing it, she eavesdropped on the discussion of two ladies beside her.

"Have you learned?" One hushed.

"What?" The other asked, curving her hand through her friend's arm.

"King Osiah is passing a strange law tomorrow."

"I know! I am afraid for Mira and her family."

Cozbi leaned in, trying to discover what this new law was.

"I'm terrified. There's a ship leaving Brausee this evening. I heard the Magis will be on it."

Cozbi's heart pounded louder in her chest, threatening to tear through her skin.

"Where is the ship going? I have to tell Mira and her husband if not, King Osiah might kill them tomorrow."

"It's going to Aføya. They still welcome the Magis."

"Ok, come we need to inform Mira!"

Cozbi brought her hands to her mouth and tried to calm her panicked breaths.

Freyja.

Freyja.

Her eight-month-old daughter's face flashed in her head and her voice echoed in her ears. Her sweet voice. That was the slap she needed to wake her. She let the woven basket fall to the ground and began running, clutching her dress and hearing the fading sound of the fish man calling her back.

Barely five minutes later, she was huffing and puffing.

She arrived at her district, where she lived in a small farm hut. Upon her arrival, she saw Dolion holding a brown bag and a sleeping Freyja in his arms. He stood in front of the entrance door.

"Dolion!" She exclaimed, giving him a light kiss on the lips.

"Go take your cloak. The new king will execute Magis tomorrow, including babies."

"I know," She breathed.

She rushed into the house to grab her cloak and a pair of solid boots.
Freyja was a Magi. Magis were humans who had magic, who were born because of magic (by a witch's spell), or who had ancestors with magical powers.

Freyja's birth was unfortunate. In a period of despair, Cozbi had gone to see a witch. She was barren, but she desperately wanted a child.

A witch granted her an offspring, but with all uses of dark magic, it came two-faced. She got a child, yes, but little did she know that her child would bring great tragedy upon her family.

"Hurry, we need to leave!"

After tying her hair in a ponytail, she rushed out of the house and they left their district, heading for the port. His hands squeezed her hands for reassurance and her heart squeezed in guilt. She was lying to him.