Of Blood And Royal Bones

Chapter 13: Betrayal

Kassia's head throbbed as she regained consciousness. Her eyelids felt like heavy stones as they refused to open. She rubbed at them, wiping furiously at the drowsiness that stole over them, the drowsiness that stole over her entire body. Her limbs tingled unbearably and she moaned at the pain, her throat scratchy sending her voice out in a rasp.

    As her eyes finally focused, she discovered that she was encompassed in a cage of bars. Her heart raced in panic as her eyes darted to her surroundings. She seemed to be in a dungeon of sorts with multiple cells neighboring hers. In the cell to her immediate right lay Jurgen, his shirt stained with blood where the arrow had pierced him.

    She grasped at her own stomach and felt healed tissue. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief before crawling lethargically to the bars that separated her from Jurgen, her limbs aching and tingling as she worked the poison from her muscles. Reaching through them, she grabbed Jurgen's hand and felt around for a pulse. Her fingertips grazed over his wrist with haste until she felt a tiny throb of life at the base of his thumb. She released yet another sigh as her eyes stung with tears of gratitude.

    "Your body made quick work of that poison." A voice floated to her from the shadows of the dungeon.

    She did not deign to look at who the voice derived from for she already knew. Her entire body throbbed in pain, but her chest ached the most. She seethed with betrayal as pure anger coursed through her. Her eyes glossed over with salty emotion as she stared down at Jurgen's unconscious form.

    "What have you done?" She spat at Ziam from her kneeling position.

    He stepped out of the cover of the shadows and revealed himself. "I am sure that is one of many questions you have. I shall inform you of the necessary information."

    "Go on, then, and tell me how you betrayed me." She prompted through gritted teeth.

    "Eighteen years ago to this day, you were born. You have gained your power for eighteen years and today, you reclaimed what is yours. The Land of Temptation ruled by the Temptress herself."

    She finally turned bleary eyes to him, a perplexed expression plastering her features.

    "Oh, come on. Do not feign confusion now. I've caught whiffs of your toxin on several different occasions, I know you feel it. That pain in your lungs, that taste of honey and lavender. That is your pheromone, Kassandria."

    "I do not understand a single word you speak." She bit out.

    "You are an enchantress, Kassandria."

    "Do not speak my name!" She shouted at him, hot tears cascading down her face. "Do not ever speak my name again!"

    "As you wish." He obliged coolly.

    She flinched at his obedience.

    "Have you truly not felt it this whole time?" He continued.

    "I did not know what it was," she admitted coldly, "I only sensed that it was dangerous. It would ambush me when I was near... you." Realization dawned on her as she slowly deciphered the past few weeks. "The lavender is a toxin?"

    "Your body must have been trying desperately to warn you against trusting me. I noticed it several times. Only once did I ever sense the sweetness of your other half."

    "My other half? The honey..." Her voice trailed off in bewildered thought.

    "As I've said, you are an enchantress. As such, you contain two types of pheromone: One that enchants your victims, and one that suffocates them. The lavender clearly felt threatened by me."