Fated - Book 1 (Completed)

Chapter 17

The foul stench of the shifter filled my nose, and the horrid stench of wet mutt made my stomach turn. The general summoned me two days ago, and now I'm here, stuck in a small room with the grinning man, smelling his putrid stench."General Aziel, tell me, why is it that you have summoned me here?""Why, to talk, my lord."His heart never skipped a beat; his lips still curled in a grin, but his glowing golden eyes were telling another story. The prince's mutt was his key interrogator due to his ability to pick up the most minute changes in a being's body when they are lying or exhibiting fear."Who are you waiting for, boy?"A sudden twitch in his brow, he was holding back his annoyance with the third party's late arrival. The last time he questioned a council member, his word was thrown out of court due to there being no witness."What do you mean, my lord?""Well, we have been sitting here for an hour, Aziel and I don't know you to keep your lips shut for that long."The man's eyes were locked on me. I shifted in my seat and leaned in closer over the wooden table between us. I was bored and wanted to know why he summoned me here."My lord, I'm offended. I can keep my lips sealed and enjoy the silence."If I provoke him enough, surely he will snap and get to why he has me here."How is your lover, Caleb? Was it?""Oh, the Lord is aware of my life beyond the South; I'm honoured. He is doing well; I believe he is travelling with one of your sons."Quick to change the subject."Why, Yes, he is travelling to open new routes within the east. My poor wife misses him truly."This must be the reason why I was summoned to dig into the trade routes. What other reason could there be?"Oh, speaking of routes, I had a glass of that honey brandy you gave the prince. I was curious as to where you got it; it would be a great gift for my king.""Ah yes, that was purchased in the North from a young lad named Erik, a young human who makes the drink most curiously."Yes, the trade routes, but what about them?"Oh, in what way, may I ask?"The man's voice never faltered; it was riddled with curiosity, and if anything, it rose in pitch with pure excitement."The boy has found a way to make the drink with heat and snow; he has shown me the process. What an odd way to make the drink.""Oh, and the ingredients? I would like to make sure since my king has allergies to some of the fruits grown in the North."His curiosity caught me off guard. I shifted in my seat at his question: had he summoned me just to talk about a gift for his king?"My, what an assiduous man you are. To be quite honest, I'm not sure of all of the ingredients used, but I know for a fact that he uses honey from the West, and not just any honey, the richest, thickest, and sweetest in the land. He used that as his selling point; I do believe he cooks it as well; a sage showed him how to get the most out of the treat.""Oh, my lord, that is truly fascinating. How long will it take to get me a freshly made bottle?"Pride swelled in my chest, a sensation I lived on. I was brilliant at selling anything to an idiot, especially with the elaborate tales I created on the spot, to gain their attention."Well, it takes the boy a few days to make the mix and have it delivered by horse to my castle, where it will have to sit for at least two days in its barrels before we can bottle them.""You have to bottle them, my lord?"The man leant in, his golden eyes glistening slightly, and his lips fell into a slight gape at my words—all lies, of course. The brandy is made within my castle, but to keep his attention away from the trade routes, I had to add a spin to the story."Why yes, the poor boy doesn't have access to the magic we use or the wax that we dip the neck of the bottle into to seal the drink's sweet aroma."Something dark shifted in his eyes suddenly; his heartbeat was still the same, though."Oh, don't worry, my boy, we take care of our wax; it's the purest of our plant-infused wax; we grow it ourselves and do the whole process within my lands.""And the bottling, my lord? How sure are you that no one will, well, accidentally drop in anything that could harm my king?"I couldn't help but chuckle at the man's question. He truly was a puppet to his king and the prince; he would even go this far to assure the safety of a drink for a man who uses him like the tool he is."When it comes to bottling a gift for lords and kings, I personally watch the process and inspect them before we box them separately, and I deliver the gift.""Such good news, my lord, so does that mean you were the one who put the Salvia and Ayahuasca in the prince's bottle?"My body froze at the beast's sudden change in tone of voice; his golden eyes darkened further, and his chest vibrated with a growl. His once-heavy heartbeat picked up speed, revealing a second beat hidden behind it."What do you mean, general? I would never put those plants in a drink; if mixed improperly, they can lead to death. How dare you accuse me of this treachery, especially towards the young prince?"Rage rolled through me as I slammed my hands on the table and pushed myself up out of my seat. I was not going to allow the creature to accuse me of this; if I wanted to kill the boy, I would have ripped his beating heart out of his chest."I will not stand for this; I am taking my leave."I spun around to face a young warrior dressed in the prince's army uniform, black clothing with bright blue trimming. The boy was no younger than the man behind me; his skin was just as dark, and one-half of his head was braided. His eyes glowed a sickening green—another shifter."Did you hear that?"Aziel's voice was cold behind me. I rolled my head back, eyes wide, as my fangs grew. My anger had slithered into a cold fear."Yes, my lord, I'll let the prince know."With that, the younger one ran off, and his footsteps echoed in my head as he pattered away."You see, Lord Crastil, the reason why I summoned you here is to arrest you and have you executed for poisoning Prince Artemis and attempting to take his life."His voice was cold, just as the golden glare he had locked on me made my mind foggy and heavy. That bitch, the high priestess, did this.