How to Poison Your Husband [COMPLETE! Cozy Romantasy With A Dash Of Murder]

Step 11b: ...grow your support system...

Heart swelling with joy, Ivelle leaped to her feet. At the sight of her, Ash brightened and zoomed across the dungeon. Their bodies collided in a feathery, talon-y hug.

"I thought you were dead!" Ivelle cried.

"Don't be absurd," said Ash, though his voice was suspiciously soggy. "It'd take more than a flesh wound to finish me off. Lillian's servants took me with them when they fled the castle. I only just recovered enough strength to fly back here."

Behind them, Lillian let out a triumphant laugh. "I told you Anabelle wouldn't abandon him to die!"

"Unlike some people," Mariel muttered.

Ash hopped up to perch on the grille, compulsively flicking dust off his feathers with his beak. "I'm afraid I wasn't in my right mind when I woke up. I was disoriented, and in a panic at finding myself in the back of a carriage, and I gave Anabelle a few scratches before I realized what was up. Once I regained my senses, I flew back here at once. ...With a couple rest stops, of course. I'm a bit, ah, deconditioned." He ruffled his feathers with embarrassment. "But that's not important! I knew I needed to get to you as soon as I woke up so that I could warn you." He drew a breath. "Ivelle, the queen is evil! She's a very powerful wood fae, and she's up to no good!"

"No kidding," said Mariel, just as Lillian said, "We know."

They shot each other glares of immense dislike and promptly went back to ignoring each other.

Ash deflated. "You... you already know? All of you?"

His gaze slid past Ivelle, who nodded apologetically, and came to rest on Ascoria. "Hell's fiery gravestones!" He nearly fell off his perch. "You're alive!"

"I think we have some catching up to do," said Ivelle.

It took nearly half an hour to get Ash up to speed. By the time Ivelle had finished describing the murder banquet, Ascoria's surprise return, and Queen Ysette's successful attempts at brainwashing Eirifold, Ash was fuming.

"I knew that woman was bad news!" He ruffled his feathers with anger. "Right before she cursed me and injured my wing, I saw her with the King, turning two unfortunate men into tigers. She has an illusion that makes her look human, but I think she loses her grip on the spell when she does powerful magic. The second her illusion dropped, I could tell she was a fae. Unfortunately, she saw me as I was trying to fly away and cast a cutting curse on me. I barely made it back to Lillian's rooms alive." He shook his head. "I need to get you out of here. Before she remembers you exist and decides to finish you off."

"For real," said Ivelle. "I can't spend another chapter in this dungeon. The readers might riot." She glanced at her wrists. "There is one slight problem. These handcuffs are spelled to explode if we try to escape."

"Can we unlock them?"

"The Captain of the Guard has the keys. Unless he gave them to Queen Ysette for safekeeping."

At the mention of the queen, Ash's wings fluttered in agitation. "Well," he said, starting to pace. "I suppose if that's the case, I'd best get a move on."

"Hey." Ivelle pressed her forehead against his, halting him mid-pace, as she had often done when they were kids. "You don't have to go. We'll think of something else, something that doesn't involve you getting near the queen. I just got you back - I don't want to lose you again."

"Lose me! Hah! The only way you'll lose me is if all this sappiness gives me an aneurysm." Beneath his sarcastic words, Ash looked terrified. His beak lashed side to side a few times, as though he was steeling himself up for something deeply unpleasant. Before Ivelle could stop him, he launched himself off the grille and swooped out the door.