Shadow Blades (The Cimmerian Cycle #2)

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Guilt slid inside him, he hadn't read Isabel's last words to him. Cormac wanted to run away to somewhere his troubles couldn't follow. He wanted to be free of guilt and worry. And love.

He allowed himself to accept those words in his mind. He loved Kiayani and she would never love him back. He jumped off the bed and rolled his shoulders. What was he doing? He had days to live and he was moping about being alone.

Cormac quickly tightened the buckles back up. He had a king to kill after all.

He walked around the palace until dinner in which he allowed himself a goblet full of wine. His mind went blissfully blank as he ate with the other pages. He didn't even remember going back to his room.

He woke groggily with a pounding head. Rubbing his eyes, he rolled off the bed and had to use it to help him stand up. He slipped his boots on and trudged from the room. He wouldn't be touching the wine tonight. Cormac wondered how the pages could down five goblets before dropping to the floor.

It took Cormac another two days to get access to into the physician's quarters. He was collecting some perfume for Kiayani with whom he had been reassigned to. He tried to not let his nerves show.

He had two days left before his time expired. He was hardly any closer to killing the king than he had been on the first day. The only improvement was personal one: getting to see Kiayani every day. That morning she had been particularly happy, Cormac noticed a new ring on her finger, but didn't think twice about it.

He had barely walked in the door when she sent him off again, requesting the perfume. Cormac found the physician's quarters again, this time knocking on the door before barging in.

"Come in," the old man wheezed. Cormac inhaled a deep breath of the strange fragrance he had smelt earlier as he stepped into the study. The physician had his back to the door and was mixing something up with a mortar and pestle.

Cormac took the chance to have a good look around and carefully pull a poison vial from his belt. It was no bigger than a walnut and he concealed it in his palm.

Bookshelves lined the walls and held a host of vials in all shapes and sizes as well as a huge collection of books. The old man continued to pound the pestle and Cormac moved towards a table on his right. He saw an open jar and was tempted to empty the poison into it. But he had no idea what it was or more importantly, who it was for. He leaned over to sniff the jar when the physician turned around with a bowl in his hands.

Cormac jumped back, an action unnoticed by the physician. He watched the old man as he emptied the contents of the bowl to the jar, screwed on the lid, and then shook it. He turned to Cormac, his eyebrows lifted.

"Take this to the King's chambers immediately." The physician thrust the jar at Cormac who caught it with his free hand, cradling the glass against his body.

"I'm here to collect Lady Kiayani's perfume," Cormac said, the hand holding the poison shook behind his back.

"Very well, I will have it ready when you return." The physician pushed Cormac towards the door, "To the King now," he said.

Cormac waited until he had rounded a corner before leaping into the air. What luck! He stopped in an empty corridor and unscrewed the lid of the jar. Flowery fumes emerged into the air.

If it was going to the king's chambers it could mean that it surely was for the king. Excitement filled Cormac. He could finish his mission today. He made sure he was alone before he unstopped the poison vial.