The Sapphire Pendant

Chapter 16

Adeline

“What?” I screamed back annoyed that he was raising his voice at me.

“Oh, you heard me,” the king said annoyed that I didn’t stop.  He obviously used the Speak against me but it didn’t work.

“You think you have the Speak?” I asked him continuing to move just to make him even more mad.  I walked up to him getting really close to his face.  I noticed that most of his wrinkles had vanished, possibly by artificial means.

“Was this when you two were at the tavern?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said pleased.  I wanted to command him to kill himself but I didn’t have the Speak or the authority to do so, but neither did he.  So which one of my sisters had the Speak.

My necklace started vibrating.   I quickly dismissed it.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Josh edge to the weapons wall at the left of the window.  King Felix was too busy staring at me intensely that he didn’t notice Josh’s movement.

“Did he use the silver wine chalice that he always drinks from?” I asked curiously.

“Of course,” King Felix said rolling his eyes.

“Then I can prove that you killed the king,” I said confidently.

“No you can’t,” he said uncertainly.

“Yes I can,” I said, “because the drugs normally used for confusion do not wash away for months. I am sure that the drug residue is still on the chalice at the tavern.”

I knew this because I was a healer.  I was well briefed about the different poisons and potions that can cause a person to become befuddled then eventually become so weak they ended up dying.  The poison used was most likely the Dragonflower that only grew in the Forest of Marr near the north side of the tree trunks.

“Well that evidence can be easily destroyed,” the king said, “now you know too much.”

King Felix unsheathed his sword and crouched, ready to pounce.  I saw Josh behind him and thrust the sword so that it touched the small of his back.

“It is an offense to kill a king,” Josh said angrily, “an offense punished by death.”  Surprisingly this was true, but even if it wasn’t Josh would have used this line.  He looked pretty mad.  I guessed being lied to your entire life could make you pretty angry.

“And you are going to kill me Joshua,” the king laughed, but I could see beads of sweat form on his brow.

He quickly turned around to face Josh and the sword point was at his heart, why would someone turn around to face the sword.  That just meant that you would die faster.  He looked down worried then composed himself.

“After all I have done for you,” the king said easily.

“Yeah, and after all you’ve lied to me about,” he said hardly.

“But I gave you a good life,” the king replied.

“A life of lies,” Josh said.

“I know you though,” he said slyly.  Josh’s arm quivered slightly like he wanted to retreat but he knew he couldn’t do it.

I inched over to the wall of weapons and grabbed a bow and a quiver full of arrows.  I strung one and held it to my hip.

“You will not kill me,” he said again.

Josh’s grip on the sword wavered and his eye twitched.  Then he lowered the sword.

“You’re right,” Josh said.