Crimson Trails

Hiding

Poppy's POV

'What the hell have you brought in here?' I screamed, throwing the glass on the floor where the dainty crystal shattered into a million pieces, the dark liquid spilling on to the floor.

'Madame, I...' the attendant whimpered, trying to close her arms over herself in a semblance of self defence.

Poor her, as if those little hands could protect her from my wrath if I lost control. I wasn't in the mood for my favorite raspberry cocktail even, what to say of a whinny servant.

I got up from the recliner and crossed the distance on the floor in a jiffy. The glass crunched with a terrible sound under my heels.

I'll crush her, I'll grind that Sapphire to dust.

I could understand she was a traitor. I knew very well that she was acting as a spy from Violet Hollow. And at that moment it was a delicate situation with both lands at daggers drawn.

She was violating both worlds for her own gain.

'Why are you so upset?' Garnet commented from beside me, gulping her drink in one go.

She shook the glass, the ice clinking against the sides, a cue to bringing more drinks and man — she does drink. The wine was so strong that you could almost see oily swirls in it, but she gulped it down like nothing.

Two days here and I haven't touched alcohol yet. Emerald tried to offer me a peg, but I ended up choking, so he had to give up.

Emerald cared for me. I know it and that was the reason why I want to expose this Sapphire girl, for treason.

No matter I knew her, no matter what she was for me, but in that land, it was all a hungry war for power and I needed to win the war.

'You know you can always tell me what's bothering you,' she took a long sip of her drink and sunk into the recliner, eyes closed... her dark red lips the only thing standing out in the shadows.

'Don't try to seduce me. I'm not into women,' I roll my eyes.

'I'm an enchantress. Seduction come naturally to me. It's as easy as you having magic.' she replied, stifling a yawn.

'I want to expose her. I want to catch her red handed with the proof that she is betraying our land?' I mumbled to myself.

'Heard that!' Garnet got up from her seat and put an arm over me, 'Now, now now... Anger makes you lose control. That girl is very clever. You need to proceed carefully.'

'What do you mean?'

'She's brought in a human to our land. I saw him. He calls himself Amethyst.'

'What?' I whip back, towering over her in my heels, 'She's hiding a what?'

'You heard it right,' she gently hit my glass with hers, as the high pitched note reverberated through the silence of the hall.

'I mean, how can she do that? A human. If we can find this human, then we'll have a proof against her. Garnet we...' I grabbed her hand.

'Uh huh! Not we, I...' she said, drawing back her hand. 'I don't waste my talents for such small things until I get something out of it.'

'You're backing off? Is that what a friend does?' I asked, incredulous.

'I'm just trying to make a deal and get the best out of it. Look, I don't have anything to do with Sapphire. She's all yours. I want the man. I'll help you get him, but you need to hand him over to me after your proof is presented...'

'Of course I will,' I promised.

'I didn't finish,' she snapped her finger before my face, 'And for this favor, you need to help me with something.'

'Me?'

'Yes, I want you to,' she handed me a small pouch, with some golden powder, 'Mix this in the drink of Guardian Emerald.'

'You want to poison him? I won't do such a thing. You're a bigger traitor that her. I'll go to him right now,' I scream, moving towards the door.

'Wait!' she grabbed my hand, 'This is not poison. It is Sun Cedar seeds, powdered. These can put any creature to sleep. For our mission there maybe a lot of commotion and I don't want him to hear any of it until he is ready for the big reveal m.'

She looks at me expectantly.

'How do I know that I can trust you?' I narrow my eyes at her, trying to gauge her reaction. 'Maybe it is poison after all, and you want to overthrow him and become the ruler.'

I was throwing a wild guess here, but then isn't it what they do in detective movies? I was, using the same line of questioning.

'Quite a possibility. I don't tell you to trust me. I won't beg you to trust me. I'll help you only if you agree to it. The choice is yours,' she looked into my eyes, her eyes reflecting mine and I could see the dilemma in mine.

But I didn't utter a word. I couldn't betray Emerald after what he had done for me.

He was the only person in the bleak world whom I had a tiny bit of trust in and I wouldn't break his trust on me for the entire wealth of the world.

Garnet gathered up her stuff, visibly displeased, 'Call me if you change your mind,' she made a face.

'Oh I will. Thank you,' she was lucky I didn't slam the door on her face.

Garnet got on my nerves sometimes. In the two days that I had been there, she was the one one who had approached me.

I knew there is something wrong with Garnet, and who knows what the Sun Cedar is for. But her behavior was suspicious to say the least.

Something was definitely amiss.

What did she want to slip in his drink? If she gets desperate, she might completely bypass me and get ahead with her plan.

I need to warn Guardian Emerald.

It was almost time for my training sessions with him and that was the best part of my days there.

We had elaborate game rooms with lots of magical simulations.

Each person staying in Grey Meadows had to be an expert in their chosen field of magic, so that they can defend their land in an emergency.

As I trudged to his courtroom, I couldn't help wondering why Claramay would hide a man.

I had a sinister feeling that the entire thing wasn't going to end well.