d'Artagnan And Her Musketeers (The Cosette D'Artagnan Romances, book 1)

Chapter 18: And A Woman's Salvation

"Well, if it wasn't Fleur, who was it?" was the question on their tongues. They were at the morgue the next morning. For now, Cosette was unaware that Ninon had confessed to those terrible so-called crimes.

"Where's the bag?" Athos asked. He took Sestini's bag that Poupart had found. He gestured to the thief that stole from Sestini a couple of mornings ago. "Did you ever find out how he died?"

"Some form of apoplexy. He was having a drink at an inn nearby. One moment he was laughing and joking, and the next he convulsed and fell down dead on the spot."

"Just like the Cardinal," said Cosette.

"Sestini," said Athos.

Athos spilled the contents of the bag onto the table as both he and Cosette looked through them. Most of them were religious objects but two of them were Bibles. Meanwhile, Aramis and Porthos were near the thief's body.

"Open his mouth." said Aramis. Porthos gave him a distasteful look.

"You open his mouth," Porthos said. Aramis glared at his best friend one last time before he opened the dead man's mouth and smelled. it. Quickly, Aramis covered his mouth and nose. "Eurgh! He stinks."

"Well, he's dead," said Porthos.

"Not like that. He's... There's something bitter on his tongue. Oh! Either this man had disgusting eating habits or something's badly wrong. Eurgh."

"I know that smell. It was on the Cardinal's breath," said Porthos.

"The pages are damp," Cosette said. She was holding one of the books.

"Poison. Wash your hands," Athos pointed her over to a bowl. "Everything's soaked in it."

"Damn it," said Cosette, she quickly washed her hands with the soap and water.

"This is where it came from," said Athos, showing them the bottle. "He must have drunk half the bottle before he realized it wasn't alcohol. The rest spilled in the bag."

"Sestini's still at the abbey," said Cosette.

"The Cardinal's still alive," said Athos. Quickly, they ran out of the morgue, racing towards Sapphire and their horses.

"This is the Cardinal we're talking about," Porthos muttered to Aramis. "Why are we running?"

Not even Aramis had an answer for that question.

"What's this?" Athos asked as soon as they were at the Abbey. The men were setting up for a pyre. They were running out of time. This was enough to prove Ninon's innocence. "The death sentence was commuted."

"The Comtesse confessed," answered one of the Pyre builders. Quickly, the Inseparables ran away from the execution. They had to get to the Cardinal before he got into any further trouble. The group searched the whole abbey when they saw him heading towards the Cardinal's room. Cosette and her friends entered the room, where they saw that Sestini had been stabbed by Richelieu. Athos shot and killed Sestini as his body landed on the floor.

"You're late!" Richelieu snapped.

"We're glad to find you well, Your Eminence," Said Athos. he was trying to be professional but the Cardinal did not take it lightly.

"I doubt that," said Richelieu, "but thank you for the sentiment."

"You know it was Sestini who tried to poison you," said Athos.

"A sacred relic soaked with poison. An old papal trick. I should have guessed earlier." Richelieu said.

Cosette looked out the window, and she saw what she feared, Ninon being burnt at the stake.