King's Wrath by Fiona McIntosh

Author:Fiona McIntosh [McIntosh, Fiona]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy
ISBN: 9780061582707
Goodreads: 7958364
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Published: 2010-11-30T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

Corbel burst into the chamber like a man possessed. “Where is she?” he yelled.

“Calm yourself, Regor,” the Abbess warned over the others’ heads.

Most of the nuns who had crowded anxiously into the chamber were being banished, herded out by one of the Mother’s senior aides. Corbel could move more easily into the chamber where Evie was laid out on a cot.

“She has been sedated heavily, but she is physically unharmed,” the Abbess said before he could speak again.

His fears abated as fast as they’d risen and now he was able to coldly take in the rest of the terrible scene. The Abbess was crouched next to Valya, who was prone on the floor, a pillow beneath her head. Corbel didn’t need anyone to tell him that she was moments from death, if not already gone. He swung around and only now noticed Barro, sitting in the corner, his head in his hands. He looked shaken.

“Barro?” he murmured.

The older man looked up. “I followed orders,” he murmured.

Corbel was by his side in a heartbeat. “Tell me.”

“She threatened my lady. I had to stop her but all I did was enter the room and challenge her. She attacked me, she hurled herself at me. I was holding the knife and she threw herself on it. I certainly had no intention of killing her.”

“She’s not dead yet,” the Abbess murmured. “Hold this, Agetha,” she said to her aide. “Keep the pressure on that wound.”

“What are you going to do?” Corbel asked as he saw her stand. Her old knees popped with the effort and she sighed as she turned an accusing glare on Barro.

She shifted her gaze to Corbel. “I’m going to our apothecary to find someone who knows anything about this drug,” she said, pointing to the glass tube that still had remnants of dark liquid splattered on it. “If we can revive her,” she said, pointing to Evie, “she might be able to help Valya. She’s a chirurgeon you said, didn’t you?”

Corbel nodded. He glanced at Barro and was impressed by how they seemed to instantly and instinctively understand each other. Neither of them cared a whit for Valya; neither would lose sleep if she took her final breath right now. Her history of cruelty and violence and her total lack of compassion had earned her the title of being the most hated woman in all of the empire. “It looks far too late for that now, Mother.”

“We have to try,” the Abbess urged. “This is the empress, after all. But I don’t know where our apothecrist even is. Do you know, Agetha?” she asked her companion, her voice filled with anxiety.

“She’s most likely to be with her herbs but you know Herry. She likes to roam the foothills looking for her tiny petals and special leaves.”

“You both go. I’ll keep up the pressure and do my utmost to keep her alive,” he lied. In fact, as soon as the women turned their backs he planned to smother the empress and make sure she didn’t live to spill their secret or have any further opportunity to hurt Evie.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.