Chapter 7
Viggo Visc, the Central Warden,138Please respect copyright.PENANAujZkGFQKvE
was not someone to be taken lightly.
“Now listen here, Visc.” Charles138Please respect copyright.PENANA4J2NNqgaGB
slammed his hands on the desk and stood up. “You don’t get to decide who is138Please respect copyright.PENANAOnP2veqDXY
apart of the Blades and who isn’t. You might the Warden, but that doesn’t give138Please respect copyright.PENANAZ42UealypD
you the authority to interfere with the King’s guards.”
“This says otherwise.” He reached138Please respect copyright.PENANAA9u2FBlPgT
into his coat pocket and removed a sealed letter with the council’s crest138Please respect copyright.PENANAhWa2SRmfCy
stamped on the front. Charles snatched it from his outstretched hand. Grabbing138Please respect copyright.PENANAWONdEvVQkW
a letter opened, he tore the paper open then began to read. Vander could see138Please respect copyright.PENANAHibbBOQCk6
the anger on his grandfather’s face as he finished reading. Then, he crumpled138Please respect copyright.PENANAqzxv8RMWWS
it up in his hands.
“How long have you and the council138Please respect copyright.PENANAqgKJL3K2sV
been conspiring to undermine my authority Visc?” Charles tossed the crumpled-up138Please respect copyright.PENANADVKvd3ccUF
paper back at the Warden.
“I’m not sure what you mean.” Visc138Please respect copyright.PENANAIRPdE8ArCD
didn’t even flinch. “It just calls for the investigation into my son’s injury138Please respect copyright.PENANAFveAvH8qTf
and that the guilty party be punished. That’s a standard proceeding.”
“You expect me to believe that you138Please respect copyright.PENANA9kXvcjkSen
managed to get all of these signatures in a day?” Charles glared at the smaller138Please respect copyright.PENANA4YXemhzPro
man. “Most of these nobles have been out of the city for weeks.”
“It doesn’t matter what you138Please respect copyright.PENANAolLeF2YZxA
believe, Commander.” He said. “This is now a council matter.” Visc turned to138Please respect copyright.PENANA6tZUE7Nabb
look at Vander. “Now, explain yourself.”
“About what?” Vander asked. “Your138Please respect copyright.PENANAJTywZ0Dwli
son came to the Inn a couple days ago, made a huge stink because his fiancé138Please respect copyright.PENANAovXRkrPxVv
came to visit me then he got physical. Shea only bit him to protect me. Then,138Please respect copyright.PENANAsTSOxmilDm
while my back was turned, he stabbed me through the side.”
“Lies!” Leon jumped up from his138Please respect copyright.PENANA9AaSiGYhbi
seat, his face red with rage. “Nothing but lies.”
“Sit down!” Visc shouted. He138Please respect copyright.PENANA4mRV9cujze
turned back towards Vander once his son took his seat. “Do you have proof to138Please respect copyright.PENANAdpoXC36ya7
back up your claims?”
“Other than the dozen eyewitnesses138Please respect copyright.PENANA6yJ0y9nLS1
including the four Blades Leon brought with him?” Vander asked. “I was also138Please respect copyright.PENANApyqtqBQz6Z
with Alexander last night and our trainees celebrating their return from the138Please respect copyright.PENANAO49MuEbG5O
forest. I’m sure the innkeeper will also back up my claims.”
“And this injury you sustained?”138Please respect copyright.PENANARx2P04LScw
Vander turned towards his grandfather. “You didn’t look injured when you came138Please respect copyright.PENANAEFju30jKEm
in. Where did he hurt you?”
“Here.” Vander lifted his shirt to138Please respect copyright.PENANA00fxzBSvTj
reveal a mostly healed wound, but where the thread had been still left an138Please respect copyright.PENANAchZ7ZPLTKL
obvious mark.” Visc walked over to inspect it.
“That looks like an old wound that138Please respect copyright.PENANAvjSU1cpuTC
had long since healed.” He explained. “That proves nothing.” Vander and Charles138Please respect copyright.PENANAVrh7vI94w0
exchanged glances. To them it proved enough, but outside of them and the138Please respect copyright.PENANATIIx0efpHw
prince, no one else knew about his pact with Unna.
“I heal quickly.” Vander138Please respect copyright.PENANAc8IYGJ7oZ3
explained. “But if you’ll allow me to inspect your son’s sword, I doubt he was138Please respect copyright.PENANAy4XdcCG0Dw
smart enough to clean the edge of my blood.” The three of them looked at Leon138Please respect copyright.PENANAqeAYBEtkco
who had grown quite pale.
“Son, give me your sword.” Visc138Please respect copyright.PENANAaB8xEisnHk
held out his hand.
“Are you really going to take his138Please respect copyright.PENANAWdAC5s1oIV
word for it?” Leon stood up. “I’m injured,” he held up his hand. “And there is138Please respect copyright.PENANADDgSTu0rVp
no evidence that he was attacked. Arrest him and-“ Visc’s hand caught his son138Please respect copyright.PENANAdbxZZwpMZ6
in the face causing him to quiet down.
“Your sword, now!” Visc shouted.138Please respect copyright.PENANAUa6xgwlajI
Without another word, Leon thrust it into his father’s chest. With the deft138Please respect copyright.PENANAbG6m8ID3yl
hand of a swordsman, Visc removed the sword from its sheath and held it up to138Please respect copyright.PENANACNoM9i77oq
the light. Without a word he handed it over to Charles. Within moments138Please respect copyright.PENANAoH2e6nudbe
Charles’s face was bright red.
“It seems as though you brought a138Please respect copyright.PENANAkYLqp71Gh4
liar and a backstabber into my Blades, Visc.” Charles’ voice remained steady.138Please respect copyright.PENANAPlgcpaoV5G
Vander looked at the edge and sure enough there were flecks of dried blood138Please respect copyright.PENANAWKTAY0fVQy
alongside it. “You’re lucky this wasn’t in winter. Your sword would have gotten138Please respect copyright.PENANAbpRbo5yGRN
stuck inside it sheathe.”
“How can you be so stupid.” Visc138Please respect copyright.PENANA2dKYqG4VSt
smacked Leon upside the head. “Come on, we’re going.” Leon sulkily got up from138Please respect copyright.PENANAIrKY2Fbp79
his seat to walk towards the door, but Charles’s voice halted him.
“Give me your jacket.” Charles138Please respect copyright.PENANA5qBgqAsgcB
said.
“What?” Leon looked confused.
“Did you think there would be no138Please respect copyright.PENANABK61CqoXeB
consequences to attacking my grandson and a fellow Captain of the Blades? If138Please respect copyright.PENANArLndNqPvTE
you are then you truly are an imbecile.” Charles held out his hand. “From this138Please respect copyright.PENANAPyaIelNiQo
point forward, you are no longer welcome here and there is nothing your father138Please respect copyright.PENANALiGe86JcC7
can do to change that.”
“Not that I would anyway.” Visc138Please respect copyright.PENANAJXxWYY6vLA
snorted. “He’s outgrown this place; I have something else in mind. Give him138Please respect copyright.PENANArnsxb9Bitx
your jacket and let’s go.” Grumbling under his breath, Leon removed the jacket138Please respect copyright.PENANAXQynRNRZeV
then threw it at Charles. Without another word the two of them headed towards138Please respect copyright.PENANABdE2dvoqX4
the door.
“Wait.” Vander said. The two men138Please respect copyright.PENANAIkxdT8ShH6
paused before slowly turning around. “How about we settle our differences like138Please respect copyright.PENANAyx0X8Vmrie
Blades?”
“What do you have in mind?” Visc138Please respect copyright.PENANA0P3mDEmGlo
asked. Vander ignored the glare from his grandfather as he continued.
“A duel once he fully recovers.”138Please respect copyright.PENANALbtUd85fd7
Vander explained. “Loser leaves the Blades.”
“But what do you get out of this?”138Please respect copyright.PENANA20mJRM1odU
Visc asked. “Leon has already been kicked out, so you have nothing to lose.”
“I’m tired of him saying I don’t138Please respect copyright.PENANA37SCLaRq4T
deserve my position and that I only got here because of my grandfather. It’s138Please respect copyright.PENANAurpn5RIkLB
time he learned I got here on my own merits.” Vander explained. “If he wins, I138Please respect copyright.PENANAgGDiMDOadX
won’t press charges for attempted murder.”
“And if my son loses?” Visc asked.138Please respect copyright.PENANAkdhOaOuTQS
“What then?”
“I’m not sure.” He admitted.138Please respect copyright.PENANAFCyMIUjrtn
“Never thought that far ahead.” Visc threw back his head and laughed.
“You’re a weird one.” He chuckled.138Please respect copyright.PENANAAMfz4mXy0q
“You have no way of knowing this, but there have been talks about disbanding138Please respect copyright.PENANAt32dh70J4t
the Blades since we are no longer at war, we believe there is no more use to138Please respect copyright.PENANAKml1UtRzul
them. If you win, I will quash any of those discussions in their tracks. The138Please respect copyright.PENANAklDOgCUEEd
organization will be safe.”
“Viggo!” Charles got up from his138Please respect copyright.PENANARwDf0IDTba
chair slamming his hands down on the desk. “I told you not to tell him.”
“He brought up the wager and138Please respect copyright.PENANAqi2f2bJ04B
that’s the only bargaining chip I have.” He shrugged. “I will let you know once138Please respect copyright.PENANAUVtr3LaYva
my son is recovered enough to duel. We will see ourselves out.” The two of them138Please respect copyright.PENANAU4OimjUQNH
walked through the door, Leon shot Vander a sour look, then they closed it138Please respect copyright.PENANAGfAB3a9Xmn
behind them.
Visc shouted138Please respect copyright.PENANAqvxLE2c0Od
orders to the soldiers standing out there and with one loud stomp, they turned138Please respect copyright.PENANADqwfsENtDf
around and filed out of the castle. Vander could hear him berating Leon all the138Please respect copyright.PENANA60WR2eEQIo
way through the halls and down towards the front entrance.
“You didn’t have138Please respect copyright.PENANAJZPiXqcnY9
to do that.” Charles sat back down, leaning back in his chair. “Leon is a stain138Please respect copyright.PENANAw5ZNDua6Ho
on this organization, and we had a perfect excuse to kick him out. Why give him138Please respect copyright.PENANAKkJyWMus1s
the chance?”
“His father could138Please respect copyright.PENANA2C5NtGz9oy
bury the entire incident and there would be no punishment for Leon.” Vander sat138Please respect copyright.PENANA9j9a6MFnxO
down in the chair. “The Blades have always been an organization built on pride,138Please respect copyright.PENANAfuz4GzFSH5
and there is no pride kicking Leon out this way. If he leaves, I want it to be138Please respect copyright.PENANAM3wcjwJ47y
my hands that does it.”
“Hopefully your138Please respect copyright.PENANAF0uQMWnqbq
pride doesn’t keep a backstabber in our midst.” Charles made a fist. “I can’t138Please respect copyright.PENANA25RgbO9N0S
believe he would do something so blatant in front of all those people. Is he138Please respect copyright.PENANA9BI6t0sVXd
out of his mind?”
“When it comes to138Please respect copyright.PENANAaoPBP1E97H
his pride, he looses all sense of reason.” Vander sighed. “He put both me and138Please respect copyright.PENANAlqAxrEYjqs
Shea in harms way because he thought I slept with Bree upon my return. He138Please respect copyright.PENANAWOkgQTcAIm
didn’t want to hear any explanations, he wanted to kill me.”
“Kill?” Charles138Please respect copyright.PENANAQbIMEt493b
looked up. “It was just a scratch on the side, that wouldn’t kill someone.”
“Let me catch you138Please respect copyright.PENANAE7Fd1W1gbw
up.” Vander told him about the fight from two days ago and the cut. He also138Please respect copyright.PENANAkVnsYTFtxW
explained to him everything that happened while he was talking with Unna,138Please respect copyright.PENANAjZWGrCtlhF
omitting the part about Veyar telling him about the impending end of the world.138Please respect copyright.PENANA7F6ROVApb6
There was no reason to worry the older man about something he couldn’t even138Please respect copyright.PENANAuoDddzvvo4
prove. When he explained about Unna saying he had been poisoned, all the color138Please respect copyright.PENANAbKl0xgKm13
drained from his face.
“That little138Please respect copyright.PENANABGNZMUzpvh
bastard.” He slammed fist on the desk knocking over his quills and ink well.138Please respect copyright.PENANAC6qA772hsc
“Now I’m even more confused as to why you wanted to give him another chance.”
“Gramps, think138Please respect copyright.PENANAdIcDPGP2bl
through it carefully.” Vander said. “We believe that the King had been138Please respect copyright.PENANA2pPvIUcQMI
poisoned, waiting to verify, but then Leon shows up with poison to try and kill138Please respect copyright.PENANAzHTrq2p2Ww
me? Surely it’s not a coincidence.”
“We don’t know138Please respect copyright.PENANANE3lbMzh5y
what it is yet and we’ve lost a day because of your injury.” Charles stood up138Please respect copyright.PENANACDBFohqnSD
from the chair. “If you are up for it, I will bring you to see the King then138Please respect copyright.PENANA56toeGbQfR
you can start your investigation.”
“And if the two138Please respect copyright.PENANAOzaW0vXY9w
are linked?”
“Then we will138Please respect copyright.PENANAXzDUPQLTpz
find out who they are and crush them like insects.”
Charles led the138Please respect copyright.PENANAs2Orcd7LAK
way out of the room and down the hall towards the secret staircase that only138Please respect copyright.PENANAH1QGusyunX
he, Bernard, and Peyton knew about. He swore Vander to secrecy before showing138Please respect copyright.PENANArkRRgtQ9Pl
it to him because only those in the King’s inner circle should know about it.138Please respect copyright.PENANAGsEofFbYiy
The justification was that when it came for Charles to retire and the King, if138Please respect copyright.PENANAt1zBgBRXvD
he lived, to step-down, Vander would be the one to serve the prince. Vander138Please respect copyright.PENANADCCz67tWgP
swore then Charles pulled down a torch holder and a partition of the wall138Please respect copyright.PENANA1l1wfgLkJZ
opened revealing a cold, damp passageway leading up into the darkness.
Despite the138Please respect copyright.PENANACeBbloYP3h
passage being known, it didn’t appear as though it was well used. There was138Please respect copyright.PENANA7VMbCQBGwl
dust and cobwebs everywhere, probably because servants couldn’t clean it138Please respect copyright.PENANA2JCBklCMQq
because they didn’t know about it and Bernard wouldn’t do anything with it138Please respect copyright.PENANAfvJUI5K8wU
because it might reveal the secret to others inside the castle. Vander slapped138Please respect copyright.PENANAAvwmOblqiS
cobwebs out of his face as he climbed up behind his grandfather. He could see138Please respect copyright.PENANAyP9LvstiZM
well enough in the dark to not need a torch, but his grandfather carried one138Please respect copyright.PENANAdPDWgAv8Jb
anyway just to be safe.
At the top of the138Please respect copyright.PENANA26GcmjEk90
stairs was another wall, but this hand a thick rope hanging from the ceiling.138Please respect copyright.PENANATyRCy0Jl9Z
Charles reached out to pull it down which opened the wall in front of them.138Please respect copyright.PENANAqekDlc8amg
Once he stepped out, he knew where he was, inside the King’s bedroom right next138Please respect copyright.PENANAzL3GERdF2J
to the fireplace. Bernard and Peyton were already there with another, third138Please respect copyright.PENANA8urNG6jCjn
figure, that Vander recognized.
“Is it alright138Please respect copyright.PENANAEDyWgVHakS
for the doctor to know?” Vander whispered to his grandfather.
“He’s been taking138Please respect copyright.PENANAgbCfnz9jwR
care of the Kings and Queens for fifty years,” Charles laughed. “It would be138Please respect copyright.PENANAOvtfhxuMtI
weird if he didn’t.” Vander walked over to standing close to the doctor so he138Please respect copyright.PENANAUsPmyyFCpO
could study what he was doing.
Topal Lohsyn, the138Please respect copyright.PENANA691YANawEf
cities premier doctor, had been caring for patients since he was a teenager in138Please respect copyright.PENANAwgqNGm4CKQ
his grandfather’s practice. When he was young he was quiet the handsome man,138Please respect copyright.PENANAUOHqpD6q4u
but now pushing eighty, his eyesight was starting to dim and he did a lot of138Please respect copyright.PENANAKWkD0KYFii
his work using his sense of touch, sense of smell and his hearing. It was very138Please respect copyright.PENANAzo432X6s2D
rare for the old man to miss a diagnosis, so his skills were well valued. He138Please respect copyright.PENANAwKyj9nxEW0
spent most of his time caring for those who couldn’t afford to see doctors138Please respect copyright.PENANAj8B9NHAkA9
normally, not charging them more than they can afford. He had thinning white138Please respect copyright.PENANAWWe3jBxY0a
hair and blue eyes. He wore a white coat, shabby brown pants, and black shoes.138Please respect copyright.PENANA6zibcBFJKl
He used a cane to get around and hand a small curve to his back.
“Charles,138Please respect copyright.PENANApUiJqZDzdg
Vander.” Topal said, not even turning around to greet them. “Stay there for a138Please respect copyright.PENANAQfhEwX6eMB
moment, I’m almost done checking Malcolm over.”
“Yes sir.” Vander138Please respect copyright.PENANAPnH1fa1LJg
said. They only had to wait a few more minutes for Topal to squeeze Malcom’s138Please respect copyright.PENANAFwCwFBaeSf
legs and feet. Once satisfied, he nodded his head then walked slowly over to138Please respect copyright.PENANAdRaVe3YdlJ
the chair next to the king to sit down.
“He hasn’t138Please respect copyright.PENANAWV06jHoUN7
worsened, but that is starting to change.” Topal explained. “I felt some138Please respect copyright.PENANAknRB3cu9HV
atrophy in his arms and legs. If it works its way into his chest he will die.”
“Is there anyway138Please respect copyright.PENANAS04Sa879ke
to keep it from spreading, Topal?” Bernard asked.
“Short of138Please respect copyright.PENANAe4uo3VdKWz
figuring out what’s poisoning him?” Topal shook his head. “I can only keep the138Please respect copyright.PENANAk00BNfuXBy
effects from spreading quickly. We need to figure out what was used on him to138Please respect copyright.PENANAFLaZJEhNY2
make an antidote.”
“That’s why138Please respect copyright.PENANAOhB5Vo6tWx
Vander is here.” Charles said. “Are you ready to get started?”
“Why is he here138Please respect copyright.PENANAbyseXokE07
again?” Bernard asked. “He’s not a doctor nor an alchemist. How will he be able138Please respect copyright.PENANAu3tr3d1hb3
to discover something not even Topal can find?”
“He’s here for138Please respect copyright.PENANAfgtCHMmpbu
another reason.” Peyton wrapped his armies around the worried servant. “Allow138Please respect copyright.PENANAzx7JulXfIv
him to do his job while you and I gather some food for the doctor as a thank138Please respect copyright.PENANAkp2KqtNyBj
you. Would you like to come with us Topal?”
“No thanks.”138Please respect copyright.PENANALboPrvTWrV
Topal waved them off. “I want to see what this young man is up to.”
“I don’t think138Please respect copyright.PENANAvAzdiniZow
that’s-“ Charles started, but Vander cut him off.
“It’s alright.”138Please respect copyright.PENANAggHzBJhhTe
He said. “I don’t want people thinking I’m doing something that could harm the138Please respect copyright.PENANAxwl8PzOzY4
king, so if the doctor wants to be here that’s fine with me.”
“Then I will138Please respect copyright.PENANAmJjdJdmHxu
stand outside the door to make sure no one gets inside.” Vander thanked him138Please respect copyright.PENANAf3NNMVZ0AE
then Peyton ushered the three of them outside leaving just Vander and Topal138Please respect copyright.PENANAp8ZDK9uqoT
there alone.
“Has anything in138Please respect copyright.PENANACKWGPj9lPr
this room changed since the King’s illness?” Vander asked.
“Aside from the138Please respect copyright.PENANATdh6vYt175
linen after Malcolm uses the bathroom, nothing.” Topal said. “Even the plate138Please respect copyright.PENANAqBi5K0TvOh
and cup of tea he drank stuck around. We had to throw out the food because it138Please respect copyright.PENANAZSb7Dkagru
was moldy, but we had a tester try it, but there were no ill effects.”
“Was the tea also138Please respect copyright.PENANAuivwMHY7yP
tested?” Topal said that it had been. Vander picked it up to make sure, but138Please respect copyright.PENANAj0mPflf2Iq
there was nothing off about the smell that he could find. Confused, he sat138Please respect copyright.PENANApBbh0MeTAT
around staring at the King’s body.
Like most of the138Please respect copyright.PENANAWSWdp8cfPs
King’s, Malcolm had served in the military and fought in campaigns against138Please respect copyright.PENANASoNC3L7Ff0
their southern neighbor for decades earning his stripes and becoming one of the138Please respect copyright.PENANAY9kvPnmZ8G
most well-known fighters in the country. Once his father had died, he had taken138Please respect copyright.PENANAot8poKcDBA
control of the Kingdom and immediately sued for peace making him loved by the138Please respect copyright.PENANAOcDLZX7yDB
people but hated by the soldiers. There had been talk from the war profiteers138Please respect copyright.PENANAWiSLKT42ru
about removing him from power, but they had been foiled time and time again138Please respect copyright.PENANAjfI1ee8ATQ
because they were the minority. Would that be drastic enough to try and kill138Please respect copyright.PENANAp1mGr3Zwef
the King? With the marriage between the crown prince of Eluvia and princess of138Please respect copyright.PENANAsSq6OwT6Jy
Bricen, peace was on the horizon so if they wanted to act it would have to be138Please respect copyright.PENANAvvLQ9wAeHx
now.
“Tell me what the138Please respect copyright.PENANAsiNiLIEJNa
King ate shortly before falling ill.” Vander asked as he stretched. He closed138Please respect copyright.PENANAUpHe65nWG7
his eyes to summon the abilities given to him as Topal talked.
“It was a138Please respect copyright.PENANAMvxdYoilTA
sandwich.” Topal explained. “I believe of beef and some vegetable. The tea was138Please respect copyright.PENANA0TpwMKnVZs
mint I believe. It had a strong odor to it, but Malcolm liked his tea strong.”
“Okay.” Vander138Please respect copyright.PENANAdRh6R7Ipkt
frowned. “I’m going to start looking around, whatever you see, please keep to138Please respect copyright.PENANAQUHcFgWsDy
yourself.”
Vander removed138Please respect copyright.PENANARIcDRW6RBR
his jacket draping it over one of the chairs. He got down on his hands and138Please respect copyright.PENANA5YvVK2JdFR
knees then started to sniff around. Some of the stronger scents were from the138Please respect copyright.PENANAKYljgkLLL3
people who had been here since the beginning. Malcolms was the strongest scent,138Please respect copyright.PENANAE1TlOL260L
followed by Bernard which made sense since one served the other. Next came138Please respect copyright.PENANAOEKR4EEaN1
Cranton then an oily smell which reminded him of Visc. He closed his eyes,138Please respect copyright.PENANApLagVv5bqz
pushing those smells away. They didn’t matter to this investigation. He doubted138Please respect copyright.PENANAcPLLTT8ybh
any of those people close to Malcolm would poison him. He focused on the King’s138Please respect copyright.PENANAYVMK9EN39c
body first because sometimes the poisons smell lingered around after being138Please respect copyright.PENANAvcz1ZeLZjM
absorbed in the blood stream.
There were the138Please respect copyright.PENANAJqDS70PEMZ
normal scents, then the abnormal smells, mostly from the linens. It smelled as138Please respect copyright.PENANA3GgVRhyfoO
though two servants didn’t do a good job of cleaning these sheets after they138Please respect copyright.PENANAXKF0aqteHu
used it to have sex on. It would have been impossible for others to notice, but138Please respect copyright.PENANAl4bQm2JpU9
not him. There was also a slight drop of whiskey on the sheet, no doubt from138Please respect copyright.PENANAAYPH8hEjI2
Bernard or Peyton looking down at the King’s form and needing to have a drink.138Please respect copyright.PENANAJt3C11D6r7
Finding nothing of interest there, he moved on to the body.
He lifted the arm138Please respect copyright.PENANARijPBKapr9
to sniff under the arm pits, then lifted the legs to get behind the knees. He138Please respect copyright.PENANATANFuS1T4O
moved down to the feet, one of the smelliest parts of the body, but didn’t find138Please respect copyright.PENANAqCKCSC6gEj
a thing. Traveling to the King’s neck then Vander placed his nose in front of the138Please respect copyright.PENANAWJ9VmM49Vl
King’s mouth. Pushing gently on his chest, Vander expelled air from the lung to138Please respect copyright.PENANA4R8zYtVmSZ
smell what lay inside. As soon as he got a whiff he turned his head then138Please respect copyright.PENANANTFB7xPUS9
promptly threw up.
“Vander, are you138Please respect copyright.PENANA1Uuf8smloa
alright?” Topal got to his feet to check on him. Vander went to open his mouth138Please respect copyright.PENANAQ27XSXBNQB
but moved his head again to finish puking. Topal’s study hand slapped him on138Please respect copyright.PENANACnUFyps3UQ
the back until his teeth began to clack together.
“There is138Please respect copyright.PENANA4NayTI1MTd
something rotting in his chest.” Vander wheezed. “It reminded me of spoiled138Please respect copyright.PENANARddr4C67rT
beef.”
“His breathing138Please respect copyright.PENANAYha3wqvYsi
doesn’t seem labored to me.” Topal frowned. “Could it be impacting the tissue138Please respect copyright.PENANAWJxcJsgRlL
around it and not the lungs itself just yet?”
“I don’t know.”138Please respect copyright.PENANAMyRe7aruzI
Vander shrugged. “But that’s one of the symptoms, not a cause. I need to keep138Please respect copyright.PENANAMDFgBjzbOw
searching.”
Stepping over his138Please respect copyright.PENANA3u643MqTte
pile of vomit, he walked around to the other areas of the room but didn’t find138Please respect copyright.PENANAnSi8Fp200e
anything out of the ordinary. It wasn’t until he reached the King’s cup of tea138Please respect copyright.PENANA8qxDWdRwe8
did he noticed something unordinary. He held the cup out to Topal.
“What can you138Please respect copyright.PENANAleeR94mviM
smell?” he asked. Topal took it in his hand the wafted the area over the cup to138Please respect copyright.PENANAukCCu0XpHn
bring the smell close to his face.
“Something138Please respect copyright.PENANAWl7UfoEkQy
sweet.” He frowned. “Kind of reminds me of a ripe apple, but that can’t be138Please respect copyright.PENANAoixXTozH6E
right. Malcolm only drinks mint tea.”
“Mint is a strong138Please respect copyright.PENANAojHyYIYVRI
smell that can easily hide another.” Vander explained. “Typically, it wouldn’t138Please respect copyright.PENANAIvY4KYVc0S
matter because you would throw it away and clean it immediately, so the other138Please respect copyright.PENANAMsQNZ2wjn3
smell wouldn’t matter as much.”
“But apple138Please respect copyright.PENANAB8rGmNLy9j
doesn’t mean anything.” Topal shrugged. “As far as I know, apple hasn’t138Please respect copyright.PENANAcxKYWfFAYh
poisoned a single person.”
“No, it hasn’t.”138Please respect copyright.PENANAsaeLBaYR8M
Vander frowned. “You wouldn’t happen to remember the king of lettuce or sauce138Please respect copyright.PENANAgCbyInI3Vl
on the sandwich the king ate did you?”
“Not sure.” Topal138Please respect copyright.PENANAJy0u1v3UwF
thought for a moment. “Usually, he ate it with watercress because he liked the138Please respect copyright.PENANAQF0kM4kOr1
strong taste, why?”
“Watercress?”138Please respect copyright.PENANAaLCOq5E3NR
Vander frowned lost in thought. “Was there anything strange about it?”
“I don’t think-“138Please respect copyright.PENANAUkIst82Ytp
Topal’s eyes grew wide. “Wait a minute. I remember Bernard asking why there was138Please respect copyright.PENANAEZdL0EQmXe
a blue tint to it shortly after the King went unconscious. We just chalked it138Please respect copyright.PENANAUdmH9l1ZdR
up to a trick of the light.”
“If you’re right138Please respect copyright.PENANAEqJFSISkO1
then it’s ocecress, a poisonous cousin of watercress, but it wouldn’t be enough138Please respect copyright.PENANAI9x9saPzwM
to cause this.” Vander explained. “They would need something else, like138Please respect copyright.PENANAEtElZJpdOd
applewood extract.”
“Like the smell138Please respect copyright.PENANAalbm7e2OLH
from the teacup.” Topal slumped down in his chair. “I don’t know how I missed138Please respect copyright.PENANAAO44of7GgO
that.”
“We don’t know138Please respect copyright.PENANAwvyszQLNcl
for sure yet, but it’s a solid guess. What we really need to do is to check on138Please respect copyright.PENANASmG62BAFH7
the food taster and see if anything happened to them.” Vander explained. “Let138Please respect copyright.PENANAggf6dD3vUF
me talk to my grandfather.” Vander walked towards the door then knocked twice.138Please respect copyright.PENANATBwwCBupZz
A moment later Charles opened the door. Vander quickly explained to him what138Please respect copyright.PENANArrB4B8j5Wi
they needed. He nodded once then raced down the hall then disappeared out of138Please respect copyright.PENANAJzOzFgTgFV
sight. He then walked back into the room to sit down in the chair. He suddenly138Please respect copyright.PENANAhE5svVM0cQ
felt very tired, likely from using a lot of his energy to heighten his senses.
“I can’t believe138Please respect copyright.PENANAory4bJlcvT
that crafty old fox has kept you a secret for all this time.” Topal looked at138Please respect copyright.PENANA6uk7ZvxaTc
him with a mischievous gleam in his eye. “I thought it was weird for someone to138Please respect copyright.PENANAEvmE0fyuhM
befriend a shadow beast cub, but now everything makes more sense.” Vander138Please respect copyright.PENANA7VKsguG5Ej
didn’t even try to deny it.
“No one else has138Please respect copyright.PENANAX0QTOfxWWb
been able to piece it together aside from you.” he said. “Only a couple of138Please respect copyright.PENANAlQqYHpHR4C
other people know, I just ask you keep it a secret for now.”
“Of course.”138Please respect copyright.PENANAZL2294zSKF
Topal bowed his head. “No good would come from telling other people, especially138Please respect copyright.PENANAAjLXDEZiDD
those maniacs who worship Atza. They will strangle you with rope the moment138Please respect copyright.PENANAbsReQ3LEuY
they find out.”
“I have Cuvera138Please respect copyright.PENANAn8p1wzmzqo
backing me.” Vander chuckled. “Hurting me would bring the crown prince down on138Please respect copyright.PENANA6X3bDMsIkS
their heads. Not sure is worth the risk.”
“They have some138Please respect copyright.PENANAh0AHhiT9aD
members of the council on their side, it would be a war for sure.” Topal agreed. “I could use138Please respect copyright.PENANA20c90akn6A
someone of your talents if you decide you want to be a doctor, I will need a138Please respect copyright.PENANADm6QCizAx0
successor soon.”
“What about your138Please respect copyright.PENANAIlhUUPItyk
granddaughter?”
“She still has a138Please respect copyright.PENANAgNto4JHIz2
lot to learn I’m afraid.” He sighed. “And I’m running out of time to teach her.138Please respect copyright.PENANABPmqZGkqvY
If only her parents were still alive.”
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Vander opened his138Please respect copyright.PENANA4CZrf7ULXU
mouth to speak, but the door opened. Bernard, Peyton and Charles came inside.138Please respect copyright.PENANAsBF1XCr0vD
Bernard said: “What did you fi-“ followed by a scream. “Who puked in here?”