Chapter 294
Chapter 294
Avery’s POV
Every time I closed my eyes that night, I saw Gideon. Bleeding. Screaming. Naked and humiliated in front of the entire camp while I just stood there like a statue.
The image of Asher’s knife plunging into his side replayed over and over in my mind. He’d stabbed him with a silver blade earlier, ensuring that his wounds couldn’t heal. The sound of Gideon’s screams still echoed in my head.
And worst of all was the way that he had looked at me.
“Why are you just standing there?” he’d shouted. “Avery p>
I had just turned and walked away. The crowd parted like the sea, and Gideon’s shouts followed me all the way back to my tent.
I rolled over in bed, pulling the furs up to my chin. My baby kicked gently against my ribs. I placed my hand over my stomach.
I had to protect this child. That was the whole reason I’d stayed silent. If I gave in to Asher’s demands, he would force me to abort. And I couldn’t let that happen.
But Gideon was suffering because of my silence.
How long could I keep this up? How long before Asher killed him just to prove a point?
I sat up, throwing the furs aside. I couldn’t just lie here and do nothing. I had to act.
The herbs I’d collected from the forest were still in my basket, tucked beneath my bed. I pulled them out and got to work.
The valerian root needed to be ground into a fine powder. I used a small mortar and pestle I’d found, crushing the dried roots until they were dust. Then came the chamomile and passionflower. I mixed them together carefully, measuring out the proportions from what I recalled from my books.
Too much valerian and the person would vomit before falling asleep. Too little and it wouldn’t work at all.
Once the mixture was ready, I melted down a small amount of honey over a candle flame and stirred the powder in. The honey would mask the bitter taste. Then, I poured the mixture into small molds I had fashioned from scraps of parchment.
By the time I was finished, I had five candies. Each one potent enough to knock out a
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Chapter 294
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full-grown wolf for up to several hours.
I wrapped one carefully in the wrapper from the candy Asher had given me and set it on my table.
Now I just needed an opportunity to use it.
When night fell, I asked my guard to fetch Lindsey. I told him I wasn’t feeling well and that I needed her help. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Lindsey appeared at my tent.
“You called for me?” she asked.
“Yes.” I laid my head back on my pillows. “I’ve been feeling nauseous all day. I think it’s the baby. Can you help me p>
“Of course p>
I pretended to be weak while Lindsey busied herself fetching water and arranging pillows. She was folding my laundry when her eyes landed on the candy sitting on the table. She froze.
I watched her out of the corner of my eye. Her hand twitched. She glanced at me, then back at the candy. I pretended not to notice. Then, I heard the soft crinkling of paper. She greedily shoved the candy into her mouth like a child might sneak a sweet before dinner.
I waited.
It didn’t take long. The candies were designed to work quickly and efficiently, especially for someone as petite and malnourished as her. Within minutes, I heard a soft thud. I turned to see her sprawled across the floor, fast asleep. She was even snoring softly.
I moved quickly. I stripped off my dress and pulled Lindsey’s rags over my head. They were filthy and smelled like sweat and dirt, but they would have to do.
The chains were another problem. I bit my lip, staring at them. Damn. I had forgotten about those. I finally settled for going without them. Maybe no one would notice.
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