Poisoned

Poisoned - Ch. 11 [Downfall]

Chapter 11: Downfall

          I stumbled into my chambers, leaning heavily on Julian who struggled to support my faltering frame. Between him and Cordelia, they managed to get me to my bed where I rested, curled into a ball against the onslaught of nausea and intense vertigo which made my head spin madly.

          I felt absolutely wretched, my innards heaving and wrenching, throat squeezing as though someone had pinched it together. Fortunately, my dinner didn’t come up. It occurred to me then whether I could just vomit up my dinner, which would also get the poison out of my system. However, I highly doubted it would help. I suspected the Monarch’s Downfall was one of the swifter poisons to work its way through my body. The Poisons Master would have seen to that.

          Gradually, the discomfort and sickness ebbed away, and I uncurled myself, feeling as though I’d weathered a storm. Julian and Cordelia had assumed posts at my bed, keeping watch over me, and they seemed wary that I appeared to have recovered so quickly.

          “I’m fine,” I said, and indeed I felt like it. I sat up, smoothing back my hair, wincing at a cut I accidently scraped.

          “You were just poisoned,” Julian said bluntly. “You’re not supposed to be fine.”

          I frowned up at him. “Julian, why are you here?” I asked, but then regretted my choice of words; I sounded incredibly ungrateful. “I mean,” I hurried to explain, “why are you helping me so much? Why don’t you hate me like the others do? I... I just don’t understand why you’d choose to stay by my sickbed instead of gloating about it like the others,” I finished quietly.

          Julian opened his mouth as if to answer, and then closed it, thinking carefully. He let out a breath. “Let’s just say that... I owe at least this much to you.”

          I was confused more than ever; I’d never helped him in any way for him to feel a sense of obligation. Maybe he had something on his conscience, and taking me on as his charity case made him feel better. I wasn’t curious enough to keep probing.

          “Truly, I feel fine,” I insisted. “I appreciate you staying with me, but there really is no need. I don’t want to waste your time any more than I already have. You can go.”

          Cordelia looked at me dubiously. “Do you think that’s an effect of the poison?” she asked Julian. “Denial?” He shook his head, as confused as she was.

          Exasperated, I looked between the two. Neither was leaving, that much was clear. Well if I remembered correctly, I had quite a bit of homework to do, so I saw no need to waste more time. Marching into the adjoining sitting room, I approached the book shelf which had so excited me yesterday.

          Was it only yesterday that I’d been freed? It seemed like I’d lived a lifetime these past two days. Closing my eyes, I allowed a soft smile to play around the edge of my lips as I stretched out my hand and traced my fingertips along the spines of the thick volumes standing before me.

          When I opened my eyes, I saw her. I gave a gasp and stepped back, staring into her deep eyes, frozen in shock.

          “What are you doing here?” I asked the stooped crone in bewilderment. “How did you get in here?”

          “Arianna?” Cordelia’s uncertain voice sounded. “We’re behind you.”

          I ignored them, instead talking to the old gypsy standing before me, blocking the bookcase. It was the same gypsy who owned one of the booths in the marketplace; I’d seen her many times before.