Black Blood

-B2- Chapter 47

The pain in my head when I open my eyes feels as if my head has been slammed against the ground multiple times. I don't need to open my eyes to know where I am. The rotting smell of water, the cold, and the screams have become familiar.

With great effort, I open my eyes. The familiar bars are back in sight as if my failed escape was just a dream. A dream that has turned into a nightmare.

'Nice try, princess,' comes a voice from across the way.

My arms feel like stone as I try to push myself up from the floor. Once again, my hands are bound behind my back, tighter this time. Additionally, they thought it would be a better idea to bind my legs as well. Thick chains encircle my ankles, connected to the other side of the wall.

'Thanks,' I mutter as I push myself into a seated position against the wall. The world spins before my eyes, stars dancing in the sky. I close my eyelids and rest my head against the damp stones.

'They had you trapped good, didn't they?' the man asks from across the way.

'You could say that,' I mumble. Nausea begins to overtake my body.

'You slept a whole day. Such a waste.' Then I open my eyes as the realization sinks in.

'What day is it?'

'Execution day.'

My tired mind can't fully comprehend what that means. The only thing my mind is all too aware of is that my chances of survival are slim.

I won't make it out of this castle alive. Elien isn't coming, Novak is too late if he even comes, and I don't stand a chance.

A deep sigh escapes my lips.

Somewhere deep down, I can come to terms with the idea of death. The burden of the underworld will no longer rest on my shoulders, the pain will fade away, and I will be reunited with the people I loved. At least, if the gods forgive me for my actions, which they most likely won't.

'Nice try.' I look up in surprise at the dark brown eyes. Christiaan stands, hands folded behind his back, fully dressed in a dark blue suit adorned with embroidery and gemstones, in front of the bars.

Uninterested, I rest my head back against the cold wall.

'You know, I would love to torture you for that escape attempt. Unfortunately, your father managed to find some sympathy for you, or maybe Elien is a better negotiator than we think, or you have a mysterious admirer in the Dawn. I don't know,' he begins. Slowly, he takes a step forward so I can see just how extravagant his attire is.

'I must say, I'm surprised we haven't been able to meet your boyfriend yet. Novak, wasn't it?' My heart skips a beat at that question. It was unlikely that he didn't know, but somewhere inside me, I had hope.

'Maybe he was as bored with your ways in bed, the screaming and the crying.'

My knife would fit perfectly between his ribs, piercing through that expensive jacket, the black blouse, and into his heart. The satisfaction it would bring me.

I continue to stare him straight in the eyes as he silently kneels down.

A grin appears on his lips as he reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a small vial. The dark green liquid glistens in the dimly lit corridor.

'Do you know this? Mitlar?' he asks as he lets the green liquid glide along the glass. I remain silent.

'A beautiful green plant with dark red flowers, a scent often mistaken for roses, and as a plant, entirely innocent. However, the sap from its stems is extremely poisonous.' A gut feeling arises within me that I desperately want to push away.

'This beautiful green color turns black upon contact with heat.' He pushes himself up from the floor, walks calmly to the other side of the cell, and holds the vial near one of the torches. The gleaming green transforms before my eyes into pitch black. No light passes through, no reflection visible.

'In a small dose, it causes extreme pain comparable to being on a burning stake. It clings to the skin and spreads like a disease. It also induces hallucinations to the point where you can no longer distinguish what's real from what's fake.' With composure, he walks back to the center of the bars, his brown eyes fixed on the now green liquid again.

'In a heavier dose, it has the same symptoms as riosis, only accelerated. The victim is dead within two hours. It's a beloved poison for those who want to kill someone unnoticed, especially someone with power.' Unintentionally, my eyes widen. I desperately try to keep my face emotionless as the puzzle pieces fall into place.

'By any chance, did you know someone who died very quickly from symptoms similar to riosis, outside of an outbreak?' His eyes look up for a second as if he's pretending not to know the answer. Then his head snaps back in my direction, his eyes intertwined with mine and a grin on his lips.

'Oh yes, wasn't it your mother? She died outside of a riosis outbreak from the same kind of symptoms. Must be a coincidence, right?'

My hands are once again wrapped around the chains. I vent all my aggression and emotions on the iron. The grip is so tight that the chains seem to be on fire. The burning iron against my skin.

With a grin, Christiaan puts the vial back in his jacket pocket. His self-satisfied posture tells me once again that he enjoys the torment.

'Maybe you can put it on your list. Oh wait, unfortunately." He turns around and is about to leave the dungeons with a self-satisfied grin, but I beat him to it.

'It would have been a nice poison for a young girl, perhaps one with brown eyes and reddish-brown hair, maybe about nine years old,' is the first thing I say to my "husband" in two years. I spit out the words, gripping his gaze with mine.

Christiaan halts and turns around with an icy silence. Surprise, aggression, and confusion play across the accursed brown eyes. His face remains cold and distant.

'Enjoy your last few hours,' is the last thing he says through gritted teeth before he leaves the dungeons. I am left behind with a self-satisfied grin.