The Poison Prince
Chapter XVII
THE cold night air hit Xylia hard, and for a moment she contemplated returning to the dome to fetch her cloak. It would mean she’d have to face Taiden again though and she wasn’t ready for that. Not yet; not so soon after that kiss. It was the last thing she had been expecting to happen between herself and the heir to Lyris. Her lips tingled from his touch and she could still taste him; the salt and the earth. She shook her head trying to expel all thoughts of Taiden from her mind. She couldn’t indulge in romance, and she hadn’t even been prepared for anything like that before it had actually happened. She didn’t think herself anything special, but travelling with the prince had made her feel like she had a purpose for the first time in her life. It was a purpose that equated to treason, but she was trying not to think of it like that. She knew that getting rid of Queen Devanna was the right thing to do for everyone in the kingdom. She understood that now more than ever after running for her life through the trees and genuinely expecting to rot away between the bushes and the ferns.
Then there was this whole thing with the ice. Thinking about it turned her stomach, but she knew she couldn’t run from it. Taiden was right; it might be their only chance against Devanna. Xylia had no idea how it worked or what it even was. She hadn’t felt any different when the dome appeared around them, or when she had manipulated it to provide them with water. Nothing bubbled up inside of her, or tickled at her fingertips. It just happened. Poets could never write about it with lines of eloquent rhyme, and those who searched for logic and reason would have to give up because key answers were missing from her life story. She didn’t know half of who she was. More than ever before Xylia felt that chunk missing from her being. Growing up she had asked a handful of times about her father before ultimately giving up on her quest for that answer. It was something she had eventually decided she didn’t need to know. Now, things were so terribly different. She’d give anything for that answer and at the very same time she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know at all about the man who must have given her these strange powers. They scared her. Why had they never appeared before? She had spent seventeen and a half years without them! So why had they waited until she was seconds away from certain death to show themselves? Nothing had happened when she had been fighting for her life in Adavale. What made that different to the forest and the arrows? She wondered if it was magicks. Magicks hadn’t been part of the fight with the mayor as far as she knew. It hadn’t helped when she needed to save her uncle either. What was the point of having such power if it couldn’t save people she cared about?
Frustrated, she slammed her fist down against the ground. A thin layer of ice appeared over the surface of the grass, cracking quickly and turning into a sheen of frost before her very eyes. She blinked at it and then sighed, realising that the outburst of her emotions back in the dome and out here was causing her to lose control now of this power. She sat up straight and then opened her hand in front of her, deciding to gain some understanding of this new skill.
“I want an arrow of ice.” She commanded under her breath, thinking of nothing but those words until she saw a bead of ice appear in her hand and begin to grow and twist, longer and more defined until she had exactly what she had asked for; an arrow of ice.
Stunned, she ran her fingers along the freezing length, tapping the head and hissing suddenly when it drew blood from the pad of her fingertip. It was as sharp as any she carried in her quiver and stronger than some of them, too.
Xylia placed it down on the grass beside her and opened her hand out again. “A cup.”
Inside the dome, Taiden left the fish forgotten and sat by the fire staring at the crackling flames. The kiss had changed everything for him. When he had insisted Xylia join him and leave the village of The Draca his motives had been selfish enough. He had done it because she had fit the description The Seer had given him of the one who would help stop Devanna and save Lyris. Taiden had never expected to feel anything for Xylia. He thought she would just be a girl gifted with a blade. She had been angry enough to want the queen dead after the attack on the village and he had been foolish and desperate enough to believe that was all he needed from her. Now he understood better. Part of him wished he didn’t.
Xylia fit The Seer’s prophecy because of her power – whatever it was. She had already stopped Devanna’s magicks once and that alone was impressive. If Taiden let her go up against his step-mother though, there was no guarantee she would walk away from the battle in one piece. He was starting to question if he could put her up against that. When the arrows had come hurtling towards them, Taiden’s concern had been to protect Xylia. He didn’t want her to get hurt. She had come to mean too much to him now, and kissing her had only cemented that feeling in his heart. He knew he shouldn’t have done it, but he hadn’t been able to resist it. She had been right there and for just a second he had wanted that kiss more than he wanted his step-mother off the throne. And now it was going to cost him, because he didn’t want Xylia to risk her life for his kingdom. He’d find another way. Maybe he could live up to the rumours people spread and play with poison. Misthaven was only half a day away; he could find an apothecary, mix the right ingredients and slip poison into her wine at the banquet before she had a chance to publicly punish him. Julius he would ask to take Xylia home and then he could offer her help again with her powers once he knew she would be safe from his step-mother. Yes, yes, it would be perfect.
A shadow trickled over the flames and he looked up to see Xylia standing above him. In her arms she carried an assortment of items made entirely of ice. His chestnut eyes widened in surprise as she dumped them at his feet, not a single one shattering or chipping as they landed. An arrow, a cup, an assortment of small and delicate trinkets lay before him and he ran his fingers over each one in turn, admiring the detail of them.
“What-I-“ Taiden stopped, unable to find the words he was looking for.
“I figure if I can make things like this I could probably also use the ice as a weapon on its own. Channel it straight like blast of fire. Like a dragon.” Xylia held a note of excitement in her voice as she dropped down to sit opposite him.
He looked at her, blinking in horror as he realised his new plan was about to fall apart.
“The queen won’t know what hit her until she’s encased in her own coffin of ice.” Xylia grinned, a hopeful glint in her pale blue eyes.
Taiden’s heart sank. He couldn’t stop Xylia now. She would die for Lyris and it was his own selfish fault.
Then there was this whole thing with the ice. Thinking about it turned her stomach, but she knew she couldn’t run from it. Taiden was right; it might be their only chance against Devanna. Xylia had no idea how it worked or what it even was. She hadn’t felt any different when the dome appeared around them, or when she had manipulated it to provide them with water. Nothing bubbled up inside of her, or tickled at her fingertips. It just happened. Poets could never write about it with lines of eloquent rhyme, and those who searched for logic and reason would have to give up because key answers were missing from her life story. She didn’t know half of who she was. More than ever before Xylia felt that chunk missing from her being. Growing up she had asked a handful of times about her father before ultimately giving up on her quest for that answer. It was something she had eventually decided she didn’t need to know. Now, things were so terribly different. She’d give anything for that answer and at the very same time she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know at all about the man who must have given her these strange powers. They scared her. Why had they never appeared before? She had spent seventeen and a half years without them! So why had they waited until she was seconds away from certain death to show themselves? Nothing had happened when she had been fighting for her life in Adavale. What made that different to the forest and the arrows? She wondered if it was magicks. Magicks hadn’t been part of the fight with the mayor as far as she knew. It hadn’t helped when she needed to save her uncle either. What was the point of having such power if it couldn’t save people she cared about?
Frustrated, she slammed her fist down against the ground. A thin layer of ice appeared over the surface of the grass, cracking quickly and turning into a sheen of frost before her very eyes. She blinked at it and then sighed, realising that the outburst of her emotions back in the dome and out here was causing her to lose control now of this power. She sat up straight and then opened her hand in front of her, deciding to gain some understanding of this new skill.
“I want an arrow of ice.” She commanded under her breath, thinking of nothing but those words until she saw a bead of ice appear in her hand and begin to grow and twist, longer and more defined until she had exactly what she had asked for; an arrow of ice.
Stunned, she ran her fingers along the freezing length, tapping the head and hissing suddenly when it drew blood from the pad of her fingertip. It was as sharp as any she carried in her quiver and stronger than some of them, too.
Xylia placed it down on the grass beside her and opened her hand out again. “A cup.”
Inside the dome, Taiden left the fish forgotten and sat by the fire staring at the crackling flames. The kiss had changed everything for him. When he had insisted Xylia join him and leave the village of The Draca his motives had been selfish enough. He had done it because she had fit the description The Seer had given him of the one who would help stop Devanna and save Lyris. Taiden had never expected to feel anything for Xylia. He thought she would just be a girl gifted with a blade. She had been angry enough to want the queen dead after the attack on the village and he had been foolish and desperate enough to believe that was all he needed from her. Now he understood better. Part of him wished he didn’t.
Xylia fit The Seer’s prophecy because of her power – whatever it was. She had already stopped Devanna’s magicks once and that alone was impressive. If Taiden let her go up against his step-mother though, there was no guarantee she would walk away from the battle in one piece. He was starting to question if he could put her up against that. When the arrows had come hurtling towards them, Taiden’s concern had been to protect Xylia. He didn’t want her to get hurt. She had come to mean too much to him now, and kissing her had only cemented that feeling in his heart. He knew he shouldn’t have done it, but he hadn’t been able to resist it. She had been right there and for just a second he had wanted that kiss more than he wanted his step-mother off the throne. And now it was going to cost him, because he didn’t want Xylia to risk her life for his kingdom. He’d find another way. Maybe he could live up to the rumours people spread and play with poison. Misthaven was only half a day away; he could find an apothecary, mix the right ingredients and slip poison into her wine at the banquet before she had a chance to publicly punish him. Julius he would ask to take Xylia home and then he could offer her help again with her powers once he knew she would be safe from his step-mother. Yes, yes, it would be perfect.
A shadow trickled over the flames and he looked up to see Xylia standing above him. In her arms she carried an assortment of items made entirely of ice. His chestnut eyes widened in surprise as she dumped them at his feet, not a single one shattering or chipping as they landed. An arrow, a cup, an assortment of small and delicate trinkets lay before him and he ran his fingers over each one in turn, admiring the detail of them.
“What-I-“ Taiden stopped, unable to find the words he was looking for.
“I figure if I can make things like this I could probably also use the ice as a weapon on its own. Channel it straight like blast of fire. Like a dragon.” Xylia held a note of excitement in her voice as she dropped down to sit opposite him.
He looked at her, blinking in horror as he realised his new plan was about to fall apart.
“The queen won’t know what hit her until she’s encased in her own coffin of ice.” Xylia grinned, a hopeful glint in her pale blue eyes.
Taiden’s heart sank. He couldn’t stop Xylia now. She would die for Lyris and it was his own selfish fault.