Chapter 9: Poison

He said as he opened the food. It looked great and smelt even better, but the reveal of him touching six women before me had my stomach in knots. I watched him take a bite and the sweet and bitter smell of nightshade made it's way in my nose. "Spit it out!" I yelled and slapped the fork from his hand. "Don't swallow."

Gavin looked at me like I lost my mind. "Please don't eat it." He spit out the chewed up pasta and hurled. "What the hell did you do Holly?" I picked him up and yelled for the guards to bring me Maryann. I laid him on his side as he vomited again. "What child?" She yelled as she hobbled towards us. "Nightshade, or Belladonna what's the antidote?" She froze and shook her head. "There's only one it's a drug called cholinomimetic, but I don't have any." I shook my head and looked down at Gavin. "Watch him I'm going to the healers."

Dimitri caught my arm and directed me to the healer wing and pulled an elderly woman from a table. "cholinomimetic have any?" She nodded and handed him a liquid capsule and a needle. He handed it to me and I ran back to Gavin with him and Sean at my heels. I shook as I added the liquid into the needle and injected his arm. "Come on Gavin." I said as I held his face.

Paisley ran down the steps. "What happened?" I was balling as Dimitri and Sean carried Gavin to his room. Paisley held me and let me cry into her arms. "Calm down and tell me what happened Holly." I choked out the events leading up to Gavin eating the pasta and not being sure how much he consumed before the smell hit her. Paisley nodded and called for Sheamus as we walked to her room.

Dimitri brought Molly and we all huddled in. "Who do we trust?" She asked as Molly and I sat on her Blue velvet couch. "Dimitri and Sean. Maryann, the old healer, and you two." She nodded. "Well I trust Sheamus. Do you trust me Holly?" I nodded and she nodded back. A door opened on the far aide of her wall and in walked a tall man. A scar ran down the side of his face. "Sheamus someone poisoned the King. He was having dinner with Holly and I brought them here. The King should be recovered by tomorrow, but by then." He nodded. "The smell will be gone." He finished for her and he turned to leave. "Alive or dead Paisley?" She looked at me. "Alive so I can..." I paused forgetting about little ears. I looked back at the door and he was gone and Paisley was shutting it.

"He is the Kingdoms assassin." She said as she barred the door further. "Is he also your um." I covered Molly's ears. "Lover." I mouthed and she smirked. "Not that I want my son or kingdom to know yet, but yes you delightfully keen woman." I let put a laugh as I watched a shadow move under the tent and saw Sheamus walk back inside. "His name should be Shadow." I said as I watched him move.

"He will find out who. We can find out why." Paisley said as she pulled out a paper. "What is that?" I asked as she handed it over. "Who did you see out there with him?" I looked over the names and I didn't know half of them. "I don't know them all, but there was a kitchen aid. She wore a bonnet. Dark hair." Paisley nodded and wrote down two names. "Donna or Rowan." I didn't know either girl.

"Do either of them have a connection to Phillip?" She shook her head no. "What does Phillip have to do with this?" I turned to see Molly passed out. "He was her guard and one night Sean and Dimitri told the King he was not at his post. I ran there and he was hovering over her. The night we got rescued he was playing with her curls and I reacted. Gavin said to run, but I disobeyed to watch her." Her eyes grew wide. "What a sicko." She said as she collapsed into a chair. I covered Molly with a blanket and watched her curl up and let out a little huff.

"I thought this was over." Paisley said as she ran her hands down her face. "I wanted it to be over. I can't stand it here, but this is where my son is. Along with all these horrible people trying to kill him and now you." She let out a gasp and her eyes reddened. "I understand missing places. I've never been out of Ireland, but I used to live in a hall by the sea. I'd run away and sit for hours and once or twice I dove into the ocean. My Father would get so mad that he'd scream till he was red in the face. Holly Avery do you have a death wish. You aren't a wolf yet and if ya crack ya head ain't no saving that." I smiled and Paisley sat foward.

"Do you ever want to go back?" I nodded and she let out a breath. "I miss the California sun, surfing, our family... They want to visit, but until we clear up this shit storm. I don't want them here. Gavin and I have fought for him to take his place and it seems enemies keep emerging." I nodded and couldn't imagine how she had felt. "If I leave I'd worry to much, and although he says he is fine... Well if you didn't catch it he would be dead."

I played with the damp wet gown that I sat in. "Gonahead and shower Holly. Grab a dress and lay down. Try and get some sleep." I nodded and dissappeared into her bathroom. I quickly showered in the warm water and added some of her lavender oil into my skin and hair before dressing in a pair of teal leggings and a navy tank top. Paisley was sleeping in the sofa as the wall moved and I stood on the bed ready to attack. "Relax Queen Holly. I found three people that smelt of Nightshade. They are in the in the dungeon." He glanced at Paisley. "Go ahead wake her and we can go down together." He nodded and moved swiftly to Paisley. I kept my back turned to give them some privacy.

"Paisley love." He kissed her cheek. "Sheamus did you?" He nodded and I heard her move. "Dungeons, there are three and I am sure they all played a part." She kissed him and I turned to see him kissing her back. "Will you stay here and watch Molly. She shouldn't be up for a bit.." He hesitated and looked at me. "Why don't you stay with Molly. She might be scsred if she wakes with Sheamus in here and not one of us. Or leave me. You know the people in the castle better." She nodded ad Molly sat up and rubbed her eyes.

Molly crawled out of bed and walked up to Sheamus. "You have a scar?" He nodded and kneeled down to show her. "Ugly isn't it?" He whispered and she shook her head. "Scars show what we overcame. Look I have one here on my leg from Lord Wellin." She pointed to an old whip mark and his eyes shot to me. I had failed thay day and I hated looking at it. My face tightened and he looked away back to Molly. "You are a strong Princess. Will you tell me more about this while Ms. Paisley and Queen Holly take a walk?"

Molly nodded and sat down by the small fire. "Be quick." He looked at us and we looked at each other before ru Ning down the dark tunnel. Fires where lit and Paisley took my hand. "This way." She led me down the hall and down a set of stairs. It got cold quickly and she slowed at a dead end. "There's no one here."

She whispered a she pushed a rock and a door opened slightly. We pushed it open together and there sat three people shackled to a wall. I left the door open as Paisley pulled me. "Use your Alpha voice to comman them." I shook my head. "You have it, you've always had it. You can't loose that." I looked at them. "Thinknof what they did find out why?"