chapter five

Ceyden stood in the doorway; all words lost on his tongue as he watched Thea's slender figure vanish around the corner. His teeth ground together, unsure how any woman, let alone a mortal, could have the audacity to deny him on multiple occasions.

Was she mad? Did she enjoy living in filth?

Surely, she had to have something loose inside that mind of hers; otherwise, she wouldn't have been such a fool. His father was one of the most powerful divine ones in all of Fairmyth. She should know better than to trifle with those above her. Ceyden slammed the door and kicked the discarded laundry pile Thea had refused to wash. She couldn't quit! How was she planning to support that grimy little family of hers? Did she plan to beg as well?

Ceyden imagined Thea sitting on the side of the street, fluttering those thick dark lashes at every nobleman who passed by and earning coins with her smile. The thought sickened him. Thea should be his to look at and provide for, not some cheap prize any man can toss coins at. She couldn't possibly want to be like the rest of her family, not when she could be so much more as his wife.

He threw open his bedroom window, his nails digging into the windowsill as he watched Thea exit out the front door with her tattered cloak not even over her shoulders. He wished she would look back... wished he could see the regret in her eyes when she recalled all she was walking away from. But she never turned around...

As proud as a peacock, Thea walked off into the horizon and disappeared from Ceyden's grip for good. He spat an unsavory word and stormed back inside, punching the nearby piece of furniture that so happened to be a mirror. Glass shattered everywhere, shredding his hand and spattering blood across the carpet. He kept his knuckles pressed into the fractured glass, letting out a few deep breaths before finally pulling his hand back and shaking the shrapnel free from his skin.

"She's not getting away from me that easily," he growled under his breath. "I didn't get her a job just for her to run away from me in the end. Thea owes me, and I intend to collect my pay..."

And I'll make sure she does it willingly. I want to see her crawl back to me and beg for my forgiveness.

Ceyden picked up an old tunic from the laundry pile and wiped the blood from his knuckles on the fabric before returning it to the floor. The broken glass stuck to the bottom of his shoe, crunching with each step until he made it out into the hall.

"You." He grabbed a passing maid by the shoulder, causing the older woman to gasp from the rough snatch. "There's a mess in my chambers. Clean it up."

"Y-yes, Lord Ceyden," the woman said with a stiff bow, nearly spilling the basket of silverware in her arms. "Right away."

Ceyden stormed down the hallway, his blood flaring through his veins as a soft orange light illuminated his gaze.

Find the apothecary's herbs.

His magic tuned into his request, locking the location and creating a mental map in his mind for him to follow. One of the benefits of having a rich father and a large estate was having your apothecary on demand in case anyone in the family ever fell ill. Ceyden followed the map in his mind, making his way to the lower levels of the manor until he found himself being drawn to a greenhouse just outside of the manor walls. He stepped outside, walking over a few annoying flowers that blocked his path and crossing straight through the garden instead of using the pitiful walkways .

He tossed open the greenhouse door, pleased to find that no one was inside to pester him while he got to work. The scent of fresh herbs permeated his senses, causing him to scrunch his nose at the potent mixture of smells. Lavender bushes sprouted in pots, weedy-looking mint plants overtook cracks in the greenhouse floor, and a half dozen other plants he couldn't identify lined the garden boxes in the center of the greenhouse.

In the corner was a cluttered desk, filled with vials, a mortar and pestle, and even a small wood burner that was likely used to boil plants or craft elixirs. Ceyden grabbed an empty vial, then went to work plucking various leaves, stems, and flowers from the plants.

He mashed all the herbs together with the mortar and pestle, then added a few drops of a dark liquid that was labeled with a hazardous symbol on the front. He tossed the mixture into a pot and boiled it down until it made a thick brown slurry, then transferred his new concoction into the empty vial.

Ceyden sloshed the mixture around, a devious smile tugging at his lips as he imagined all the uses such a little vial of poison could have. Someone could get in a lot of trouble if found carrying this at the wrong time... What a shame that would be.

A little trouble was just what he needed. Just a little incentive for Thea to realize how badly she needed him in her life. He wanted to laugh as he imagined his plans playing out. Thea running into his arms, crying her pretty little heart out as she begged for his help. Soon, so very soon, she would finally be his. Even the king of Underworth's bride wouldn't be able to match the beauty of his future wife. It seemed only natural that the son of such a powerful divine one received only the best.

Ceyden fired up his magic again, allowing his blood to heat as the orange glow in his eyes reflected in the vial's glass. He just had one more thing to find now.

Find Theodore Aynna.