Keep Your Cards Close

Adina tried her best to ignore the noises. Their voices were low, merely whispers to their neighbor, but each comment she hears strikes her through the bone.

"That girl... a poisoner! Who would've thought?"

"All those times I've spat on her in the streets. Oh goddess, what have I done?"

"But she's already old. How did she not know she was a poisoner until today?"

"Do you think she had been spying on us all this time?"

Thirty minutes ago, she was still herself. Playing the beggar girl during the day, one of The Nameless during the night. Runt of the social order, perhaps, but relatively guileless, harmless, still... normal.

Now that the truth is revealed to the world, nothing will ever be as it was. Already, people back away from her with their heads bowed. They hush. They avert their eyes. Then they whisper among themselves as soon as she passed.

The poisoners helped Adina towards a carriage--a magnificent beast made from only the finest blackwood in the land. It had no decorations on the exterior. Not a banner nor an emblem, nor anything that makes the design special. But if you look closely, you can find careful detail in the craftsmanship of the box. Realize how the light reflects off of the smooth and shiny surface, making it a perfect camouflage for travelling in the dark.

The inside was no less artistic. Unlike its intimidating exterior, the interior of the carriage was warm and plush. The light coral color was calming, and the cushions provided a lot of support for their behinds and backs.

Morgana gently shoved her to the innermost left side, while Viperia and the other woman occupied the seats on the right. With the four of them facing each other, they seemed like a council of sorts, except Adina felt like an outsider being judged rather than a part of their court.

It wasn't until the carriage had started to run that Adina fully realized the awkwardness of her situation.

First, she had saved a man, or attempted to, blowing her cover in the process. Then was accused of being the one who snuck him the poison in the first place, was challenged by three poisoners to drink a vicious poison to prove her innocence, and now she's sitting with said three poisoners, lying back rather comfortably in their carriage.

Their CARRIAGE. Adina's eyes widened at the realization. Normally, those that displeased the poisoners were chained to the outside of the carriage and made to walk or run behind it. Once, a drunken man had been unfortunate enough to cross them that they tied his wrists to the wheels. His screams echoed into the heavens as they dragged him all the way to capital city.

At least, that was what she heard. She also knew of other stories. Stories of deception and revenge, and accounts of people falling to the floor in the middle of an event, convulsing. They were even known to decimate entire families. Women and children included.

"Biscuit?" Morgana turned to her, a clover-shaped cookie in hand.

"It's not another test, I promise," she added when Adina only stared at it.

Adina accepted it gingerly, turning it over and sniffing it. It smelled like nothing she had before, but oh it seemed scrumptious. She took a chance and bit a small chunk.

"See? Told you it was harmless." Morgana smiled at her.

"So, Adina," the intimidating woman whose name she still did not know suddenly spoke. "How long had you known you were a poisoner?"

Adina choked on her cookie. "Sorry?"

"Oh come on, Arsenia, give it a break." Viperia said as she patted Adina's back. "There's plenty of time for that later."

So that's her name, Adina mused. Arsenia. From the word Arsenic. Judging from the silver hair and the icy look of her eyes, she must be high up in the ranks.

"I know what you're thinking," Arsenia declares. "No, I do not have seniority over them. And yes, my hair is natural."

"We're all Rank 3 poisoners," Morgana explained. "Arsenia just happens to be bossy so she seems as if she's in charge of us."

Viperia cackled and Arsenia rolled her eyes. "Seriously though," Arsenia repeated, her full attention now back on Adina. "How long have you known?"

Adina's blood ran cold. If there was a crime greater than stealing or taking someone's life, it's concealing that you had the ability to consume poison. The king had declared that all poisoners were to reveal themselves and pledge allegiance, and they're not very lenient to those who fail to comply.

"I didn't know until today," Adina lied.

"You are very bad at lying," Viperia remarked, "I know you knew it was poison. I could see it in your eyes."

"For a second there, I actually thought you were going to play dead," Morgana added.

"I was thinking about that too, actually." Viperia grinned at her. "Can you imagine if she convulsed for a bit then laid motionless, and then the Purefire actually began to hit?"

"Ohh." Morgana winced. "Yeah, that would have been bad. It would have been obvious she was trying to conceal her gift, and then we would have had to report that."

"That's because we're bound by the rules in public," Arsenia said with a sneer. "But it's just us now. They can't make us do anything." She laid back in her seat, a predatory grin spreading over her face.

"Anything said inside this carriage, stays inside the carriage," added Viperia. "So...had you really not known what you are?"

Adina stared at them, not sure what to reply. A voice in her heart wants badly to confide the truth, but another voice in her head reminds her not to trust them just yet. They may truly mean well, or they could be just masters in the art of lies. Either way, she has to keep her cards close to her chest. She needs to protect herself first, no matter what.

She took a moment to think before finally settling on an answer: "I really had no way of knowing before that vial."

The three poisoners shared a knowing look. A look that said, 'I don't buy that at all.' It was subtle, the tiniest shake of the eye and lift of a brow, but it was definitely a conversation. Finally, one of them responded.

"If you say so, Adina," Morgana crooned as she pat Adina's head. "If you say so."

"Get some rest," Arsenia added, addressing all three of them. "It's a long journey to Nightshade Palace. We might not be there til morn."