Page 25 of Veil of Web and Ruin
The girl in white looks at me and flashes a nervous smile. Clearly Rula has already instructed her thatIwill hand her the poison. I grit my teeth. No going back now.
‘It’s time,’ Rula mutters, as if I didn’t already notice.
With my pulse rising ever higher, I slip the vial into my palm and begin the walk across the room.
With every step, my throat grows drier and drier, and the way my hands shake, I’m amazed I don’t drop the vial entirely.
‘Hey, sister.’ The girl in white approaches me, taking me by both hands as if it’s some intimate greeting we’re sharing, while in reality she slips the vial into her own hand. ‘Come, fetch some drinks with me. I can’t carry them all.’
Like so many of tonight’s events, this doesn’t feel like something I can say no to, and as we move over to a tray of drinks, I understand her need for me. I can block the man’s view as she empties the vial into one of the large tankards of drink.
‘Here you go,’ she says, handing me the poisoned tankard. ‘Take it to Jewel.’
I look blankly at her, but her smile only widens. ‘Give it to her carefully, though. She’s already spilt two drinks down that dress tonight. Good job she’s wearing black.’ Her smile widens as the pieces fall into place.
So Jewel’s the woman wearing black. Something tells me this isn’t the first time the girl in white has had to speak like this – with hidden meaning.
‘Sure,’ I say through gritted teeth, taking the poisoned tankard and walking it over to the girl in black.
‘Jewel?’ The girl turns to look at me as I hold out the drink. She’s sitting on the left side of the man, and his hand is currently up her thigh.
‘Thanks,’ she says, taking the tankard and lifting it to her lips.
What? No! Panic grips my breath, and it takes all my willpower not to scream out. Doesn’t she know it’s poisoned? My eyes fly, pleading with Rula, begging her to stop it, and yet before a sound leaves my throat, the man speaks beside me.
‘Jewel …’ His voice is a low drawl. ‘You know better than to drink on the job. I need you to be perfectly sober for what I’m going to do to you later.’
A tense smile flickers on Jewel’s lips. ‘I was just going to have a little sip.’ She pouts.
A dry laugh resonates from Provik’s throat as he wags his finger. ‘No. You’re not.’
As he takes the tankard from her, Jewel’s eyes flare pointedly, telling me to get the fuck out of here.
This was all part of it.
Part of the play.
And I need to leave them to it. I need to get away.
I back away as casually as I can, which isn’t easy considering it feels like my heart is trying to break out of my chest. Am I a murderer? No, this is not on me. I didn’t even know who this man was before Rula set this plan in motion. This is on her. And him. He’s the murderous arsehole who killed Talia. My hands and soul are clean. Which is something he can’t say.
Somehow my feet move one step after another until I’m once again standing by Rula’s side.
‘How long will it take to work?’ she asks as we watch on. He downs the entire tankard in one, and my nerves have never been higher. Everything depends on what happens next.
‘A few minutes,’ I tell her, not sure how true my answer is. And yet the words have barely left my lips when one of the girls is on her feet.
‘Freddy? Freddy! What is it? Freddy, sit up!’
As more women join in the shouting, Rula turns to me with an air of calmness radiating from her.
‘You can go now,’ she tells me. ‘You’re done for tonight.’
The relief is nothing compared to the nausea I feel. The churning disgust ripples through me. A man is dying only feet away because of my actions.
‘This is not on you. This is on him,’ Rula says, her eyes hard as flint, not an ounce of remorse in her voice. ‘An eye for an eye. He should have been blinded a decade ago.’
I try to nod. Try to accept what she’s saying. After all, if she hadn’t used me, she would have found another way.
