The Study of Poisons, page 1
PRAISE FOR MARIA V. SNYDER
“Bestselling author Maria V. Snyder returns to the fantasy world of Ixia with an action-packed adventure filled with magic, danger, and romance. Fans of Poison Study will love revisiting the story from Valek’s point of view and watching him navigate his conflicted feelings for Yelena and loyalty to the Commander.”
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR JENNIFER ESTEP
"Maria V. Snyder's books are full of magic, adventure and romance. They're impossible to put down!"
LYNETTE NONI #1 BESTSELLING YA AUTHOR
"This is one of those rare books that will keep readers dreaming long after they've read it."
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY, STARRED REVIEW OF POISON STUDY
"This is a book that's hard to put down."
CHARLAINE HARRIS, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ON POISON STUDY.
ALSO BY MARIA V. SNYDER
CHRONICLES OF IXIA / STUDY SERIES
Poison Study
Magic Study
Fire Study
Shadow Study
Night Study
Dawn Study
CHRONICLES OF IXIA / GLASS SERIES
Storm Glass
Sea Glass
Spy Glass
THE ARCHIVES OF THE INVISIBLE SWORD SERIES
The Eyes of Tamburah
The City of Zirdai
The King of Koraha
THE SENTINELS OF THE GALAXY SERIES
Navigating the Stars
Chasing the Shadows
Defending the Galaxy
HEALER SERIES
Touch of Power
Scent of Magic
Taste of Darkness
INSIDER SERIES
Inside Out
Outside In
OTHER BOOKS
Up to the Challenge
(A Collection of SF & Fantasy Short Stories)
Storm Watcher
(A Middle Grade Novel)
Discover more titles by Maria V. Snyder at www.MariaVSnyder.com
Copyright © 2023 by Maria V. Snyder. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
The Study of Poisons / Maria V. Snyder
Cover design by Joy Kenney
Interior Art by Dema Harb
Maps by Martyna Kuklis
Published by Maria V. Snyder
Print ISBN 9781946381163
Digital ISBN 9781946381170
For Joy Kenney my cover designer and graphic artist extraordinaire. Thank you for creating beautiful covers for my stories and for responding to all my last-minute requests for emergency graphics.
In memory of my Uncle Joe and Uncle Louie, you’ll both be missed. Also in memory of Trevar Jason McDonald, a lovely young man who left this world too soon to embark on a new adventure.
CONTENTS
Map of Castle
Map of Ixia & Sitia
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
THANK YOU!
Acknowledgments
About Maria V. Snyder
THE COMMANDER’S CASTLE COMPLEX
Designed by Martyna Kuklis
THE TERRITORY OF IXIA & THE CLANS OF SITIA Designed by Martyna Kuklis
CHAPTER 1
The body hit the floor with a loud thud. After a few more convulsions, the man died with a final breathy exhale. Good riddance, Valek thought.
Glancing up, the Commander put the file he'd been reading down. He sighed. “What was wrong with this one, Valek?”
“He’d grown sloppy and lazy. Did you see the way he shoved food into his mouth? He didn’t even bother to sniff it. If he had, he would have smelled the poison.” Valek stood from his seat in front of the Commander’s desk and grabbed the tray. “I'll get you some fresh eggs.”
“And you’ll need to train a new food taster. In the meantime, you'll have to take over the dangerous job until the next taster is ready.”
“It’s only risky if you don't know what you're doing.” Valek stepped over the body.
“Who is the next person in line for the job?” the Commander asked.
Valek paused. “The next person scheduled for execution is Yelena from MD-5.”
“The one who murdered General Brazell's son?” The Commander's voice held a weary indulgence. “You just can't leave her alone, can you?”
“There's more going on with her and I need to find out what it is.”
“Brazell won't be happy.”
“I don’t care.”
“Just make sure it doesn’t affect my meetings with him. We’ve quite a bit of business to discuss.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And have someone dispose of Oscar's body.”
“It's Oscove...or, it was.” Thank fate. Valek had grown tired of the man’s schemes.
“Just get it done.”
“Yes, sir.” Valek left the Commander’s office and wove through the maze of desks and officers in the throne room. The actual throne had been dismantled and the gemstones and gold sold long ago. Valek’s thoughts, however, remained on the prisoner who was going to be offered the choice between execution and becoming the Commander's new food taster.
Only two people had chosen the noose since the Commander had taken over the Territory of Ixia fifteen years ago. Both had been loyal to the assassinated King of Ixia and chose death over working for the Commander. The rest had hoped to escape and, when they learned it was impossible, turned corrupt or lazy or both. Oscove had been selling secrets to their enemies, which Valek, as the Commander’s Chief of Security tolerated until the risks outweighed the benefits.
Valek brought the Commander a clean plate of eggs, then arranged for the removal of Oscove's body before sending an agent to fetch Yelena from death row. Returning to his office, he cleared the files off the extra chair and settled at his desk.
He glanced around the messy room. Piles of books littered the floor. More files, weapons, and maps covered the conference table. He’d accumulated too much stuff over the years—a far cry from when everything he owned fit into one backpack. Valek sighed, missing the simplicity of those days when he worked as an assassin for hire.
A breeze blew from the open window behind him, bringing his thoughts back to the present. Mid-morning sunlight streamed through the glass, warming his back—the one perk of wearing an all-black uniform. That would change in a few weeks, when it was the middle of the hot season, then wearing all black would be bloody hot.
Opening a dossier, he scanned the information on the prisoner. Yelena has been in the dungeon for almost a year. She was eighteen years old when she slit Reyad's throat with a knife, killing him. Valek noted that General Brazell’s son had been found on the bed in his room, the sheets soaked with his blood. Yelena admitted to the murder but didn't say why she killed him. Not that it mattered why to the Commander. He didn't tolerate homicide from the citizens of Ixia. Self-defense, accidental, or pre-meditated—they all resulted in the same sentence. Death.
But it irked Valek. He wanted...no, he needed an explanation. She had been one of Brazell's orphans. Raised with others who had lost their parents, she was educated and doted on—if he believed the snide comments from the other Ixian generals. Why would she repay Brazell’s kindness and generosity by murdering his son? Valek’s agents had reported a few strange incidents at Brazell’s manor house, indicating there might be something unusual going on with Reyad and perhaps Brazell as well. Valek planned to find out.
Before Yelena arrived, Valek decided to downplay his interests in the circumstances surrounding her incarceration; act as if he didn't care so long as she performed her job.
A light tap on his door announced the arrival of the two dungeon guards and the prisoner. They approached his desk. As Yelena scanned his office, Valek studied the sorry sight in front of him. Coated with muck, bleeding from various scrapes, wearing a tattered prison gown, the poor thing strained to remain upright under the weight of the chains. Her long black hair hung in greasy clumps and an acrid dungeon stench wafted off her, polluting the air. He hadn’t expected her to be so…bedraggled and emaciated. She wouldn’t survive the first poison-tasting test.
Valek met her green-eyed gaze. An icy calm stared back at him—almost as if challenging him. Interesting. Perhaps he’d been too hasty in his assessment.
“A woman? The next prisoner to be executed is a woman?” He used his most severe tone while pretending to be surprised.
She quivered and guilt panged in his chest over his harsh words. Softening his voice, he said, “I should have taken the time to reread your dossier.” Valek discharged the guards with a wave. “You’re dismissed.” After they left, he motioned for Yelena to sit down on the chair before she fell over.
Her chains jangled when she perched on the edge.
He flipped open her file and feigned reading the information. He’d already memorized it. “Yelena, today may be your lucky day.” Valek spotted a brief flare of anger before she bowed her head. She probably thought he referred to her impending execution. He had various reactions to that comment from the other food tasters. Most raged at him, thinking they had nothing left to lose. A couple picked up on the “may be” and allowed a glimmer of hope to show through.
“Well-behaved and respectful. You’re starting to look like a good candidate,” he said, trying to goad her into a response.
Still avoiding his gaze, she studied the items on his desk instead of reacting to his comment.
He switched tactics. “You’ve been tried and found guilty of murdering General Brazell’s only son, Reyad.” Valek paused and stroked his temple as if he’d just made a realization. “That explains why Brazell’s here this week, and why he has been unusually interested in the execution schedule.” One death row prisoner hanged each season—six souls a year.
Finally, the woman reacted, but not quite as expected. There was fear. However, her body stiffened in determination. Would she try to beg for her life?
“I suppose you’re going to protest the conviction. Say you were framed, or you killed out of self-defense.” Valek leaned back, waiting for her to plead her case.
“No, sir.” Her voice rasped. “I killed him.”
Completely surprised, he straightened. He didn’t know whether to be impressed or disappointed that she didn’t try to explain her actions. Either way, she’d managed to amaze him—something only a few people had ever done. Valek laughed. “This may work out better than I’d planned. Yelena, I’m offering you a choice. You can either be executed, or you can be Commander Ambrose’s new food taster. His last taster died recently, and we need to fill the position.”
Yelena stared at him in shock. “A fool would refuse the job.”
“Well, it’s a lifetime position. The training can be lethal. After all, how can you identify poisons in the Commander’s food if you don’t know what they taste like?” Valek paused and straightened the papers in the folder to let the information sink in and to give her time to ask questions. When she didn’t reply, he continued, “You’ll get a room in the castle to sleep, but most of the day you’ll be with the Commander. No days off. No husband or children. Some prisoners have chosen execution instead. At least then they know exactly when they’re going to die, rather than guessing if it’s going to come with the next bite.” He snapped his teeth together for effect.
Valek knew her thoughts were whirling by the way she trembled.
“Who tastes the Commander’s food now?” she asked.
Interesting question. Was she still stunned or was she smarter than he’d thought? “I do. So, I’m anxious to find a replacement. Also, the Code of Behavior states that someone whose life is forfeit must be offered the job.”
Yelena stood as if unable to keep still. She dragged the chains behind her as she explored his office. Valek wondered what she was thinking. He hoped she’d take the position.
When she stopped her inspection and faced him, he asked, “What shall I tell the executioner?”
“I am not a fool.”
No, she wasn’t. Not at all. Valek suppressed a grin. Getting to know her secrets was going to be quite the challenge. And there was nothing he loved more than a challenge.
CHAPTER 2
The first thing Valek needed to do was to ensure his new food taster didn’t run away at her first opportunity. He strode to his office door and spoke to the two guards waiting in the hall.
“She’s accepted the position. Gunner, go fetch Margg. Zook, please remove her chains,” Valek said.
“Yes, sir,” Zook and Gunner said in unison.
As the big man unlocked the manacles, Valek returned to his desk. He removed two goblets from his cabinet along with a small glass vial filled with White Fright. Pulling the stopper on the bottle, he poured four white drops into one goblet. Then he glanced at his new food taster. She was still reeling from her sudden change in fate and not paying attention to him. No surprise. A few minutes ago, she’d expected to die.
Valek understood the feeling. He’d been convinced his death was imminent on a number of occasions and the flood of relief after each near miss made his head spin. Giving her some time to settle her emotions, he set the vial on his desk and grabbed a carafe of peach juice, pouring the liquid into the goblets. Then he put the carafe of juice into his cabinet and locked it out of pure habit.
“While we’re waiting for Margg, I thought maybe you could use a drink.” Valek handed Yelena the goblet laced with White Fright. Raising his, he made a toast. “To Yelena, our newest food taster. May you last longer than your predecessor.”
She stared at him in shock.
“Relax, it’s a standard toast.”
She took a swig and Valek waited. Was she going to throw it up? It was always risky giving a prisoner something other than water, but he had to mask the flavor of the White Fright.
When it appeared she would keep the liquid down, Valek proceeded to teach Yelena her first lesson in poison tasting. Most people thought it was a simple job, that tasters took a bite of food or sipped a drink and waited for the symptoms. Or for death. But assassins who used poison as a weapon knew there were ways around a lazy or stupid food taster, therefore, Valek trained the Commander’s tasters so they learned the complex art.
He asked her to identify the ingredients in her drink.
“Peaches sweetened with honey,” she said after taking a smaller sip.
“Good. Now take another sip. This time roll the liquid around your tongue before swallowing.”
Her dirty face creased as she concentrated. “Orange?”
Erasing that questioning tone would come once she grew confident in her abilities. If she survived the tests. “That’s right. Now gargle it.”
“Gargle?”
Valek nodded. Every food taster he’d trained had asked the same thing with the same startled expression.
She gargled and just about choked on the liquid. “Rotten oranges!”
He laughed at her outraged and slightly indignant cry, happy that she succeeded. Some people just didn’t have a suitable sense of taste and would never have picked up the White Fright. Valek handed her his goblet and asked her to repeat the experiment.
Yelena sipped the drink, then hesitated before she squared her shoulders and gargled. Her posture relaxed.
“Better?” He took the now empty cup from her.
“Yes.”
He sat down and opened her file. Dipping his quill in ink, he noted her reactions and how quickly she detected the White Fright. However, he wasn’t about to tell her what she’d ingested wasn’t a poison.
Instead, he said, “You just had your first lesson in food tasting. Your drink was laced with a poison called Butterfly’s Dust. Mine wasn’t. The only way to detect Butterfly’s Dust in a liquid is to gargle it. That rotten-orange flavor you tasted was the poison.”
