Chapter 5
Somewhere near dawn, I must’ve nodded off.
Then I heard Gideon’s voice- “Ma’am! The royal doctor’s here!”
I jolted up, touched Benedict’s forehead.
The fever had broken. Thank God.
The physician examined him, took his time.
In the end, he sighed.
“The poison is real. Extremely rare.”
“But there is one cure… the gall of the Serpent King. Found only on Mount Drake.”
Gideon’s face went pale. I didn’t get why.
“Ma’am… Mount Drake is a death trap.”
“Steep cliffs, wild terrain-and that damn snake lives near the summit.”
“Plenty of men went looking. None came back.”
I turned to the doctor.
Is there no other cure?”
He shook his head.
stumbled back, heart sinking.
hadn’t even had the chance to get revenge yet-how could he die now?
And so I made my decision.
was going to climb Mount Drake and kill that damn snake myself.
he servants were stunned.
Ma’am, please-you won’t survive up there! You’ll get yourself killed!”
But I had no choice.
f I didn’t try, he’d die-and I’d follow him.
But if I succeeded… maybe he’d spare me in the end.
packed light.
¡ídeon drove the carriage day and night until we reached Mount Drake.
nearly snapped my spine getting out-it was that bumpy.
told Gideon to wait.
If I don’t come back by sundown tomorrow… I probably won’t come back at all.”
le looked like he might cry.
You will, Ma’am. I believe it.”
wasn’t so sure. But I walked into that mountain anyway.
The peaks were endless, like blue fire rising to the sky.
They were beautiful, but I didn’t have time to gawk.
Gideon said the Serpent King nested at the top cliffs.
1 kept climbing.
The path was brutal-rocky, narrow, sheer drops on either side.
One wrong step and I was gone.
1 clawed my way near the summit as the sky turned dark.
Too risky to search at night-I’d camp till morning.
At first light, I set out again.
And there it was.
The summit looked like a damn nightmare-snakes everywhere, curling over bones, hissing, watching me.
Then I saw it.
The Serpent King slithered out from its den.
I tossed sulfur powder-snakes hated that.
The little ones scattered.
But the Serpent King?
It kept coming.
The powder didn’t even slow it down.
I dumped the whole damn bag on it.
Nothing.
I tried to run-too late.
It lashed out and wrapped around my leg.
I kicked, screamed-its mouth opened, fangs glinting-I shut my eyes, bracing for the end.
But then-
A sword struck.
The snake shrieked and thrashed.
Dead.
I opened my eyes and looked up-Captain Silas.
In my past life, he’d beaten me to death.
Said a liar like me didn’t deserve mercy.
Now he just saved me.
The smaller snakes hissed and slithered toward him.
He grabbed my hand and we ran-flew-down that mountain.
