A Kiss of Venom (An Araneae Nation Novella) Read Online Free

retribution, I assured him, “Two days is plenty of time.”
    Maven Colleen would have her satisfaction. Her son’s death would be avenged.
    By the time I was finished in Erania, Maisy’s gift to Lourdes would be a requiem.
     

 
    Chapter Two
     
    Hard knocks on our bedroom door brought my head around as I finished braiding Maisy’s hair. I cinched my robe closed and raked fingers through my frazzled hair before greeting our eager visitor.
    “Care for something sweet?” Armand extended a tray of baked goods. “You missed breakfast.”
    Small hands tilted the tray downward. Maisy hefted the plumpest sweet roll I had ever seen, thanked him around the first bite then plopped back down in a chair to eat.
    Clasping the halves of my robe tighter , I accepted his offering. “You didn’t have to do this.”
    “No, I did.” He ruffled his hair into appealing disarray. “I celebrated too hard last night. I should not have said or did the things I, well, said and did. I saw a beautiful female, and the bottles of akash loosened my morals more than they should have.” He grimaced. “Now you’ll think I’m a drunkard.”
    “No,” I assured him, closing the door in his face. “I doubt I ’ll think of you at all.”
    He wedged his foot in the gap. “Was my behavior so unforgivable?”
    Yes. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice… Maisy was in no need of a sibling.
    “I appreciate the food, and the apology,” I said, “but your sister is expecting Maisy.”
    He grasped the door, holding it open. “Allow me to make this up to you.”
    The night I was escorted to my parents and presented as a harlot, he had said those same words.
    Tired of his charade of gallantry, I cracked the door a fraction wider, aimed my heel at the toe of his boot and brought it down hard. Surprised, he jerked his foot back, and I slammed the door closed.
    Ripe curses battered the air, and I grinned. “Be careful where you put your hands next time.”
    Maisy giggled between bites. “You don’t like him very much, do you?”
    “Males like him are dangerous. They would say or do anything to get their own way.” I set the tray down and snatched the half-eaten roll from her hands. “He thinks he can buy your goodwill with sweets. Despite the fact I said you eat them only in moderation, it was mousse last night and the tray of rolls this morning. Those actions are not the ways to get into my good graces. Speaking of which, no more sugar, all right? The next time Armand brings you a treat, thank him and decline.”
    Her forehead bunched in concentration. “What if Maven Lourdes offers me one?”
    I polished off Maisy’s sticky breakfast in two bites. “You thank her and ask for fruit instead.”
    “Do they have fruit here?” A sparkle lit her eyes. “Or vegetables?”
    “If it can be purchased with gold, the Araneidae own it.” I headed toward the foot of my bed and knelt before the large trunk there. Inside, the clothing ran the gamut from subdued to seductive. One constant remained—there was a staggering assortment of colors. After my exile from Erania and my parents’ decision I should join the Maratus, the exotic clan’s vibrancy called to me in a way nothing had in a long time. It was one secret tie to the clan that had accepted me, nurtured me and saved us.
    “Was it… ?” She hesitated. “Was it bad living here?”
    I drew in a deep breath before facing her. “I loved this place. I love it still. It’s the people I don’t trust, and you shouldn’t either. Just remember while you spend the day with Lourdes, she would sink an arrow between my eyes faster than I could blink if she learned the truth about why I came here.”
    “Why are we here?” she asked in a quiet voice.
    “You are here to compose a song.” I glanced back at the trunk. “That’s all you need to know.”
    She gave a reluctant nod. “How long should I distract her?”
    “Keep her occupied for as long as possible.” I patted her cheek.