If they didn’t find it soon . . .
There would be no choice but to quietly end Lucia’s life. This would effectively put a stop to Gaius’s plans. It would stop a monster. And it would prove to Althea that she’d finally exerted true strength of will against a husband who believed she had none at all.
This added a drizzle of sweetness to an otherwise bitter decision.
The witch stood up from her seat on the bench in the public gardens, her gray cloak masking her identity perfectly. The shadows of the night wrapped themselves around her like a second skin. The queen scanned the area to see if there were any witnesses, any guards patrolling the area.
There were none. She breathed a slow sigh of relief.
“The potion’s hold is weakening,” Althea said, her voice hushed. “I’ll need it
more often
