Excerpt of Poisoned Web by Crista McHugh

“We cannot control our pasts, only our futures.” Wise words from a woman whose black palla proclaimed she was still mourning the loss of her husband. Azurha glanced at Titus, remembering the conversation she’d had with him the night before over the sudden loss of his father, Emperor Gaius Decius Flavus. Perhaps she might not be able to change the past, but she might be able to offer some answers. “May I have a word in private with you, Empress Horatia?” A line appeared between the older woman’s brows, but she nodded and followed Azurha into the empty courtyard reserved exclusively for the imperial family. The gurgling fountains cooled the air around them and added a layer of discretion to their conversation. Azurha dipped her fingers into the water, picking her words carefully. “I wanted to talk to you about my wedding gift to Titus.” “Are you asking for suggestions?” Horatia’s eyes brightened. “I know he’s received so many gifts for his coronation last week, but I’m sure we can think of something unique and meaningful.” “I’ve already thought of something.” She drew in a deep breath and prayed her choice would not open wounds that were still healing. “I want to solve the mystery of Emperor Decius’s death.” Just as she’d expected, color drained from the empress’s face. She sank onto the edge of the fountain, staring past Azurha. Her bottom lip trembled. “That’s very kind of you, my dear, but—” “It has nothing to do with kindness, Your Majesty. It has to do with justice, with the peace that will come with answers.” Azurha dared to reach out and cover the empress’s hand with her own, a gesture most Deizian women would never think of doing without permission, but she felt a kinship with Horatia over their shared love for Titus. “Everything I’ve heard so far indicates he died before his time, and I was hoping, with my background…” She didn’t need to continue. Once again, her past as the Rabbit had entered the picture. She knew dozens of ways to kill a man, including first-hand knowledge of poisons and the assassins that preferred to use particular ones. If she could identify a poison, she might be able to find out who killed the former emperor and why. Horatia’s eyes focused on Azurha’s face. “Are you suggesting someone murdered him?” She hesitated for a second before nodding. A sob choked the empress’s throat. She covered her mouth and stood, her back to Azurha. Her shoulders silently shook with grief. But in less than a moment, she regained her composure and turned back to Azurha. Unshed tears glittered in the corners of her eyes. “I had suspected as much, but hearing it from someone else, I…” Her voice cracked. “I apologize if this news has caused you distress.” “No need to apologize, Azurha,” Horatia replied with a wave of her hand. “Forgive me for losing control like this.” “Why do you think I asked you to step into the courtyard first?” She offered a sympathetic smile to the empress. “When you feel ready, I’d like to ask you what you observed in the days leading up to his death.” “I’m ready now.” She swiped the back of her hand over her cheeks and adjusted her palla over her shoulders. “Gaius was in excellent health up until the last two weeks of his life. The illness struck him suddenly, robbing him of his strength. At first, he brushed it off as fatigue from the stress of his imperial duties. But as it worsened, he had trouble walking, standing, even drawing a breath.” She paused, rubbing the band of gold on her finger. “We sought the help of every healer in the empire, but none of them were able to cure him.” Azurha nodded, pulling important bits of information from the description the empress had given her. The first was that it was a poison she was not familiar with. In her career as an assassin, she only got paid when her targets were found dead. The poisons she’d always relied on tended to kill within seconds to hours. The second important bit was that this poison could withstand Deizian magic. She was alive today because Titus had used his magic to remove the poison that pumped through her veins after her fight with Cassius. How was it he and every other skilled healer couldn’t do the same for the emperor? She chewed her bottom lip as she searched for answers, but none of them came readily. “I appreciate your information, Your Majesty. It has helped me get started on the path to answers.” “And do you have some available already?” Horatia asked, her breath catching. Azurha shook her head. “But I have an idea on where to look.” Starting with a former Captain of the Legion.