The moment Sophie gave the order, Nonus smiled coldly,
"As youmand. Sophie.
As his rasping voice rang out, a dreadful chorus of hissing rose around them- dozens of emerald-green vipers slithering with rming speed, encircling Eliza, Mary, and Tina from every direction, cutting off any chance of retreat.
Watching this unfold, Sophie could already picture their deaths, She could already see Eliza kneeling before her, begging for mercy. Her lips curled into a triumphant smile, and then-she burst intoughter.
But herugh died in her throat. A violent spasm wracked her body, and with a sickening gurgle, she spewed out a mouthful of pitch-ck blood.
"Sophie Nomus paled, eyes shing in rm.
The blood soaked the ground like tar. His voice turned sharp, filled with fury. "You poisoned her," he snarled at Eliza. “You actually poisoned her beforehand?"
Eliza didn''t flinch. As the serpents closed in, she remained calm. "If I hadn''t, how else was I supposed to guard against a treacherous coward like you?"
"Damn it. Give me the antidote, Nonus barked.
"Oh, I''ll dly hand it over," Eliza said coolly, a ghost of a smile touching her lips. "As soon as you let us go."
"Don''t let them leave!" Sophie shrieked, her body wracked with another coughing fit. Clutching Nonus with one bloodied hand, she growled through clenched teeth, ''Eliza... you''re not going anywhere. Not today."
She had endured too much, for too long. This was her moment-she wouldn''t let Eliza slip away.
"But the poison in your body-
"Shut up!" Sophie snapped. "You useless idiot. Grab the old nun-she''s Eliza''s master. If we take her, Eliza will have to give us the antidote!"
Understanding shed in Nonus''s eyes, and at hismand, half the serpents turned and lunged at Mary.
Mary kicked away one snake, then swiftly pulled several bottles from her sleeve and sshed a sulfuric mix of yellow arsenic across the swarm-instantly killing several.
But more kepting, wave after wave. And with Caroline''s skeletal remains cradled in her an
Mary had to move cautiously. If she lost her grip, the bones would scatter. That hesitation made her vulnerable.
Tina-help Mary Eliza ordered sharply.
Tina hesitated only for a second. When she saw Eliza''s steady gaze, she nodded and rushed to Mary''s side.
Thinking she''d gained the upper hand, Sophie''s face lit up. "Go! Go now-p get
her!"
Just as a dozen venomous snakesunched toward Eliza all at once, she flicked her sleeve... And in a blur, more than a dozen glistening, ck-shelled scorpions shot out like daggers. Their massive pincers clicked-crack, crack-snapping snakes in half with terriftina Th.
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down like darts, piercing skulls and leaving twitching corpses in their wake. This time, it was Nonus who spat blood. He stood frozen, watching in horror as his precious snakes-his lethal weapons- were butchered in seconds.
What the hell are those things?" Sophie screamed, her voice shrill with panic. Gilbert, standing behind her, was too stunned to answer.
Those were the scorpions he had given Eliza days ago. And now?
They had transformed into monstrous beasts-thicker, faster, deadlier. Not just scorpions. Scorpion kings.
Where had she even found that many? Let alone raised them to such size and venom in so little time?
Nonus and Septimus nced at Gilbert, suspicion in their eyes-only to see him looking just as shocked as they were. That settled it.
"Retreat, Nonus growled. "Now."
He didn''t need to say it twice. If they stayed, everyst snake would be ughtered.
Nonus and Septimus grabbed Sophie and turned to flee.
"No! I''m not leaving! You cowards-you can''t even handle three women?!" Sophie
shrieked, fighting back, her fury nearly breaking her teeth.
But the two men didn''t listen. They dragged her away by force.
Gilbert paused-just for a moment. His eyes locked with Eliza''s. Then, without a word, he turned and ran after them.
As Nonus disappeared into the distance, the few surviving snakes slithered away, their courage gone. The slower ones didn''t get far-Eliza''s scorpions cut them down without mercy.
"They''re gone," Mary said, still clutching Caroline''s bones as she stared in the direction Sophie had vanished. Her brows furrowed "But don''t worry. We had a backup n."
Eliza nodded. "I imagine the Prince Regent will have something to show for this. Now that the fight was over. Eliza finally allowed herself a breath of relief.
She wiped the sweat from her brow and turned to herpanions. "Let''s clean up and get out of here."
Just as she said that, a voice called out behind her.
"Eliza what the hell just happened?"
Dn stepped out from behind the tree, wide-eyed, his face pale. He walked toward them slowly, gaze flicking between the heaps of snake corpses and the bone-white remains in Mary''s arms, disbelief etched across every line of his face.
Eliza didn''t look surprised. She''d known he was there.
Her tone was t as she turned to him. "You saw it with your own eyes. That''s all there is to say."
Dn swayed on his feet. His gaze drifted to the corpse.
"Wait... Sophie stole Mother''s body? Just to threaten you?"
"Not just to threaten me," Eliza said coolly. "It was revenge. A power y. She nned to die her
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Eliza said nothing She didn''t have to the silence spoke volumes.
muttered. "I need to ask her to her face-how she could do this."
He turned, ready to run after he
"Don''t you dare," Eliza snapped.
Dn froze
"Who do you think you are?” she said coldly. "You''re no longer a young master. You lost that title the day you walked away. You''re just amoner now, You think Sophie still has any use for you? You think if you chase after her, she won''t just turn you into a hostage
She turned away, impatiencecing her tone. "So unless you want to make my job harder, get the hell back to where you
came from
Dn stared after her, stunned, his mouth opening to argue.
But then something shifted in his eyes, He saw something behind her. Something she hadn''t.
His pupils shrank. Without thinking, he threw himself forward and shouted, "Eliza! Look out!"