Marrying a Warhound (Cassian) novel Chapter 36

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LIEUTENANT RIO’S POV

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“The reason why these people dare to attack us is because of their poison,” Rio hissed through clenched teeth as he eyed the wounded men that they had overnight. “Make sure everyone stays alert and careful.”

Their warriors had survived countless battles, their bodies toughened and hardened by endless confrontations with claws, blades, and brute strength. They had faced near–death experiences, but poison was an entirely different threat, a threat far more insidious, deceptive, and lethal.

The Demon Fangs relied heavily on their toxic arsenal, crafting poisons so varied it was impossible to predict their effects.

Rio had personally seen its devastating range firsthand. Some poisons caused violent spasms, forcing warriors into convulsions, rendering them helpless. Others worked silently, gradually weakening the victim until paralysis set in, leaving them vulnerable and unable to defend themselves.

Some toxins were swift and merciless, stopping the heart within seconds, while others cruelly prolonged agony, causing internal bleeding, burning lungs, and relentless, unbearable pain.

Lieutenant Rio moved with heavy strides across the battered camp, his boots sloshing through mud thick as paste. Smoke still clung to the air from torches that had burned through the night. The rain had lessened, but the ground bore the punishment, deep tracks cut through the terrain, blood mixed with water, and bodies lay scattered beneath makeshift coverings. Groans echoed in the background, some low and weak, others sharp with pain.

He passed by three warriors huddled under a soaked tarp, one of them barely conscious, his veins turning black beneath the skin. The healers worked fast, but even their best efforts could only do so much.

Rio crouched beside a fallen soldier, inspected the color of the man’s lips and the trembling in his limbs. He wasn’t going to last long without proper antidotes. None of them would, not if this poison spread further.

That was when he spotted Mendez.

The older man had rolled up his sleeves, arms streaked with blood and mud as he knelt beside a young warrior. His hands moved quickly, wiping sweat from the boy’s brow while checking his pulse. Several makeshift herbal concoctions were lined up beside him, but even those didn’t carry the certainty Mendez normally held.

“They used something different this time.” Mendez said without looking up, his tone grim.

11:11 Wed, Sep 10

Chapter 36

“Just as we expected… but worse.”

Rio stepped closer. “Worse how?”

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Mendez finally looked at him, dark circles under his eyes and jaw set tight. “It’s more potent. The moment they inhale it, it starts breaking down the nervous system. Internal bleeding, paralysis, organ collapse. We’ve seen pieces of this type before but this specific combination? It’s not common.”

Rio’s brows furrowed. “Have you seen this before?”

“Not in years,” Mendez admitted. “Deep in the West. I encountered a version of this once, poisons crafted by witches. Their methods are older than ours, and far more precise. When witches craft poison, it’s not just designed to kill, it’s designed to torment.”

That gave Rio pause.

“Then what the hell is it doing here?” he asked, lowering his voice, glancing around to ensure no panicked ears overheard. “We’re near the border, not halfway across the continent.”

Mendez shook his head slowly. “I don’t know. But if witches are involved…” He trailed off, clearly not willing to speak the rest of that sentence aloud.

Rio straightened, chest tight with unease.

Before he could respond, footsteps approached fast through the muck. Lieutenant Lucas emerged, his expression unreadable. He stopped in front of Rio and gave a quick nod.

“Now,” Lucas confirmed. “The longer we wait, the harder they’ll be to catch.”