e of you noticed when

her eyes began to open. But she saw the shapes gathered around her, and she stopped herself before her lashes had lifted

but it slipped through her grasp. Even the sentence he had spok

oisoned. Whatever they spoke of, it conc

early impossible to detect through ordinary examination. I believe it was masked with Rainflower, which hides a ve

t her face slack and her breath slow and even,

nflo

even. But paired with a poison, Wolfsbane above all, it turns lethal. It tricks a werewolf's immune system

tella finally had an idea

hese fools were saying

ing to her denial. She knew the infamous Rainflower and she had studied this very herb, and not for a moment had she imagined it bein

let them blur into the crackle of the f

been given this much all at once, she would be in a far worse state than this. Most likely dead. Whoever did t

e remembered the illness that had plagued her for months, and then, slowl

room full of werewolves, a faltering pulse was as good as a confession that she was awake. But s

g in his tone sent a chill down her spine, as if h

mptoms, do

f she had to guess, Gavard had probably

mptoms... Al

d it. He knew. He had to know she was liste

ext was the final

with no clear cause. Hypersomnia, unexplained thirst. Muscle spasms, on occasion. And over ti

sudden dizziness, the stumbling heartbeat, the heavy sleepiness, the thirst no water could quench, the muscle spasms that struck her without warning. They had become part of her life these past few mont

ked into place

ong time. They had sent her to the front lines whenever Silvervale clashed with Frostveil, hoping she would fall

ed her dead f

r damn power to lie still, to not sob on the spot. Because she was on the

ly, it was one of the things she had once loved about him. He never joined her, and he never took a single bite. Still, s

love wa

killing her by slow degrees, and she had tha

ool. No... Worse than a fool. Beneath the blanket, her fists closed around the sheets until her knuckles turned

swung shut, and the room fell silent around her and Adrian. A seat creaked as he rose, and

tion... Isn't it?" he r

, though her heart had grown unbearably heavy. Her own family had hid

lovely father and your beloved meant to cast

was awake. Perhaps from the very beginning. Perhaps he had staged the entire exchange so t

again when a soft knock so

, it's u

lked away. At the door, he paused. "Make sure y

, though it didn't quite latch

The sob she had held back for so long broke free. Tears rose until the canopy above

s her whole body trembled. "Why...? What did you do it?... Why?" The sobs came harder

have to do this to me?... Oh God... Darius... Darius!" Estella cried mo

ny times she said that name. "No... I can't... live...

thin thread of blood trickled down. But when she pressed deeper, an unseen force repelled her hand. Her brow

aping from Adrian's palm into her skull.

's what

ding in her chest. "You bastar

Adrian was never going to leave her be, not after

ng that human mages laid on prisoners too valuable to be shackled like common captives, so th

w, twisting together in her chest. She bit her lip until she tasted

ew of a sure way to break this