“It's nothing.”
“Does that nothing happen to be a warlord who is notably absent today?” She lifted a brow at me.
I sighed deeply. “I can't tell you. It involves the Princess.”
“Oh, my.” Her eyes widened eagerly. “Now youmusttell me!”
I gave her my first smile of the day. “You have to promise not to breathe a word of it to anyone.”
“Yes, yes, all of that. I promise. Spill!”
So, I told her. I mean, fuck it, I had no one else to vent to and boy did I need to vent. I told her about the Princess and her General, their strange behavior, Thalsar's flask, and then my amnesia. Avanla blinked a bit, sometimes very slowly, but didn't interrupt, nor did she exclaim in horror. Instead, she looked pensive.
“Were either the General or the Princess alone with your food or drink at any time?” she asked.
“You're saying that something else could have been drugged? Something other than the curvou?” I scowled and considered this. Then my jaw dropped and I whispered in horror, “The wine.”
“Wine?”
“When we got to the dining room, the Princess and General were drinking wine, but they'd poured glasses for all of us. Tae's and mine were just sitting there. I thought that was a little odd. Who pours wine before people show up? But I mean, they do that at the palace, so I didn't think much of it. That being said, Thalsar handed the glasses to Tae and me. He could have easily drugged one of them and made sure to give me the drugged glass.”
“I must caution you to not accuse the General and especially not the Princess of suck trickery without proof,” Avanla said gently. “It could go very badly for you.”
“But how do I get proof?”
Avanla considered this. “I imagine that your glass has already been discarded, which leaves only you as our evidence. Unfortunately, the drug has likely left your system by now.”
“Then I'm fucked,” I huffed.
“Not entirely.” She held up a finger and wagged it pensively. “If he gave you what I suspect he did—hulrine potion—then I know the cure for your memory loss.”
“You do?” I leaned forward.
Avanla nodded and stood up. “Get dressed and come with me.”
I had undressed in preparation for shifting, but I rapidly pulled on my clothes and then followed Avanla out of the room. She took me to an elevator and then up to the sixth floor. Once there, we went down a few corridors and then, at last, into a strange room.
“What is this place?” I looked around at the glass vials and silver tools crowding atop numerous tables that were scattered about the room.
“A laboratory,” Avanla said as she headed toward a bookshelf in the corner.
She skimmed the titles, then pulled out a large volume. I joined her at the central table and watched over her shoulder as she flipped through the pages.
“Here we are.” Avanla tapped a page. “Hulrine antidote.”
She drew a nail down the list of ingredients, then started bustling about the room, collecting bottles and vials. I helped her by taking the items and transporting them to the table where she'd set the book. At last, we had everything, and Avanla lit a little gas burner with a flick of her finger. Over the flame, she put a metal holder, then set a glass vial into it.
I watched anxiously, my stomach knotting as she added the ingredients, referencing the book often for the amounts. The liquid in the vial changed color several times, going from gold to green to blue before settling into purple.
Avanla lifted the vial, swirled the contents, and handed it to me. “Drink up.”
I sniffed it. It was acrid enough to make my nose wrinkle, so I downed it in one go. It tasted nasty but didn't burn or do anything to indicate that it was working. I flopped down onto a wooden stool and grimaced.
“I think he drugged me with something else,” I grumbled.
Avanla frowned. “I can't think of anything else that could produce those results. Maybe—”
“Hold on!” I jumped to my feet. “I'm starting to see pictures. Memories!”
