He straightened. “I don’t know.”
None of this made any sense. “Why am I okay?”
“It obviously wasn’t in the tea,” he muttered. “Someone must’ve put something in their cups.”
Nadia leaned back against the counter. The cold marble seeped through her clothes and into her spine, which still ached from being stabbed. Her legs shook, and she planted her palms behind her to keep from sliding down. The kitchen looked untouched with its gleaming stainless steel appliances and white marble counters reflecting the overhead lights. Even the floor sparkled, pristine and unforgiving, in contrast to the chaos spreading beyond the walls. “I have to see if everyone’s okay.”
“No.” Solomon lifted a hand, stopping her. “The four challengers headed into the forest to hunker down and rid the poison from their bodies. Hopefully this thing won’t kill them.”
Her heart dropped hard into her stomach. “What about Dax?” she whispered.
Solomon shook his head, his mouth thinning. “He must have been more susceptible to whatever the poison was. That wolf is too far gone. I’m sorry.”
Nadia pressed two fingers into her eyes, pushing until dull pressure bloomed behind them. Grief settled in her chest, thick and suffocating. “I don’t understand. How were the cups poisoned, and how did the person know which one was mine?” She lowered her hands, her gaze darting from counter to tray to sink.
“I don’t know. Yours was the pink cup. The rest were on the tray. I took one in each time. It wouldn’t be hard to figure out which one was yours, and the backdoor was open. I guess some sort of liquid could’ve been dropped into the bottom of each cup.” He chewed on his lip, his gaze flicking toward the door. “I don’t know, Nadia. I really don’t. This isn’t part of the challenge. It’s sabotage.”
The back door banged open, and Nadia jerked, her body tensing. Her hand curled into a fist, and she instinctively searched for something sharp or heavy. She really should start carrying knives.
“Oh dear.” Bussy Bluebird swept inside, already unwrapping her colorful purple scarf. “I can’t believe everyone was poisoned. Are you okay, dear?”
“I’m fine,” Nadia said, slightly relaxing as she took in the elderly female.
“Oh, good.” Margaret Thistle strode in behind her sister.
The ladies were twins. They paused just inside the kitchen, surveying the scene with sharp, assessing eyes. They had to be at least a hundred and fifty years old, their silver-gray hair thick and glossy, their posture straight and alert despite their age.
“Well, as long as you didn’t get poisoned,” Margaret said.
Nadia shook her head. “Is this a normal occurrence? You two were around for the last challenges.”
“No, we weren’t. When your father went through the Alpha trials, there were no challengers. We’ve never been through this,” Bussy said, tsking her tongue. “The last actual challenges were so long ago, I’m not sure anybody was alive. The Nightsoms have ruled forever.”
Nadia turned slowly toward Solomon, who had finished cleaning and now stood with his hands braced on the counter. “Is there anything in the grimoire that talks about sabotage?”
He nodded, and her heart kicked hard. She hated the relief that rushed through her, even as she clung to it. She felt horrible about the poison, but if this was a way out, she would take it.
Solomon scratched his elbow. “Everything’s open. Free game. They can kill each other any way they want.” He shook his head. “The only safe person right now is you. They can’t touch you, which is why the ladies are here now.”
Nadia looked from one female to the other. “What do you mean?”
Bussy tilted her head toward Solomon. “We’re your designated lupine aunts.”
“Excuse me?” Nadia asked, her voice sharpening.
A faint flush crept up Solomon’s cheeks. “Yeah. I may not have explained this all that well. You’re probably not going to like it.”
Nadia held up a hand, palm out, as if she could physically stop the words before they reached her. Her throat tightened and her stomach rolled. “Just a minute. I don’t want to know.” Her voice came out higher than she intended, edged with panic she couldn’t swallow back down. “We need to get a doctor out there to help Dax. He can’t be dead. Just from tea.”
Solomon shook his head, his expression strained, his shoulders held too tight. “I already called. The soldiers have probably retrieved the body by now.”
The body. Nadia’s breath caught hard in a sharp sound she couldn’t control. Her eyes stung, and she blinked fast, refusing to let anybody see her fall apart. Poison was awful, yes, but wolves had strong constitutions. They were built to survive. That was part of the whole terrifying mythology of them, and it had felt steadying until this moment.
“The body,” she repeated, quieter, as if saying it softly could make it less real. Her hand went to her chest as though she could hold her heart in place. “So, he really died.”
Solomon’s gaze dropped for a beat. “Yes. I could tell by looking at the lack of breathing, bleeding, and movement. I’m so sorry.” His voice roughened. “Did you like him?”
“I just met him,” Nadia said, and the words came out with more bite than she meant. She dragged in air and forced herself to slow down. “But I didn’t want him to die over this, Solomon. I didn’t want any of this.” Her eyes burned again. “There has to be a way out.”
