‘Baji, why is Mei telling me Haru gave her a pumpkin cookie and yet I see no cookies for the rest of us?’ Azalea asked, arching a brow. She and Nori were done cooking. While Nori played with her stuffed dolls, Azalea was making candles at the table.
‘Goodness,’ Bisma said, bringing the box forward and setting it on the kitchen table in front of Azalea. ‘If you would onlywaita moment.’ She opened the box, and the room filled with the scent of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
Nori cheered, rushing to the table to take the first one. Mei left Deeba in the living room, coming to get a cookie herself, and Bisma took one, as well. It was delicious, and the girls were all exceedingly happy.
Bisma was bone tired, having been up most the night working on poisons, but all that hard work was worth it when it meant she could afford a treat such as this.
Deeba whimpered from the other room. ‘Baji.’
‘Aw, no,’ Bisma cooed with a laugh. ‘Did we forget to give Deebs a cookie?’ She picked one up and went to her.
The cookie fell as she stopped in her tracks.
Both Deeba’s pudgy little hands were covered in dark blue veins.
‘Deeba!’ Bisma cried, going to pick her up. Deeba’s skin was hot like Luna’s had been, the dark veins tracking up her arms.
‘Mei!’ Bisma called from the living room. ‘Go up to my room! There’s a vial on my bedside table. Get it. Quickly!’
‘What’s—’ Mei poked her head in, then saw Deeba. She froze, petrified.
‘Mei,now!’ Bisma called, rocking Deeba back and forth. Azalea and Nori came in to see what was happening, then stopped in their tracks with similar horror.
‘What’s happening?’ Nori asked.
Azalea held Nori to her side, anger contorting her face. ‘Who’s doing this?’ she cried.
But Bisma was not focusing on their questions, not as Deeba held onto her tightly, fussing. She did not cry out, but fat tears rolled out of her eyes.
Bisma’s heart splintered. ‘Shh, it’s OK, baby, it’s OK,’ she cooed, holding Deeba’s head against her.
Bisma heard Mei run down the stairs, then Mei was beside her, holding out the potion Xander had given her.
‘What’s happening?’ Luna asked, coming down the stairs. She froze when she saw Deeba’s hands. ‘Baji, do something!’ she cried.
Bisma tuned them out, focusing solely on Deeba, who was whimpering in her arms.
‘I know it hurts, I know,’ Bisma said, holding Deeba tight as she wriggled. This hurt her more than her other sisters getting poisoned—Deeba was just a baby.
‘Azalea, come hold Deeba’s head steady,’ Bisma ordered. Azalea came and did as she was told. Bisma held Deeba steady, then said, ‘Mei, feed her the potion now.’
Mei brought the bottle to Deeba’s lips, but the smell must have been strange, for Deeba tried to twist her face away.
‘Shh, it’s OK,’ Bisma said, as Azalea held Deeba’s head back. ‘Mei, now.’
Mei poured the liquid into Deeba’s mouth. Bisma hoped Xander being a know-it-all would pay off as Deeba swallowed.
After Deeba drank the potion, Bisma set Deeba down on the couch, holding a hand over her heart. It beat steadily as Deeba closed her eyes, but slowly her body froze completely. Her skin turned gray, as though she had turned to stone; it was a horrifying sight.
Nori screamed, then burst into tears.
‘No, don’t worry!’ Bisma said. ‘Come, look, she’s alright.’
Nori haltingly came forward, and Bisma brought Nori’s hands to Deeba’s little chest, where she could feel her heart continuing to beat. Luna, Azalea, and Mei came to do the same, needing reassurance as well. The poison had also been frozen in its tracks.
‘She’s alright,’ Bisma whispered, exhaling. She sat back, heart hammering.
The question was: now what?
