My fault, my fault, my fault.Viri heard the words in her mind, replaying the moment when he’d tackled her away from the dagger and yanked it out of his side with a sickeningsquelch. Saliva filled her mouth at the memory, and she knew—she knew—she would never forgive herself if he died from saving her life.
“All right, you got us here,” Sage said, breaking into Viri’s spiraling thoughts. “Now where’s your friend? I assume she’s the one you think can help Reeve?”
“Wait here,” Viri said, moving back toward the door. “I’ll go wake her.”
But Viri barely made it halfway across the lab before the hidden entrance echoed with a clicking sound and the wall shifted inward again.
Sage reacted instantly, unsheathing two blades and raising them in a defensive stance. Jonas also reacted instantly, uttering a squeak of fright and leaping behind the couch—making Viri belatedly realize why he hadn’t been out fighting with his friends that night. He was, without a doubt, the strangest reaper she’d ever met. But with a quick shake of her head, Viri’s attention turned to Wynter, who appeared through the hidden doorway and came to a stuttered, wide-eyed halt at the small group assembled in her secret laboratory.
“I can explain,” Viri blurted, all too aware that she stood there with a clawed face and filthy, wet clothes, and was in the company of three strangers, one of whom was unconscious, andall of whom were covered in blood—mostly Reeve’s. On the plus side, Wynter couldn’t see Sage and Jonas’s darkened veins, though it wouldn’t take long for her to guess what they were. “I promise to tell you everything, but first, we need your help.”
“Are youcrazy?”Wynter shrieked, pushing through her shock and marching forward, her glossy black hair swaying behind her. “Do you know how many people are looking for you? I’m only awake because Darik barged into our apartment and woke Mom and me, claiming you attacked him. He has half the Nox out searching for you. And, I assume,him.” She jabbed a finger in Reeve’s direction. “That’s Ashton, isn’t it? The right hand to the Reaper Priest?” She then pointed to Sage and Jonas. “Are they his reaper buddies?”
Viri winced, wishing her friend wasn’t so clever. “I hoped we’d have more time before they came for us.”
Wynter’s sapphire eyes flooded with disbelief. “I’m all for bending the rules, you know that.” She indicated the magical contraband surrounding them. “Butwhat the hell, V?”
“I needed Reeve’s help with something,” Viri said. “It’s important.”
“It’d better be life and death for what you did. Do you haveanyidea how much trouble you’re in?”
“Itislife and death. He has information that could—”
“Yo!” Sage interrupted, a fierce scowl on her face. “Can you two maybe play catch-up when our friendisn’tdying?”
Viri winced a second time, knowing Sage was right. “Please, Wyn,” she begged. “He’s been poisoned by a grimblade.”
At the mention of the rare magical weapon, Wynter’s eyes rounded with surprise, then narrowed again just as fast. “Why should I help a reaper?”
The answer rasped out of Viri. “Because the blade he took was aimed at me.” She held her friend’s gaze and whispered, “He saved my life. Now I need to save his.”
There was a pause while Wynter stared at Viri, weighing her decision, but then she sighed. “Tell me what happened. The weapon, the poison’s effects, everything.”
Relief surged through Viri, and she hastily shared what she knew, from her memories of the dagger’s appearance to the symptoms Reeve had shown before passing out. When she was done, Wynter gave a solemn nod, pushed the sleeves of her cobalt sweater up to her elbows, and strode off toward where Reeve lay.
“You, purple-haired angry girl,” Wynter said, snapping her fingers. “Roll him over so I can see the damage.”
“That’s Sage,” Viri quickly introduced. “And Jonas is behind the couch.”
Hearing his name, the blond boy came out of hiding and gave a little wave.
Wynter blinked. “Is that abunnyin your pocket?”
“His name is Walnut,” Jonas said, petting the rabbit on his head. “He gets separation anxiety if I leave him alone for too long.” He paused. “And he’s technically a lop-eared dwarf rabbit—they’re much smaller than the standard size. Like baby bunnies, but for life.”
Wynter blinked again. “That’s…oddly precious,” she muttered, before returning her attention to Reeve, now resting on his good side with his wound facing upward.
Seeing the extent of it, Wynter made a gagging sound. “Ugh, blood. Disgusting.”
Sage’s eyes speared to Viri. “I thought you said she had medical knowledge?”
“She’s training to be a physician,” Viri replied. Quieter, she admitted, “She’s just not very good at it.”
“Excuse you.” Wynter frowned. “I’mverygood at it. Or I would be, if they’d let me heal people the way I want.”
“By that, she means she’d prefer to use magic to treat her patients,” Viri clarified to Sage and Jonas. “Which, in the case of alchemy-created cures, is forbidden.”
“It’s a stupid law,” Jonas said, pushing his glasses up his nose. “The ancient mages used magic for everything,especiallyhealing.”
