My breath catches. “Oh fuck. You were trying to make her sick?”
Poppy grows paler. “I just wanted her to leave the party early so I could have a good time andbreathefor five stupid minutes.”
“Poppy—”
“I pretended to go and refill her bottle, and then I gave it to her, but Teriq called her over and she put it down somewhere. I tried to take it back, except Lu swatted my hand away and said I was too young for grange—” Poppy is panting so hard she can barely speak. “I don’t know how it got to you. But the moment you collapsed I knew it was my fault.”
I nod, a heavy breath slipping out. I can’t even muster up any anger at her confession. It was an accident, and she’s clearly punished herself enough for it.
“You said it just makes your stomach hurt,” Poppy accuses again, unshed tears glistening on her eyelashes.
“It does,” I say gently. “Or at least, crimlock does. You dug up the wrong plant, Poppy. It’s an honest mistake. The red flowers look nearly identical, but heartroot has a red root. Crimlock is brown.”
She blinks faster, as if trying to ward off the tears. “I just stood there and watched my mom try to heal you. I thought you were going to die, and it was all my fault. I’m so sorry. I feel so awful.”
“Poppy, it’s okay—”
“It’s not! I almostkilledyou.”
“But you didn’t. And you weren’t acting maliciously.” Which, to be honest, is a relief to me. Now I no longer need to be suspicious of every liquid I consume.
“I wanted to tell you so many times, but I kept losing my nerve because I knew you would hate me.”
“I don’t hate you,” I promise her.
She releases a soft noise that’s halfway between a sob and a breath of relief. I reach for her hand again, holding it firmly, but she only allows it for a few seconds before shrugging out of my grip.
“Can I take a shower now?” she mumbles. She sounds exhausted.
“Of course. And we can share the bed, if you don’t mind. The couch isn’t very comfortable.”
Once the lav door closes behind her, I strip out of my soot-stained clothing. I’m slipping into a fresh pair of pants and a long-sleeved shirt when the alert on my comm pops up.
REPORT TO THE WAR ROOM
“Take a seat, Wren,” Kallister says.
I glance around the table, unnerved by how few people are here. Kallister sits at the head, as far away from Adrienne as possible. Other than them, only Gray and Karra are present.
I sit next to Gray, who reaches for my hand beneath the table, giving it a squeeze. I wish he had telepathy so I could ask him what I just walked into.
“Talk us through what happened tonight,” Kallister says, but he’s not speaking to me.
He’s speaking to Adrienne.
In a wooden voice, she relates everything that happened at Bramble Base, from the explosion to the assault, to Teriq’s capture and Evlynne’s betrayal.
When it’s my turn, I clear my throat and explain how Teriq ordered me and Mako to help Fiona clear the medical bay and evacuate people through the civilian hatch. When I describe the firefight during which Fiona was fatally shot, Kallister fixes his scathing eyes on Adrienne, who stares back at him, expressionless.
I feel bad for her. His fury is palpable, every pulsing wave of it directed at the red-haired woman across the table.
“And in the main hatch?” he prompts, his voice tight.
Adrienne starts to speak, but he holds up his hand to silence her.
“Colfer,” he says, glancing at Karra. After she describes how the Silver Block ground troops breached the bunker, he asks, “Was Elite there?”
My breath catches. When Gray stiffens beside me, I know he feels the tension in my body, but his profile is hard, revealing nothing.
