Heartroot.
My gaze flies to the water pitcher on the table. The half-empty cup. It wasn’t water.
It wasn’t fucking water.
“What did you do?” I say in horror.
Adrienne’s breathing grows ragged. “It’s all right. I chose this way. I chose you to be here. It would’ve been too hard on Gray.”
Bile rushes up my throat and triggers my gag reflex. Oh my God. I’m herwitness.
I squeeze both her hands, trying to warm them up as my mind desperately reaches out to Tana, who’s quick to link.
“Where’s Brion?”I ask, trying not to choke on my panic.“Send him to the cells! Adrienne needs healing!”
“I think he’s in the valley doing wellness checks—”
I sever the link. Fuck! With Fiona gone, Brion’s the only healer we have.
In front of me, Adrienne begins swaying on her feet.
“Please,” I beg. “Try to vomit.”
But we both know that won’t do anything. The merest trace of heartroot wreaks havoc on the system.
“It’s all right,” she says again, slowly making her way toward the narrow bed.
When she stumbles, I cry out, desperate to break into the cell and help her, but she regains her balance and gingerly lowers herself onto the bed.
I’ve never felt more helpless in my life as I watch her struggle for breath, but despite the panting and the wheezing and the distress to her body, her eyes remain closed and I hear her voice over telepathy.
“Take care, Darlington.”
A second later, her energy signature dissolves, and her body grows still.
My composure splinters to pieces. I stare at Adrienne’s body, shocked. We were supposed to have until midnight to figure this out. To save her. Kallister didn’t even give us achance,damn it.
Hand trembling, I fumble in my pocket for my comm and contact Gray.
“Have you found him yet?” I choke out when I hear his voice.
“No. Are you still with Adrienne?”
“She’s dead.”
“What do you mean, she’s dead?”
“She’s dead,” I repeat, my voice breaking. “She chose heartroot asher method and made me witness it.” I keel over for a second, fighting a wave of nausea. “She’s fucking dead, Gray.”
Silence fills my ear, followed by a soft, anguished groan.
“I’m coming up to find you,” I say. “I think we need to leave the Dagger.”
I end the call, turning away from the sight of Adrienne’s lifeless shape at the same time I catch a flicker of motion from the end of the hall.
I hear the hiss in the air a split second before the needle pierces the side of my neck. Liquid rushes into my veins, triggering a surge of adrenaline.
“What—” My question dies as black dots flash in front of my eyes, my tongue instantly feeling too thick for my mouth.
