Page 143 of When the Sky Breaks

Alexi had somehow gotten word of what happened and two Inner Court Inquisitors were at our doorstep arresting Irene within the day, before Ansel had a chance to question her. And since what she’d done was a magical crime, committed against another Elf no less, it was within Inner Court purview, and we had no real grounds to stop them. We hadn’t heard a word since.

Had Irene acted out of pure selfish hatred and revenge? Or was she attempting regicide with Iksura’s blessing?

No one was answering.

It was more than likely no one had even received the telegrams yet. But that did little to quell the impatience.

“I thought she was just vomiting again,” Kadish asked.

“She was,” Ansel replied. “Until one of our own decided to poison her.”

He pulled off his boot and sock, showing the new scar from the gunshot. “She used an Inner Court tincture to fix this right up for me.”

“When did you get shot?” Kadish interjected, stunned.

“Don’t ask,” Ansel replied as he tugged his boot back on. “So we let her try and help Sorcha too. She had a fever. Vomiting bloody bile. She wasn’t going to last until you got here.”

“And?” Kadish pressed.

“And she poisoned her,” Ansel said. “At least best we can tell. Sorcha started saying her chest hurt. Then her water broke. Babe was too young to survive. And Sorcha? Hemorrhaged after. Hasn’t regained consciousness since.”

He paused.

“That was four days ago.”

Kadish pulled off his gloves, all business now.

“She through there?” He glanced toward the doorway.

Ansel nodded.

“You have the bottles from what she took?” Kadish asked.

“I’ll fetch them,” Ansel said.

I sat back down in my usual place at Sorcha’s side, still obsessive in watching her breathing, begging her pulse would get stronger, her lungs more consistent, that maybe she’d flinch, shiver—that maybe she’d wake up.

“If I can figure out what it was then I can get her out of the coma,” Kadish replied.

“Best hope so,” Ansel said gravely, “or Iksura will have control of both Courts and there’ll be no more monster hunting for me and no more private clinic practice for you.”

A long moment passed in silence.

“And ghost stories will become death sentences,” I murmured.

It took Kadish only a few moments to identify the vials.

“Oleander and foxglove,” he said immediately, after sniffing the corks.

“Those are poisons,” I replied, eyes still locked on Sorcha’s pale, unmoving form spread out on the bed in front of me.

“They’re poisons I can treat,” Kadish replied. “Activated quartzite by mouth. A couple spells. Give her as much lavender as you can get in her body once she wakes.”

“You’re not leaving again,” I said bluntly. “You’re supervising this until she’s stable. A week minimum. Understood?”

“Understood,” Kadish replied. “Now let me get to work.”

Sixty-Nine