She balled her hands into fists and put them under her chin, face gleeful. “Maybe I can serve as your bodyguard. Keep an eye out for anyone who looks at Ivan wrong and take care of them.”
I tapped my chin. “You know, I don’t hate that idea. Except for the fact that you can’t fight.”
She dropped her hands. “True. But I can yell for help really loudly.”
“I’m comforted by that thought.”
Pilar made a retort, but I missed it as a wave of nausea swept over me. I covered my mouth and stilled, praying the feeling would pass over me. But it didn’t. Instead, my stomach twisted in excruciating cramps, and I doubled over from the pain. My vision blurred, and I clutched the counter for support.
“Hey, are you alright?” Pilar asked, although I could barely make out her features now.
A customer called for our attention, and Pilar raised an index finger for them to wait as she approached me. “Let’s get you to the backroom so you can lay down.”
I nodded my head, but that was a mistake and the bile that I had been holding back spewed forth onto the tiled floor. I was only thankful no customers saw as we were behind the bar. Of course, that was only a mild thought. Most immediately, I felt like my insides were turning to slush and rebelling against being inside my body. What little strength I had left my legs and I dropped to the ground.
My stomach contracted again for another round of vomiting, this time into a waste basket that Pilar had quickly gathered. “Gods, there’s blood in this mess,” Pilar cried. “We’ve got to take you to the infirmary, now.”
I wanted to argue, I hated going to the doctors, but dizziness took hold. I felt as if my mind was dissipating. Floating farther and farther away from reality, from consciousness. Until I could see nothing but blurred colors and shapes and then darkness.
***
Ivan
I looked at Jalisa, unconscious on the infirmary bed, willing her to wake up. Her usually glowing brown skin had taken on an ashen tone that concerned me. Sweat beaded at her hairline and I grabbed a damp cloth from the side table and dipped it in the bowl of water sitting beside it. Wringing it out, I pressed at her forehead with the cloth. She’d been out for two hours now, and the longer it took for her to wake up, the more concerned I was getting.
Her friend Pilar entered the room and sat down on the other side of the bed. “She’ll wake up soon. The doctors got to her in time. Seems you guys like passing out. Admit it, this is some weird bonding time for you both.”
I scrunched my face, frustrated. “We really aren’t that crazy. I don’t understand how this happened. What did she eat?”
Pilar shrugged, staring down at her friend. “She ate the same thing I had. It wasn’t the food.”
“No, it wasn’t,” came a voice from the doorway.
The same doctor who treated me at my wedding appeared. I now knew his name was Oliver and he was a friend of Pilar and Jalisa who regularly dined at the pub. But I was less concernedabout how he knew my wife and more interested in what happened to her. “Then what was it?”
He scratched his cheeks as he looked down at a miniature holographic screen floating above a circular magic powered device in his left hand. “We tested her blood and found it had been tainted by poisonous magic. Most of it was flushed with our potions so she’ll be fine when she wakes up. It was most likely in something in her surroundings that she inhaled.”
Pilar shook her head. “But I was near her and nothing happened to me.”
“Then perhaps something she absorbed.”
I looked to Pilar. She had to recall something. She squinted her eyes in thought. If she couldn’t remember, I would leave right now and tear that pub down to the ground to find the poisonous object.
“She cleaned the bar counter with a rag and used some cleaning solution. It’s the only thing I didn’t touch. She used the last of it, so I don’t think any’s left. Someone else probably refilled the container by now. But the rag is in the laundry and I’m sure that could be tested.” She reached in the pocket of her brown leather pants, standing up. “I’ll call the pub and tell them not to touch the laundry and avoid the container she used if they haven’t touched it already.” She then headed out of the room.
I looked to Oliver, who was eyeing me with a thoughtful look. “I think we might want to consider that the both of you are targets now. You should tell the authorities about this.”
I placed the cloth back on the bedside table. “Oh, they know.”
“There have been attacks on Nodoorians here. There are still some Prinathians who aren’t tolerant of the treaty. It’s unfortunate.”
I snorted. Unfortunate was an understatement. I looked down at my wife. She looked so vulnerable now, a far cry from her usually strong demeanor. It hurt to see her like this. No, itangered me. Someone had hurt her, and I had no clue who it could be. I’d wondered if her family was behind my attacks, but with her poisoning, I now knew better. Then again, I didn’t want to imagine that my family could hurt her. Perhaps in retaliation for my attacks.
Oliver cleared his throat. “What I’d like to know is how she survived. That poison spell was especially powerful and she’s an omega.” He stole a quick look at her, eyes worried. “I would never say this to her face, but we know that omegas are physically weaker. An alpha could survive it and maybe a beta but not an omega.”
I rolled my lips in, thinking of possibilities. He was right. Jalisa was physically strong and held her own when she was in the military, but that was more technique than anything. Not all omegas were physically small, but they were never the most powerful regardless of size. “Perhaps it’s her nobility. Fae of that level tend to have more potency in magic?”
Oliver nodded. “That is possible, I suppose, but less probable. I thought perhaps she was claimed?”
