“Midnight. By the training yard doors. There are windows there that lead outside.”
“Ok,” I said. “But what about the others? They’ll be in my room. How will I get past them?”
Maddie reached into her drawer and pulled out a small pouch. “I told you I work with poisons right?”
“I won’t hurt them!”
“Of course not! No this is nightshade powder. It will knock them out for hours but they’ll wake up completely fine, I swear.”
“Maddie…”
“I promise you. I promise, Elle.” She said. “I wouldn’t hurt Leo. He’s my friend too.”
I believed her.
“How do I use it?”
“Mix it in wine and it works as a sleeping draught. No more than a teaspoon, got it?.”
“Each?”
“For all of them. It’s strong stuff.”
I took the small pouch and thanked her. Just as I tucked it away, a knock startled both of us.
“Hide that.” Maddie hissed.
I slipped the pouch behind my back.
I jumped to my feet like I'd been caught stealing, while Maddie instinctively moved to block the door.
It opened a second later. Leo stood there, scanning the room until his eyes fixed on me.
“There you are! You didn’t come to dinner.”
His voice was light, teasing—but I saw the tension behind it. The worry.
“I wasn’t hungry,” I said, trying to keep my tone neutral.
Leo stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “Slade is grumbling about you skipping meals again. Said something about dragging you back to the kitchen himself.”
I smiled faintly. “Sounds like him.”
He tilted his head, glancing between me and Maddie. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I said quickly. “Just needed to talk.”
“About what?” he asked, casual—but there was a flicker of something else in his eyes. Curiosity. Maybe suspicion.
“Stuff,” Maddie said smoothly, stepping in before I could fumble. “You know, girl stuff.”
Leo looked unnerved. “Girl stuff like periods or something? Or boys?”
He was joking, but there was a tension in his voice—a coil tightening beneath the words. I forced a smile, hoping he couldn’t hear the pulse racing in my throat.
I forced a laugh. “You’re reading too much into it.”
He didn’t press. Just looked at me a second longer than necessary.
