Page 59 of The Witch’s Daughter

“Each witch or warlock gets two vials, one mortar and pestle, and five minutes.” Vincent stood at the head of the table, explaining the rules. “The objective is to make a poison to take down your enemy and the antidote for it. Your time starts now.”

He flipped a sand glass over on the table and stepped back, watching us all with his judging eyes.

My fingers were already twitching as dozens of hands reached for the bundles of herbs. I was careful not to touch anything I didn’t know so I wouldn’t contaminate my workspace. Now was not the time to experiment with my affliction.

Please don’t blow us up. My wolf hid behind her paws.

I ignored her, scanning the rapidly dwindling pile of herbs and broken stems left behind. Long fingers I knew intimately reached across the table and dropped a bundle of belladonna with berries still attached right in front of me.

I glared at him. “I don’t need your help.”

“Are you sure about that?” He glanced at the sand glass. “You’re running out of time.”

I growled as I used the vial to scoop the berries into, adding more than ten to make it extra potent, and found a stick to crush them right inside the glass jar. This would hurt to swallow.

Alec would be proud.

I tossed the berry-stained stick under the table and searched through the discarded piles of herbs for… bingo.

Jaxon was still looking as I made quick work of the mugwort and fennel in the pestle before carefully filling the second vial. He grabbed the mugwort from the table. I corked my vials and tossed him the remaining fennel.

“There. We’re even,” I said, finally taking a breath as I looked around at the others. The rest of our coven were just finishing up their own vials. They’d moved closer to us, standing on Jaxon’s side of the table to be near him, as they should.

He was a caring Alpha. Even to wolves outside his own pack. One day, he’d make some female very happy.

My heart twisted at that thought.

It wasn’t my place to judge him or his future mate. He deserved a good, fulfilled life. Maybe I should’ve just stayed back at the tent like he asked. I didn’t belong here, and I was too busy trying to survive these tests to get any information myself. Jaxon didn’t need me. I was only a liability.

Tomorrow, Alec should be back with Alpha Kera. Jaxon would let her know what he’d learned, and she’d tell us what to do. I might as well go enjoy the festival while I still had time, before I returned to Three Sisters Cleaning and the life fate had chosen for me.

“Time’s up.” Vincent tipped the sand glass, resuming his position at the head of the table. “Your partner is the person directly across from you. Between the two of you, choose one to take the other’s poison and then the antidote.”

“No.” My stomach bottomed out as my gaze shot to Jaxon’s face.

He was smiling, but his expression gave nothing else away. It wasn’t until I heard the breaking glass that I realized he’d smashed his vials with the mortar.

“Oops,” he said. “Looks like we’ll have to test yours.”

No! My wolf thrashed within me, threatening to break through my skin.

“You have sixty seconds,” Vincent said. “One… Two….”

The table erupted into a panic. I could barely hear everyone screaming and arguing over the thudding of my own heart.

Jaxon’s face was a mask of calm as he held out a steady hand.

“Absolutely not.” I grabbed the vials.

“Give them to me,” Jaxon commanded.

I shook my head as I held them to my chest. My breaths came shorter. I couldn’t. If anything happened to him, I’d die.

I wasn’t even supposed to be here. Screw this insane warlock’s game, I was done.

Jaxon moved so fast, I didn’t have time to blink as he snatched the vial of belladonna from my hand. In a horrifying second, he’d uncorked the vial and swallowed the contents. His face grew pale as he reached for the antidote.

Powerless to stop this trajectory, I handed it to him, then yanked my hand back to my chest. My heart was in my throat. My wolf went deadly still. I didn’t so much as breathe, terrified that I’d do something to tip the scales in the wrong direction.