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“I saw her a couple of days ago. That’s why she’s after me.” With a fast rundown of my encounter, I gnawed on my lower lip. I should have noticed earlier and I would have if I hadn’t been drowning in lust, running for my life, or trying to make sense of what was going on withme.
“Okay, so let’s rethink this,” I said. “Wolfsbane kills wolves. Look how it knocked out Dagen with a smidgen of spray. But your wolves, Oryn, have turned feral. If wolfsbane was used, it would have killed your pack. So it’s not that.” Unless the priestess had usedmagic?
Oryn said, “So it’s something else. A poison. Maybe something in theair.”
“Or the water,” Dagenadded.
“There’s a river that runs through this land,” Nero contributed, “and it passes along the Terraborder.”
“We start there then.” I’d test the water to determine if poison was the culprit. Back when I’d fallen into the river from the cliff, I’d swallowed a mouthful. An electric shock had claimed me and almost caused me to drown. I’d suspected it was just me, but what if itwasn’t?
So was Dagen right about thewater?
When he cleared his throat, I looked over, and he offered me a smugexpression.
Whatever. You may not beright.
He snorted alaugh.
I shot to my feet. “Let’s do this. I need a bucket of water from the river and vinegar. Also crystalweed. I saw it growing in the forest. It’s a vine that climbs trees and has tiny flowers with petals that are almost translucent. I need those. We’ll do someexperimenting.”
Nero and Oryn nodded and without a word, headedoutside.
“So you think this’ll work?” Dagen asked, his voice hopeful. I wanted more than anything to say “definitely.”
I shrugged and faced him. “It should tell us if the water’s been poisoned.” My head whirled. But wolves might have encountered other objects or creatures, or eaten effected grass, as I’d been told animals do that to cleanse their stomachs. We were just scratching the surface. What if we didn’t find a solution? Would Oryn’s pack die? And would I ever gethome?
“Don’t worry,” Dagen said, his voice anything but calming. “As soon as you help Oryn, I’ll escort you to the border personally so you canleave.”
I glared his way, not expecting him to sympathize or understand how I felt toward Nero andOryn.
“And I won’t.” He marched into the corridor, leaving me alone with feelings I couldn’t trust, and a trepidation that somehow things were about to getworse.
