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For humans, she meant. Yeah, that could be a problem. She handed me a mug and then went back to fixing hers.
“Do you like it? It’s my own blend. I brought it with me from Arkansas. I always travel with my own tea.” She glanced back at me.
“I’m sorry. I haven’t tried it yet.”
I lifted the mug to my lips, barely getting a drop in before Death popped up in front of me. No loud steps, no warning. She leaned forward and hissed in my face. I jerked back, splashing the tea and burning my hand.
“Are you all right?” Blanca asked. She grabbed a towel, blotting at my hand where I’d spilled the tea.
I took the towel from her, finishing. “Sorry. Long day. My hands are just a little shaky, I guess.”
Blanca was staring at me. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Death was right beside me, staring as well. She looked at the tea, and then back at me, and shook her head.
“I’m fine. Really.”
A strange feeling caused a tingling on my lips, followed by a numbing. Death was still staring at me. She was warning me. Blanca had poisoned the tea.
“Your tea is delicious.” I brought the mug closer to my lips, pretending to take another sip, angling the mug so she couldn’t see I didn’t take any in. “What kind is it?”
“It’s a peppermint brew I make.” She settled into the chair next to me, watching me drink.
Why would she want to kill me? I barely knew her, or any of these people. Could Groza be involved? Who else wanted me dead? It would be easier for me to die here—less suspicion on her when the pack found out. It would look like Kicks was behind it.
I tried to act as normal as I could. I had to get out of there without drinking the tea and keep her from realizing I knew she had tried to poison me.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but do you have a touch more sugar?”
“Sure,” she said.
As soon as she got up and turned her back, I dumped out half of my tea in the fake potted plant in the corner.
She came back with the sugar, and I put another spoonful in my cup. She was eyeing up the amount left in my cup while I did.
“Oh, I better get back to the room. They’ll be bringing Charlie back soon. Plus, I’m getting pretty tired. Thank you for the tea.”It would be easier for her. She wouldn’t want me to die in her room anyway. And if she tried to stop me, would I kill her? Yes. If I could figure out how I did it.
She stared at me for a second. I wasn’t sure what she saw, but she said, “Of course.”
I stood, feeling woozy, and instead of fighting it, I wobbled slightly. If she thought I’d drop before I made it to my room, she’d be more likely to let me leave.
“Are you all right?”
“I think the day is just wearing me thin, but I’m okay.”
She watched me leave, smiling. Instead of it feeling warm, it was like getting stabbed by a shard of ice.
Chapter Twenty
I exited Blanca’s room,adrenaline surging through me. It might’ve been one of the only things keeping me on my feet. The influence of whatever she’d fed me was coursing through my body, weakening me. If I went back to my room and got in a cold shower, I might be okay, but I’d be alone. What if it got worse?
If I sought out help and chose someone in cahoots with her, then I’d be dead. Leaving without Charlie was out of the question, and I couldn’t safely get him away from here like this. He was probably safe either way. Groza had never made an attempt on him. No one wanted him dead. Taking him out of here now might put him in jeopardy. I had more faith in Magnum than myself in my current condition.
I walked down the hall, feeling fuzzier than normal, as if I was seeing and hearing everything through a thick glass wall, but not so bad I couldn’t fake it. If just the small amount on my lips had been enough to throw me this far off, how dead did they think they could make me?
I made it to the first floor, deciding the best bet might be to find a place to hide where no one would look for me. But then I was alone again. What if I went and found a group? Odds werethey weren’t all in on this plot to kill me, right? Whoever was wouldn’t try to kill me in front of witnesses.
There were noises coming from down the hall. I leaned a shoulder on the wall, taking a second. I couldn’t stay here, though. If I didn’t do something, Blanca might search me out and try to finish the job.
