The quiet room was filled with the soft, rhythmic sound of Raymond’s breathing. That was the only reminder he was still with her. The doctor’s words rang through my head, warning that strychnine poisoning, drawn out like this, was deliberate—a slow attempt to weaken him from within. Someone had known exactly what they were doing, and as she looked down at him, helpless and still, fury burned in her chest.

He'd fallen unconscious before she ever got the chance to tell him about Elder Callum and the others.

Gently, she dipped a cloth into a basin of warm water, wrung it out, and began to wipe down his forehead and...