Alaric collapsed again an hour after he woke.

Hazel was in Luna room. He'd carried her up himself set her on bed, said "Don't move," then went to wash blood off face in basin.

He fell mid-wash. Basin cracked. Water everywhere.

Hazel caught him before head hit stone.

"ALARIC!"

Dominic kicked door, Greta ran.

Greta checked pulse. Faster now, but uneven. Like heart skipping.

"Poison is still inside," Greta said, hands shaking. "First cure wasn't enough. Dose was too big. We need more river root. Fresh. Not dried from your box. Fresh from riverbank where it grows under ice. That's what Mara used for toddler Alpha, fresh, not dry. Stronger."...