Chapter 20

I can't breathe. Can't think. My mother is lying there getting worse by the second and all I can do is stand here uselessly.

"Are you sure it's poison?" I ask Rosa.

"Not completely. But the symptoms match. Fever, sweating, rapid heartbeat." She checks my mother's pulse again. "If it is poison we need to figure out what kind so I can make an antidote."

"How long does she have?"

Rosa hesitates and that tells me everything. "Hours. Maybe less."

"No." I squeeze my mother's hand. "No, you're going to be fine. Rosa will fix this."

Mom's eyes are glassy but she focuses on me. "Aria, listen. If...