Circe抯 chest rose and fell so slowly, with a pause so long in between, that for a second I thought I had watched her take her last breath. When she drew in another, I realized Viv had put her into one of those sleeps that she wouldn抰 wake up from.
I frantically searched Circe抯 pockets to see if there was anything I could use to revive her. The vials from her stash of apothecary plants were all mixed up, and in my panic I didn抰 know which one was which. I tried to think. I needed smelling salts, ammonia. I scanned the glade and found what I was looking for near the walled enclosure. Clover.
I sprinted over and plucked several out of the ground. Scooping up a handful of soil I pressed the clover into the dirt and tried to do something I hadn抰 attempted before. I could make plants grow by pushing my power outward, focusing on the plant. But I needed to do the opposite. I needed the nitrogen-rich clover to rot梐nd quick. I concentrated on reversing the flow of energy, drawing it back up and into myself, taking from the plant instead of giving. The clover wilted and crumbled into the mound of soil in my palm. Stirring it with my finger, the overpowering scent of ammonia wafted into my nose.
I rushed back to Circe抯 side and held the dirt by her face.
揃ri, what in the hell is that??Marie asked, covering her nose and mouth with her sleeve.
Circe flinched, coughed, then sat bolt upright. I tossed the dirt away and brushed off my hands.
揂re you okay??
揥hat happened??she asked groggily.
揤iv put you to sleep again,?I said. 揝he did the same thing to me last night.?
Circe picked herself up and stood next to Persephone, who still had Dre held up in front of her.
揕ook,?Persephone said. She lifted her other arm, revealing the handle of a knife protruding from between her ribs.
揙h my god!?I shouted.
揝omebody shanked you!?Marie said.
Persephone clenched her teeth. 揑t抯 not gonna kill me but it still hurts! Pull it out!?
Marie walked up and yanked the knife out in one quick motion. Persephone winced.
I leaned over and put my hands on my knees. 揑抦 gonna be sick.?
揧ou gotta be kidding me,?Marie said angrily.
揅抦on,?I said. 揋ive me a break.?
揘o. Look.?Marie pointed, and I followed the gesture to see Karter walking slowly toward us. Marie was gone from my side in the blink of an eye. She snatched Karter up and brought him over to me. 揕ook who decided to crawl out of the brush like the rat he is.?
揚lease don抰 kill me!?Karter pleaded.
揢s!?Dre shouted from Persephone抯 grip. 揇on抰 kill us! Please!?
揑 can抰 think of one single reason why I shouldn抰，？Marie said. The growl of her voice made Karter抯 eyes grow wide. 揑t looks like somebody already whooped your behind.?
Karter抯 gaze flitted to me, and Marie smirked.
揑抳e been trying to help you!?Karter wailed. 揃ri, I called you! I told you where we were going!?
揂re you kidding me??I was so angry I wanted to scream. 揧ou think that you抮e helping me? You saw what happened to my mom! You were right there! You let it happen!?
揗y mom would抳e killed me, too!?he shouted. Marie gripped his arm and he lowered his tone. 揧ou have no idea what she was really capable of.?
I put my face so close to his I could smell the blood smeared across his face and I could feel the warmth of his strained breathing. 揑 don抰 know what she was capable of? I know better than anyone.?
揝he killed my dad!?Karter shouted as another rush of tears traced their way down his face. 揝he didn抰 even pretend like she didn抰 do it. He was in her way, and she cut him down like she does to every single person who stood up to her. She would have killed me, too, if she didn抰 think I could have helped her get to you.?
I didn抰 have a reply. I was shocked into silence.
揧our father was weak,?Dre mumbled. 揝he never should have棓
Persephone closed her hand around Dre抯 neck, and his lips turned so purple they were almost black.
揧ou抮e all related??Circe asked.
揢ncle Dre. Auntie Viv. And棓 he stopped short. He glanced over to where Calvin lay. He too was unnaturally still. 揌e was a cousin, but they were close.?
Persephone set Dre抯 feet on the ground but kept her hand at his neck. He sputtered as he fought to catch his breath.
揧ou cut her loose??Dre asked, eyeing my hands and then staring at Karter. 揧ou would turn your back on your family??
揊amily??Karter stared at the man with so much contempt I could almost feel it rolling off him. 揑s that what we are? Family??
He stepped toward Dre and Marie put her hands on his chest to stop him.
揗aybe your mother was right to try and get you out of the picture,?Dre said. 揧ou抮e weak, like your father. You don抰 deserve the kind of power we抮e about to possess.?