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“Her memory lives on. Everything she taught us is still inside of us, and the memories we hold of her are inside that box.”
“I don't give a fuck about what lessons she had to teach me! I care about her being here, not in a place where I can't talk to her—hell, even see her! All I have left of her is this stupid box!” Nadine grabbed the box and tossed it across the room, then buried her face in the pillow and sobbed. Contents scattered across the floor.
My stomach dropped. I never wanted to see her hurt like this. I placed a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged me off. She was really hurting right now, and the last thing I wanted was to make it worse.
I got up and began placing the mementos back in the box. “She is here, Nadine, whether you believe it or not. Maybe she was the reason I got to you in time tonight.”
Nadine didn’t respond with anything but a sniffle. I didn’t want to push it, because whatever I could say, I didn’t think it would help. Grief had been a theme in her life many times over, and I worried what it might take to bring her grieving to an end.
If it were even possible.
Nadine fell asleep, and I finished cleaning up her things. I changed and got into bed next to her, but I could hardly sleep all night.
The little sleep I’d gotten was interrupted the next morning with a light knock on the door. I got out of bed slowly, as to not wake Nadine.
Grant stood on the other side of the door, holding a notepad. “I’ve got your results.”
I quickly shot a look back at Nadine, then stepped into the hall. “What’d you find?”
Grant looked anything but happy. “Nothing. The fruit was fine, the meat was thoroughly cooked, and the cookies were perfect. There was nothing.”
Maybe Nadine was right and this wasn’t poison at all…
But Luana had sensed it in her.
“Was there anything Nadine ate yesterday that you didn’t test?” I asked.
Grant thought about it. “The iced tea. It was all gone by the end of the night, and the pitcher was washed. But everyone else was drinking it, too.”
“Maybe there was something in it that only affects pregnant women,” I suggested.
Grant’s eyes went wide. “Oh, Goddess. I must’ve mixed the ingredients wrong, or something was wrong with the ginger. I poisoned Nadine!”
“We don’t know that,” I assured him.
Grant threw his hand over his mouth. “I never meant to hurt her. It was supposed to be pregnancy safe.”
I grabbed him by the shoulders. “This isn’t your fault. It could have been any one of our theories. But the fact is it was an accident, and no one’s to blame. Honestly, that makes me feel better than suspecting there’s a traitor among us.”
“I want to talk to her,” Grant said.
He followed me into the bedroom, and Nadine stirred when I opened the door. I knelt beside her. “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” she said, though she didn’t look well. She tried to push herself upright, and I immediately grabbed her arms. I fluffed the pillows and put two behind her back to help her sit upright.
Tears streaked Grant’s cheeks as he approached the bed. “I believe this is all my fault, and for that I am very sorry. I brewed the iced tea, and I mixed it wrong. It was meant to be pregnancy-safe, but I screwed up. I never meant to hurt you, Nadine.”
“If this was truly an accident, then we have nothing to worry about,” Nadine assured him. “Thank you for being honest with me, Grant.”
“I will be sure not to let you eat or drink anything magical from now on—not until the babies are born, at least,” Grant vowed. “Nothing touches your lips unless we’ve checked it for magic.”
“Deal,” Nadine said.
Nadine took Grant’s confession very well, and he seemed to relax as he left the room.
I checked the time. “It’s almost time for me to portal Luana in. Do you want someone to stay with you?”
Nadine settled into a more comfortable position. “I want Onyx here.”
