Page 98 of Dewpoint

“Oh really? Then why do I have video of you messing with the drinks at the funeral feast from a camera you didn’t know about?” Benson said as he walked in. “One you didn’t shadow properly like the others. Then that drink was given to the queen. I have video of you going in search of her later and trying to track her down—asking people where she went.”

“Really? Now you suddenly have it?” I bit out as heat raced up my sides and flushed my face. I didn’t hide my annoyance as I turned to him. “You couldn’t have had it like ten minutes ago?”

He winced. “It came out in one of the interviews with the dirty guards, but they didn’t know what candidate. They just said they’d tried to delete certain videos for the elders from thefuneral feast because one of the prospects messed with your drink.” He sighed when I growled. “There are seventeen. What are the odds it’s this one—the last one and now?”

“With my luck?” I snarked, glad when a few of the guards snorted. “Get the evidence to Fraser, Maple, and Darren. Lock Lori down and we need to figure out how to handle this.”

“Right, of course, but you need to see what—” he started to say.

“I drank the godsdamn drug, dumbass,” I bit out, picking up my glass and showing him it was half gone. “I’m not exactly in the headspace to handle this delicate situation—am I?”

He cleared his throat and took the evidence from me, studying the state I was in. “Of course. My mistake. I’m—what can—”

I groaned at the idiot and walked past him to get some air. The way he was acting I was worried he might offer to help me.

That wouldn’t start any problems or anything.

I fanned myself and then puffed my shirt so I got more air. I didn’t have the full thing, so it was best to just go rest.

Then again… How much had I had the night of my parents’ funeral? I didn’t remember finishing a full drink. It was the other time that I’d had the full potion to test with Thorn.

Fuck. Just…Fuck.

People must have been alerted of an issue or something because the foyer was full when I made my way there.

“We were in the gym when radios started going off,” Myriam explained, gesturing between herself and Velle… Then over her shoulder to most of the candidates.

And at the front of them?

Onyx.

Joris.

Thorn.

Of course, fucking Thorn had to be there to see me like this again.

I focused back on Myriam. “We got the answer of who spiked my drink.” I nodded when her eyes went bug wide. “Yeah, apparently he was desperate or stupid enough to do it at dinner thinking he could just blame the attraction between dragons and no one would…”

“Question it,” she muttered but then snorted. “Yeah, not that anyone would listen to you or care what you think in this sexist fucking country.”

People weren’t a fan of her saying that, but they also couldn’t deny it. Not reasonably, especially with everything I’d been dealing with. No one sane could argue it.

“What are you going to do?” she worried as she moved closer.

As I stared between Onxy, Joris, and Thorn, I realized that wasn’t the right question.

What was the real question?

Who am I going to do?

The End