Page 47 of Midnight Waters

But why was the good luck mark activating now?

“I need to go for a dive where we found Tyler,” I said, snapping back to reality.

“It’s been days since you retrieved the body, Maeve.” Allison wrapped her glass up with both hands. “Won’t any evidence have washed away by now?”

Perhaps, but with a little luck…?

“Maybe. But I have little else to go on. Scouting the site is the only way to?—”

“Jeannie? What’s wrong?” A high-pitched cry cut me off.

Kira and Allison whipped around to follow my gaze past them at two young women having milkshakes a few tables down.

The redhead was on her feet, hands reaching toward but not touching her friend, who clutched her arm, breathless. A black rash wound its way up her forearm, as if lightning ran through her veins and burned her from within.

“What’s happening?” the girl asked as the rash spread up toward her pastel-yellow sleeve. “What is this?”

The redhead spun around to look at the server behind the counter, but he stared on in as much horror as she did.

“It hurts,” Jeannie said, pawing at the rash, her eyes widening as it enveloped her entire arm.

My blood ran cold. I had seen that rash before, on a body I had pulled out of the Thames.

“Aconite poisoning,” I muttered.

Kira swore loudly. “What the hell do we do?”

“Get help, now!” I leapt to my feet and dashed over to the counter, where the server continued to stare at the horror unfolding in the middle of his café.

“Hey!” I grabbed his shoulder and shook him. “Do you have any mugwort in the back?”

The menu had offered potion infusions in the drinks. It stood to reason they might have some ingredients on hand. The tingling on my arm intensified. Damn it, had it activated because of what had happened to this girl? If we were going to save her, I wouldn’t turn my nose up at a dose of luck.

The server opened and closed his mouth like a beached fish.

“Mugwort!” My shout snapped him out of his stupor and he stammered.

“It’s just a young plant,” he said. “It’s still growing.”

“Get it. Now.” The moment he disappeared into the back, I dashed over to the girl, Jeannie, who had fallen to her knees next to her table.

Allison dithered at her side, her hands held out like Jeannie’s friend. Anyone who grew up with magic knew not to touch the afflicted with bare skin, just in case it spread to them.

“What’s happening?” Tears spilled down Jeannie’s cheeks as she watched the rash spread across her collarbone and down her other arm.

“Lie down.” I grabbed the coat off the back of her chair and wrapped my hands up in it to help ease her onto her back.

If we didn’t get her help in time, her heart would give out first, so the least stress we could put on it, the better.

“I’ve got the plant!” The server appeared behind the counter, waving a terracotta pot in the air.

“Ali, make it grow,” I said. “As big as you can.”

Allison squeaked and dashed over to the counter, snatching the pot off him. She touched a finger to the base of the sproutling and it erupted into a leafy, mature plant.

“You.” I pointed a finger at the server. “Do you have boiling water on hand?”

The server had apparently done away with answering me and seized a bowl and filled it from the industrial tea kettle.

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