Page 215 of Beast and Remedy
“I didn’t! Marian attacked me!”
Beau stills, his power snuffing out.
I use his shock to my advantage and force him away. “The tonic didn’t work. That’s why I had Sybille send you here. Did she not tell you?”
Beau looks around the room, like it’s the first time he’s taken in the disaster. “She only said to hold off the announcement and to meet you in the alchemy room.”
“She told me we were wrong.”
His features furrow, and I say, “Remember the warning, ‘Be careful of the shadows’?”
“What does that have to do with—”
“It was a warning from SybilleandStefan.”
Beau arches away. “Are you saying you think they’re both seers?”
I sit up and rub my temple. “It is possible for two heirs to inherit abilities from the same Maker. It could even be King Vinzent for all we know. But what I do know is that Stefan was also trying to warn us. Help us.”
“How?” Beau asks.
“Stefan said it first before we went to Unterkirch and then Sybille repeated it. Tonight, I spoke to her, and she told me how shadows clouded her mind from fully interpreting the visionshe had told me about before we left for Belmur. And she said that, when the news of the cure reached her, darkness lifted and allowed her to see what we were missing.
“The tonic needed blood ofhealers. It needed your bloodandmine. I thought the warning was about the missing piece of the cure, which is why I ran here. But I was wrong. It was a sign to keep me from losing Marian.”
“But—”
“We’re running out of time. We need to save Marian!” I shove myself up, fighting against the world shifting. “You have to help her. You have to help get her stable so we can give her the right medicine.” My knees tremble as I turn for the door.
Beau gasps, and I pause, remembering my bloodied back.
His powers didn’t have enough time to heal all my injuries. Good.
I need him to conserve his energy.
“Tell me she didn’t do that to you,” he says, his voice rumbling.
“It wasn’t her. It was the infection. It’s killing her from the inside out. Now, come on, we need to find her.” I break into the hall, picking up my stride despite wanting to collapse.
Beau follows me, matching my pace. “You don’t even know where she went.”
I ignore him.
A flurry of power thrums in my veins, and I lean into it, asking it to keep me strong, keep me sharp, and find my sister. The shattering and breaking of my bones for every shift has only taught me the current fatigue and pain rippling through my body is nothing.
Maybe it was training me for this moment. Fear of the curse, the esprit appearing, it wasallfor this moment. The chance to save Marian.
We pass another corridor, the one closest to guests drinking and thriving in celebration. Looking at my dress, I should change.
But I don’t have time. Marian doesn’t have time.
I pick up my feet, ready to break into a run—
Beau tugs my elbow, and I whirl on him. “What are you—”
“I’ll have my advisors plus Jules and Christine check the castle and alert the guards and staff. I’m going to go get a search party. I have a feeling we might need it.”
I nod, ready to take off, but he adds, “Go to the weapons room, arm yourself and prepare to enter the forest.”
