Chapter 171 The final stage of the disease CAS SANDRA After spotting the mysterious dark figure outside, I meticulously inspected the entire lab. I searched high and low and examined every surface to make sure that nothing had been stolen or removed by an unknown intruder. But much to my confusion, nothing was amiss. My heart still raced in my chest from being startled, so I stood there for a second and forced myself to breathe deeply. As the cold air flooded my lungs, I found myself finally growing calmer. Perhaps this was merely a delusion, a residual effect from the unsettling dream. Clearly, I was still frightened and at least half-asleep when I glanced out the window. Seeing shadows out of the corner of your eye at night wasn’t out of the ordinary. It happened to just about anyone. When I settled down, I turned on a lamp, and as its warm, calming light filled. the room, I pulled up my favorite chair and picked up Becky’s report. I sunk into the chair and allowed the soft fabric to comfort me before diving into the report. Becky’s notes facilitated my understanding of the situation. She’d made comments all over the paper and even added little sticky notes to expand on her thoughts. I scanned through her neat handwriting and started to take in the report. Becky outlined that the poison she uncovered in the water from the mountain area of Wild Crawler could induce several physical and psychological disorders. Initially, patients who had fallen victim to the poison in some manner exhibited physical deterioration. Then, the physical decay gave way to the poison attacking their neuro system, which led to a sort of hysteria. However, a question lingered in Becky’s explanation. Her words rambled on with the possibilities and then led to a pair of sentences that she’d circled in dark. ink. Does the final stage of the disease cause patients to lose their minds? Contact 1/4

Dic kson for confirmation. I frowned at the questions for a moment and clutched the papers tighter. Suddenly, I recalled something Emmett had once mentioned. It had been the only time he’d ever spoken to me about poison. Since I’d grown up in Anemond, I’d had no formal education when it came to medicine. None of my classes, in all of my years of high-born education, had anything to offer in the way of biology and chemistry, so when Emmett had brought me to Wild Crawler and took me under his wing as a healer, I’d had to start at the beginning. It was a casual conversation we’d shared in the beginning of my training. Emmett had lent me his book of research and notes, and as I’d scanned through the pages, I’d come across the section that mentioned poisons-both man-made and venoms. *** The healer had explained to me that poison was used not only to kill but also to control. When I’d been confused by that statement, he’d clarified and detailed instances where poisons were employed chronically, for instance, to render female wolves infertile or paralyze wolves’ bodies. The ultimate aim behind such poisons, Emmett emphasized, was control, namely, the sinister prospect of manipulating people’s minds. At the time, that conversation had struck me as odd, but it hadn’t gone any further. My memory of the discussion had been a little hazy, as Emmett had swiftly shifted the subject after mentioning “mind control”: But now, as I read Becky’s comments on Spi ke’s report, the memory resurfaced vividly. As I stared at the pages of the report, I recollected Emmett’s somber expression during the conversation. His blue- green eyes had been distant and sad, as if something deeply sorrowful had affected him. As I pictured him sitting there in the clinic in Wild Crawler, my mind began to race. Why had he been so upset? Had he known something then, something that

2/4 related to our present situation? I hated that I truly knew so little about the man who was at one time, my husband. Though I owed him an enormous debt for rescuing me from the inferno and getting me out of Anemond, there were so many questions I had about him and his background. When he had disappeared all of those years from Wild Crawler, where had he been? And where did he travel to on those mysterious journeys away from the clinic? I set the papers down and cursed under my breath. Though we were getting closer to answers about the poison that was affecting a chunk of Wegalla’s population, there was so much that I desperately needed to know. As the confusion and frustration of the unknown started to consume me, I closed my eyes. I wanted nothing more than to bring Finnick over to my bed and cuddle him close, but I knew that the moment I did, I would likely be plagued with even more bad dreams. I didn’t want to upset my son, so I forced myself to sit up in my chair and regain my composure. I sat there until dawn, pursuing the report until I had the details memorized, and the phrase “mind control” haunted my every thought. I couldn’t shake the notion that this might be linked to the poison, though I had no strong evidence to support the theory. As the golden rays of the rising sun streamed through the window, I rose from my chair, and decided to get dressed. I resolved to eat a swift breakfast after getting ready, and then I was going to go to the palace to visit Spi ke. After I checked in with Erika, I left a note for Becky, who had requested a half day off, and then headed to the palace. But when I reached Merliscire, Lancel was nowhere to be found, and when I checked in with one of the other higher-level guards, he reported that Lancel was unavailable. He explained that the older guard was occupied with a task for Prince Marco and that he wouldn’t be back for a while. 3/4

After I thanked the guard, I walked down the corridor and weighed my options. People went about their business around me, and I was thrilled that no one seemed to notice me pondering in the corner. I could always visit Spi ke unaccompanied, though I knew Asher or Lancel would firmly oppose that idea. They had always been very insistent on one of them being. present on our visits, but as I recalled our past encounters, I realized they’d always been unproblematic. I knew how to evade attention and converse with Spi k e. Besides, Lancel merely stood by during our discussions anyway… Moreover, the notion of visiting the strange imposter without the older guard’s presence enticed me. I could potentially inquire further about my past or Emmett’s without raising Lancel’s suspicions. It wasn’t that I mistrusted the steadfast guard, but rather that I believed he didn’t need to be privy to matters concerning Emmett or the potential of him being a sorcerer. And of course, I couldn’t quite ask Spi ke about myself either, not when I was still keeping my old identity a secret. I couldn’t risk this entire thing falling apart, but I needed to know more. So, I decided to visit Spi ke.. O

Chapter 172 High-level Magic CAS SANDRA Though I wanted to immediately go straight to the dungeon, I suddenly remembered Spi ke’s request for an alcoholic beverage and the approval I’d given to Lancel in Asher’s absence. The last time I’d spoken to Lancel, he’d told me what kind of liquor the imposter. preferred, so I decided there was no time like the present. Spi ke would likely be more willing to speak with me if I sweetened the deal. So, I left the palace and went to Anemond’s market in an attempt to hunt it down. The market was far more bustling than I’d expected at such an early hour. As an array of smells and conversations filled the air around me, I wove through the crowds of people and peered around at the shops. Spi ke’s request was a strange one- it was an orange and cin namon liquor that. apparently had exotic spices and herbs in it that weren’t present in many other drinks. I had to travel to three separate shops in the market before I managed to locate it on a shelf in the back. The bottle was tall and skinny, with a gold, engraved label. The glass was a strange dark green, and when I held it up to the light I was. I surprised to see the liquid practically glowed. When I brought it to the front to pay, the shopkeeper seemed surprised by the purchase. “Only one other guest besides you, miss, has sought out this particular liquor,” he noted as he handed me the bottle. “The other guest deemed the flavor too strange and decided not to purchase it. I suppose we all have our preferences though, don’t we?” < 1/4

Though the shop owner was kind, he was more chatty than I preferred, and I wasn’t quite in the mood for conversation. So, I offered him a polite smile, and after I tucked the bottle into my messenger bag, I left the shop.

I walked back to the palace, and once I arrived, I made my way down the corridor that led to the dungeon. Much to my surprise, I encountered no resistance from the guards. They recognized me at once and stood aside to allow me entry. I was a little taken aback that they didn’t interrogate me, but I wasn’t going to question my bit of good luck. Spi ke appeared surprised to see me. His dark eyes glanced at the empty space behind me, and his eyebrow raised. After a moment of hesitation, he let out a small chuckle “I see you’re unaccompanied today, Healer Cas sandra,” he noted with an arrogant smirk on his face. “How unusual. Does your guard know that you’re here on your own?” I considered telling the truth but stood my ground in Lancel’s absence. I needed to prove I could hold my own without the older guard being here to watch me. “That’s none of your business,” I answered calmly, though not rudely, and then I reached into my messenger bag and retrieved the bottle of liquor from within. I gently held it out toward the bars of the imposter’s cell. “I brought you this, as you requested.” Spi ke was clearly taken aback. He stared at the dark green bottle with a look of confusion and then eyed me carefully. “Really?” he noted. “How interesting. I didn’t think you would accommodate the request.” “I wanted to offer you something in reward for your cooperation,” I replied. Spi k e nodded slowly and then tilted his head to the side. “I must say, Healer, Cas sandra, I’m very much surprised,” he said in a curious tone. “Both by your solo visit and this gift you’ve bestowed upon me. How ever did O 2/4 you manage to evade the guard? He’s not exactly known for his-” “I have questions,” I interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. “Ones that only you can provide. I entrust that you’ll be willing to answer them, given I’ve done what you asked?” Spi ke stared at me for a moment and then smiled, only this time, it was almost. genuine. He accepted