Chapter 4

Fabian needed one final treatment to neutralize the poison.

The doctor said this time, they needed an entire bowl of blood taken from near my heart.

Adelaide walked into the guest wing carrying a white ceramic bowl twice the size of the one she'd used last time.

She wouldn't look me in the eye. She simply set the bowl on the table and sat across from me.

"Reed, this is the last time."

Finally, she looked up, her eyes intent on mine. "Once he's better, I'll take you to Bellhaven. Haven't you always wanted to see the coastal towns? We'll buy a house there and fill the yard with the camellia trees you love."

She painted such a beautiful picture of our future. The old Reed probably would've jumped up like a fool, so happy he would've handed her his heart without a second thought.

But I only looked calmly at the empty bowl.

"I could die."

Adelaide froze. "What?"

"If you take that much blood from my chest, I could die." I looked her in the eye and repeated myself seriously.

Adelaide's expression darkened at once. She thought I was threatening her with my death.

"Reed, stop being ridiculous!" She shot to her feet, her voice turning stern. "The doctor examined you. Your body isn't like everyone else's. Losing this much blood isn't going to kill you!

"Fabian is fighting for his life. Are you really going to stand by and watch him die?"

She walked toward me. "I've taken care of you for five years. I've given you everything you needed and never let anyone mistreat you.

"Now I'm asking you for a little blood, and suddenly you're acting like you're going to die? Reed, I'm so disappointed in you."

Every word was like a dull blade slowly cutting into my heart. No blood was drawn, yet the pain went straight to the bone.

I looked at the anger and disappointment on her face and suddenly laughed.

"Okay."

My smile faded as I picked up the dagger from the table.

Adelaide visibly relaxed, a flicker of approval crossing her eyes. "Just hang in there, Reed. It'll be over soon."

She even came over and wrapped her hand around mine as I held the dagger.

I didn't resist. I let her guide my hand, positioning the sharp blade directly over the wound on my chest that hadn't even healed yet.

The blade pierced flesh with a soft sound. Blood immediately welled from the wound, running down the groove in the blade and dripping steadily into the white ceramic bowl.

Adelaide's eyes remained fixed on the bowl as she watched the level slowly rise.

She never looked at my face. She didn't see the color drain from my skin. She didn't see the cold sweat breaking out across my forehead.

All she could think about was that Fabian was going to be saved.

Finally, the bowl was full.

Adelaide immediately released my hand and picked up the bowl of warm blood. "Get some rest. I'll have someone bring you something nourishing later."

With that, she hurried out of the room without looking back. She didn't even spare a glance at the bloodstained dagger lying on the floor.

The room fell silent again.

I leaned against the bedpost, struggling for breath as unfamiliar images suddenly flashed through my mind: the names of hundreds—maybe thousands—of medicinal herbs, poisonous swamps in the far south, and somewhere among them, what seemed to be a blurred face.

I shook my head.

Blood was still flowing from my chest, soaking through my plain shirt. I didn't call for anyone.

Instead, I forced my trembling body to move and pulled my canvas bag from beneath the bed.

Then I took out a few scraps of cloth, clumsily pressed them against the wound, and bound them tightly around my chest.

When I was done, I slung the bag over my shoulder and opened the back door of the guest wing.

At some point, snow had begun to fall heavily outside.

I drew a deep breath. The icy air filled my lungs, clearing my head.

This time, I didn't look back. Step by step, I disappeared into the falling snow.