“Not counting the few minutes where Illan poured gunk down your throat? We got back here early yesterday afternoon. You slept through the evening and night. You didn’t even wake up to eat.”
Becka’s gaze drifted between his eyes and his lips. “Can I kiss you?”
His lips hitched with a smile, answering with a low, subvocalized “uh huh.” And then he leaned forward into her and captured her lips with his own.
Becka pressed herself against him, reveling in the touch. The heat of his skin. The insistent hunger as his mouth danced against her own. The coarse feel of his shaved hair at the nape of his neck. The glide of his palms along the curve of her torso. The grip of his fingers on her hips.
Her world might be on the edge of chaos, but this moment was pure bliss.
A knock at the door brought them back down to earth with a hard stop.
They both sat bolt upright, Quinn lingering a moment to run his fingertips along the line of her chin. Then he jumped up to get the door.
Becka stood up, checking to make sure her pj’s were still on right. They were.
He paused with his hand on the door handle. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
Quinn opened the door. Illan stood there, bag in hand. “I figured I’d drop by again to see my favorite absent patient. How are you feeling this morning?”
“Like I finally caught up on sleep. And I’m not feeling sore and fatigued anymore, so that’s a big plus.”
Lorelai and Shamus followed the doctor into the room, walking around, checking to see if anything was out of place. Becka told herself she appreciated their efforts, even knowing their arrival meant there wouldn’t be an opportunity to pick back up with Quinn after the healer left.
She needed a cool shower, and not just because she’d slept forever.
“I’m glad to hear it.” Illan set down his bag on the sofa table, opened it, and pulled out a thermos. “The last dose I gave you had a sedative, so that should have helped you sleep. This is full of detoxifiers to help your body continue to flush the rest of the poisons out.”
“Does it taste better than the last one?” She shuddered.
“I’m no chef, but it’s not as bad.”
Becka steeled her nerves and then walked over, picked up the canister, and opened it. She plugged her nose and downed the whole thing in a series of forced swallows.
Lorelai handed her a glass of water, and she downed that next.
“Thanks.”
“May I check your pulse?” Illan asked, and Becka handed over her wrist. He did his usual routine, checking multiple pulse points, acupressure points, and the clarity of her eyes and tongue. “You’re doing well, all things considered. Although your temperature is a little elevated.”
Becka glanced at Quinn and then back. “I just got out of bed.”
“It’s likely nothing more than that.”
“Do we know what the poison was this round? It didn’t seem to be the same as the first,” Becka asked.
“You’re right, it wasn’t. I know because you responded immediately to the tonic we use for accidental poisons.”
“I thought Quinn had a special poison cure he brought in?” Becka asked.
“Oh, I gave you that one too. One after the other.” He winked.
Quinn brought his tablet over and handed it to the healer. Illan hesitated and then took it.
“I know you did your own tests of the mints, but here are the results I got back from my labs,” Quinn said.
Illan studied the screen for a moment, and then recognition dawned across his features. “Larkspur? Huh, I suppose it makes sense, but the concentration wasn’t potent enough to kill.”
“Larkspur?” Becka repeated. “You mean the flowers that grow down by the river?”
“Yes,” Quinn replied. “They’re common enough that House Rowan sends regular duty shifts to clear the area, as it’s a place the horses and goats commonly use for grazing.”
“There are several native plants poisonous to livestock and people alike,” Illan replied. “But this is not the same as the first poison. I wonder why they used a different poison this time?”
Quinn rubbed a hand along the nape of his neck. “Perhaps they didn’t have more of the first and improvised with the second dose? Larkspur is easy to find, and anyone who has worked in the fields here would know the consequences of consuming it.”
“Which could also explain why it wasn’t in the correct concentration,” Illan replied. “Their skill was lacking. It’s one thing knowing something is poisonous, quite another to manufacture a concoction or tincture. But it would also explain the timing delay between the two attempts.”
Quinn nodded. “The initial poison was an amalgam of three different formulas, including the Treatment. That one wasn’t made here.”
“But the first poisoning didn’t kill me, so they used what they could find on hand for a second go?” Becka asked.
“It points to the poisoner being within the household, with their knowledge of local lands,” Shamus said.
“This confirms what you told the council yesterday,” Becka said to Quinn.
“Thanks for sharing your report with me.” Illan handed Quinn back the tablet. “I need to get going.” He packed the thermos back into his bag.
“How is Vott doing?” Becka asked. “I’m sorry I haven’t been by to check on him more.”
“He has regular visitors,” Illan replied. “And he appears fully healed, but he’s still in a coma-like state.”
“That’s encouraging,” Becka replied. “Will you still let us know if he wakes up?”
“You’ll be the second to know, right after the duchess.”
“Of course.”
Quinn’s phone buzzed. He checked it, and then a mixture of tension and relief played over his features.
“Get dressed, Becka. The other enforcers have arrived.”
“Can I catch up?” she said. “I still need a shower.”
“No.” The intensity of his gaze electrified her. “I’m not letting you out of my sight. Brent’s getting them situated, and we already have a series of interviews scheduled for today.”
She gave a quick nod and headed to her expansive closets. “Then I guess it’s messy bun day for
