“Oh.”

Together we managed to get one vial full of my blood. I strode over to Sergeant Phelix, my sickest patient. I’d ask him for his permission, but he only had hours to live and was incoherent.

“But what if your blood kills him? Don’t you still have Peace Lily serum in you?” Danny asked.

“As long as we don’t touch him, he won’t become like Yuri.” I pushed Phelix’s sleeve up past his elbow, found the vein and injected my blood into him.

After a few moments, Danny asked, “How long until we know if it worked or not?”

“If he lives until tomorrow, we’ll know it worked.”

“I really hope he lives.”

“Me, too.” I checked on the others. They should last long enough for the results of my experiment. “Go to sleep, Danny, I’ll wake you if anything happens.”

He nodded, washed his hands, and left.

I kept vigil, sitting next to Phelix. My thoughts turned to the Skeleton King. Despite what I’d said earlier, it did matter how he’d gotten the plague. If he teamed up with Cellina, could Ryne’s army stop them? Between the sheer number of enemy attackers and the plague, we didn’t stand a chance.

My dire thoughts caused my temples to pound. I rested my aching head on the edge of Phelix’s cot. My stomach grumbled, complaining that I’d forgotten to eat. I’d been so excited about the possible cure—please work! If I believed in the creator, I’d be praying for success. Instead, I dozed.

“Do you really think this one is going to work?” Tohon asked. “The last experiment you tried didn’t go well for you, did it?”

We sat at the glass table in his forever garden again, drinking tea as if we were old friends.

“We’re more than friends, my dear. Our connection runs deep.” He leered.

Ignoring his comment, I said, “If Phelix dies, I’m not going to touch him and create another dead soldier.”

“Whyever not? He’s more useful that way. He can’t help anyone while rotting in the ground. You’re wasting resources.”

“Practical and horrific. Hard to believe you’re still single.”

“Cute. But I’m sure your Prince Ryne considered the very same thing before his sudden windfall of personnel.”

I’d like to argue with Tohon, but Ryne had brought Yuri to HQ and said Flea’s help was vital. I swirled the tea in my cup. The brown liquid spun, forming a dip in the center.

“What? No snarky reply? My, my, something must be bothering you, my dear. Perhaps I can help.”

I almost laughed. Almost. Many uncomplimentary words described Tohon, but the man was intelligent. “Maybe you can. Would Cellina make an alliance with the Skeleton King?”

“It depends on what he offers her. She has plenty of soldiers, but it is harder to fight on two fronts. Better to join forces until the bigger threat is taken care of. I’d use him until he no longer served my purposes.”

“You’d break a treaty?”

“Of course. I don’t want to share power, my dear.”

But would Cellina be that ruthless? This was the same woman who couldn’t kill Kerrick. She risked her life lying to Tohon so he’d believe Kerrick was dead. I didn’t know her that well, but from our encounters, the whole biological warfare and teaming up with the Skeleton King didn’t seem like Cellina’s style. If she wasn’t the one making alliances and spreading the plague, then who else had access to Tohon’s research and supplies? Sepp!

Except he worked for Cellina. Or did he? He was a powerful death magician with an ego to match. Perhaps he called the shots. That fit better with the plague attacks.

“It’s a pleasure to watch you puzzle things out, my dear.”

“But it doesn’t help our current situation.”

“I disagree. Knowing your enemy is very important. And I’m surprised your Prince Ryne hasn’t figured it out yet. Unless he has....”

Once again, Tohon took the cheap shot, dredging my subconscious to bring forth all my fears.

“You should trust your instincts, Avry. Except the one to sacrifice your life for another. That one you should ignore. But for all the others, there’s a reason you have those fears. Call it experience, observation, or just a gut feeling—you shouldn’t discount them.”

Advice from a psychotic megalomaniac. Wonderful.

“An intelligent psychotic megalomaniac. Big difference.”

“Stop reading my mind.”

“You do know how ridiculous that is? I’m in your mind and you’re in mine. You can do it, too, you just choose not to.”

“I’m not brave enough to taste your special kind of darkness.”

“What you see is what you get, my dear.” He stretched his arms wide. “Aside from underestimating you, I’ve no regrets and no guilt. All I’ve done has been with the purest intentions to unite the Fifteen Realms. I didn’t create the plague, just capitalized on its existence.”

It was pointless to argue with him. Instead, I tested his I’m-an-open-book claim. “Tell me what happened to Belen. Is he one of the dead soldiers?”

“Ah, Belen. I intercepted a message about him.”

“And?” Concentrating on his thoughts, I sought the truth.

“And he—”

“Avry, wake up,” Danny said. “Sergeant Phelix is still alive!”

Jolted from my dream, I sat up. So close. Another minute and I’d have found out what happened to Belen.