Chapter 36
Chapter 83
Overview
Violet discovers that Faris has poisoned Garrick with a deadly toxin hidden in the cake served at dinner. She counterattacks by poisoning Faris, Talia, Nairi, and Roslyn with arinmint extract in their appetizer tea, then races to the kitchen to interrogate the cook about the poison's composition. A violent confrontation ensues when the cook attacks, leaving Ridoc stabbed.
Summary
During dinner, Garrick collapses after eating cake prepared by Faris. Xaden begins resuscitation while Violet interrogates Faris about the poison. Faris reveals he was testing the household members as part of some trial, proud that Garrick had the wisdom not to eat it. Violet identifies a sickly-sweet scent in the cake and realizes she has poisoned Faris, Talia, Nairi, and Roslyn by adding arinmint—an illegal export from Aretia—to their pre-dinner appetizer tea. She threatens Faris with his own death to coerce the antidote, warning that vomiting blood will begin in ten minutes. When he refuses, citing his refusal to lose, Violet determines he will not respond to threats. Mira seals the house and deploys others to guard entrances. Violet and Ridoc storm the kitchen to find the cook, who admits he followed instructions. After he attacks with a knife, Violet pins his hand to the doorframe but is stabbed in the side by his blade before Ridoc is struck instead. Violet identifies the poison as related to errisbirds, based on the cook's blue-stained fingernails and the scent of overripe fruit. The chapter ends with Ridoc wounded and Garrick still dying upstairs.
Characters
- Violetprotagonist who identifies the poison, retaliates by poisoning the perpetrators, and interrogates the cook in a violent confrontation
- Xadenperforms emergency resuscitation on the poisoned Garrick; expresses panic through their bond
- Garrickpoisoned at dinner and lies dying, requiring resuscitation
- Farispoisoned Garrick as part of a deliberate test; refuses to provide the antidote despite threats
- TaliaFaris's wife and mother to Garrick; poisoned alongside the others; reacts with horror to learning her husband poisoned their son
- Miracommands the defense of the house, ordering others to seal entrances and maintain security
- Aaricassists with Garrick's resuscitation alongside Xaden and Trager
- Ridocaccompanies Violet to the kitchen and is stabbed by the cook at chapter's end
- Dainsent to retrieve Violet's father's book on Hedotis
- Tragerrushes in to assist with Garrick's resuscitation, performing chest compressions
- Catassigned to help seal the back entrance by the patio
- Marenassigned to help seal the back entrance by the patio
- Cordellaassigned to seal the front door
- The Cookprepared the poisoned cake under Faris's instructions; attacks Violet and Ridoc with a knife
- Nairiguest at dinner who is poisoned and begins vomiting
- Roslynguest at dinner who is poisoned
- TairnViolet's dragon who is en route and reacts to her panic through their bond
- Andarnaadds information through the bond that Chradh has set part of the forest on fire in his enraged state
- Drakearrives briefly at the dining room door before stepping aside for Trager and others