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"Did you have anything at all?" he says

"My pill," I say, cringing

"New prescription?"

"No," I say "And tea At lunch"

I hesitate for only a beat, but Basil knohat I’er fill his eyes "You ith that specialist at lunch," he says

"Basil," I snap

"Could she have done this to you?"

"Specialist?" Lex says "You’ve been talking with a specialist?"

I hesitate

"Tell him," Basil says

"Her nas,I swear"

I expect ry--he hates when anyone orks for the king starts nosing into our affairs--but he doesn’t askabout that name has made a crumble in his calm veneer, and there’s a quiver in his voice when he tells Alice, "There’s an orange liquid and a blue Do you see the bottle"

"Have that"

"Lex?" I say "Do you know her? Who is she?"

"No one you should be dealing with Alice, I need you toout for me"

My brother may have abandoned his trade, but his trade has clearly not abandoned him He has all those bottlesthe na the exact a I can do?" Basil asks

"Just keep holding her hand," Alice says "You did good bringing her here; she wouldn’t have made it to the hospital"

The train speeds past and I feel as though I’ to fall from the table as the vibration rattles it

Basil will never be allowed to love another girl if he loses et one partner and it’s your job to take care of each other Loners are loners for life

I don’t want to leave him I don’t want him to be broken the way that Judas is broken

"I don’t want you to be charged with my murder," I say

Basil touchesto die," he says

Lex says, "You’re delirious, Sister"

"I’ht You’re forever picking on me"

"Talk all the nonsense you want if it helps to keep you conscious," he says

I look at Basil’s eyes, and I see what he’ll be like in his dodder years I see his skin wrinkled, his expression still soft and kind I want to live to grow old with hih someone has cut a hole inthe ht to see that the elixirs for softly I don’t hear Alice’s question, only Lex telling her, "I can’t neutralize so if I don’t knohat it is I have to force it out"

He co awake?"

"Yes," I say

"This is going to make you sick," he says "But you have to drink all of it"

That’s the only explanation I get before Alice is e a vial down my throat It fizzes and burns Her hand coversbefore the concoction takes effect Basil holds backbeforeto stay in hisat the sounds I make

"How does she look?" he asks

I slu to catch my breath

"Still flushed Sweaty," Alice says She grabs h ood, at least," Lex says, taking , and froot him concerned "Are you certain all you had today was that tea? Nothing else, not even a headache elixir or a study aide?"

"There was a pharot ho it’s easier to get my breath now The sharp pains in my sto"

"Opened?" There’s an edge to the word He’s wary ofmore to him, and it compels me to be honest

"Yes Mom always takes them after work," I say "She didn’t want you to know"

"Did you see her?" he presses "Talk to her?"

"She was sleeping when I caet her," Alice says And before another word can be said, she’s out the door I’d like to knohat’s going on, but speaking would bring the nausea back