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"No," Amelia said quickly, as she realized he had been about to reach out to her Taking a step back, she gave a strong shake of her head "I… I’m not the kind of woman who can lean on anyone I would fall to pieces"

Kev understood For people like her, and himself, closeness meant tooher arms around herself

Kev rubbed his weary eyes "Have you heard of a plant called deadly nightshade?"

"No" A

"It only blooht When the sun coro, a ’et the plants that were difficult to find He told htshade was the most powerful herb he knew of It could kill asomeone back from the brink of death"

"Did you ever see it work?"

Kev nodded, giving her a sidelong glance as he rubbed the taut muscles at the back of his neck "I saw it cure fever," he muttered And he waited

"Get some," Amelia finally said, her voice unsteady "It may prove to be fatal But they’re both sure to die without it"

Kev boiled the plants, which he had found in the corner of the village graveyard, down to thin black syrup Amelia stood beside him as he strained the deadly broth and poured it into a sh her expression was doubt-ridden "He’s worse off than Win"

They went to Leo’s bedside It was astonishing how quickly a man could deteriorate fro brother had becoid and swollen and discolored His last coherent words had been the day before, when he had begged Kev to let hiranted From all appearances a coma was only hours, if not minutes, away

A the cold air sweep away the taint of vinegar

Leo moaned and stirred feebly, unable to resist as Kev forced his mouth open, lifted a spoon, and poured four or five drops of the tincture onto his dry, fissured tongue

A his dull hair, kissing his brow

"If it was going to… to have an adverse effect," she said, when Kev knew shewould it take?"

"Five minutes to an hour" Kev saw the way Amelia’s hand shook as she continued to sest hour of Kev’s life as they sat and watched Leo, who ht over his face

When they were certain that no convulsions were forthco to give it to Win now?" A down at her brother

"Yes"

"Do you need help?"

Kev shook his head "Stay with Leo"

Kev went to Win’s roonized him, her mind and body consumed in the red heat of fever As he lifted her and let her head fall back on his arm, she writhed in protest

"Win," he said softly "Love, be still" Her eyes slit-ted open at the sound of his voice "I’m here," he whispered He picked up a spoon and dipped it into the cup "Open your adji Do it for me" But she refused She turned her face, and her lips moved in a soundless whisper

"What is it?" heher head back "Win You ain

Co the scratchy words, Kev stared at her in disbelief "You’ll take it if I tell you h saliva to speak "Yes"

His throat got tighter and tighter, and the corners of his eyes burned "It’s Kev," he ed to say "My name is Kev"

She let him put the spoon between her lips then, and the inky poison trickled down her throat

Her body relaxed against hiht and hot as flaht, whatever your fate is

Win was the only thing on earth he had ever wanted She would not leave without him

Kev bent over her, and touched the dry, hot lips with his own

A kiss she could not feel and would never reer on hers Lifting his head, he glanced at the bedside table where he had set the reh left to kill a healthythat kept Win’s spirit fro her body was the confinement of Kev’s arht briefly of praying But he would not acknowledge any being, supernatural or mortal, who threatened to take her from him

The world had become this quiet shadowed room, the slender body in his ars He followed that rhythainst the bed, he fell into a dark trance as he waited for their shared fate

Unaware of how much time passed, he rested with her until a ht awakened him

"Merripen" Amelia’s husky voice She held a candle at the threshold

Kev felt blindly for Win’s cheek, laid his hand along the side of her face, and felt a thrill of panic as his fingers met cool skin He felt for the pulse in her throat

"Leo’s fever has broken," Amelia said Kev could barely hear her over the blood rush in his ears "He’s going to be well"

A weak but steady throb lay beneath Kev’s searching fingertips Win’s heartbeat… the pulse that sustained his universe

Chapter Five

London, 1849

The addition of Cam Rohan to the Hathaway fa, how one person could change everything Not toto Kev now Win had gone to France, and there was no reason for him to be pleasant or even civil Her absence had put hi fury of a wild creature deprived of its mate He was always aware of his need for her, and the unendurable knowledge that she was sootten how this felt, this black hatred of the world and all its occupants It was an unwelco but violence and misery And yet the Hathaways all seemed to expect him to behave as usual, to take part in the fa