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But as she stood beside the warped chest where he’d set the cups of water that Miller had drawn, a peculiar feeling cae, sensing danger somehow Yet John Miller made no move He merely watched Violet as she raised one of the vessels to her lips

Taking a harmless drink?

Visions of his brother’s pale corpse assailed him

“No!” Finn launched hi her arm The cup flew Water spilled “It’s tainted”

Stunned, she stared at him ide eyes John Miller shoved past him to reach the door

Finn didn’t hesitate He threw his knife end over end, pinning Miller to the wall through the shoulder of his cloak The ainst the fabric, but it held fast

“What are you doing?” Violet cried, her cheeks pale From worry?

Or fronized it An instinct A result of being cynical and suspicious

“The drink may contain poison” He blotted her lips with his sleeve, drying the he added My brother died by some kind of unnatural concoction and that must be how the other victim died”

“Why?” Violet shook her head, brows furrowed She turned to Miller, whose struggles had slowed, possibly because Finn lurked closer “Why would you do that?”

“Your father banished my family e could not afford to run theenough toslowly, Miller removed a pouch fro full of dried herbs “I was not strong enough to take revenge the way a knight would But as I traveled the Highlands with my family in search of a new lord, I learned about the various properties of plants in the wild Soon I had another idea for vengeance One I’ve been perfecting ever since…”

His eyes drifted shut Only then did Finn realize he must have nicked the man’s flesh A small red stain appeared on his cloak Violet clutched Finn’s arly pale

“You ” Her eyelashes fluttered and she wavered on her feet

Fear caused his stoaze never strayed froave an eerie cackle All his focus remained on Violet

“Did you drink soht her in tiripped him

What if she’d consumed some of Miller’s “perfected” poison?

“Maybe a bit,” she ad into him as if she felt faint “You recall the way to her cabin?”