Patrik’s mention of dreaming about me kept replaying in the back of my head. I inadvertently visualized the scene in which Kyana, the love of his life, transformed into me. I’d gone for so long thinking he’d never look at me the way he’d looked at Kyana, only for his subconscious to bring up the fact that I was, in a way, on his mind... Me, not anyone else. It baffled me, and it took some work to convince myself to push it down and focus on it later. I had work to do.

I helped Patrik get all the herbs and crystals he needed from his supply bag, while Jax and Hansa spread the map out on the table again, and Caia, Fiona, Blaze, and Heron kept the notebooks open and scanned their pages for key notes.

Avril and Harper were busy with the autopsy, the former using her scent-tracking skill and the other her True Sight.

Patrik’s jaw was clenched as he pulled some scrolls out from the bag and spread them on his bed, reading through each and setting aside the ones he needed for the city protection spell. I wanted to comfort him, to tell him it wasn’t his fault, but I knew it wouldn’t do any good. He’d watched a lot of people die during his days as a Destroyer, and he took the loss of every soul personally.

“There’s a faint scent here… something floral,” Avril muttered, sniffing around the Iman girl’s body. “It’s fresh, too, and it’s not hers. But I can’t put my finger on what it is…”

“It’s most likely endemic to the area,” Jax replied.

“It could be from her killer.” Hansa frowned, looked at the map again, then at one of the notebooks. “If we get you some floral specimens, would you be able to match to what you picked up from Minah, Avril?”

“Absolutely.” Avril nodded, then went on with her scent tracking.

“You’ll be out and about today, anyway,” Patrik said, “to help me with the spell. Might as well take the opportunity to gather some floral samples.”

“Sounds reasonable,” Jax replied, then glanced at each of us. “Everyone clear on that?”

“Yeah, we’ll collect whatever flowers we find.” Fiona nodded. “I’ll bet some of the private, higher-level gardens have plenty of specimens…”

“Don’t tell me you want to peek through the Rohos’ garden.” Heron smirked. “I’m sure there are better ways to bump into Vincent.”

I noticed Fiona’s glare. Hansa’s, on the other hand, made even my blood freeze, while Avril and Jax both rolled their eyes. Had the situation not been so dark and dire, I probably would’ve laughed.

“There’s a time and a place,” Hansa replied bluntly.

“Guys.” Harper’s voice made us turn our heads. She was scanning Minah’s upper body, her glimmering eyes settled on her chest. “I think I found cause of death…”

Jax immediately moved from the table and joined her.

“I think she died of an embolism,” Harper continued. “There’s a massive blood clot near her heart. I can see a puncture wound on her side, by the fifth rib.”

“Patrik, can we touch her through the preservation spell?” Jax asked.

“Yes, you can. The spell resonates through me, so I know if someone’s touching her, but it’s not you I’m worried about being near her in the first place,” Patrik replied, stuffing powders and herbs into small leather bags.

Jax nodded, then put his hand through the protective casing. Its surface shimmered at his touch. He lifted Minah’s arm, to get a better look at her torso, removing part of the bandages. I saw both Jax and Harper’s expressions change, their eyes widening and lips slowly parting.

“Puncture wound, huh?” Hansa deducted, resting her hands on the map.

“Yeah, it’s small, but visible,” Jax replied. “Air was inserted into an artery. It caused a blood clot that led to a heart attack, I presume…”

“Yes, the heart muscle is damaged. This was quick, overnight… I can see residual traces.” Harper squinted.

“What about fingerprints?” Jax asked Harper. She shook her head.

“Nothing. They must’ve had gloves on.”

Jax then put her arm back down and stepped away, rejoining Hansa by the table.

“So, she was… discretely injected with air,” Harper concluded. “Her body couldn’t deal with a blood clot, not after everything she’d been through. She was still recovering, after all. The impact was swift, the heart attack fatal. She died in her sleep.”

“Whoever did this had some knowledge of the Imen’s anatomy.” Jax exhaled sharply. “Therefore, despite their claims, the nurses are still suspects.”

Patrik cursed under his breath, dropping one of the leather satchels to the floor, its contents scattering at his feet. He dropped to his knees to collect the powders and herbs, stuffing them back inside the bag. He was angry and frustrated—it was written all over his face.

“Patrik, don’t beat yourself up over this,” Jax said, his eyes fixed on the Druid. “You didn’t stand a chance last night. Mind-bending can be a powerful weapon, even against the most capable Druid. They caught you in a vulnerable moment.”

“It doesn’t make me feel any better,” Patrik muttered, tying the strings around the satchel and placing it next to the other three he’d prepared.

“Okay, we need an action plan now.” Hansa took a deep breath. “Patrik needs help setting up the protection spell for the city. Provided it works, we might just save some lives tonight.”

“These need to go into four walls at the base of the mountain.” Patrik brought the satchels over to the table, while we all gathered around the map. “One for each direction. North, south, east, and west.”

He then took out a tin jar, took the lid off, and showed us the contents—a thick, dark red liquid with traces of purple herbs and black crystals.

“This needs to be used to paint these,” he said, placing the jar on the table next to a sheet of brown paper, scribbled with swamp witch symbols, “on specific walls all over the mountain.”

“How specific?” Harper asked, her gaze settled on the peculiar paint and symbols.

“Ten walls facing the north, ten facing the south, and so on,” Patrik replied. “They need to be relatively scattered across the mountain levels. They’ll need room to ‘breathe’ once the spell is armed, because they’ll be drawing energy from the living creatures around it to fuel the shield.”

“Living creatures… As in Imen and Exiled Maras?” Hansa asked, and Patrik nodded. “Won’t they be able to tell?”

“Not really,” Patrik replied. “They might feel a little more tired than usual, but that’s why I want the symbols scattered throughout the city. It’s inconspicuous. Besides, this is a special paint, a proprietary blend. It becomes invisible to the common eye as soon as it dries. The more discreet we are about it, the better.”

A moment passed in silence as we processed the amplitude of the spell.

“This is impressive, Patrik,” Jax said slowly. “Well done!”

“Let’s hope it works,” Patrik replied.

“Okay, so you need us to put the satchels into four walls, and someone to paint the symbols throughout the city,” Hansa reiterated. “Jax can take one wall, Heron and Avril will take another, Blaze and Caia will be on the third, and I’ll take Fiona for the fourth—l don’t want her alone.”

Jax didn’t seem happy with the decision, his brow furrowed as he glanced at Hansa, but he didn’t object.

“Afterward, we’ll work our way up the mountain and get as many flower specimens as we can, for Avril to identify the odor she caught on Minah,” she added. “The wearer of that scent either came from a specific area of the city or uses it as a fragrance. It’s a lead we must follow. Everyone clear on that?”

We all gave her a brief nod, then patiently waited for her to continue her instructions.

“Harper will paint the symbols throughout the city,” Hansa said. “I think it’s safe to say she can be trusted on her own, given her performance in the Valley of Screams. She’s downright vicious, and I know no one will dare get near her. Provided she doesn’t go around pulling her swords on the Five Lords again.”

She gave Harper a warning glare, prompting the sentry to shrink a little. I stifled a chuckle, then stilled at the sound of my name.

“Scarlett,” Hansa addressed me, “you’ll be staying here with Patrik at all times. At least for now. Preservation spell or not, I don’t want anyone near Minah’s body, and I certainly don’t want our Druid on his own, surrounded by mind-bending Maras.”

I held my breath for a second, glancing at Patrik. Given his earlier mention of his dream, I had a feeling there would be some awkwardness between us.

“Okay,” I murmured, bracing myself for when I’d be left on my own with Patrik.

“We’ll reconvene in the infirmary by sundown, after we complete our tasks,” Jax said, looking at Hansa. The tension between them was as heavy as ever. “Be careful out there.”

“I’m a big girl, Jax. Don’t worry about me.” Hansa scoffed, then pointed at the map. “Now, which of the teams I nominated wants to take the south wall?”