“What the hell are you talking about?” Wrena asked.

At the same time, Valor asked. “What do you mean?” Their heads both tilted to the side at precisely the same angle, for a moment they could have been twins.

They must both strongly favor their mother, Elwin thought. Even if the captain had been quite a looker in his day, he couldn’t picture him with this delicacy of features.

“It may not be safe.” Elwin said, trying to get his mind back on target (it had been a long day). “We don’t know what’s in there. In fact –”

“What do ya mean, not safe? Do you think I’m the murderer?” Dru asked. She sat down on the edge of the bed. As though preparing to get comfortable for storytime, as this explanation ought to be good.

“No, of course not. It’s not even about the murder, or – whatever happened.” Elwin said. “It’s the maid, the girl who works here, how well do you know –?”

“Now you think our staff killed the fortuneteller!?” Wrena stood back up, crossing her arms, a curl bounced loose from under her night bonnet indignantly. “She wasn’t even there!”

Prin leaned back against Elwin’s chest. “We, she said – Do you really think it was that serious?”

“I don’t know, maybe I’m just tired.” Elwin said, almost wishing he hadn’t said a thing. Almost. “I was just thinking, Valor’s symptoms and the suddenness of it all. Also, I had a really bad feeling earlier based on something she said.”

“If she was going to poisonous us, she would have done it by now. She’s worked here for, I don’t know, a few years anyway.” Wrena rolled her eyes. “We all need to just go back to bed.”

“It’s not like seizures and nose bleeds have never happened before.” Valor said. Although it’s been a while.” Valor said.

Elwin sighed. He would have preferred to have this conversation with just Valor, but that didn’t seem to be an option. “I don’t want to get anyone in trouble if it’s nothing. But the serving girl said some disparaging, and frankly just weird, things about Valor, and it ended on a vaguely threatening note.” Not that people weren’t thinking weird things about Valor all the time, Elwin added silently, they just mostly had the decency not to say it.

“There’s a fine line between threatening and warning.” Prin cautioned. “Don’t you think –”

“Utter nonsense!” Wrena declared.

“Let me get this straight, you think Mrs. Frances’ assistant is poisoning Valor?” Dru asked.

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“O-ooh, I guess not.” Elwin said miserably. “I just had a bad feeling.”

“I just can’t figure out why she would?” Dru said.

“Because everyone’s life would be easier without me around.” Valor said.

Wrena smacked him lightly across the head. “Don’t say something like that. It’s depressing.”

“ . . . I wasn’t saying it, saying it. That’s what she might think, is what I was saying.” Valor’s eyes narrowed at his sister, an expression that said, Do you feel that way? Do you think I should feel that way?

Wrena didn’t dignify that face with a response.

“You all woke up in the middle of the night and had a scare, nothing more. End of story.” Wrena said firmly. “And as for you, I’m sending for the doctor in the morning.” She told Valor. “Try to stay alive until he gets here. Otherwise it would be embarrassing for me.”

“Are you absolutely a hundred percent sure you’re right?” Dru asked.

“Yes.” Wrena said.

“Alright then, bottoms up.” Dru took Valor’s tea cup and drank it down. “I could use a good night’s sleep myself.” She yawned wide. “Good night kids, and good luck.”

She stood up and stretched languorously, arms reaching toward the stars, as she headed for the door.

“Good luck with what!?” Wrena yelled after her.

“Whatever the night brings.” Dru waved good bye over her shoulder. “What’s left of it.”

“Wait a second!” Wrena called. She turned toward the door and then back to the bed rapidly, as though she wasn’t sure where she wanted to go. “Alright, I’m going back to bed too.” She sighed. “Please tell me if anything else happens. But not in the form of a scream, even my nerves won’t be able to take that a second time in one night.” She bent down and kissed Valor on the forehead.

“I’m sorry.” Prin said sheepishly. “I’ll keep a light burning this time, maybe that will help.”

“Why is everyone kissing me tonight? Am I dying?” Valor asked.

“No dummy, you’re way to stubborn to ever do that.” Wrena said.

Elwin didn’t like the look on her face when she looked at her brother. She was worried, for sure. Worried and trying to hide it, but not doing a very good job of it.

Luckily for all that, her brother was blind. Which should help a little. As long as her voice was tough maybe he’d buy it.

“I’m okay.” Valor said. “I don’t even feel that bad. I’m fine. Maybe just overdoing it a bit lately.” He wasn’t buying it, and just adding his own lies on top of hers.

“Alright, good night then, I guess.” Wrena tucked her errant curl back up under her night cap. “We’ll talk more in the morning.”

“Oh. In that case, maybe I will go on and die tonight.” Valor said, a little smirk on his pale lips. “And save us both.”

“Ha ha. I’m not that bad.” Wrena huffed. “And even if I am, you’re stuck with me!” On that note she flounced out of the room.

Elwin could hear her footsteps hurry up as soon as she was out the door and into the hallway. Running to catch up to Dru.

“You two are surprisingly cute together.” Prin said. His voice cracked in the middle, and Elwin bet his throat must be sore.

“Me and that thing?” Valor laughed, cutting it off abruptly to cough. “She’s been irritated by my presence since I was born.”

“That’s how siblings are supposed to be.” Elwin said.

“She loves you.” Prin assured.

“I don’t want to talk about her.” Valor said. “More importantly, what are you talking about? The poison tea and all that?”

“Oh it’s nothing, nothing at all. Wrena’s probably right.” Elwin said. He thought of Dru drinking the tea meant for Valor. As odd as she was, he would hate to see anything happen to her. Still it wasn’t his fault, he had told everyone his hunch, even if it did make him sound like a fool. So now . . .

“I guess we’ll find out soon enough if it was poison.” Prin said solemnly, taking the words right out of his mouth.