Maya's POV
Derek wasn't dying.
He was barely conscious, thrashing against Nina's restraints while she pumped some kind of antidote into his system. But he wasn't dying.
"Poison," Nina said without looking up from her work. "Nightshade variant. Someone slipped it into his food three hours ago. He'll survive, but it was close."
My knees went weak with relief. Then rage took over. "Who?"
"That's the question, isn't it?" Cassandra appeared in the doorway, arms crossed. Her smile was sharp. "The new arrivals get poisoned on their third day here. Quite the coincidence."
"Get out," I snarled.
"This is my medical wing—"
"It's mine," Nina interrupted coldly. "And she's right. Get out, Cassandra."
Cassandra's eyes flashed, but she left. The threat in her posture was clear: this wasn't over.
I stayed with Derek for two hours while the antidote worked through his system. When he finally opened his eyes, the first thing he said was: "Maya, I'm sorry."
"For what? Getting poisoned?"
