Total fear consumed her at the sudden pallor of Hauk’s skin. She cupped his face in her hands. “Dancer? Stay with me.”

He blinked so slowly that she wasn’t sure if he heard her or not.

“What’s wrong with him?”

For one, he has you for a nephew. She barely managed to bite those words back. “He’s been poisoned.”

“What? When?”

“Last night. The Partini was using a knife coated with a very slow-acting poison.”

Darice’s lips quivered as he finally realized how sick Hauk was.

Hauk’s eyes rolled back in his head.

“Dancer?” Darice grabbed his shirt and shook him.

Hauk hissed in pain. “I’m coming, Kerry. I just need a second.”

Darice backhanded him. “Get up!”

Sumi shoved at him and discovered the truth of what Thia had said. Andarion males were heavy bastards.

Darice exposed his fangs at her.

She pulled her blaster out and flipped it to stun with her thumb. “Hit him again and so help me, Darice, I will make your mother weep at what I do to you.”

“He’s not your family!”

“Funny, between the two of us, I’m the only one acting like he is. Now get away before you do any more damage to him.”

Darice curled his lip. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means had I been able to get the antidote into him twenty minutes ago, instead of searching for a spoiled, pouting brat, he’d have had a better chance of survival than what he has now. Thanks, by the way.”

Darice didn’t say anything as he took up post on the other side of Hauk.

Ignoring him, Sumi helped Hauk to lie down as they waited for Thia to return. Minutes dragged by as she began preparing the berries she’d need to mix with the root. Luckily, they had still been in her pocket.

Please, let this cure work for Andarions, too. For that matter, she hoped she’d guessed the right poison the Partini had used. Never in her life had she tasted panic like this. She barely knew him, but she couldn’t stand the thought of losing him.

Not like this. Not over something so stupid and wrong.

Hauk hissed as if he was being tortured. He shook all over.

Sumi cupped his face in her hands. “Dancer? Can you hear me?”

“Munatara a la frah.”

Darice sucked his breath in sharply.

“What does that mean?”

Thia handed her the small pot of burned root as she rejoined them. “He just called you the most precious lady of his life.”

“He has dishonored my mother!”

Thia turned on him with a snarl. “When, Darice? Tell me? When has he been alone with Sumi where one of the two of them wasn’t wounded, and us within earshot? Please strain that limited brain capacity you have and think about it.”

“Why would he call her that, then, huh?”