“I don’t know,” Thia snarled. “Maybe because she’s been nice to him, which is more than your mother has ever been. Or, brace yourself for this concept. Perhaps the poison has made him so delusional, he doesn’t know who he’s talking to or what he’s saying. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d rather try to save his life than deal with the fact you know your mother’s a bitch who has treated him like shit, and your fear he’ll finally come to his senses and leave you without your father’s lineage.” She knelt down by Sumi’s side. “I salvaged what I could. But it burned while we hunted the knuckle-dragging degenerate.”

Sumi added the berries and mixed them together with the root as best she could. “It won’t taste good, but hopefully he won’t notice.”

Once the ingredients were blended into a thick syrup, she had Thia hold his head up to drink it.

Unfortunately, it was too thick to pour.

Thia panicked. “What do we do now?”

Sumi considered her options. With no better thought, and afraid of diluting it with water, she dipped her fingers into it and placed them in his mouth.

Thia held his head as he tried to turn away from the burnt taste. But after a few minutes, he finally licked the antidote from Sumi’s fingers.

Bit by bit, Sumi fed it to him and prayed it would still work like this. That they hadn’t boiled all the necessary nutrients out of the root while searching.

As soon as it was all dispensed, she wiped her hand off on an antiseptic cloth, then used it to clean his wounds again.

Darice continued to stare a hole through her.

Thia hissed at him over her shoulder. “What is your problem now, Darice?”

“My mother has long suspected that he hasn’t upheld his pledge to her. It’s why she has yet to accept him.”

Thia gave him a mocking stare. “Oh, okay, that’s the reason, huh?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“If your mother really believes that, why not break pledge with him?”

“She doesn’t want to see him lose his lineage. She says it would dishonor my father if she allowed that to happen.”

“Ah. Glad to know that she cares so much.” Thia’s sarcasm was even thicker than the paste they’d made.

“What?” Darice asked defensively.

Thia stalked toward where he sat. “So it’s not a slap in your father’s or uncle’s face every time she refuses to honor the pledge, or allow him rights to you?”

He scoffed at her words. “She’s never done that. Dancer has full rights to me, he just doesn’t want them.”