“Atropa belladonna, or deadly nightshade,” Hisakawa says with a smile, reveling in her passion for poisons. “The Gothic siren of any good apothecary and one of the most romantic poisons, if I do say so.”

Atropa, I think, and begin my usual analysis, a name that likely pays homage to the Greek goddess Atropos, who was the oldest of the Three Fates and was responsible for choosing the way mortals die—hence the “deadly” bit. And of course bella donna means “pretty woman” in Italian. I glance at Brendan—poison is just about the only thing he and his friends didn’t try to use on me, although I’m sure he would have if he’d had the chance.

Brendan sits at a table by himself, his shock of white-blond hair standing out in stark contrast to the dark wood and stone walls. Nyx hasn’t returned from the dungeon after attacking me with her sword, and it’s obvious Brendan’s aware of her absence by the way his brow furrows when he looks at her empty chair. He doesn’t make eye contact with me, but his eyes narrow and I’m certain he notices. Layla kicks my boot under the table, which I can only assume means: “Don’t be stupid enough to instigate Brendan when all you need to do is make it through one more day.”

I adjust my gaze back to Hisakawa, who stands in front of the large fireplace with her hands clasped behind her back, rocking from the balls of her feet to the heels and back again. “The thing about belladonna that’s fascinating is that there aren’t that many recorded examples of poisoning. However, my personal favorite concerns eighteenth-century poisoner Giulia Tofana. She made Aqua Tofana, a ‘cosmetic’ sold exclusively to women for more than fifty years to help them kill their husbands. Instead of being applied to the skin, this product was poured into soup. When she was caught and executed, it was believed that Tofana had assisted in the poisoning of over six hundred men throughout Italy.” Hisakawa sighs wistfully, the way some people react to a touching poem. “Now, tell me, why would I be excited about something that has so few examples to teach from?”

Aarya leans back in her chair, the picture of ease. “Because belladonna is readily accessible and grows wild all over the world.”

“Which would have us logically conclude that there would be an excess of reported cases of belladonna poisoning, not a shortage,” Hisakawa interjects.

“Exactly,” Aarya says like she just won a prize at a carnival, “which is what is so great about it. Belladonna is effective. Combine that with the fact that it’s easily acquired and it tells you that the people who use it go undetected.”

“Precisely!” Hisakawa says, and goes up on her toes for emphasis. “Now, why do belladonna users go undetected?”