“She used it on me,” I say. “First thing when I walked through the door. I honestly didn’t think I was going to get out of there alive.”

Aarya whistles in surprise.

Ash frowns. “I’ve heard rumors of apothecaries testing their products on unsuspecting customers, but I’ve never actually known anyone it happened to. Are you all right? Why didn’t you call us?”

But before I can answer, Aarya starts talking.

“She’s fine; look at her,” she says, brushing off Ash’s concern. “The bigger issue is, if she was spouting all her thoughts, what did November tell her?”

“She took my phone,” I say, answering Ash’s question. “And I said nothing about our plan other than that we intend to remove Jag from power.”

Aarya lets out a chuckle. “You’re telling me you got an unwilling apothecary to change her mind by telling her you were going to take out Jag?” She shakes her head.

“Turns out I’m convincing,” I say.

“I’ll say,” she replies.

“And, well, it helped that I actually meant it. I think that ointment is part truth serum,” I say.

Aarya stares at the oily paste like it’s chocolate cake. “Fascinating stuff.”

“Also, Angels’ Dream,” I say, putting down the glass bottle. “It’s a sedative of some kind.”

“A powerful one. It’s made with belladonna,” Aarya says, and I can hear Hisakawa’s voice in my head: Atropa belladonna, or deadly nightshade. The Gothic siren of any good apothecary. But instead of bubbling over it like she did with the poison, Aarya looks at Ines, who has visibly stiffened.

Ash picks up the bottle of Angels’ Dream. “We’ll need some darts for this.”

Ines quietly exits the room. Ash notices Ines’s reaction, too. We look at Aarya to explain, but she just shrugs.

“Okay, so tell us,” Aarya says, changing the subject. “How did you get that necklace?”

“Matteo,” I say without a lead-up, because I fear the more details I give, the more likely I am to betray him with my body language.

“What?” Ash and Aarya say at the same time.

“Believe me, I was more surprised than you. He stopped me on the street in front of the restaurant. I actually punched him before I realized who he was.”

Aarya lets out a belly laugh. “How did I miss this? And why do you get to have all the fun while I have to babysit Ash?”

“Why is Matteo here?” Ash asks, ignoring Aarya. “In London, of all places?”

I shake my head. I wasn’t thinking about the fact that Matteo’s in enemy territory; I was too caught up in the necklace trade and the Layla conversation. No wonder Matteo was so adamant that I not tell Ash about the restaurant; a Bear property in Lion territory is something to guard.