“I don’t think so.” He leaned against a tree, breathing heavily. “Colbert was in an altercation and stabbed. He became ill within a few short hours. Suspecting the knife had been tipped with poison, I put charcoal on the wound to neutralize it. He started to feel better within minutes.”

Reid wanted to ask more about that altercation, but now was not the time. “If there’s poison in your system, we need to do something about it.” It had been hours since he’d been shot. What if it was already too late? Putting her hands on her hips, she started pacing.

“Now’s your chance to do away with me,” he said. He’d obviously meant it as a joke, but his voice came out weak.

It would be so much easier if Harlan were here. He could whip up something to take care of the poison in no time. Dexter said charcoal had worked for Colbert, but she didn’t have anything like that readily available. The palace was too far away. What other options were there? “Are there any homes nearby?”

“One mile east, on the other side of the river. I think.”

“Let’s go.” She wrapped her arm around his waist, hoisting him upright. “I need you to push yourself for twenty minutes, then you can rest.”

He nodded.

Since the river looked shallow here, Reid and Dexter crossed it. Some of the rocks on the bottom came loose, almost causing Reid to lose her footing. However, she managed to remain upright, still supporting Dexter. His face paled with every passing minute, sweat dripping down his cheeks.

Once safely on dry land again, Reid pulled Dexter along, maintaining a fast pace since he didn’t look like he could last much longer. If he passed out, she wouldn’t be able to carry him.

They trekked along, Reid taking more of his weight with each passing minute, until they came to a single-story wood home with smoke rising from the chimney.

“Hello,” Reid called out. “I need help!”

A man came around the side of the house, an axe in hand. He wiped his sweaty forehead with his arm. “What can I do for you?”

“This is Prince Dexter,” she said, her voice fast and urgent. “He’s injured and needs immediate attention.”

The man tossed his axe on the ground, rushing over to help. Dexter wrapped his good arm around the man’s shoulders, allowing the stranger to help him inside. Reid hovered right behind them.

Inside, a woman kneaded bread dough on a small table. “What happened?” She wiped her hands off and rushed over, helping Dexter sit on the bed.

“We were ambushed by assassins,” Reid explained. “Prince Dexter was shot with a poisoned arrow.”

“I have something we use for wounds like this,” the woman said. “But I’m not sure if it’ll help against poison.”