“All I know is that Circe left everything to you,” Marie said, glossing over my question. “She wanted you to pick up where she left off.”

“I didn’t ask for any of this. I don’t even know if I want this responsibility.” I was willing to grow the garden and stock the apothecary, but protecting the Heart? I didn’t know what that meant. Protecting it from what? And why? Because it was poisonous? It didn’t make sense.

Marie drew her mouth into a tight line. “That’s your choice. But I can tell you that the apothecary is important to people around here. People like me. I’ve been thinking of a way to be more open with you. It might—” She stopped, and her eyes grew wide.

“It might what?”

“Shhh!” She was by my side so quickly I didn’t even see her feet move, but before I could say anything, something darted between the trees. Marie tilted her head to the side, then took a long, slow breath. “If I asked you to close your eyes and keep them shut until I told you to open them, would you do it?”

“I—I don’t know, I—”

A man wearing a dark jacket and a baseball cap emerged from the tree line. Three other men stepped into the graveyard behind him.

“Nice to see you again,” said the first man.

Marie glanced at me and I realized where I’d seen at least one of them before.

“He came after me and Karter at the movies,” I said, my heart pounding.

Marie stepped in front of me. “Leave,” she said to the men. Her voice was low, like a growl, and that terrible feeling of being in the presence of something uniquely dangerous washed over me again.

“Give her to us and we’ll let you live,” said one of the shorter men.

“You’ll let me live?” Marie asked. I couldn’t see her face, but the rise in her tone made it sound like she was talking through a smile.

I couldn’t breathe. I balled my hands at my sides as a chorus of groans emanated from a cluster of large willow trees behind me. The unkempt grass rustled in the windless night.

One of the taller men took a step forward, and Marie held up her hand. “Last chance to rethink this.” Her voice was so cold it scared me, but she didn’t sound afraid. She sounded irate.

“We’ll take her by force if need be,” said the man.

“Take me where?” I asked. “What do you want?”

“She doesn’t know?” one of the men asked.

“Shut up!” shouted the taller man.

“Close your eyes, Briseis,” Marie said. “Please.”