70 : Revelations

VERENA

Elijah curses under his breath as if he said something he should not have.

My worry spikes. “What happened to you, Elijah?” I ask.

He hesitates, then pulls off his overcoat and rolls his shirt sleeves. Faint black burn marks appear on his forearm. They are subtle, almost faded under the afternoon light, but I recognize them instantly.

My breath catches in my throat. “Those…” My voice is barely above a whisper. “You were poisoned?” It's more like a confirmation than a question. The black marks are a sign that he was poisoned by the same toxin that affected Dad’s wolf.

Elijah fixes his sleeve and sighs. “I was poisoned by Nixie that day. I would have endured it better if not for the war I had with Theon. My body was already weak, so the effect of the poison was strong.” He turns his head and looks into the space, his eyes wandering into the distance.

My chest tightens at his words. If he faced a war, then his body wouldn’t have stood a chance against that deadly poison. I remembe