She’d just thrown up again and felt as if she was on fire. She was trembling now, and her skin was damp, muscles weak.

“Someone poisoned you with an obscure Fairy poison,” Thyme told her. “It’s rare to find it here, but some of the old ones do have stores of herbs brought over from Fairy.”

“Which poison?” Casey demanded. “Is she going to be okay?”

“I don’t know,” Thyme said. “This poison is time-release. If I’m not mistaken it’s called haamma naa.”

“Harm all?” Casey asked carefully.

Jena didn’t like the fear she was picking up from the other woman, but she refused to jump the gun.

“What does that mean?” Jena demanded, fear in her voice as she put a hand on her stomach. The babies were still, but she was getting flashes from them now. They were afraid and they wanted Jorja. “It’s okay.” She rubbed her stomach.

“No, it’s not actually,” Casey said tightly as she came to stand next to the bed. “It’s going to either make you miscarry or kill you.”

“What?” Anger flooded Jena, and she grimaced as pain rippled through her.

“Calm, Jena,” Thyme told her from the foot of the bed. “I’m not going to—”

“What’s going on?” Jorja demanded striding into the room. “Keep it clear and concise, Thyme.”

“Hamma na,” Thyme told her. “Jena is exhibiting symptoms of having consumed a dose large enough to make her miscarry.”

“Wait. What?” Jorja demanded and the concern in her face put Jena on edge.

“She could survive and if she does the poison will leave her with a weak respiratory system. Meaning she’ll catch every respiratory bug that comes along,” Thyme explained. “But truth is, Jorja, no one in this realm has ever lived through it.”

“And the babies?”

“They won’t make it,” Thyme said quietly as she shook her head. “It’s going to be a long night.”

Jorja stared at her, and Jena found it difficult to read her mate. She couldn’t even feel her emotions. It was as if Jorja had just shut down and was leaving her out in the cold.

“The babies want you,” Jena said and held out a hand to Jorja. She wanted her, needed her. Her head was spinning, and a wave of nausea swept over her as her skin heated and chilled at once.

Jorja moved to the bed where Jena was propped against the pillows. Jorja took her hand and squeezed. “It’ll be okay, Jena,” she said, but there was a stoicism in her face that frightened Jena.

“Jorja. I know you can do something to make sure this doesn’t happen,” Jena insisted, crushing Jorja’s hand as cold replaced heat and chills ran down her spine.

She didn’t want to lose her children. She hadn’t wanted to be pregnant, but now that she was, she was excited about welcoming an addition to their small family.

“Jorja,” Thyme said. “I need a word.”

Jorja paused to caress Jena’s stomach before backing away and following Thyme from the room.

“Why is she excluding me?” Jena growled and tried to sit up straighter. “It’s my life, my body.” Pain coursed through her, and she let out a scream and bent over to puke.

****

Jorja fought back the growl of the goblin as it tried to break free. Everything inside her told her she needed to be in there with Jena. She knew from a dream Jena would lose a child, but nothing had prepared her for the reality of it.

“The situation is precarious at best,” Thyme told her, snagging her attention. “Before the night is over, you’ll either have a consort, or you’ll be mourning four lives.”