Chapter 28: Fainted

James hit the flagstones with a sound that Max would hear for the rest of his life.

He did not remember crossing the floor.

He was on his knees with James's head in his lap.

James's face was white, and his lashes lay against his cheekbones.

He was breathing.

"James. James, look at me."

"Mm," said James.

"Open your eyes."

"I'm. Busy."

Behind him, boots skidded on stone.

Joel was running.

He had his hands out and his face wild.

For the first time in Max's memory the prime of Tyros had forgotten that anyone could see him.

"What did you do to him?" Joel said. "What did Mary give him? The eggs. The toast. Max, I ate the same."

He took two more steps and his eyes rolled up.

Max had enough warning to drag James's head out of the way.

Joel went down across his legs, all his weight at once.

"No," said Max. "No, no, no."

The Hall had come to its feet.

Six hundred wolves shouted at once, and the elders pounded on the table.

Somewhere in the noise a woman started to scream that it was poison.

Max turned his head.

Raven was still standing.

He stood a few paces off with the black book in his fist, perfectly still.

His green eyes found Max's.

He opened his mouth.

He had decided, it seemed, to say something.

Then the book slid out of his fingers, and he folded at the knees, very slowly.

Max caught him by the shoulders.

He ended up on the stone with all three of them across his lap, a pile of long bodies and loose hair.

He heard his own voice saying their names over and over.

"Stand back," said somebody. "Stand back, let me through."

The crowd opened.

An old woman came through it with a bag on her hip and a gray braid down her back.

She was the Meeting Hall's own healer, who had served all three packs for forty years.

She was not the man Mary had paid.

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