Chapter 62
Defy Me, and Your Career Ends Tonight
The Minister's face was pale, his skin slick with a cold sweat that had nothing to do with the room's temperature. His breathing was shallow, each inhale a battle he seemed to be losing. But the pain twisting his features wasn't the sudden seizing panic of cardiac shock. It was deeper, radiating along the spine, settling in the gut, crawling beneath the skin like something alive.
He clutched not only his chest, but his lower back, fingers digging so hard into the fabric of his robe that the seams strained.
"You said he had back pain," I murmured to Armand, yet my eyes never leaving the patient. "This looks… different."
"I know." Armand's voice was thin and frayed, tension vibrating off him. "He was in the conservatory this morning. They brought in cuttings of the invasive vine. He handled the seeds. He wore gloves, but…"
My stomach dropped.
The vines.
Abrus precatorius.
Rosary pea.
Abrin.
Beautiful seeds. Lethal toxin.
