She folded the page once. Laid it gently beside a silver vial at her bedside.
Then, with a trembling breath, she uncorked the tonic.
The scent was sharp—lavender and something bitter. She’d asked the apothecary for a “strong sedative.” No one questioned her.
Of course they hadn’t.
She brought the vial to her lips and drank.
It burned.
Halfway through, her hand shook violently. She gritted her teeth and finished the rest.
The glass slipped from her fingers, rolling under the bed.
---
At first, there was only warmth.
Like slipping into a hot bath after a long storm.
Her limbs grew heavy. Her heart slowed.
And as she crawled to the bed, hoping that by touching something soft to her, she would be able to forget it all.
Her body however did not.
Midway she fell, her head against t
