Corinth's POV
My legs quaked beneath me and my fingers shook, and, as Nico tugged me after him down the hallway, I forced myself to breathe levelly, evenly. Each step was a slog, as if I was walking through various levels of quicksand, the unrelenting gravity of my miscalculation falling on me in waves.
This was not supposed to happen.
It was Elizabeth who was meant to drink the coffee and not me.
And yet, there I was, struggling to keep myself intact while Nico shot me the occasional glance, his face halfway between interest and annoyance.
"So, what took you so long?" he asked, his voice light and yet punctured by a sharper edge.
I swallowed. My throat felt tight. "I…Raphael wanted me to be cautious. The madam's coffee had to be perfect," he said."
Nico let out a sn
