“Hey,” Tam said as he glanced up from his book. “They moved Wylie to the other house. I guess one of the bedrooms has some special plant growing in it that might keep him calm?”

“The reveriebells,” Sophie whispered.

Calla had hybridized the flowering vine especially for her, training it to grow across the canopy of her former bed. The blossom’s sweet scent had given her some of her most peaceful nights of sleep ever.

“Has he gotten worse?” Mr. Forkle asked.

“Not worse,” Tam told him. “But I don’t think he’s getting better as quickly as Physic wants. And Granite—or Tiergan—or whatever I’m supposed to call him, is worried that Wylie’s mind is getting darker. He asked me to try lifting a veil—but Wylie’s shadowvapor is fine. He had less than I would’ve expected, given all the awful things he’s been through.”

Mr. Forkle closed his eyes. “Sounds like you were right to insist on coming, Miss Foster. I suppose we should head over.”

“You might want to stay here,” Tam warned Dex and Biana. “Physic’s being super strict about who she’s letting in the room. And at least over here you don’t have to stay quiet.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Biana said. “Plus, I haven’t seen you in forever.”

Tam’s lips twisted into a shy smile. “I hear we’ll be seeing more of each other soon.”

Sophie had forgotten all about the Exillium training. She wondered if Wylie’s attack would delay things.

“Aren’t you coming?” Mr. Forkle asked from the doorway.

Sophie and Fitz hurried to follow, but Dex stayed put. She figured that meant he wanted to stay with Biana and Tam, but as they reached the arched bridge connecting the two tree houses, Dex came racing up.

“I know I’m not a Telepath,” he mumbled, “but I’ve been through what Wylie’s been through. Maybe I can help.”

Sophie reached for his hand, holding on to Fitz with her other as they made their way across the creaky bridge connecting the two houses. Sophie swore she could smell Calla’s starkflower stew when they passed through the gazebo in the center. The dish had been Calla’s specialty, and even though she’d taught Sophie the recipe, it never tasted the same without Calla.

“Wow,” Dex and Fitz breathed as they entered what used to be the girls’ tree house.

“Linh’s been busy,” Sophie mumbled.

The waterfall in the center—which used to be only a misty trickle—now thundered with torrents of cascading water. The falls splashed hard into the shallow basin, but instead of spilling over and soaking the floor, the water ricocheted up and split into individual streams that arced toward the glass ceiling and fanned out before crashing back down into pots of flowers.

“Wait here,” Mr. Forkle told them, pointing to the shrubbery-shaped chairs, which were speckled with glittering dew. “I’m going to let Physic know I’ve brought you.”

The room felt way too quiet after he left.

“Where’s Linh?” Dex whispered.

Sophie ducked under a stream of water as she looked down the empty hallway. “She must be in with Wylie.”

“How bad do you think he’s going to look?” Fitz asked. “Like . . . worse than I looked after Exile?”

The black barb jutting from Fitz’s chest—and the swirls of black venom under his skin—had definitely been one of the most gruesome sights Sophie had ever seen. But she had a horrible feeling it had nothing on the pain and suffering Brant and Fintan would be willing to cause in order to get what they wanted.

“I think we need to prepare ourselves for something pretty awful,” she said.

She’d flicked three loose lashes away before a familiar woman strode into the room, followed by an ashen Mr. Forkle. Physic’s Mardi-Gras-style mask was red this time, with a rim of gold glitter that had showered bits of sparkle across her dark skin.

“You’re still wearing your disguise?” Sophie asked.

“I didn’t want the focus to be on me.” Physic twisted one of her skinny braids around her finger, making the red beads woven through shimmer. “I’m glad you guys are here. Wylie’s vitals are improving, but Tiergan’s afraid his mind is deteriorating. I don’t see any physical proof of that, but I want you two to make a very thorough check. And when we go in there, try to keep in mind that healing starts on a cellular level. Right now, most of the change is something only I can see—and only with special light and special lenses. But he’s honestly recovering faster than I could’ve hoped for, in large part thanks to Linh. She has him wrapped in a cold-water cocoon to draw out any latent heat while I brew a fresh batch of my burn ointment.”

“Do you need help?” Dex asked. “Or need me to get any supplies?”

“I’m low on a few things,” Physic admitted, “but they’re not the kind of ingredients you’d be able to get from your dad’s store.”

“Try me,” Dex said.

She raised an eyebrow. “Okay, how about jaculus venom?”

“Clear or cloudy? We keep both in my dad’s ‘extreme collection.’ ”

“Interesting,” Physic said. “Nice hair, by the way.”

Dex’s cheeks turned the same color as Physic’s mask.

“Aren’t jaculuses those flying, blood-sucking snake things?” Sophie asked, remembering the first day she’d met Grady, when she’d watched him pull one out of Verdi’s feathers.

“They are,” Physic agreed. “And their venom has a powerful anticoagulant, which turns into an even more powerful tissue regenerator when I mix it with a few drops of Phoenix sweat.”

“We have that, too,” Dex said. “And Bennu tears. I’m guessing you also need Pooka pus? If so, we have solid and liquid.”

“Okay, now I’m legitimately impressed,” Physic said.

“Meanwhile I’m pretty sure I’m going to throw up,” Fitz told them.

Physic shrugged. “It’s either this or yeti pee—and trust me, yeti pee is way harder to wash off.”

Sadly, Sophie knew that firsthand.

“All right,” Physic told Dex, “I’ll give you my recipe and we’ll see what you can find at Slurps and Burps. Take Forkle with you, so you’ll have a way to leap back—and so I won’t have to watch him wring his hands anymore. He’s going to disjoint all his fingers, and I really don’t need another patient.”