His Adam's apple bobbed. "I understand," he said in a hoarse voice as he stared into her sapphire blue eyes. He took a strand of her wet hair and tucked them behind her ear. "You are the bravest woman I've ever encountered and I admire you." He kissed her forehead and then curled his hand around her nape to tuck her face in his neck. His mother Adrianna had also encountered a lot of hardships. She always had to prove herself. But Anastasia-her tortures were a level beyond comprehension. "Maple is a twisted woman. Sometimes I feel she isn't a Fae. She is a bloody anomaly."

"Why do you say that?" Anastasia asked as she inhaled his scent. It calmed her and steadied the rhythm of her heart.

"When she had posted me in her chamber during those sessions of pleasure, I used to see the slit of her eyes becoming narrow and yellow when she had an orgasm. Once her wings came out in throes of pleasure, but they were so battered... not like normal faes have..."

She moved back to see his face. "What did it look like?"

"It flickered a grey for a second and quickly regained its originality. Maybe I imagined." He shrugged.

"That's weird," Anastasia remarked. Not able to wrap her head around what he just said, she wondered if that was even possible. But then there were so many things unsaid about Maple's father. "It's taboo to talk about the father of the twins in the palace. I mean we don't know his origin or who he was. My aunt Etaya was a strange woman..." She shrugged. "Maybe my parents know."

Suddenly a loud shriek disturbed them and Ileus got up with a start. He helped her get up and quickly changed in his breeches. He helped Anastasia wear the shirt. They rushed to the tents. And what they saw over there, shocked them. Carrick's nose was bleeding and his eyes had rolled in his head. He was on the floor and his body was convulsing.

"What happened?" Ileus grunted as he bent down to see Carrick. Except for Zlu and Tadgh, no one was there. "And where are Kaizan, Darla and Aidan?" He turned his head and then barked, "Where is Guarhal?"

Zlu pointed towards the fields. His face was blanched.

Darla has gone wild. Aidan is her target. Kaizan and Guarhal are trying to pull them out of that place. In the distance, Ileus saw Kaizan holding the bare shoulders of Darla as she rode on Aidan.

"Fuck!" Ileus cursed. He looked at Carrick. "What about him?"

"It seems he has inhaled the aroma of the red flowers and is too far gone to come out of it," Tadgh said as he also sat down beside him. He held a cloth near his nose to contain his bleeding, as Zlu wiped his head with a wet cloth. "The passion flowers have affected his mind." Zlu was looking as if his limbs had become wobbly.

Anastasia's mouth fell to the floor. She couldn't believe that the flowers could be this lethal. Her eyes shot up when she saw Kaizan running back towards them. He was holding his hips and had bent down, gasping for air.

"He keeps running back to the two of them. He takes a lungful of air and runs back to them to convince them to come out and then rush out of the fields. He's been doing that for some time now!" Tadgh said. "He brought Carrick back."

Anastasia watched Kaizan running back and shouting at the two of them to stop whatever they were doing. "Oh my God!" she said when she realized that the two must have been on it for a long time. Darla was with Aidan? She was having sex with Aidan? Or he was just helping her out to release her energy? This would become too dangerous before they would realize. Death by lust? She pressed her hands over her mouth as her gaze shifted to Carrick.

Seeing his helpless state, she sat down to touch his cheek. "Carrick?" she called him, feeling awful. But his body was convulsing so much that he didn't know what was happening around him.

She really wanted to help him and felt energy pulsating inside her. It gathered near her chest and slowly spread to the tips of her fingers. "I would like to help him," she croaked.

"You can't Anastasia," said Zlu in a weak voice. "He is too far gone..." his voice choked. He touched Carrick. "If you leave me..."

She looked at Zlu with shock as her forehead creased. "Why don't you take him to the falls? Water is going to help him."

"Can't you see he is soaked with water?" Zlu said, desperation laced in his voice.

"She is right. Take him to the falls!" Ileus grated.

On his order, they picked him up and walked to the pool where they flung him inside the water. Zlu jumped inside to see the progress but it only got worse. Carrick didn't come out and now he was choking. "Damn it!" He pulled him out.

They set him on the banks. Ileus tore his shirt and pumped his chest. "Carrick!" he shouted. His jaw clenched so hard that it pained. Water spurted out of his mouth. He couched a little, but his condition didn't improve.

Zlu became panicky and he picked up his head on his lap. He stroked his hair affectionately.

Anastasia felt agonized that all this was happening because of her. They were experiencing so much pain only that she escaped. A whimper escaped her mouth. She knelt beside Ileus. "I am so sorry Carrick," she said feeling utterly helpless. Where was her magic when she needed it the most? She wanted to save him. Not able to do anything else, she just stroked his hair gently. Tears stung her eyes but she stopped them and a big lump formed in her throat. She remembered how Carrick was always trying to stay somewhere around Zlu or Guarhal, but mostly Zlu.