Nightshade

Isolde waited until the sound of horse hooves faded entirely into the night. She knelt beside Julian and forced a paste of charcoal and vinegar down his throat, praying his spirit could still hear her voice in the void. "Come back, boy," she muttered. "The monsters are gone."

💡 The story of the Nightshade family is never about pure evil or pure good; it is about the dual nature of power. The exact same plant that can blind or kill can also be used by a skilled hand to heal or save. nightshade

He had survived the nightshade. He was free, but his eyes would forever remain slightly too wide, and his skin slightly too pale—a permanent reminder that to buy a new life, one must always walk hand-in-hand with death. Isolde waited until the sound of horse hooves

He fell to the floor, his skin turning a pale, waxy gray. His breathing stopped. "The monsters are gone

It would widen his pupils until his eyes were as black as obsidian. He would see the world through a terrifying, beautiful haze.

She explained the three stages of the poison to him as she prepared the vial:

Hours later, the King's riders hammered on Isolde's door. They burst inside, their swords drawn, demanding the traitor. Isolde simply pointed to the cold body lying on the stone floor. The captain of the guard knelt, pressed two fingers to Julian's neck, and peeled back his eyelid. Seeing only a vast, empty black void and feeling no pulse, the captain spat on the floor and declared him dead.