Ann found Andy near the healer’s rooms with Pt’this, Sapphire, and Sinta. There were several other family members around. Ann had been so disturbed by Imian, that she hadn’t noticed Andy’s emotions. He was worried about something. “What’s wrong?” She asked. “Tolin had a stroke. He’s not awake yet but they think he’ll be okay.” “He had a stroke once before.” Andy nodded. “Your dad said that. He got help almost immediately so things are looking good.” “From whom? Shunati was in Erilu and Thailyn and Lamdi were at the home.” Andy sighed. This was what was bothering him. “Andy, what is it?” “Vaila and Cari helped him.” Vaila didn’t surprise her much. He might be young, but he was Shunati’s son. But Cari? “Cari has healing?” Andy nodded. “And she’s an Augmenter and can augment healing. She’s been draining Vaila so it wouldn’t hurt. Both have been hiding it and their magic so no one would worry. Cari’s afraid we’ll send her away like Nim was.” “That’s why she wants to go to Nim’s school,” Ann guessed. “There are other mages so they talk about it.” Andy nodded. “I said I’d talk to you, but I don’t see why she couldn’t go. Nim does a good job teaching most of the same things.” Ann nodded. “I agree and she’ll be with her friends. She is a princess, but she’s so far down the line of succession, that she’ll never have to worry about the throne. We’ll talk to Nim. Where is she?” “With the healers. Both she and Lamdi think there was more to it than just a stroke,” Andy explained. “They want us to join them since Cari’s having trouble expressing herself.” He led her to Shunati’s office. “Mommy!” Cari hugged her. “Grandpa Emeton said I could go to Nim’s school with Bre and Vaila.” Ann nodded. “We’ll talk with Nim tomorrow.” She picked the girl up. “But tonight, we need to help Uncle Tolin.” “He was acting funny and there was a problem in his brain. Grandpa Thailyn said it was a stroke. But there was something in there.” “She keeps saying that. We told her it was a blood clot. She won’t listen,” Thailyn told her. “It didn’t feel like a normal stroke but I can’t tell what’s off after they worked on him,” Lamdi added. “Cari, do you know what a clot is?” Andy asked. Cari shook her head. Thailyn explained it and Ann simplified it for her. “I saw that,” Vaila said. “I did too, but there was something else,” Cari insisted. “Vaila did you see anything else?” Shunati asked. Vaila shook his head. “But I was looking at the clot. Cari was looking at other things.” “Cari, what else was it?” Andy asked. “Could it have been magic?” Ann asked. Cari shook her head. “No. It was yucky.” “Yucky?” Thailyn frowned. “Like an illness?” “No, more like a potion but different. There was no healing. More like what happened to Bre.” “Bre? When?” “When he was little, but there was no clot. His was in his lungs.” “The sunset lily spores?” Shunati guessed. “He’s never had any serious lung problems.” “Did Mom have the same problems?” Andy asked. Cari took Ann’s hand. She nodded. “It’s kind of like that but not from a plant. I don’t know what it’s from, like the yellow stuff Jeff drank.” “Jeff?” Shunati asked. “My cousin on Earth,” Cari said. “One of Sam’s grandkids,” Andy explained. “It was in a little cup and it smelled funny. He made a face when he drank it.” “When was this?” Andy asked. “When I visited at Halloween.” “We could talk to Steve,” Thailyn suggested. Shunati got out a scrying mirror and Ann cast the spell. “Dad?” Andy called when they could see him. “Andy, is everything okay?” Steve asked, looking at the healers with him. “We’re hoping. Tolin had a stroke. Cari’s developing some healing ability and she was trying to help him. She said she saw something but the healers can’t find it now. She compared it to something yellow that Jeff drank back when you saw them at Halloween.” Steve sighed and thought. “He was drinking a soda, but Cari knows what those are. And I don’t think it was yellow. No, I remember it was a Pepsi. He was disappointed because it wasn’t Coke. But he needed something to drink.” He stopped for a moment. “That’s right he had a cough. Mark gave him some cough medicine. I think it was yellow. Cari was looking at the bottle.” “I wanted to try to read it like Grandpa does potions,” Cari said. “A lot of medicines are synthetic,” Thailyn said. “Maybe this was too.” “So it was a synthetic poison that caused the stroke?” Andy asked. “Now, what is going on there?” Steve asked. “We don’t know,” Ann said. “Something seems to be starting.” “Well, you better keep us informed,” Steve insisted. “You know how Carla worries.” “We will, Dad,” Andy promised. Ann ended the spell. “How did he get poisoned?” Lamdi asked. “It would have had to have been recent or we would have read something. And most poisons that cause strokes are ingested.” “But he eats at home most of the time.” “He was in the barroom last night. There was a group of us drinking,” Thailyn said. “But then more people would be having problems,” Shunati reasoned. “Plenty were using the bar last night.” Thailyn shook his head. “He sent a page for some drinks they were out of. He, Tylan, and Kritalla had whiskey. Deyama had some Green Glen wine, but it was too sweet so she and Tolin traded.” Shunati frowned. “She should not be drinking whiskey.” “You tell her.” “I did. And I talked to Vor. He keeps an eye on her.” “The baby would be her death,” Ann said. “What?” Thailyn frowned. “Kritalla’s warning. They would make sure the baby would be the death of her. What would have happened if Deyama had drunk the poison?” “The stroke would have probably killed her,” Thailyn said. “Tolin’s bigger and not pregnant. That helped and so did the kids. He’s lucky they were there.” “Really?” Cari asked. Thailyn nodded. “We’re like heroes,” she told Vaila. Vaila smiled a little, but looked unsure. “You did good, buddy,” Shunati assured him. “But what about Deyama and the babies?” “What do you mean?” “If it was too sweet, she drank it,” the boy explained. “Vaila, buddy, I was just up there. She’s fine.” “But you didn’t see the potion in Uncle Tolin,” he protested. “I can take Cari and Lamdi up to check on her,” Thailyn offered. “Maybe Cari can help me determine more about the poison.” He glanced at Ann and Andy for permission. Ann nodded.