The woman began choking, her airway closing or flooding or both at once. Not naturally. Not from external cause. Foam mixed with blood at her lips while her body spasmed uncontrollably against the chains, muscles seizing in patterns that looked more like machinery failing than organic distress.
Marcus's expression shifted immediately as understanding hit him.
"Poison."
The realization struck hard, settling over everyone present like cold water. Embedded. Failsafe. Built into her from the beginning.
Her breathing collapsed into wet choking sounds while her body shook harder with each passing second. Veins darkened visibly beneath her skin, spreading upward along her neck like ink dispersing through water, creating patterns that looked deliberately designed rather than naturally occurring.
