Page 103 of The Frog Prince

“It is not grave,” Otto said. “At least, I hope it isn’t. But it is risky and quite probably very foolish.”

“What is it?”

Otto took a deep breath, closing his eyes and wishing Alwin was there to lend him some of his quiet, reassuring strength. He was safer with Gisela in Otto’s house, away from prying eyes, but how Otto missed him by his side.

He clutched the vial in his pocket and pulled it out, the dark, deep blue glimmering in the light of the fire flickering in the corner of the room.

He opened his hand and showed it to Frieda, allowing her to hold it, inspect it, and turn it over while he gathered his thoughts and explained to her what he wanted to do.

“This…could be a cure,” he said finally.

She startled, turning wide eyes to him. Eyes that burned with hope he both appreciated and feared. Eyes that trusted him more than he thought he deserved.

“Otto!” she exclaimed, already gripping the cork and pushing herself out of the chair as she rushed to give it to her mother.

“Wait,” he implored. “Please.”

She froze in place, sitting back down stiffly.

“Why wait? Otto, she barely has hours left in her. We have to—”

“I want to save her, Frieda,” he said. “I want to save them all. But I don’t… I am not certain this will work.”

She sagged in her chair, fingers going loose around the vial and eyes darting between him and her mother as the hope dimmed right before him. “You don’t know.”

“I found a plant that has incredible healing properties. It can do so much more than anyone even knows…”

“But?” Her voice was terse, her chin jutting out as she clenched her teeth to stop it from wobbling.

“It can also be a poison. It can damage and even kill.”

“I do not understand,” she said, shaking her head.

“I am almost certain I have done the right thing here. I have followed all of the known instructions, and in my heart I know this can help her, but I also want to be completely honest with you when I say that this has never been used like this before, and I am going into this as blind as anyone else.”

“What is the worst that can happen?” Frieda asked, and Otto looked her in the eye, feeling like he owed her that connection as he delivered the news.

“It kills her instantly,” Otto said.

She gasped, clamping her teeth around her bottom lip.

“I am already dead, boy.” A frail voice drifted through deafening silence, and Otto snapped his head around to find Brigit awake, two pale blue eyes staring at him from the bed.

“Brigit” He blinked hard.

“Give me that vial,” she said.

“You realize what’s at stake here?” he asked, and she threw him a look that would have sent a braver man than he was cowering in fear.

“Hours of suffering until I meet the same end? It doesn’t feel like a risk, my boy.”

“But…”

“It feels like a lifeline,” she said. “One final chance.”

“And if it doesn’t work?”

“Then you know to keep looking. My death will have been useful for something. It’s valuable knowledge to have.”