Fortune Favors the Bold

14

Ricin: a poison naturally found in castor beans. A pulp of approximately eight beans was required to kill an adult, but purified from the beans, only 2 injected and 2000 eaten milligrams could easily do the same job. That was less than a single teaspoon.

They'd eaten far more than that amount for breakfast. The only difference between Kalani and the girl lying in bed across from her was that Not-Castiel had gotten there in time to force it out of her system.

Kalani could hardly listen to Tamara, all her focus on the sleeping blonde that remained oblivious to just how her body would fail her. She didn't need to listen to Tamara's words about how her cells would no longer be able to produce the proteins they require to live and would slowly die out one by one, ultimately killing her.

Three days.

She would be dead before three days passed.

This isn't our fault, is it? Ellie's voice asked in Kalani's head, but she didn't have an answer to the question. Kalani felt fully responsible for what was happening to Aurora. She'd been the one to give her the can of beans that would kill her –even if she hadn't known.

"This is all her fault!" Junfeng shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Kalani through evident fury. "How many other people will she have to kill before you all realize she's causing all of this?"

Tamara turned to him. "This is nobody's fault. Kalani couldn't have known there was anything in the can when she offered it to Aurora. She was just trying to give her something she could eat since nobody else bothered to," she quickly came to Kalani's defense.

"Bullshit," Chidi seethed, glaring past Assad at the girl she never liked. Not-Castiel prioritizing his pair didn't make it any easier to like her. "She left as soon as she gave it to Aurora. She probably went to throw it up. That's why she's alive and she-" she pointed to the sleeping girl. "-won't be."

"I didn't know there was anything in there," Kalani spoke quietly, still not able to help but feel responsible for all of it. If she hadn't given the can to Aurora and simply thrown it out, none of this would have happened. But, if she had done it, then nobody would have known of the poison in the can and she would've been the one to die.

Chidi scoffed. "Oh, really? Never mind, I guess that rules you out. Let's go around the circle and ask everyone if they're the killer."

Kalani rolled her eyes. "What about you? You've only been going around and accusing others. Why don't you take a look at yourself? Your Pair is dead, after all. That makes you more of a suspect than most of us."

She raised her eyes. "How?"

"Because Pairs are the closest people you can reach and quietly kill. That's why most of you were accusing Mason before he died, right? Or does that same logic not apply to you?" She asked, referring specifically to Chidi and Junfeng.

"Did you forget that you're the one who found the white boy before we even knew he'd died?" Chidi retorted, taking a step forward.

Kalani scoffed. "Oh, let it go. That's all you have on me."

"You were close to all the people who died: the first to meet Alaska, the most trusted by Hiromi, Mason's best friend, and always there to cheerlead for Aurora. Does that seem like a coincidence to you?" She took another step. This time, Kalani did the same and both came only a foot from one another.

"Hiromi and I hardly even spoke and Aurora was respected by everyone –we all know that. Grow up, Chidi. You're so consumed with your own jealousy that you don't even realize how dumb you sound."

Chidi chuckled, finding humor in Kalani's words. "You're the only one who seems dumb around here, Kalani. I don't blame you though, the educational standards in Vlasteri are garbage. Makes sense that you're missing some screws," she reached up, shoving her index finger into Kalani's temple with a force that made her stumble.