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“What happened?”
Before Emilie could fill me in on the details, two healers barged through the crowd and knelt beside us. They began to work with such focus and determination, drowning out the din of onlookers. They swatted away my hand without an ounce of remorse, but I didn’t mind in the slightest. I’d allow them to punch me in the face if it would save my brother.
“Will he be alright?” I heard Emilie ask quietly. I was thankful she had the energy to speak because I couldn’t muster any. My mind was numb as I reached to hold my brother’s hand. His cold, blood-soaked hand.
“He’s lost a lot of blood—which we can replace—but this wound appears to be resistant to our healing methods. It isn’t closing properly.” Indeed, when I looked at his midsection, I could still see more blood oozing from the wound. With their healing ointments, it should’ve been closed by now. “Let’s get him back to camp and try some other remedies.”
“You can save him, right?” I asked. In all that chatter, I hadn’t heard the healer confirm that my brother would be okay. They still seemed to be lost in their work. I raised my voice. “You can save him. Can’t you?”
“We will do everything we can.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Ladon
The full moon lit the night sky and shimmered on the smooth sea waters. It was a calm night, barely a breeze coming off the coast. I’d missed this view so much during the past few months. There were times I wondered if I’d ever see Renoa again, and it hardly seemed real now.
We arrived back home two days ago, after rounding up the last of Reyna’s armies. Many were killed. Some we kept for questioning. And then there were those that managed to escape and flee the battleground. We’d have to address the unrest in Murvort soon. With Reyna on the run, a new leader would come to rise soon and it was in our best interest to throw our support behind someone more agreeable, and not one of her minions.
The city had planned a reception for our arrival, but the party quickly sobered when they learned of Cyrus’s injury. He wasn’t the only one with a mysterious infection. At least a dozen others had been poisoned on the battlefield and, so far, our healers had yet to find a cure. I was just grateful it hadn’t been more.
Clouds began to fill the sky, and I felt a sprinkle of rain on my skin. I sighed, knowing it was time to head back inside, even if I would’ve preferred staying out all night. There was something so comforting about the open sky after being caged under a mountain for months.
The halls were quiet. I wasn’t even sure what time it was. I only knew I had difficulty sleeping alone in my enormous bed. It felt wrong somehow. I’d always had trouble sleeping, but now it was like I didn’t belong anymore. The man who used to sleep in that bed was gone, and I was searching empty halls to find a trace of him again.
I passed the training grounds and then the hall that led down to the dungeons. I was about to pass the library when I heard what sounded like a book hitting the floor. I kept moving, intent on going back to my room, but then I paused. There were few people who would be up so late, and even fewer who would be in the library.
Quietly, I entered and followed the sound of scuffling shoes. I only had to look through three aisles before I found Emilie attempting to balance a stack of books in her arms.
I leaned against the bookshelf and crossed my arms. She tried to pull another tome from the shelf and place it on the already-too-tall stack of books. It swayed, and I thought for sure they were going to tumble out of her hands.
“Need some help?”
Emilie nearly jumped out of her skin and the stack of books crashed to the floor. She placed her hand on her chest like it might settle her pounding heart and let out an exaggerated sigh.
“You scared me half to death.”
“Sorry about that. Reading anything interesting?” I asked, stepping forward and reaching for one of the books at her feet. It was a book dedicated to the theory of experimental healing. “Oh, just a bit of light reading, I see.”
She smiled as she took the book from me. “I feel like I should be doing something…for Cyrus and the others.”
I knew better than to tell her to leave it alone. In fact, if anyone could solve the mystery, it would be Emilie and her passion for knowledge.
“Has there been any progress?” she asked, sounding hopeful.
“The healers have already gone through a list of a hundred possible poisons and their antidotes. None of them have been successful so far. We’ve sent communication to the healers in Moridia. The harpy seemed to think that was a good idea. Given Reyna’s affinity for the creatures of Moridia, it’s possible the poison also originated on their continent.”
She nodded. “That would make sense. I hope they’re able to identify it for you. And where is Reyna now?”
“Still working on that, too. Though, I think we’re closing in on a lead.” We were closer than that. We knew Reyna had a getaway ship in Sage Harbor, manned at all times in case of an emergency, and was likely headed for the continent of Wyland. But I didn’t want to tell Emilie about the bloodied soldiers in the dungeons who’d been tortured for that information. I’d tell her when we knew for certain what our next steps were.
Her half smile was missing the familiar sparkle as she bent to collect the rest of her books. She placed them one by one on an empty shelf, and I made a mental note to have them delivered to her room first thing in the morning.
“Emilie?” I whispered.
“Yes?”
“Tell me something honest.”
