“She’s strong and well kept. To make your anti-venom, we immunize horses with the venom and extract the serum. Once a horse has been immunized, we cannot use that horse again. I will have to make more of this serum for my people; that means immunizing another horse.”
Horror flashed across Luca’s eyes. He’d been with Mira since she’d been foaled. “She won’t be injured in the process?”
“No. She will be well cared for.”
Shock rode the princess’s face. Turning down a diamond that could buy ten horses in favor of immediate satisfaction? It was shortsighted indeed. There was much about survival in the Torrent that her father, Koldo, and all her instructors combined failed to teach her.
Luca watched Amarande, as did the healer and her apprentice.
“Well, little queen?”
They were a sunup-to-sundown ride away from the Itspi now. She didn’t know how long that would take to walk, but she guessed four days, if not five. But maybe someone else would be swayed by her diamonds and help them. She’d be smarter about how she presented them and herself.
“Yes,” Amarande said, a quiver in her voice. “For the anti-venom, you may have her.”
That horror didn’t stray from Luca’s eyes, though now guilt shaded them, too. “Ama, not Mira. No.”
Amarande bent to his ear. “I can’t lose you. She will be fine, and this way so will you.”
Naiara got to work. Señe began sterilizing Luca’s wound, while the healer rifled through drawers built into the walls of the carriage, finding the right anti-venom. Amarande finally found room to breathe deeply, clutching Luca’s hand the whole time. He stayedcalm, though a fresh sweat cropped up on his brow as Señe toiled, the disinfectants doing their work. Finally, Naiara produced a vial.
“Drink this down. The whole thing. It does not taste good, but to keep that leg, I think you can stomach it, sweet boy.” Luca took it and, without hesitation, swallowed it down. “Good. Now,kidege,lay your head down and sleep. You will wake in an hour. Good as new.”
The coach was such that Luca couldn’t stretch out, not really. He put his head on a pillow, knees pulled in close and feet grazing the opposite end of the carriage. Amarande grabbed his hand and held tight, watching his eyelids sweep closed. In less than a minute, his breathing changed and he was asleep, his cheek lolling against Amarande’s knee.
Not caring what the healers thought, the princess pulled his head into the cradle of her lap, fluffing the fabric of her skirt and underpinnings so that he might lie more comfortably. Then she watched him as the women cleaned up their tinctures and dressings. As they finished, Naiara knelt next to Luca.
“Little queen, he must be stationary for a day.”
The princess’s eyes flew up. “A day? But we need to get home.”
The healer was unmoved. “Twelve hours, but then no walking. Riding only.”
“You just took our horse. How are we supposed to ride?”
Again, Naiara ignored her question. “His body must have time to accept the medication. And if there are complications—”
The princess’s heart stopped. “Complications? What complications?”
“A bite like this is difficult to judge for dosing. Given too much, and his blood might clot more than it should. Or his body may reject the serum altogether and send him into shock.”
Amarande swallowed, trying very hard to recover her voice. It was tight when the words finally came. “I wish you would’ve told us this before you administered it to him.”
The woman’s eyes met hers. They weren’t cold, simply stern. “Would you have not done it?”
“Well, I… no, I would’ve done it.”
Naiara nodded, eyes downcast on Luca’s face.
“Little queen,” the woman said, a drop of kindness finally in her voice for the princess, “I’ve done all I can to ensure he will survive this. Now you must heed my warning and let him rest as long and as well as you are able.”
CHAPTER
33
THEcaravan trudged on for hours more until it slowed, the swell of orders and answers pushing past the carriage curtains.
They’d reached their destination for the night—the Hand.
