Page 16 of A Kingdom of Magic and Rain

“She’s right, and Tom is also right. My days are busy; it’s difficult to find time to work with you.”

My brows knitted. I didn’t want to pull the lord away from his duties, but my mission was bigger than his daily tasks. If the wards failed, there would no longer be a region to run, or a kingdom. I shuddered at the thought.

“You’re shivering. Are you cold? Do you want to head back to the house?” Gray asked me.

“No. It’s not from the cold. I just… I’m sorry for being an inconvenience. You have no idea how much I want to unlock my magic and get out of your hair.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Clearly, it is,” I grumbled and stomped away.

When he didn’t follow after me, I halted and retraced my steps. Gray was in the same spot I had left him. He was on his haunches, studying something in front of him on the ground.

“What is it?” I bent down to take a closer look at the small animal with a cone-shaped face, short legs, and a coat of stiff, sharp quills. “A hedgehog… What is it doing out during the day?”

“I think it’s unwell because of the cold.”

My heart squeezed, and I lowered to my knees next to the unmoving creature. I slid the blanket off my shoulders and held it out to Gray. Following my cue, he gently picked up the hedgehog and helped me wrap it in the cloth.

“Can you do anything for him or is it too late?” I cradled the bundle to my chest.

Emeraldians could heal not only land but also living creatures. The job required powerful magic and a considerable amount of effort. Those more proficient at it than others became veterinarians. Very rarely did we use our abilities to heal people, still relying on traditional medicine for such a delicate task.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Gray said, rising to his full height. He clasped my shoulders and helped me up to my feet. “But first, we need to get you two inside.”

I nodded, barely feeling the cold on my skin. It was nothing compared to the chill inside my heart. Seeing an animal suffering because of the changing weather was more than unsettling.

We quickly returned to the house, where Killian instantly came to our aid. He confirmed that the hedgehog was male, and repurposed one of the wooden crates he had in the pantry into a nest box for the animal.

“Keep him swaddled in the blanket for warmth. I’ll collect some insects for him to eat when he comes to,” the butler told us before he left the kitchen.

“He’s very knowledgeable,” I observed after the door had closed behind him.

“He is,” Gray concurred. “May I?”

He gingerly placed his hand on the bundle in my arms, and a moment later, his powers began flowing into the hedgehog. He healed the animal for a few short minutes, and by the time he was done, the creature began to stir.

“Thank the Stars!” I exhaled with relief, quickly looking up at the ceiling. “Thank you,” I told Gray, lowering my gaze back down to meet his. “Are you all right? I’ve heard that healing animals is quite taxing.”

“It is, but that’s why I used only a fraction of my powers. This little guy still has a long road ahead of him before he’s fully rehabilitated.”

I looked down at the hedgehog. “He needs a name if he’ll be staying with us for a while.”

“I agree. Any suggestions?” Gray asked, with curiosity in his voice.

“How about 'Prickles’?”

He chuckled. “No, it must be more dignified. How about ‘Quilliam’?”

A smile tugged at my lips despite the circumstances. “‘Quilliam’ it is.”

“Gray, what are you doing?!” Tom exclaimed as he burst into the kitchen. “We’re going to be late for your meeting! And where is Killian? He’s supposed to drive us!”

“There was an emergency,” the lord replied.

“What?” Tom’s gaze darted between Gray and me.

“We found this dying hedgehog.” I showed him the bundle.