Page 71 of A Spell of Heart & Havoc

Bastion Sling.

After all these past days of worry, assuming the worst—that our messenger birds hadn’t arrived, that he’d been imprisoned, or his ship sunk on the journey over, or worse—and here, suddenly, was Bastion. As haphazardly handsome as always, perched on top of his ever-present trunk that had seen better days. He’d made it.

We barreled together in a hug, clutching each other tightly. After a moment, I pulled back, introducing him to Dove and asking about his health, his journey, anything to keep myself from inquiring about the one thing I most desperately wanted to know. Now that we were here, the hope was almost crushing. I avoided looking at Balfie, focusing instead on Bastion Sling’s comfortingly familiar face—though it seemed to have acquired a couple more scars here and there since the last time we’d seen each other. What had he gotten into lately?

Dove and I pulled over some more chairs, and Orinno brewed us all a pot of strong black tea, served alongside some cinnamon cloud biscuits that Choia had sent over from the manor earlier. Finally, Bastion told us what we’d been waiting on tenterhooks to hear.

“I got it. A good big chunk of the crystal. But Maerryl, I’m sorry—I still don’t think it’s enough.” His sad eyes caught mine as he sighed heavily.

My heart plummeted into my stomach.

“It’s still regulated like mad there,” Bastion continued. “Even worse than before, everything remaining held up tight by the crime bosses and the government. I did what I could, but… it’s just impossible to get ahold of enough to cure someone. You know how it is. I’m—I’m so sorry.”

I did know. But it hurt fiercely all the same, having this last hope smashed out of me. No matter what I did, no matter if I had the coin, I couldn’t save my brother. Because of these rich, evil assholes keeping the cure away for shits and giggles. For their own gain.

“Can I see it?” Dove asked softly. “The crystal?”

Bastion tugged a chain from around his neck, revealing the pouch from where it had been hidden securely under his shirt and jacket. He passed it over to her.

She pulled out a shimmering rock, pale gold alighting in her brown hands. To me, who’d dreamed of finally getting this for the past long few years, it looked massive at first. But I knew deep down Bastion was right. It couldn’t be bigger than a quail’s egg. Dove cradled the crystal in her palms, looking ponderously down at it. A fresh wave of despair passed through me, and I slumped my head forward onto my brother’s bed.

Minutes passed, and I slowed my breathing, trying to recenter. Bastion’s hand rubbed my back in a comforting circle, like he used to during those weeks in the infirmary while we sat together at Balfie’s bedside. I heard Orinno, a steady, solemn presence in the background, pouring me another cup of tea. Suddenly, Bastion’s hand left my back. A chair fell over as he leapt out of his seat and shouted, “Holy BOAR on a BARREL! How did you do that?!”

I jolted upright to find him clutching his hair, stock-still, staring at Dove.

Dove, who held in one hand the little chunk of crystal… and another crystal nearly twice the size of it in the other. Dark purple half-moons had appeared under her eyes, and she looked like she needed a very solid nap. But her gaze rose to mine, pride and relief spilling out along with some tears. I stood abruptly too, my own chair falling back with a clatter.

“I didn’t want to say anything until I tried it,” she whispered shakily. “I thought there might be a chance because of—of what I can do. But I didn’t know for sure…”

Bastion took the precious crystals from her carefully, examining them closely. I rushed to Dove and swept her up in a bear hug, unthinking.

“You absolute GENIUS! You—you brilliant, wonderful miracle of a woman! AHHH!!!” I squeezed her in the way that always made her squeal. At her chiming laughter, I came back to myself, realizing what I was doing. Carefully letting her go, I stepped back out of her space. But she reached out to grab my hand with a smile.

“You did it,” she said, eyes glassy with unshed tears.

I shook my head, dazed. “No, you did it. We did it.”

Orinno called one of the other healers on duty over, and together, they prepared the cure. After grinding up the crystal to a powder, they added some liquid that made it into a pool of light gold, thick as heavy cream. After an incantation or blessing or some kind of magical nonsense was intoned over it multiple times, my pulse ratcheting up as the minutes passed, Orinno finally declared it ready.

We propped my brother’s frail body up in the bed with about five pillows, making sure he was upright and secure. Then, with a steady hand, the cleric opened Balfie’s mouth and very slowly, carefully poured the cure down until every last drop of the shimmering liquid was gone. I tipped Balfie’s chin closed and kissed his small cheek.

This had to work.

My last chance. Everything I’d done for the past years; everything I’d fought and stolen and starved and lied for.

I kneeled on the floor against Balfie’s bed, holding one of his little hands tight, staring for moment after moment at his face. Watching for any sign of movement. Anything.

The minutes ticked by. I barely breathed, and it felt like everyone else in the room was suspended too. We all waited. And waited.

Wake up, I begged in my mind. Please.

Balfie’s eyelids flickered lightly. Once, then again. His tiny chest began to rise higher, taking a deep breath for the first time in years. Someone let out a sob of relief, and as if from a distance, I realized it had been me.

The small hand I held pulsed, weakly squeezing back. And my brother opened his eyes. Looking around, he found me beside him.

“Mae,” he croaked. Tears dripped down my nose. A smile touched his mouth, the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. “You’re back,” Balfie said. “I knew you’d come back for me.”

I hugged him then, laughing and crying, held him so close until he started wriggling. “Maeee, geroff! You’re like a sack of potatoes!” And then hugged him some more, covering his face and head with kisses.