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“You better do as the human asks,” Nikita said. “I will not waste time on her when my prince’s life is in danger.”
“I can stitch you,” I said, glancing around for a suture and thread. A medical tent had to have one.
Kelia grabbed my wrist and yanked me toward her. “Every moment you waste puts us all in danger. Mab needs us.”
Nikita ripped off the prince’s shirt, revealing a black festering wound and a black spiderweb of lines expanding out and up. “If this poison reaches your heart, you’ll be dead. We need a life crystal, or I must cut the arm.”
“You’re not cutting anything,” the queen said. “If I wanted my son dead, I’d do it myself. We’ll send someone to the core.”
“The core? Surely, there’s a less dangerous way to save his life?” Shaking my head, I raked my mind for an answer that wouldn’t put us in any more danger.
“Mother’s right. From this location, it’s the closest. The crystals grow close to the surface, but we’re not near any of those entrances.” The prince hissed and laid back on the cot.
“Do it now,” Kelia said, tugging on my arm. “This is our only option. Every moment you waste puts Mab in danger. She needs us.”
I hated this option. Loathed it, but Kelia was right. With a silent nod, I gave into her crazy demands.
Relief washed over her face, and she began pulling up her shirt. I moved to block her from the others in the tent. While I had fantasized about her undressing, this was not the scenario I envisioned. She winced as she tried to move.
“Let me,” I sighed and grabbed a pair of scissors off the nearby table. I sat on the edge of the cot and began cutting her shirt down the middle. “Cover them with your hands while I do this . . . which I still think is a ridiculous option.”
Ripping the fabric free from her chest, she quickly covered herself. “Just hurry.”
“I hate this plan.”
Her eyes watered. “I know.”
“You need to bite down on something.” I took my belt off and brought it to her mouth. “Sorry, I don’t have anything cleaner.”
Without waiting for a countdown, I called the fire to my fingertips as she bit into the leather. “I promise to make the searing as small as possible.
She closed her eyes and then I began.
With a slow stroke, I cauterized the skin by the wound. Her body tensed, every muscle of hers clenching as the scent of burned flesh filled the tent. Muffled cries left her mouth as I closed the first wound then moved to the one that went across her chest and up toward her left breast, right by her heart. Another cry and her hands fell away as she passed out.
Dark hands came into view, followed by a piece of linen. Queen Merelda covered Kelia up, giving her privacy. The queen nodded at me to continue, and I did, knowing that these scars would always be a reminder of what I’d done. If only she had trusted me enough with her plan we could have avoided all of this.
With the wounds closed, I stepped back, shaking and feeling all out of sorts. “I need a moment.”
“I’ll dress the rest.” Queen Merelda gazed at Kelia with almost a reverence. The queen wasn’t exactly a fan of the other races, but she had a deep respect for power. “As soon as she wakes, take her with you. We don’t know what that darkthing wants with Mab or why it traveled here. Did you notice how that last group maneuvered?”
“I did. Very hive like.”
“Yes. Now, go rest. I need you at full power for what comes next.”
Stepping out of the tent, I searched for a drink, anything to cool me down. A clay barrel sat near the side of a long table arrayed with roasted mushrooms and bloom berries—one of my favorite fruits from the Underground. The plum hued berries had a deep, robust taste. Taking the ladle out of the barrel, I drank, the water refreshing my throat and thoughts. Taking a few berries, I moved away from the noise to a quieter area of the cave where a set of smoothed out rocks had been created for seating.
I’d give the surface one thing; they had much better seating and views. My thoughts went to Mab then to Kelia until my head swarmed with questions and the pain was almost too much to bear.
