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“Thank you, Olish.” Solin raked a hand through his long black hair. His tone made the young healer shut up, hanging his head in contrition.
“Sorry, Solin. I just...it’s new for all of us. None of us have lived with a flame-bound pairing before. I don’t know how much she’ll feel from Aktor’s pain or him from hers. I’ve done my best to treat both exactly the same, so there will be no complications in the future.”
My heartrate climbed as Solin caught my gaze.
The rest of the night came back in full colour, noise, and horror.
The mating promise. The blood bind. The grief I’d choked on as I ran and Darro’s heartsick kiss as he chased after me.
With a small shake of his head, Solin stemmed my questions. Glancing at Olish, he raised an eyebrow. “If you’ve done all you can for now, I need some time alone with my acolyte.”
Olish beamed. “Of course. I can’t tell you how excited we are, Runa.” His blue eyes met mine. “For Solin to finally claim a successor. He mentioned that you are interested in learning our craft, and it would be an absolute honour to—”
“Later, Olish.” Solin smiled gently. “Give Runa a few days to...come to terms with her new standing and then she can request whatever learning she wishes.” His shoulders remained slouched and for the first time since I’d shared Solin’s lupic, he wore no braids, no beads or feathers. His glossy strands were tangled and chaotic down his back as if he’d not stopped tugging it in worry all night.
“Happy to help.” Olish grinned as he stood. “Teaching your acolyte in any gift she wishes to know would be an honour.” Tying his medicine pouch around his waist, he smoothed it along his bison fur-clad hip. His slight build and light skin made the ash-tattoo of a spider squatting on his shoulder all the more glaring.
His tussock pale hair swung around his jawline as he chuckled, catching me looking at it. “Spiders are revered by healers, did you know that? When Solin told me that the spider had chosen to be my spirit guardian, I couldn’t sleep for a week, I was so filled with joy.”
Solin crossed his arms, his patience thin, but he didn’t kick out the young healer.
I wanted to talk to the Fire Reader in private. I needed answers to what’d happened last night and find out where Darro was, but I smiled at Olish’s eagerness and rubbed at an ache on my elbow. Swallowing past the lingering pain in my neck, I asked, “Why are spiders revered?”
“Because their web has proven to be one of the best dressings for bad wounds. Before, a feverish cut or injury would often spell death, but thanks to learning how to stitch flesh together and then binding the wound in spider silk, the likelihood of survival is much, much higher.” His eyes lit up with knowledge and passion for his calling. “The body accepts the web as part of its own. It provides strength to the blood to fight off fevers and dissolves as the wound heals so you don’t have to damage new tissue to remove it. Pallen has been sampling the use of spider silk for decades—using it in topical uses and tonics, dried and fresh. She has a basket in her lupic where she keeps a family of spiders that have been paramount in evolving our level of care and progress in healing.”
I smiled, infected by his eagerness, drawn along with the promise of learning those secrets for myself. I didn’t know how I felt about spiders living in the medicine woman’s lupic, but to know what he did about such creatures and their gifts almost overshadowed the pain I felt.
The pain that I’d earned from...
Darro.
My heart seized.
Darro was the reason I’d woken with no knowledge of how last night ended. He was the reason I had a healer once again nursing me back to health.
But...it wasn’t his fault.
He’d been trying to protect me—
“You have my gratitude at soothing Runa’s discomfort, Olish, but I must insist you allow us to speak privately now.” Solin smiled away the sting of his command but never took his eyes off him.
A pink blush coloured his cheeks as Olish nodded and strode toward the exit. “Come find me when you’re well, Runa, and I’ll give you whatever knowledge you request.” He winked and added, “Plus, there’s something you can do for me in return. I haven’t forgotten about your promise to give me whatever I desired after nursing you back from the dead when we first found you. I finally know what I want in return.”
I stiffened. “Wh-what do you want?”
He flicked a look at Solin. “We’ll speak later. For now, rest, heal, get strong.” Without another word, he slipped through the unthreaded exit of the lupic and disappeared into the sunlight.
