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“It certainly is. And the only polite thing to do at this point is knock.” Amara walked up the neat path that led to the front door and rapped loudly on the wood.
A glad cry sounded from inside, and the door was wrenched open. A man appeared, but as soon as he took in Amara’s appearance, his face fell, his expression changing from glad welcome to horror within seconds.
ChapterSix
“Please don’t be alarmed,” Amara said quickly. “We don’t mean you any harm.”
“Don’t touch me!” the man said roughly, pulling out a knife and holding it up defiantly, although the hand that held it trembled.
I swayed forward, wanting to run to support Amara, but caution held me in place. I didn’t want to cause the man to panic and attack.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’m not a healer.” An unnatural wind swept past us and through the cabin door, clearly demonstrating her affinity.
The man relaxed slightly although he didn’t lower his knife. Peering over her shoulder, he narrowed his eyes at where the rest of us were grouped together in frozen stillness.
“I did, however, bring a healer with me,” Amara continued, making the man start violently. “And my healer tells me that someone inside this house is in need of medical assistance.”
She met his gaze, her eyes steady, and I wasn’t surprised to see him flinch. I had been the recipient of that gaze often enough myself to know its effect.
I finally let myself step forward to join her. Nik grabbed at my arm, his eyes on the knife blade, but I shook him off and he let me go.
“I’m Delphine,” I said in as calming a tone as I could manage. “And I’m a healing apprentice.” I nodded toward Amara. “She’s my master.”
His eyes widened. “You’re cross-influenced? My grandma told me about that, but I’ve never met anyone who was.”
I nodded. “Then you must know I don’t come from the island. I’m not like the Constantines. All I want to do is assist the sick child.”
He hesitated, glancing over his shoulder, and I could guess what was making him waver. From this proximity, I was certain the child inside was extremely ill. This family must have been avoiding healers for years, but now they had desperate need of one.
“Do you have any strength?” he asked roughly.
“My apprentice will be a master one day,” Amara said with complete certainty.
The man’s eyes widened as he gave me a second look. I shifted uncomfortably.
“I don’t know about that,” I said. “But I think I know what that girl in there has, and I’m certain I can help her.”
I had encountered enough cases to know what the slow heartbeat and rattling breaths meant.
“You’re sure?” he asked, and I could hear the indecision in his voice.
“Yes.” I tried to look as trustworthy as possible. “But the sooner I help her, the better. I can’t be sure without a proper examination, but she sounds like she’s already well advanced in the illness.”
“She’s not the only one who’s sick,” Amara told him gently. “This disease has spread through the whole town. My apprentice may be young, but she knows what she’s doing.”
“Fine,” the man said, “but she comes in alone. And she doesn’t touch anyone except the patient.”
I nodded eagerly, my concern for the girl growing as I heard her give a racking cough and sensed her heartbeat dip even further in response.
“Absolutely not,” Nik said in a harsh voice.
He stepped forward to my side, and the man’s eyes narrowed, his gaze taking in Nik’s stance and the weapon on his hip.
“How about a compromise?” Amara said. “I will accompany my apprentice inside, and the rest of our group will remain out here.”
The man’s eyes flicked to the remaining two, but he was too distracted by Nik to give them more than a passing glance. If that distraction was the reason for him failing to recognize the one Constantine among us, then Nik’s protective instincts had achieved some good at least.
“Very well,” he said after a moment. “Just the two of you.”
