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Ida cleared her throat significantly, and I finally examined the rest of the home. A large open room contained a dining table as well as cooking facilities. Two doors opened off the far wall, both propped wide to allow a view of the room beyond. One bedroom held a large bed that was already occupied by a man and woman. The other held two single beds. One seemed untouched, while the other was rumpled but currently empty.
I took a second look at the main room and noticed two pallets had been shoved against one of the walls, limiting the floor space. A young boy lay on one of the pallets, murmuring fitfully and staring at me.
“They insisted I take one of the bedrooms,” Ida said. “So Grandmother and the boy have been sleeping out here.”
I held out a hand, beckoning her to come closer. As soon as she was within reach, I latched onto her wrist. It only took a moment to ascertain she was healthy. I withdrew with a sigh of relief.
“It hasn’t infected you yet. Until we know what’s going on here, you’re moving into the manor with me. And that way these two can move back into proper beds.”
Ida nodded, making no protest this time given the circumstances. Launching into action, she helped the elderly lady into the untouched bed. While she did so, I knelt beside the child, chatting mindlessly in my softest voice as I sent my power into him.
By the time I withdrew, my frown had deepened. I helped him to his feet, leading him to the remaining bed. He wasn’t in as bad shape as his great-grandmother, since his organs were mostly free of inflammation. But his temperature was raised and, even more concerningly, his heartbeat was slow.
“Does it hurt anywhere?” I asked him.
“My head.” He moaned and then gave a cough. “And my tummy.”
I frowned, my reply stalled by the sounds of someone thrashing and muttering incoherently in the next room. I handed the boy off to Ida with a quick look, hurrying into the other bedroom.
It was the man who was disturbed, so I went to him first, holding his arm firmly in both my hands. It didn’t take long to recognize the same signs I had seen in the grandmother. In his case, the inflammation wasn’t as bad—probably because of his younger age—but his fever was raging, as evidenced by the delirium. I sent enough power into him to cool him down and calm him, blocking his pain while I was in there.
He settled down at once, letting out a weary sigh. Cracking open his eyes, he frowned up at me.
“Who are you?” His voice was rough, but Ida appeared at my side with a cup of water which he accepted.
“I’m the healer,” I said, and he accepted this statement without question.
“Do you think you could get up now?” I asked him, curious to hear his reaction.
He had propped himself up slightly to drink, and at this question, he attempted to pull himself all the way upright. He didn’t make it before grunting and flopping back onto the pillow.
“Sorry,” he muttered, a shadow crossing his face. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I haven’t felt this tired since the fev—”
“Hush!” his wife snapped from beside him. Her voice was weak, but he still obeyed her command. Apparently she was less accepting of the new healer than he was and didn’t like him giving me unnecessary information.
But he’d already said enough for me to guess what he was talking about. I exchanged a glance with Ida, my heart sinking all the way down to my feet, terror rising to take its place. I didn’t know about her, but I’d already heard about the infamous fever from three winters before.
Usually the Constantines had intervened in health concerns early, but on that occasion, an entirely new illness had emerged from the jungle to sweep through the town before they realized what was happening. The islanders and their ancestors had carved a home here on this island, but much of it was still uninhabited and densely covered in a jungle-like forest. Environments like that could harbor new illnesses—ones previously unknown to healers—and those were always the most dangerous kind.
In the case of the fever, it had progressed quickly, and given its lack of familiarity, it had taken some time for the Constantines to work their way through the entire town, stamping it from existence. Some of the islanders must have been forced to wait for their healings, and clearly this family had been among their number.
A shiver trickled down my spine, traveling from my scalp all the way to my feet. Three winters ago there had been six powerful healers on the island, and it had still taken them time to handle a new, mystery illness. If the town had been hit by another new illness…
I drew a deep breath, reminding myself to focus on what was in front of me and not assume the worst. Circling the bed, I examined the mother, noting that while she appeared to be at a similar state of progression as her husband, she lacked his earlier delirium. In its place, she bore a nasty looking rash across her torso. I eased her pain as well, soothing the inflamed skin, but once again I didn’t dare use enough power to heal her completely, regardless of the cause of infection.
When I let her go, I hesitated, wondering about the best way to proceed. A vision of empty streets intruded on my thoughts, but I pushed it away, trying to focus on practical steps.
The sound of the main door opening made me hurry out of the bedroom. Had others in the town heard I was here and come searching for me?
But as soon as I got a glimpse of the new arrival, I stopped.
The room had seemed large before, but suddenly it felt so constricted I could barely breathe. How could one man take up so much space?
Nik looked the same as he always had—his shoulders just as broad, and his dark hair still contrasting with the burning blue of his eyes—but his expression carried something less familiar. I still recognized it easily, however, and it did as much to shrink the room as his impressive height.
If his eyes had held even a hint of censure for leaving him behind, I could have met them with defiance. But I had no defenses against the sadness he was clearly trying to hide. I had left the mansion without even informing him of my departure, and he couldn’t hide his reaction to my omission. Nik might be avoiding conversations with me, but given his choice, he would shadow me every time I left the mansion, taking the role of bodyguard. But he didn’t just want to be by my side. He also wanted me to want him there.
And I did. Mostly.
