AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“None since our arrival, but I’ll be honest, we’re hanging on by a thread.”
I looked to Amara. “Couldn’t I—?”
She shook her head, only to hesitate and glance at Hayes. “What do you think?” she asked him, inclining her head toward me. “I had intended to send her to you this afternoon, but we encountered a gravely ill child, and Delphine healed her completely.”
I bit my lip. Now that the family was joining us at the manor, I was second-guessing that decision. I could have just done enough to keep her out of danger.
Hayes held out a hand, his eyes assessing me as I laid my wrist over his fingers. I felt his power press into me, skimming through me with a light touch before withdrawing again.
“Considering the circumstances, I think you could allow her to spend a few hours in town, at least,” he said. “Luna will be here shortly because I’ve insisted she come back for food and some sleep. Delphine can take her place, just for a while.”
“You haven’t been eating or drinking in the town?” Amara clarified, and when he shook his head, she looked relieved. “That was wise.”
We stepped inside the manor as Amara completed proper introductions between Hayes and Isolde.
“I understand you’re to take charge of the island,” he said. “I can explain what we’ve done so far, and you can—”
“No, no,” she said rapidly. “I may have strength, but I lack your training and experience. Please continue managing the epidemic—I’ll be watching closely and learning as much as I can.”
He inclined his body in a slight bow, accepting the authority she was handing him.
“You should feel free to test me,” she added. “That way you’ll know how to put me to best use. And all my students as well, once they start arriving.”
“You need to rest before being put to use,” I said in my best impression of Hayes’s own healer tone.
Hayes threw me a surprised look, and I smiled. “Said in my official capacity as her healer. She collapsed from a combination of shock and exhaustion not long ago and is only upright and functioning now because of my efforts.”
Isolde made a rueful face, not trying to deny it.
I glanced around, noting that the others had moved away to discuss accommodation with the manor’s servants. I stepped a little closer to Hayes, lowering my voice anyway.
“You must be tired, but do you think you could examine the adults we brought out of the forest with us?”
Hayes frowned. “Do they have the illness too? None of them look severely ill, and if they’re still in the early stages, I’m afraid they’ll have to—”
“Actually, it’s their apparent health that’s confusing me.” I glanced at Isolde who nodded encouragingly. We had spoken about it during the walk to the manor, and she had been as confused as me. “The girl’s condition was advanced—she must have been one of the first cases—and yet none of the others are sick. There’s another couple who didn’t come with us, so that’s five adults total. I know that those who are more vulnerable usually succumb to the exposure first, but from what we’ve seen in the town, at least two or three of the others should be showing some symptoms by now.”
Hayes looked at the older couple who were standing nearby talking with Amara. “They have weaker healing abilities, don’t they? Is it possible they healed themselves while the symptoms were still very minor?”
Isolde twisted her mouth to one side as she considered the possibility. “If it was so easily done by someone of their strength, one third of the town would be well right now. Is that the case? Do you have no healer patients?”
Hayes shook his head. “Unfortunately, we have many.”
“According to their account, they haven’t had to heal themselves of anything lately,” I said. “So you can see why I’m confused. They both let me check them during the walk, but I can’t see anything amiss. Even so, I was hoping you would check for yourself.”
Hayes nodded slowly. “It can’t do any harm. If they’re not sick, it won’t cost me much in the way of energy.”
He strode toward the elderly couple, with Isolde and me following close behind. As he examined the woman in silence, a crease appeared between his eyes. When the expression slowly changed to one of surprise, I couldn’t resist holding out a hand to the woman with a questioning look.
When she nodded permission, I made contact as well, sending my power to combine with Hayes’s as I had so often done before. His power was in her abdomen, examining each of her organs, although they appeared healthy to my power.
I closed my eyes, concentrating harder. It was true her insides were healthy, but still—there was something there.
My eyes sprang open, and I stared at Hayes in shock.
“Is that…?”
He opened his eyes slowly, his expression thoughtful. “Yes, I believe it is.”
