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“I had a quick breakfast before I came outside,” I assured Ida. “I’m not going to faint again.”
She examined my face closely. “You’re sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard?”
I mustered a smile, wondering when I would be free of the bone-deep weariness that clung to me these days.
“I’m fine, I promise. I know we can’t afford to have any of the healers out of action for multiple days. There are too few of us as it is.”
Ida nodded fervently. “Thank goodness Master Hayes and Master Clay arrived when they did. As well as Isolde and her students. We wouldn’t have made it this far without them.”
I pondered her words as I hurried out of the mansion and into the town beyond. My resolution to stay and care for the people of the island seemed distant and foolish now. I could never have held back the current disaster on my own. As it was, we had passed the initial crisis but were still far from eradicating the disease completely, as evidenced by the list in my pocket of the next patients in line for healing.
“Delphine!” Hurrying footsteps from behind made me turn. When I caught sight of the man hurrying to catch up with me, I slowed to wait for him.
“What are you doing up?” I asked Costas. “Weren’t you on night duty with Hayes?”
He shook his head. “Nik and I swapped, so he’s just heading for bed, and I’ll be accompanying you.”
He spoke of the prince as casually as I did. Those of us residing at the manor had long since ceased to worry about formalities or honorifics. Island life was far from the realities of Tartoran position and rank, and all our efforts were focused on keeping the islanders alive and healthy.
“Sorry I didn’t wait for you,” I said. “I was already running late, and I thought Nik might be waiting in town already.”
“No matter,” Costas said with an easy smile. “Ida informed me you’d already left.”
I was grateful he let the topic drop, making no comment about the awkwardness between Nik and me. The tension between us must have been obvious to everyone at the manor, but thankfully everyone was either too busy or too considerate to comment on it.
I cast a sideways glance at Costas, unable to put the matter out of my own head so easily. Why had he and Nik swapped shifts? Had it been Nik’s request? Was he avoiding me again? I felt like I barely saw him these days, but my long hours in the town, paired with the never-ending exhaustion, provided an easy explanation for our lack of connection. I just wished I could believe that was all it was.
I couldn’t stew on it for long, though. Once I arrived at the first house on my list, all my attention had to be on the patients inside. We had moved past the early days when we were pulling dangerously ill patients back from the brink of death. Those healings had required power and instinct, but not the finesse required for full eradication. Now that we were working on full healings, focused attention was needed.
At least I wasn’t responsible for finding and healing the carriers. Those healings required even more skill and finesse, so I was happy to leave that work to the masters.
We progressed slowly, moving from house to house down our list. Costas charmed the inhabitants while I worked, too absorbed to be aware of my surroundings. Amara had decreed early on that we should work in pairs with a non-healer accompanying each healer. She said it was important that someone actually talked to the families while the healer was lost in their work, and after the first few visits, I appreciated her wisdom. Costas did all the explaining and socializing, and I was able to focus on the healing—something that became even more valuable as the session wore on, and I became more and more tired.
By mid-afternoon when I finally finished the final patient on the list, I was too weary to do more than muster a weak smile for the woman who had just been healed. She murmured a quiet thank you but wouldn’t meet my eyes. I wasn’t surprised at her manner—thanks to the mesmerizations, many in the town still viewed me with suspicion. Given my exhaustion, I was almost relieved, rising quickly to head back to the manor.
But when I looked around the house’s spacious main room, there was no sign of Costas. The woman saw me peering around and muttered something about him leaving already.
He’d never left me alone mid-healing before, so I hurried from the house, concerned. Had something happened back at the manor?
I paused as soon as I got outside, looking up and down the street in case he had just stepped outside briefly for some fresh air. But the only person I saw was a boy skulking against the wall of the house with the sort of scowl some youths seemed to perpetually wear in those awkward years leading up to their activation and apprenticeship.
I turned in the direction of the manor and made it two strides before something solid hit the back of my head. Pain shot through me as I was flung forward. I hit the ground hard enough to rob me of breath, fresh pain spreading through my middle.
Rolling onto my side, I doubled over, wheezing as I tried to regain my breath. What had happened?
A shrill, chattering call made me look toward the sky. Before I could find Phoenix, however, I saw a solid wooden staff whipping toward my head. Acting on instinct, I pushed my power through my body, letting it heal me without guidance as I rolled away from the descending weapon.
It never made contact. A hand appeared, catching the staff and ripping it from the grip of the youth. A second later a feathered arrow shot down from the sky, pulling up just before colliding with Nik and the boy.
Phoenix chattered again, somehow managing to sound approving this time as he swooped down to land on my stomach.
The boy fell back several steps before regaining his courage and standing his ground, rage twisting his face.
“You killed them!” he shouted, pointing at me. “Just admit it! It was you, wasn’t it?”
I scrambled to my feet, sending Phoenix soaring skyward. A sick feeling rushed through me as I saw the look of naked fury on Nik’s face as he advanced on the boy, his fist going white where he gripped the staff he had torn from the youth’s hand.
“Wait, Nik!” I cried as he reached the boy, only to instantly regret my words.
