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Yes, but I was a shitty liar.
I tossed the shrapnel aside. “How do you feel?”
The barkeep turned her attention to her newly mended stomach. Her eyes widened in shock. I knew from Hecate magic was common in different forms, but the magic to heal? That was managed by only the strongest creatures, and mastered by none.
“I can stand!” She stood on shaky legs.
“Good as new,” I agreed.
Hopefully, I hadn’t missed any internal bleeding.
I moved to the next patient.
It took until nearlymidnight for me to finish healing the patients. I’d meant to just assist, but then it snowballed. The other healers were woefully ill-equipped to take care of that many injuries. Plus, their combined magic wasn’t anywhere near as strong as mine. In the end, I’d been assigned every single red flag patient.
None of them were people I recognized.
I wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or just a cruel reminder of what my actions could cost people.
The castle was almost fully repaired by the time I trudged back. Stefan assured me all that was left was some aesthetic fixes. I nodded, and noticing he seemed to be waiting, dismissed him for the night.
Hecate was the one I needed to see. I knocked on the door of her quarters. The floral and herb scent that had colored the air around it was tinged by something more sinister. More damage I caused.
“At least this time you bothered to knock.”
I spun. The enchantress continued to walk down the hallway towards me.
“Tell me how to get the power of the queen.”
Hecate was silent, just finished crossing the hall to stand by me.
“I need to make a portal as soon as possible,” I insisted. “There’s no time to waste.”
She took a step past me to push open the door to her quarters.
“Soteria, you have been awake for over a day now. What’s more, you’ve expended significant quantities of magic; I can sense how close you are to your limit. You’re standing here through sheer will alone, and I respect that, I do. But there comes a time when one must know to rest, and before taking the queen’s trials is such a time.” I wanted to argue more, but Hecate silenced me with a raised hand. “First thingtomorrow. You have my word.”
Reluctantly, I agreed.
Still unable to brave the bed I’d shared with Cole, I went to Daphne’s room. My friend welcomed me with open arms, but there was another scent tied to hers.
“Hector?” I guessed.
She flushed. “He wanted to make sure I was okay after everything. I was going to go down and check on you, but they said you were working nonstop with the medics.”
The reminder seemed to sap the remaining strength from my bones. “Would’ve come in handy to have all this healing magic when I was getting beat every other week.”
“What will come in handy is all that magic to get Cole back. And you will, Avery. I know it.”
I appreciated her confidence in me, because Hecate had none. Well, that wasn’t fair. She seemed completely confident I could rule an entire realm. She just didn’t think I could save the male I loved.
“So, you sleep with him yet?” I asked, desperate to change the subject. Anything to keep my mind from the dark place it was going without something to keep me busy, be it arguing with Hecate, healing patients, or gossiping like there was nothing wrong.
My best friend flushed a deeper red. “Avery, no!”
“So I won’t get cooties if I sleep in your bed with you?” I teased.
Her expression softened. She opened her mouth, no doubt to say something comforting, reassuring, but I pushed past her, stretching my arms over my head.
