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"Better," I confirmed. "Thank you," I added with a glance at Tanael.
Hecate stepped forward again, lifted Edward's head, and put the cup to his lips. As the liquid dripped into his open mouth, she whispered incantations in a language I didn't recognize. Next to me, Chris shifted nervously from one leg to another. It was clear that Hecate was triggering this feeling in him. Chris couldn't take his eyes off the floating goddess with the silver irises.
"Priest, am I making you uncomfortable? Or why are you staring at me like that?" The Goddess of Magic tilted her head as she looked at my brother. This time, no cruel smile adorned her lips. Nothing was disparaging in her gaze either, just curiosity.
Chris opened his mouth, only to close it again immediately. His face flushed, but he didn't take a single step back.
"Hecate," growled Tanael. "Leave him."
The two gods exchanged a brief glance I couldn't interpret until Hecate returned to the unconscious man.
Reassuringly, I placed a hand on my brother's arm, who flinched in shock at my touch.
I tried to reassure him, "It's all right, Chris. No one here is going to hurt you."
"Yes, of course," my brother mumbled absently.
Nevertheless, he continued watching Hecate, who now placed the empty cup on a table beside the bed.
Edward's moan drew all my attention to him. First, his fingers moved slowly, then his hands and legs, until he suddenly opened his eyes.
Blinking, he looked around. Out of nowhere, he began to scream and scrambled backward to the headboard of the bed.
"Where am I?" he shouted frantically. He blinked again. "Who are you?"
Hectically, he stared desperately from one to the other and didn't even seem to recognize Chris and me.
"Am I dead?" he asked, tears streaming freely down his face.
"I'm dead!" he kept muttering like a mantra as he wrapped his arms around his legs and rocked back and forth with a blank stare.
He was in shock. I slowly approached him with my hands up.
"Edward, it's me, Myrina," I said kindly and came closer.
He stopped the disturbing mumbling and movements as he stared at me. The emptiness gave way to sadness, which shortly afterward turned into anger. Sheer and all-destroying rage.
"You killed him!" Edward shouted and lunged forward in my direction with his fists clenched. Before he could reach me, however, someone pushed in front of me protectively. Tanael.
"Edward!" he addressed him with astonishing restraint. "You need to calm down. Do you hear me?"
"She killed Alex!" Edward's accusation drilled deep into my conscience. And again, that voice rang out, agreeing with him. You killed Alex! He's dead because of you! It was quiet but all the uglier for it, trying to fight its way to the surface. I cringed inside because the pain caused by this recrimination was unbearable. Suddenly, through the agony, I felt someone take my hand in his. Gentle, warm, and safe. A thumb stroked my skin tenderly. This hand, Tanael's hand, gave me the strength I needed.
No! I wasn't to blame for Alex's death.
"Edward, it wasn't Myrina. Jack murdered your friend," I heard Chris say, who was now, to my surprise, standing on the other side of the bed right next to Hecate. She held her open palm in front of her mouth, and as her breath brushed over it, a glittering powder floated towards Edward.
He immediately took a deep breath of the sparkling air. His eyes widened before they finally cleared. The madness had disappeared from them, and sadness was the only thing left to be seen.
"Jack?" he murmured, the glow of the past shining in his irises. Memories. "Jack killed Alex." His gaze flitted to me. "I'm sorry, Myrina."
One last tear rolled down his cheek, which he defiantly wiped away. It was as if a new Edward had awoken from this artificial sleep. I had never seen such determination in him before.
"What have I missed?" he asked surprisingly firmly. "And where am I?" Surprised, he looked from Tanael to Hecate.
CHAPTER 19
Everyone looked at me expectantly. I sighed in surrender. I had been tasked with introducing people to the world of gods, angels, demons, and other magical beings.
