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Then she was off, moving with surprisingly spritely energy given her elder years. I watched her go, wondering if I’d found yet another ally in a strange land.
“Yes, right this way. You can put the stuff in here.”
I blinked back to consciousness as Luci returned to the room; two strapping young lads with her. They were wearing clothes similar to the ones I saw on the dock workers.
“Oh, hello,” the woman said, her own arms laden with a couple of bags. “Sorry if I woke you. Had a wonderful trip. These are my new friends, Aoflynn and Finnius.”
“Ma’am,” they said, bowing to me and flushing. I didn’t quite understand why they seemed so flustered until I realized I was wearing a thin medical top that had been sinched up so my side was bare, and while my lower half had scrub-like pants on, that was hidden below the covers, so it looked like I was practically naked.
“Don’t worry, I’m dressed under here,” I assured them as the two young men visibly relaxed. I thought it was sweet that they were worried about being rude. Especially since they looked like they were still in their teens. “What did you bring me?”
“Nothing too special. Just some books I thought would help cast the spell once you’re more healed. You need to rest up, but I figured some reading wouldn’t exacerbate your healing process.”
I couldn’t believe how much the older woman had managed to round up. I didn’t even think I had been asleep all that long, and yet there were definitely four bags chock full of tomes at the side of my bed, as well as the much lighter bags the older woman was carrying.
“I’ll make sure to refrigerate some of the ones that need to be kept cool and hang up what needs to be dried. I figured whatever else we need we can find later.”
“Wow, thank you so much for this.”
“Eh, you can thank me if the Blood Trifecta Curse actually works. Otherwise, this is all just some expensive grocery shopping, isn’t it?” She laughed yet again as her cheeks flushed bright pink. “Except it didn’t cost me one cent. I ran into the lovely young gentleman who’s your host on this island, and he made sure everything was taken care of for me. I half wanted to restock my entire potion supply.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t have minded if you did. Aodin is a fairly generous person.” And filthy rich, which had come as a surprise to me. Granted, most of my exposure to rich people had been those in the capital, so I supposed I had a skewed idea of how they acted.
“Nah, I didn’t want to take advantage. Besides, I always have more than I think I have saved. Hoarder instincts and all that. Hate it when things go to waste because they’ve expired.”
I nodded, but I was already drifting away from the conversation, my gaze sinking down to the books. The two young men filed out, which allowed Luci to shuffle closer and pick one up.
“Where would you like this? In your lap?”
I nodded, and she set it on my legs, far enough so that the bottom of it didn’t brush against my wound or any of the tender skin around it. More than grateful, I began to page through it, sinking into the words to help me fill the final gaps in my spell.
“All right, you read till your heart’s content and sleep when you can. I’m sure your sweetheart will want your attention as soon as he wakes, which shouldn’t be that long now.”
I looked over at Kai, who was still dozing in the plush, tall chair he’d been in since I woke up the first time. He looked so cute: his face slack, his arms and legs draped over different parts of the chair. It was nice to see him relaxed, even if a healer had to trick him a wee bit. I was sure he wouldn’t mind, though. It wasn’t like the line I’d crossed when I’d first cursed him.
“Yeah, I’m sure he will, too.”
In the end, it took another three days before I was both healthy and prepared enough to cast my Blood Trifecta Spell. It turned out I did indeed have most of everything I needed, with the last things being specialty items we were lucky enough that Luci already had in her supplies.
The whole thing seemed surreal. After more than twenty years of being cursed, I was on the verge of making my biggest move against it. It seemed both impossible and too good to be true at the same time, like I was actually existing about six inches beside myself rather than in step with my soul.
At least I had Kai with me the entire time. The only times he left were when his presence was required for political matters. I was aware things were moving and shaking, but I couldn’t really be fucked to keep myself updated on it.
“Is this everything?” Luci asked, dutifully marking runes on the floor using purified willow ash rehydrated with moon water, as well as the mashed insides of an aloe plant.
“If it’s not then I’ve already messed up,” I said from where I was sitting in the center of the circle I was still drawing. It would have been nice to have another magic user to help us, but as it were, Luci and I were the only ones with the proper knowledge and background to make the complex spell circle we needed.
“Are you sure I can’t help?” Darla asked for the third time. She’d been extra clingy since my injury, but I understood why, and I certainly didn’t begrudge her for it. In fact, it was nice as it gave me someone who could help me with certain things, like hobbling to the bathroom, other than Kai or a complete stranger. Because I loved my mate, I did, but that didn’t mean I wanted him to watch as I tried to pee.
“I’m sure,” I answered calmly. “This part is particular.”
“The whole spell is particular, dear,” Luci remarked, chuckling to herself. She’d been a non-stop mirth machine since we met. Apparently, hanging out with a bunch of “youngsters” really brought out her former self, often dropping fun little anecdotes from her past. From what I could tell, Luci lived quite the life. Then again, healers did get involved in some insane circumstances by the nature of how much they increased chances of survival, even during impossible odds. “That’s why every magic user and their aunt doesn’t try to attempt something like this.”
“But it’s safe, right?” Kai asked from where he was meticulously lighting the two dozen candles we needed, and incredibly specific ones at that. There were plain candles made of wax and harvested under the full moon. Candles that’d been infused with rosemary and yarrow root. Candles made with the blood of a first-born calf of a first-born mother of a first-born farmer, and candles that’d been cooled with ocean water collected at high noon, then filtered through a silk cloth embroidered with several protection runes.
“Safe enough.” I could tell my mate really didn’t like that answer, so I rushed to continue. “Less dangerous than many of the things we’ve survived together.”
That didn’t seem to make him feel much better, but at least I could tell through our bond that it curbed the rising anxiety within him.
