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“She means me,” Kai said.
“Of course, Prince Nikolai.”
Right, I probably shouldn’t use that name. Fuck it, I didn’t have any brain cells left to spare for our little ruse.
The potion sizzled through me, refreshing pathways long dried and withered within. It gave me the last push to finish his liver. After were his eyes. His tongue. His brain.Everything. Until finally, finally, it was time for his heart.
I fought against the vines, letting them slither up my arms and cocoon me, shredding long lines in my soul, which felt like they’d openly weep for the rest of my life. It was a last-ditch effort—the sickness knew I was about to win again. Even though it hurt, even though I wanted to puke, to cry, to curl up in a ball and never heal again, I pushed on.
I had to.
One spike gone. A second spike gone. A third. I lost count, my entire body trembling. I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold myself up if it weren’t for Kai, his strong hands still gripping me, still giving me all his energy, and I was immensely grateful for him.I was so close, and it was his support allowing me to save our friend.
I couldn’t help the snarl that escaped my lips as I wrested the final spike out, freeing his organs from their piercing damage. From there, it was oh so easy to flood the vines with the brightest, strongest healing possible, scouring any trace of the dark rooting inside him.
I watched, breathless, as they disintegrated in a wave of cooling calm, flushed away by his blood, filtered out of his body.
I’d done it. Against all odds, I’d done it.
“Hey there,” I heard Mad Dog rasp. I turned my head without fully lifting it as we made eye contact and gave each other a weary smile. “I think I’m done with the spotlight now.”
“You’d better be,” I said, letting out the weakest chuckle I’d ever made, and honestly, it sounded more like a sob. “Do you—”
I never finished my sentence, as Mad Dog arched and sent me stumbling back into Kai while he flailed. His eyes rolled back in his head, and froth came out of his mouth as the healers rushed forward to help him.
“What’s happening?” I cried, throwing myself back onto him. It was only when Kai nearly toppled forward with me that I realized just how affected he was, too. My uniform was wet around my waist where he was gripping me, and his breathing was harsh. How much, exactly, had I drained us both?
I plunged my magic back into Mad Dog to figure out what had gone wrong, how I messed up.
I thought I was prepared, but there were no words for the sickening feeling as those same thick, thorny vines of plague burst out from the heart I’d just healed, filling his body like I’d never been there.
“No!” I cried. “No! You can’t do this! I won’t let you!”
“Healer Everton! You’ve overdrawn yourself. You need to rest!” someone cried. Probably another medic.
“Let us stabilize him. You’ve done enough to get him through the night, surely,” someone else added.
“No, I can do this.I can do this!”
I’d nevernothealed someone. That was the one constant I had to give to the world. No matter how awful my curse was, as long as I caught someone before they were in death’s grip, I could bring them back.
I plunged my magic back in, but the vines simply responded with equal force. But this time they didn’t just try to grasp my arms. It felt like they went right through my palms, slithering under my skin and sinking into my organs like Mad Dog and I were one and the same.
But I fought. I was crying. Sobbing, really. Sweat poured, and my legs were shaking so hard my teeth rattled.
“Prince Nikolai… I fear if she continues, we’ll lose them both!”
No, they didn’t know. They didn’t understand. Ihadto heal him. It was my fault he was even sick.
“Ayla, baby, you gotta stop for just a little bit. Give yourself a few hours rest. He’ll be okay.”
How did they know? I was the only one who could truly feel the illness taking him, and if it felt like it was rippingmeapart, what was it like for Maddox?
It wasn’t fair. He was a kind man. He didn’t deserve to be a casualty of my curse. I was so fucking tired oflosingpeople.
“I can do it,” I chanted. At least I thought that’s what I was saying. It was hard to tell between the sobs punching their way through my throat and the snot pouring down my face.
“Your Highness. We have to stop her!”
