The world around me flickered, muted grays flashing into bold, jarring color. A sudden pain cracked through my head, and I winced, clutching my temples. Bellona’s cry came again, clearer this time, and my eyes snapped open.
The gnarled tree, the yellow eyes, the mist: gone.
Color bled back into the world, and slowly, the sounds of the forest returned, grounding me once more.
Almost instantly, I heard Caz shout, his voice sharp with panic. My vision snapped back into focus, and I scanned the woods. Another cry followed, more desperate this time. I shook my head, trying to clear the lingering haze, then broke into a sprint toward the sound.
I ran as fast as I could, Caz’s shouts and Bellona’s frantic whinnies echoing through the trees. How far had I wandered?
It didn’t matter.
Something was terribly wrong with Caz, and I needed to find him. Fast.
18
“Caz!”I yelled, rushing to his side where his body lay crumpled on the ground.
When I reached him, he was unconscious, his breathing faint. One shoulder was twisted at an unnatural angle, and his blue cloak was torn, his tunic in tatters. My heart plummeted. I scanned the trees for Bellona, but she was nowhere in sight. Then my eyes fell on the object cradled tightly in his hand, a jar, nestled under his arm.
I leaned closer. Inside the jar was a jagged piece of rotted bark, sickly green and diseased. That’s when I saw his palm, the skin was red and blistered, raw with pain.
Idiot. I told him not to touch the tree.
Caz lay face down, his cheek pressed to the forest floor, bruised and cut. I moved to his side and carefully began to roll him over, trying to ease him into a better position. As I shifted his weight, he gasped sharply, his eyes flew open, wild and disoriented. He jerked to the side, only to cry out, clutching his injured shoulder in agony.
“Caz!” I called out. “Caz, calm down, it’s me. What happened?”
His eyes were still wide with shock as he managed to gasp, “Thieves.” He grimaced, breathing hard, clutching his injured shoulder again. “They’ve got Bell. Took most of my things, my tools, my books.”
“Who?” I questioned. “What did they look like?”
“Two men,” he said. “They came up behind me while I… I wasn’t paying attention. I was just taking a sample from the tree.” He swayed forward, wincing, and I reached out to steady him with both hands.
“I’m sorry, Caz.” I glanced again at his twisted shoulder. “I shouldn’t have wandered off.”
“Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice full of concern. “When they attacked, I didn’t see you. You walked off right before, I figured you just needed some space. I thought maybe they’d gotten to you.”
“No, I’m alright.” The image of the gnarled tree flashed through my mind, but I pushed it away. “But you’re not. We need to get you help.” I glanced around. He hadn’t wandered far, maybe fifty paces from where we’d started. “There’s a cottage not far from here. An older woman lives there. Can you walk? It’s about half a chime away.”
“I can manage,” Caz grunted as I helped him to his feet, still cradling his shoulder. I offered my body for support, and he leaned into it with a quiet nod. His steps were uneven, his limp noticeable.
“It’s just this way,” I said, guiding us toward the cottage. “Tell me if you need to stop or rest.”
“We won’t make it back to town in time for your shift,” he muttered. “Not without Bell. I’m sorry. It was a stupid mistake. I should’ve been more careful. But… I’m glad you weren’t here when it happened. Who knows what they might’ve done to you.”
I didn’t want to think about that. “You said there were two men? Do you remember what they looked like?”
“Not clearly,” he said. “They came up behind me. I think one of them meant to hit my head, but I turned at the last second, and they caught my shoulder instead. One tackled me, and the other took Bell.” His voice faltered at her name. “Do you think she’s alright?”
“I… I don’t know,” I said. “We’ll try to find her. There aren’t many horses around here, if someone’s seen her, we’ll hear of it. What about your things? Your tools? Can they be replaced?”
“They can, but the Academy won’t be quick about it. They were all brand new, I just got them.” His expression grew more pained. “But my books aren’t.”
“It’ll be alright, Caz. They couldn’t have gone far. And if they’re planning to peddle your things, I know folk who keep an eye on that sort of trade.” I shifted his weight slightly as we walked. “Let’s get your shoulder looked at first. We’ll figure out the rest after.”
Caz nodded solemnly. “Where exactly are we headed?”
“To see a woman I knew growing up. She runs an apothecary out of her cottage. Herbal remedies, tinctures, that sort of thing. She should be able to help with your shoulder.” I tried not to sound too disapproving as I added, “And maybe she can take a look at that rash on your palm while we’re there.”
