We made it four more steps before I lost my balance, and we fell into a tree. Ariana used her body to pin me and somehow kept me from falling entirely to the ground. She stilled while leaning into me, trying to regain her strength.
Footsteps and a familiar scent drew my blurred gaze up past her.
“Iver.” His name was a rasp in my throat.
Startled, Ariana turned, finding my brother. A sliver of tension left her at the sight of him. Iver’s gray eyes were wide as he looked over us.
“Lysians attacked,” Ariana said. “He has lost a lot of blood.”
“Don’t move,” Iver stated. “I will be back in just a minute.” He took off into the woods, leaving Ariana too stunned to even respond. His steps moved further and further away before disappearing altogether. My head became heavier, and I was uncertain how much longer I could remain conscious.
When Iver reappeared, he helped Ariana as he took the brunt of my weight from one side.
We began at a quicker pace, moving in silence.
My eyes slid shut, and though I tried to open them again, they wouldn’t.
34
ARIANA
Erik lost consciousness, and I nearly fell with his weight, crushing me beneath him.
“Sorry.” I braced myself against the weight of the Lysian King.
Iver grunted in effort. “It’s fine. We can lower him to the ground. Kole is nearly here.” He must have heard and smelled Kole somewhere in the distance, heading our way. Slowly, we lowered Erik to the ground. His only acknowledgment of the change was a low moan.
Kole emerged full sprint, heading towards us. To his back was strapped something made of wood in a rectangular shape, with a tight fabric stretched over it. Kole took the device, lowering it to the ground beside Erik. Iver helped settle Erik onto it, the two of them then lifting him into the air with ease. Erik’s head, back, and hips were supported while his legs bent at the knees hanging.
The two Lysians moved wordlessly into position around the device that would help carry their King.
Iver and Kole began a quick pace towards the city. I nearly had to jog to keep up. Several minutes later, we entered the castlewhere Erik lived, but we moved to an area I had never been to before. Down the hall, there was a female Lysian at the far end standing by an open door.
Iver and Kole entered with me on their heels. They lowered Erik onto a slated wooden table bed, one allowing for various adjustments.
Kole cursed. “What happened?” It was the first time he had spoken since joining us.
I answered with a shaky breath. “Lysians attacked. One of them called Erik his cousin. There were six of them. Erik killed five. The sixth ran off.”
The female Lysian moved, a frown etched into her otherwise smooth face. Her hands flew over Erik’s leg, and she gritted her teeth. “There’s no time. He will lose his leg if I don’t start right now.” She looked up at Iver, silently asking for permission. Iver gave it with a nod, and her focus shifted to the horrendous wound before her. The sight of it was enough to turn my stomach. Her hands barely grazed Erik’s skin, and he jerked violently.
“Hold him down,” she hissed.
Kole and Iver went to Erik, grabbing his shoulders and legs.
The female began again.
There were no herbs, no tools in her hands. She merely touched him with her fingertips.Conjuror. She was healing with her touch.
I glanced around the room. Jars of familiar herbs and some I had never seen before littered the shelves. She was a healer. I took a quick inventory of what she had, noting the herbs and roots I recognized. They had pretty much everything needed to . . .
“He is burning up,” Kole said through clenched teeth, drawing my attention back to Erik. His entire body was trembling. Had fever already taken hold?
I reached out, fingertips barely grazing his forearm. He was notjust warm from fever. He was literally burning. No average person could survive such temperatures.
“Stop.” I spun towards the female whose sharp eyes flicked to me.
“You may wish for his death. I do not,” she stated, sounding surprisingly calm.
