What sort of terrestrial fae looked like that? Some water fae had scales, but aside from the nøkken, I’d not seen any water fae. I shot a glance at Vale, who shook his head. Clearly, he’d noticed the scales too, and did not think it appropriate to talk about.
“Everything looks like it’s on the mend,” Rynni said, confidence in her large, dark brown eyes. “I’d like you to take two more blood regeneration potions, though.”
“More? How many have I had already?”
“You had three upon arrival. You lost a lot of blood.”
Not lost. I’d given it away. Though I did not understand how or why that shadow appeared from my sword, that much was true. Had others seen it? Judging by Vale’s relieved expression, he was only thinking of me, not some frightening shadow that killed the orcs.
Rynni went to a side table, opened a drawer beneath and sighed. “I only have one potion left, and the knight will need more soon too. I’ll have to ask another healer if she has some on hand. ” She pulled the vial from the drawer. “Take this. I have to go before she retires for the evening. It’s already so late, and we’re not on the best of terms, but she owes me a favor.”
The healer passed the vials over, and I noticed her hands, while normal with five fingers and all, ended in short claws. Not nails. I sucked in a breath, which made her blow one out in exasperation.
“Since you all seem too polite to ask, I’m half dragon. Do you doubt my abilities knowing that? Wish to see another healer instead?” Her chin lifted in defiance, as though someone had often told her otherwise.
“You’ve already helped us,” Vale said. “None of us would speak poorly of your skill. My wife has just never seen someone like you.”
Had he? Dragons generally stayed in their kingdom, or so I’d been told. But then, Rynni said she was a halfdragon. So did that mean one of her parents was fae, and this was where she settled?
“Good.” She shoved the vials at me again. This time I took them. “I’ll be back.”
She left the cottage in a huff.
I turned to Vale. “Is that common? To have dragons live here?”
“Not at all, but she was the first healer I found, and I didn’t care about her heritage.”
“Me either. I was just curious.”
He reached into his pocket. “There’s something I should tell you before she comes back.”
A piece of parchment appeared. He unfolded the page, and I snatched it from his hands, my heart thudding in my throat.
“That’s a drawing of me!”
“This was on the way into the village. I expect there will be more posters the deeper we go into Vitvik.”
My mouth fell open. “Vale, this poster says I’m Isolde Falk.” And an enemy to the Crown. Apparently, the king will give a hefty reward to someone turning me in. “How did he find out? Lord Riis? Or one of his sons?”
Even as I asked, it felt wrong. Luccan, Arie, and Thantrel were friends. And because Lord Riis was Vale’s father and Vale loved me, I did not think the Lord of Tongues would have told the king about me, either.
Vale shook his head. “They’re as loyal of friends as I’ve ever had. The Riis brothers would not betray us.”
Emilia?No, the human slave I’d happened upon in the hidden part of Frostveil had loved my mother. Had been herbest friend. Emilia wouldn’t give me up. And the Riis family swore their servants were loyal. The only other person who knew was Clemencia. I refused to believe she’d put me in danger.
My back stiffened. But no, Clemencia hadn’t been theonlyother person.
Cunning green eyes and a serpentine smile filled my mind at the memory of Roar admitting he’d known, or at least seriously suspected, I was a Falk. But he was dead.
Right?
“Roar,” I whispered, as a kernel of doubt bloomed inside me with the memory of that day in Gersemi Mine. “Vale, you didn’t see his body.”
Vale snorted. “That shaft wasverydeep. There’s no way he could have survived.”
“There might be.”
Roar was a shifter. What if he’d shifted into some sort of animal that could have broken his fall? Not his normal snow leopard form, but something smaller, with wings. It would not surprise me in the slightest if Roar, master of secrets and twisted truths, had shifter forms no one knew about. I said as much to Vale, and his face paled.
