Tiernon pulls me close. “He’s tough. And he’s hardheaded. If anyone can survive this, it’s him.”
I nod, my face turning numb. I’m barely aware of my footsteps as I follow Tiernon toward the healers’ quarters.
Not Leon.
Please.
Albion lingers outside the door, his expression devastated. My eyes burn as he paces back and forth. I wonder if this is bringing back memories of his son’s death.
Axia approaches the moment we step inside, her lips turned down.
“He’s dead,” I say, my voice flat.
“No. No, Arvelle, he’s not dead. He made it through the first stage of healing.”
My knees weaken as relief washes through me. “Can I see him?”
“Not yet. They’re still working on him.” Axia’s voice turns gentle. “We know the killer uses a particular kind of poison that paralyzes the victim.”
That explains why they’re able to kill some of the fastest, strongest people in this ludus.
“For some reason, the poison took longer to work on Leon. Or it didn’t quite work as well as it should have. That allowed him to fight back. Enough that whoever did this was forced to flee.”
“When he wakes up, he’ll tell us who did this to him,” I say.
Something flickers in Axia’s eyes. Something I attempt to ignore. She doesn’t think he’s going to make it.
She doesn’t know Leon.
“You should rest, and we’ll let you know when he’s stable enough for you to see him.”
“I’ll wait here.”
Axia sends me an exasperated look, but she gestures for us to sit in the plush armchairs near the door.
Please, I beg Thalunia, picturing her temple all those years ago.Leon has worshipped you for his whole life. He taught his daughter to worship you …
Eventually I switch from begging to bribery.
All of you gods need worshippers. You’re losing power every day as people turn from the old ways. And as more and more mundanes turn to Umbros in the hopes of being turned themselves. You would be careless to allow yourself to lose a worshipper such as Leon.
Eventually, Axia returns. She takes one look at me and shakes her head. “I suppose if you made it through the Sundering, you likely have a strong stomach.” The words are a warning, but I’m already jumping to my feet, waiting for her to lead me to Leon.
Axia’s gaze meets Tiernon’s, and he gives her a nod.
“Your guardant was lucky, Arvelle,” she says. “He fought for long enough that he managed to stay alive. Several of his ribs were broken and removed, but his sternum wasn’t severed. Since his chest cavity wasn’t fully exposed, he stayed alive long enough for us to treat him.”
Axia opens the door. Several healers remain in the room, but I fix my gaze on Leon.
The covers are pulled down to his waist, revealing tight, bloodstained bandages.
“You … He’s not fully healed.”
“No.” Axia’s voice is quiet. “Humans can only take so much healing before the body needs time to … catch up, I suppose you could say. Hislung had collapsed, so we treated that first, before stabilizing the chest to prevent further movement. One of our healers specializes in bone regrowth, and she has been working on his ribs.”
I can hear what she’s not saying. The damage was so extensive, there’s still a chance he won’t wake up.
“Thank you. For everything you’re doing.”
