Of course. The demon-hounds wouldn’t cross a salt barrier. Why hadn’t I thought of that? Some green witch I was turning out to be.
Auggie turned to me and immediately pushed aside my cloak, lifting my shirt to get a good look at my wound. The hiss he issued was not promising. I could see steam rising from the bite, the aroma of my own cooked flesh smelling unsettlingly delicious.
I stumbled to the ground and Auggie followed my descent.
“The good news is the wound is cauterized,” Auggie offered.
“I don’t want to hear the bad news,” I hissed. I craned my neck for a look. My whole side was blackened, with cracks of angry red flesh oozing blood. The teeth marks themselves were such a fiery red, they seemed to be lit from within.
“I’m sorry. This is …” He looked away, tears gathering in his eyes. “This is all my fault. I should have listened to you. We never should have come.”
“Yes, you really should have,” I grunted, trying to sit up. The pain was so blinding that I slumped back down, panting. The pain was going to send me into shock if I didn’t do something about it soon. I licked my lips, suddenly very dry, trying to think. In my cloak, I had a potion that could help. Turmeric and devil’s claw, enhanced with a Pegasus feather. It was even premade, waiting in a bottle for me to consume. But just moving my arm on that side of my body sent a jolt of pain up my body so excruciating that I would rather lie still.
“What can I do?” Auggie asked, watching me with wide eyes.
“I …” I closed my eyes against a wave of pain. “In my cloak, third pocket down on the far right. Reach in and … and you’ll find some glass jars. I need the fourth bottle within the pocket, on the left.”
He stared at me. “What?”
I suppressed a groan that was threatening to turn into a scream. I couldn’t say anymore. I was using all of my energy to tamp down the pain. Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead.
I felt Auggie fumble through my pockets as black spots danced across my vision. I could not pass out right now. I likely wouldn’t wake up.
“Is this it?” Auggie asked, holding a jar filled with gold herbs and a blend of white pearlescent powder.
I opened my mouth to confirm, but all that came out was a scream.
It was choked by the bitter taste of herbs, then water that forced them down my throat.
I panted, but after a moment, the pain eased. It didn’t go away completely, but it was enough that I was able to think clearly. I opened my eyes to find Auggie watching me hopefully, holding a canteen of water.
“A pink vial in the top right pocket, third to the left.”
He needed no further instruction but withdrew the requested ingredient. He popped off the stopper.
“Pour it into your hand,” I told him. “Then hold your hand to the wound.”
He stared down at my bloody shirt. “Are you sure?”
I nodded. Chimera mucus had a cooling effect that was quite miraculous, known for reversing even the most severe of burns. It was expensive stuff, as the creatures were nearly extinct, but I’d rather live right now.
Auggie poured the mucus onto his hand. It immediately absorbed into his skin, and he looked panicked as he shook his hand, now glowing pink.
“It’s only temporary,” I assured him.
He stared at his hand for a moment, chewing on his lower lip, then lifted up my shirt. After a moment’s hesitation, he pressed his palm over the wound on my side, and a cooling sensation crawled over the burning pain, snuffing it out.
I sighed with relief, relaxing as the pain receded. I watched Auggie continue to hold his hand over my wound, tension in the set of his jaw. He met my gaze with a question in his eyes.
Already, the pink had faded from his hand, the magic gone. Yet I liked the feeling of Auggie’s hand against my skin. No calluses, just soft fingers gently pushing against my side.
I nodded, a little unsettled with how much I wanted him to remain like that. “Much better.”
Tentatively, Auggie pulled his hand away from the wound, then gaped at the milky skin. The blackened flesh had reverted to its previous texture and hue, the cracks gone. The bite marks had cooled but remained a dark bloody red. It was actually a blessing that the wounds had been cauterized as they’d been created or I wouldn’t have been able to walk away anytime soon, if at all. I’d been extremely lucky no vital organs had been punctured by those teeth. “That truly is magic.”
“It is,” I agreed, grunting as I sat up. I had my mother to thank for that particular concoction. The mucus’s abilities were enhanced by lamia wart. The pain was minimal with the enhanced devil’s claw also in my system. “Even I’m surprised at how well it worked.” I paused and looked away as I pushed my shirt back down. “Thank you.”
He also looked away. “Of course.”
