We worked tirelessly until the later hours of the morning, but had managed to save most of our patients. Some of them had been too far gone and others would surely need a lot of time to heal, but we managed to keep our losses to a minimum. Malek returned from the city to tell us that the fire in town had been extinguished and that the Heralds had mostly targeted industrial buildings, so the uninjured people would be able to return to their homes soon. The sun was high in the sky when I finally sat down on the front steps of the Lodge. There was blood smeared all over my clothes, my hair was greasy from sweat, and I was dizzy from exhaustion.
Theo returned shortly after, still in his fighting gear. He was covered in blood as well and had a nasty gush on his head.
“Is everyone all right?” was the first thing he asked and we all nodded.
“Did you find them all?” Caelan asked.
Theo nodded grimly. His sword was drenched in blood.
“There were at least 200 Heralds, we got most of them. We spared their commander and a few others, and Malek is currently questioning them. It seems like they traveled here from the North,” Theo said grimly.
The North… I pulled up a map of the continents in my mind. So Theo and I had been right when we had identified Lacustria as the most likely location for the Heralds headquarters. Thalora, the Goddess of Oceans and Tides, had also been talking of movement in the North across the Sea.
Theo grabbed a bottle of water Caelan was holding out for him and took a big sip.
“There is more. The Commander had a message for us. He asked us to meet his army at the passage of the Moragond Sea. The Heralds have declared war against the continents.”
A thick, heavy feeling spread through my stomach. This couldn’t be happening. Not now, not so soon. We weren’t ready,Iwasn’t ready.
“I have spoken to our allies and we are going to ride north in two days and gather at the Eternal citadel and we move from there,” Theo added.
Silence descended on us again. What was one supposed to say when war was no longer a threat, but had become our reality?
We all went inside, discovering that Enbergin had prepared lunch for us. We agreed to take a shower and get together for lunch after, but I halted Theo when he was about to head upstairs.
“Let me look at your head first,” I said softly and smiled at him. He slumped down on a chair.
“I promise, I’ll be as good as new tomorrow.” He said.
“I believe you, oh wise Lord, but let me help you anyway.”
I held my palm over his forehead and worked my heka again, although I could feel that my magic was nearly drained.
His beautiful eyes stared up at me and he swallowed hard.
“They burnt my library. It’s all gone, Maelis.”
The sadness in his voice broke my heart and I wanted to comfort him more than ever. All of my instincts told me towrap my arms around him and to hold him, but that was the one thing I was not allowed to do. I ached to touch him, the pain almost physical.
“Let me try something,” I said and held both of my palms over his chest then. I channeled all of my remaining heka and willed my gift to envelop him like a fierce hug. I poured all of my feelings for him in that one last spell, letting it wash over him and settling on his shoulders like a warm blanket.
I opened my eyes to find his lids lowered, as if he were holding something back. When they lifted, the orbs behind them glimmered, and his jaw tightened slightly, a flicker of vulnerability crossing his usually controlled features.
“I will fulfill the prophecy, wordsmith,” he whispered, “and then I will return all the tenderness you have given me back to you.”
Chapter 29
Lunch was a somber occasion; we were all too tired and hurt to talk much. Lythandra had returned from her court, which had luckily been unaffected by the attacks. She had only stopped by for a quick coffee before making her way to the Citadel. As Goddess of War she was now in charge of the military operation ahead.
We had nearly finished our food when the Abbot and three of his higher-ranking sentinels entered the room.
“Auretheos, may we have a word?” the Abbot said, not even stopping to greet any of us. Theo’s tone was tense. “Out with it, Abbot, you can speak freely.”
The Abbot clicked his tongue disapprovingly but went ahead anyway.
“Fine then, if you wish, my lord. We have discussed the matter of the wordsmith and we think it’s in all of our best interests if we harness her power now, before we go to war.”
I sat upright, the shock like ice in my veins.
