Avery didn’t argue with Raikin. She left Savine alone in the foyer and followed Raikin up the wide wooden staircase. The balusters werecarved into the shapes of various herbs. She listed several of them as she walked up the stairs- rosemary, lavender, calendula, yarrow.
The landing of the staircase led to a narrow hallway with doors lining the hall. Each door was carved in an intricate design dedicated to a plant. As she identified the plants on the doors, she realized they were all traditionally used for healing, even on Earth. Raikin stopped at a door carved with a bitterroot flower. He knocked two quick raps on the door, and Kyla opened it. Her face was hardened in a way that Avery had never seen before. Her regal beauty had a hard, desperate edge to it, her jaw was tight, and her blue eyes nearly glowed. Under her eyes were blue marks, and her skin looked puffy. Kyla’s essence shifted sporadically under her skin.
Murmuring in her sing-song voice, Kyla looked at Raikin, who shifted behind Avery and into the hall. “Thank you for bringing her, Raikin. Avery, I appreciate your presence here. Come in.”
“It’s the least I can do. May the Goddess protect Garnel,” Raikin replied, looking at Kyla. Avery walked forward as Raikin turned without saying another word to Avery.
As the door closed, a gentle breeze blew in off the lake, fluttering the floral print curtains that brought in a streak of light into the dark room. Two small fae lights floating overhead lit the room. After the curtains stopped fluttering, the room was shrouded in shadows. The air was heavy with the scent of herbs and magic. Avery noticed Kyla wringing her hands nervously and looked toward a bed in the center of the room. Garnel lied motionless on the bed. His eyes were closed, and his fur-lined essence was hardly visible. His typically golden skin looked sallow.
Standing over Garnel was a woman only a couple of inches taller than Avery. She had nutty brown skin and dark curly hair. Weaved into her hair was an elaborate web of leaves, herbs, and sticks. A looseblue dress with an abnormally abundant amount of pockets covered the woman’s large breasts and wide hips. Each pocket brimmed with different tinctures, poultices, herbs, wraps, and various medical instruments. The woman wore no shoes on her feet, as seemed to be the custom for Bayberries. Avery wasn’t at all surprised that this woman was considered the best healthcare provider in the land. The woman did not look up at Avery for nearly two minutes as Avery stood in the doorway. Instead, she continued repeating an incantation over Garnel’s wound. While she spoke, she rubbed a sticky mixture across his bare stomach. Finally, she looked up at Avery.
“Come in, child, I could use your help,” said the woman who must be Hyacinth. Avery noticed a flash of amber eyes and the faint sign of lines along her eyes and forehead. The woman looked middle-aged, meaning she must be hundreds and hundreds of years old.
Avery approached without saying a word. Her body stiffened with doubt, and she began to sweat under the stifling air in the room. Avery felt self-conscious about her body odor and her disheveled appearance. These fae, with their super sense of smell, would know she was nervous, and smell all of her stinky human body odors. She wished the curtain would flutter with another breeze again, if only to give her sweaty body some relief. As she approached the table, she lost all concern for her appearance at the sight of Garnel’s wound. The skin at the site where the arrow had pierced continued to look black and oozing, but with a foul-smelling pus. Avery gasped as she looked at Garnel’s abdomen.
“I know, child. It is bad. But I heard you kept him alive this long. I need you to help me draw the poison out,” Hyacinth said.
“Um. I don’t know what to do.” Avery’s voice shook. Her desire to run from the room grew as Hyacinth made eye contact withher.
“Nonsense! You stopped the helmsbane from killing Garnel. That’s more power than I’ve seen from a new healer in all my time. You have it in you to help me,” Hyacinth said flatly. She turned her eyes back to Garnel and took out a small, sharp knife. “Now, wash your hands in the basin there. We have hot running water and soap for you.”
Avery did as she was told, and glanced at Kyla, who was obviously distraught as she stood over Garnel’s face, stroking his long, red hair. Tears welled in Kyla’s eyes, and her hands shook.
Hyacinth turned to Kyla, as if sensing Kyla’s growing concern for her soulmate. “Kyla, my dear, perhaps you should step out. This next part is not something a mate should have to witness.”
“I will not leave him. Not for one moment,” Kyla said, as her chin quivered.
Avery returned to Garnel’s side and pushed down her growing nausea. The wound was putrid, like rotten flesh and decaying leaves. “How would you like me to help?” Avery asked as she kept her eyes from glancing down at Garnel’s stomach.
“Avery, I hear you are a witch. I’m sure you are as green as a young elk, but I am going to use your power as a tether to my own. Together, we will draw out the poison while I also remove the harmful flesh.”
“I don’t know how to do any of that. I’m not even sure if I believe I have magic. I’m only a human,” Avery said.
“Now is no time for doubt and human lies. No time for fear. Place your hands in a circle around the wound and repeat the phrases I say.”
Avery took a deep breath and reached her shaking hands to Garnel’s flesh. His skin was cold and clammy, like someone near death from infection. Her body tensed again as she settled her hands on his skin.
Hyacinth repeated a chant, steady and rhythmic, off her lips. Avery listened twice before joining in. As she spoke, Hyacinth set her handson top of Avery’s. Her hands were soft and warm, a shock compared to Garnel’s cool, moist skin.
They chanted together over and over again, and as they chanted, heat began to build in her body. It began in her center and started radiating toward her arms and down into her fingers. The heat built and built, so much that Avery didn’t think she could stand it for much longer. She tried to pull her hands back, but Hyacinth kept them locked in place. Despite her desire to stop the heat from building, Avery continued chanting.
Avery turned toward Kyla. Her eyes were filled with fear. Avery didn’t have to be an empath to see that Kyla was scared to even breathe. Even still, Kyla reached out one of her hands and placed it on Avery’s shoulder. An immediate sense of reassurance wafted through Avery. That empathic touch of Kyla’s was soothing Avery’s anxiety as she continued to let the heat roil out of her.
“Avery, you are doing so well. Keep going. It is working. You are saving Garnel,” Kyla said and gave Avery the smallest smile of reassurance.
Rays of green light began pouring from Hyacinth and Avery’s hands, transferring into Garnel’s wound. Avery’s power rose from deep in her body, and she embraced it as the power radiated from her to Hyacinth and Garnel. The thick, black ooze seeped out of the wound and flowed down the table. Instead of being appalled, Avery was intrigued.
She was doing this! She was pulling the poison from Garnel. She was saving his life through nothing but her own power!
Hyacinth looked at Avery and nodded as she continued chanting. She then looked at Kyla, indicating something. Kyla spoke as Hyacinth continued chanting, “Avery, the poison is drawn out now. Hyacinth is going to let go of your hands and begin removing thepoisoned flesh. You need to keep your hands on Garnel and continue chanting. You are doing so well. You are so much more powerful than you think.”
Avery continued to feed Garnel’s body with her magic. Her body felt as hot as molten rock, but Avery focused on the chant.
Hyacinth released her hands and picked up a small scalpel. She worked quickly to remove the damaged flesh. Before she stitched the wound, she applied several tinctures and creams to the spot. Avery did not know what they were, but they had a strong herbal scent. Eventually, Hyacinth looked up at Avery and said, “Thank you, child. That will do.”
Avery stopped chanting and lifted her hands from Garnel. The heat coiling through her body receded, and she was light-headed. “I think I may…”
There was no time to finish her sentence before her body lightened and slid down to the ground.
