“Your essence isn’t healing her!” Savine shouted, surprising himself with the anger that ripped through him at the woman’s useless comment. Maud stepped back with alarm, and Savine took a steadying breath. “There must be tinctures or salves to help. Something…”
“Your Majesty, your soulmate is a human with human frailty. There is little I am trained to do to help someone with these injuries. If she were fae, her body would already be healing itself.”
From the bed, Savine heard Avery mutter something. He came close to her as she said, “Infection. Maybe pneumonia.”
“She says she has an infection, and something I do not understand. Does any of this make sense to you?” Savine said, taking up his place by Avery’s side.
“I’m so sorry that I can’t offer more help,” the healer said as she left the room.
Savine suspected that the woman was purposefully letting Avery die. Perhaps because she was, despite being a Bayberry, loyal to Jasper and the loyalists. What else would explain her presence in Orofine during the war?
Savine stood, whispering into Avery’s ear, “Just a moment, Little Flower. I’ll be right back.”
He went to the door and saw a guard standing in the open air hallway. “I need my sister. Bring her here at once.” The guard nodded and Savine returned to Avery’s side. Her breathing continued to come in short, loud gasps.
After a few minutes Kyla arrived. “Is she worse than before?” Kyla asked.
“Listen,” Savine said as he clutched Avery’s pale hand in his. His essence hardly moved under his brown skin as he watched Avery’s chest rise and fall.
Kyla pursed her lips. “It sounds like there is liquid in her lungs. What did the healer suggest?”
Savine grunted. “That healer’s days are numbered.”
“Is Avery’s skin still hot?” Kyla asked.
“Yes, like an oven. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
Kyla frowned, pursing her lips. “I have. Garnel felt that way and Avery gave him some human medicine. Did her backpack make it off the eagan?”
Savine shrugged. He had no idea where Avery’s backpack ended up in the chaos of her arrival. He’d been a fool to let the folk gather as the eagans landed. He’d been so focused on weeding out the folk accused of speaking out against her that he hadn’t seen the greater population as a threat.
“I don’t know if I can heal the heat that courses through her body. But it sounds like she has fluid in her lungs. We should at the very least get her upright. Perhaps it will help her breath easier. Then I will go search for the bag and send an airborne fae to Hyacinth. I don’t know if she can get here soon enough to help Avery, but we must try.”
Savine agreed and they moved Avery into a sitting position. She cried out in protest and slumped back into the pillows, but her wet breathing sounded a little better.
“Antibiotics,” Avery muttered.
Kyla looked at him with confusion, and Savine didn’t know what Avery needed. Had he ever felt this helpless? At least when she had been taken from him, he could act. But now all there was to do was sit and pray to the Goddess that she would heal his soulmate.
Kyla reached down and pressed her hand against Avery’s forehead. Savine heard the slight hiss she made as she withdrew her hand, shaking her head as she looked at him. “I’ll search for her backpack and get a few tinctures and salves. Just wait here.”
Savine felt helpless as Kyla left the room. Avery’s eyes fluttered open before she began wheezing and coughing again, her body shaking from the effort. “Tell me how to help you. What can I do?”
Avery shook her head and turned her face toward the window. Another ragged cough hit Avery so strongly that she bowed over in pain. Savine stood and got another wet cloth from the sink in the other room. Then he poured her a fresh cup of water before sitting down beside Avery as he brought the cup to her lips.
There was nothing he could do to help her vulnerable, injured body. He was useless to her, and yet he wouldn’t dare leave her.
“Hold me,” Avery croaked. He placed the wet washcloth on her forehead, and settled in with her limp, hot body burning against his own.
He was drifting off to sleep, a deep weariness overcoming him after two sleepless nights by Avery’s side, when he heard the door click open.
Kyla was back, Avery’s backpack strapped to her own back, and she wasn’t alone.
Hyacinth was by her side. Her wild, tangled hair was filled with sticks, weeds, and other plant matter and the pockets of her dress were near-bursting with supplies.
Savine stood up, gently placing Avery’s head on the pillow as another wave of coughing racked through her. He’d never felt more relieved to see the old Bayberry healer.
“Stand aside, boy. I’ll take it from here,” Hyacinth said, pushing past Savine and to Avery’s side. “Poor child! She’s burning up with fever, just as Kyla said. Kyla dear, get her human medicine out of that backpack.”
