“How are you here?” Savine stammered out the words, but he still was in disbelief that she’d appeared when he needed her the most.
“Your remaining rebels just arrived in Orofine. Jay brought most of the rebels back, but a few chose to remain in Bayberry and the Middens permanently, including Gaelyn. I traveled with the returners. I suspected that Avery would need my assistance, although when I chose to travel here I thought it would be in an educational capacity. I can see I arrived just in time.”
A wave of relief washed over Savine. If there was anyone that he could trust with Avery’s health, it was Hyacinth.
“Here they are!” Kyla said, handing Hyacinth a small, bright red bag. Hyacinth quickly opened the bag, pulling out small plastic packages. Human medicine. All of it contained strange letters that none of them could discern.
“I don’t want to give her the wrong thing,” Hyacinth mumbled as she placed the items on Avery’s lap. “Let’s wake her. She’s the only one who can make hide or hair out of this language.”
Avery groaned as she returned to consciousness, but she quickly chose the medicine that she needed to reduce her fever. Hyacinth asked all of them about the injuries and inspected Avery’s body. She listened to the story of the attack, deep concentration on her face as she examined Avery.
“Now, the work begins. That fool of a healer, Maud, couldn’t get her essence to respond to Avery’s illness. I’ll try in a moment, but first we can give her body a boost to begin the healing process.” Hyacinth stepped away from the bed and began digging through her pockets, muttering to herself and placing herbs and tinctures on the table as she went. Kyla began setting the plants into an indiscernible order as Hyacinth tossed them on the table. Savine couldn’t stop himself from watching closely as Hyacinth began preparing a mixture of herbs, bark, and other plant matter. She pressed and ground the herbs with a mortar and pestle that had fit in a wide pocket near Hyacinth’s waist.
“I know you are King, and have the right to do as you please, but give me some space! I cannot concentrate with you hovering about,” Hyacinth barked.
“I just—I can’t lose her. Do you think you can heal her?” Savine asked.
Hyacinth turned from her work and looked at Savine. Her features softened as she said, “I have healed much worse, including Susan when she was just a child. She caught some human ailment that was nearly the death of her. But sometimes cases that seem simple can have complications.” She turned back to her work, continuing to pound the plants, bark, and herbs into a paste.
Kyla turned to Savine, warning him, “You may not want to be here for this.” Kyla glanced back to Hyacinth who was slathering the paste on cloth strips.
“I’m not leaving Avery’s side,” Savine said. His tone was harsher than he intended, but his sister nodded.
“I can feel her resilience, Savine. But I know from experience, it is hard to watch a soulmate be healed.”
Savine felt a sinking worry in his stomach as he looked at Avery, pale and feverish on the bed.
Hyacinth ordered, “Get someone to prepare a bath. Hot as she can tolerate.” Savine got up and started the bath himself. He didn’t need someone serving them at this time. All he wanted was to be by Avery’s side as she recovered.
Once the water was deep enough for Hyacinth’s approval, Savine carried Avery to the bath. Her fits of coughing and shallow breaths, as well as the other injuries to her body, had left her too weak to walk on her own. Savine set Avery down on a towel as he helped her take off her nightgown before he slipped her into the water.
While Savine helped Avery to the bath, Hyacinth added some plants to the water. He recognized the rabbitbrush, wooly mullein, and choke cherry bark in the water.
“I’m starting with the lungs,” Hyacinth said curtly as Avery let out a shallow gasp when she hit the hot water. “This bath is similar to steeping tea. My hope is that she will be more open to receiving my essence through the water. With the help of the plants, I can work the healing in two parts.”
Hyacinth pushed up her sleeves before she dipped them into the murky water. Immediately, the water began to illuminate and Avery let out a small cry. Savine moved to be closer to her, holding her lolling head in his arms. The fever coursing through her body had made her delirious, and Avery looked at him as if through a fog. The water shone with light and color as Hyacinth’s essence swirled around Avery. Avery’s shallow, choked breathing became more rapid, reaching a crescendo of weak, panting coughs.
“You’re making her worse!” Savine gritted out.
Hyacinth didn’t reply, but Savine felt Kyla’s steadying hand on his shoulder. “Shh. She’s responding to Hyacinth’s essence, see?” The purple and blue bruising below Avery’s chest was changing to a light brown hue, and the dark lines across her midsection seemed to be diminishing.
“Carry her to the bed. Quickly,” Hyacinth said, and Savine immediately scooped Avery out of the bathtub, soaking his own shirt as she leaned against his chest, rasping for air.
Savine set her down on the bed and moved to pull the blankets and furs up around her, but Hyacinth stopped him. He looked over to Kyla, who carried the plant infusion on strips of cloth. Both women worked quickly, wrapping Avery’s exposed flesh in the herbal cloth.
After they were finished, Hyacinth turned to Savine. “Let her rest with the plants on her for the entire night. I’ll return in themorning to see if she’s made progress. If she hasn’t, we still have options to try.”
Savine put his hand on Hyacinth’s shoulder. He didn’t want to consider what would have happened if Hyacinth hadn’t arrived when she did. “Thank you for all your help. I owe you a debt.”
“Do not start talk of debts. She hasn't recovered yet. You’d do good to take your mind off her sickness and get some fresh air. Latiah needs you to continue ruling, even with Avery ill,” Hyacinth replied as she packed up her remaining tinctures and salves.
Savine couldn’t do that. He knew Raikin could handle the role as he stayed beside Avery. There was nowhere more important than beside Avery.
He saw Kyla and Hyacinth to the door, closing it behind him and returning to his bed. To the bed he wanted to share with Avery not as a patient, but as his soulmate, bonded and beside him.
Morgan
Morgan woke up in a dark room. The last thing she remembered was the feeling of weightlessness as she fell asleep in the eagan’s saddle. Was she back in Nephel?
