As she looked at the hero, Alea’s sea-bloated face rose from his waxy pallor. Tears blurred her vision. She couldn’t go through this again, it would break her.
Then Heracles’s right eyelid twitched. Feverishly rubbing the moisture from her eyes, she leaned over his face.
“Heracles?”
A whisper of breath passed between his lips, but he didn’t move. She said his name again and shook him. Still, he did not stir. Biting her lip so hard she drew blood, she tried splashing water on him, slapping him, but nothing would rouse him. Frustration forced its way out through her throat into something between a scream and a moan.
There had to be something she could do.
She placed her hands on his chest. If she could heal herself, perhaps she could heal others. She drew a deep breath, called for the life-threads rushing around her body and gathered the strands into her hands. Her fingers throbbed as the power built to a climax. Then she pushed, an intense tugging sensation dragging down her arms as the life-threads left her body.
She was hit by a wave of tiredness and thought it had worked; then a rush of energy surged back up her arms as her life-threads returned to her.
She cursed and sat back, pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes. What good were her healing powers if she could only save herself? She was nothing but a parasite.
She lowered her hands and looked down at Heracles. Self-loathing was not going to save him. She set about removing the darts from his body and stowed them away in her bag. They might come in useful.
“I’m going to get Dolos.” She squeezed his hand. “I’ll get you out of this, I promise.”
The last thing she wanted to do was leave him, but the healer would know what to do.
The sky was inked with twilight by the time Danae returned to the clearing. As she stepped through the trees, she saw a small crowd had gathered outside the Hunters Hall.
“Daeira!”
Sofia slipped through the tangle of bodies and ran toward her. Danae stopped as the girl flung her arms around her.
“I was so worried.”
Anger bubbled in her stomach, but she forced herself to remain calm. She knew it was imperative she play the part of drugged, dutiful islander to gain access to Dolos.
“I’m fine,” she said, smiling.
Over Sofia’s shoulder, Danae saw Hypsipyle striding toward her, Polyxo hobbling in the queen’s wake.
“Where have you been?” asked Hypsipyle.
“I was doing my task. But I slipped and fell in the river. I must have hit my head because I woke up on the bank and the sky was darkening, so I came home.”
Sofia raised a hand to Danae’s cheek. “I’m glad you’re safe.”
Despite herself, Danae flinched. Hurt flickered over Sofia’s pretty features.
“We thought you were lost to the jungle.” Hypsipyle’s voice was honeyed with concern.
She was good, she was very good.
“I’m sorry to have caused trouble. I hope all these people aren’t here for me.”
Hypsipyle smiled. “No. There is to be an announcement, but that will come later.” She placed a hand on the small of Danae’s back. “Go with Polyxo, she will check you over.”
“I’m fine, really.”
She saw Dolos in the crowd and tried to catch his eye, but the healer didn’t look her way. She cursed inwardly. She had to take him to Heracles before it was too late.
Then Polyxo grabbed her arm with a claw-like hand and steered her toward her hut.
You could destroy her in a heartbeat,said the voice.
