“Oh, for fuck's sake!” I gestured at the knights. “Carry him if you have to, but get him away from this placenow!”
The knights wrestled the King down the corridor as he shouted and fought. Meanwhile, Vanre rolled on the floor, screaming. It was just us now. I sat down beside him and rummaged in my satchel for something to clean his eyes, but I had packed for investigating the rot, not helping idiots.
In desperation, I grabbed his bag, yanking it away from him and dumping it out. Hands pushing through the mass of bottles and pouches, I demanded, “Do you have any alonsi elixir?”
“The black bottle,” Vanre sobbed, his hands over his eyes and blood dripping past them.
I found the bottle, opened it, and sniffed to make sure. “Open your eyes.”
“It hurts!” he wailed.
“Open your eyes, you fool!”
He dropped his hands and opened his eyes. I could barely see his irises through the veil of blood. It didn't matter. I didn't have to see them to apply the elixir. Holding his lids apart with one hand, I splashed the elixir into both of his eyes and then sat back to cap the bottle. Within seconds, his moaning stopped, and Vanre blinked the blood from his eyes. Rubbing the excess away, he sat up. His eyes were still red and irritated, but they had stopped bleeding, and he could see. He glared at me.
His animosity didn't surprise me, but I didn't have time for it. The horns were back with a few servants, carting dripping fabric between them.
“Hurry!” I jumped up and went to help them. “We need to cover every inch of the opening. Tack it to the walls. Yes, cover the edges of the boards. Every part! We need to seal an airborne contaminant.”
We got the fabric up, a puddle of water forming on the floor beneath it, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Is that good enough, sir?” a horn soldier asked.
“Yes, I think it should be enough to keep the rot contained. But the fabric will need to be kept wet until I can find a more permanent solution.”
“We can see to that.”
“All right. Be careful. If any hole is left uncovered, the rot might get through, and you saw what it did to him.” I motioned toward Vanre, but he was gone. “Ugh! That fucking coward.”
“He's a weasel, that one,” a guard said. “But you can count on us, Master Sevarin.”
“Thank you.” I picked up my satchel. “I'll inform the King of your help and the temporary fix.”
Chapter Six
I found the King just around the corner, on the ground, with six of his guards holding him down. He fought them silently, aside from the occasional grunt, and it made the scene all the more curious. I'd never seen such large men fight so quietly. There was no real animosity there, just struggle.
I stopped two feet away from them. “You can let him up now. We've got a temporary barrier in place.”
The Dragon knights lurched back from the King all at once, gained their feet, and backed away, their wary stares locked on the Dragon King.
Falken got to his feet, glaring at his knights, and smoothed his tunic. “If you ever try to keep me from him again, I will send you back to your enclaves!”
The knights exchanged shocked looks. One of them spoke, “Sire, we weren't trying to keep you away from, uh, anyone. We were protecting you. The Alchemist said—”
“MasterAlchemist!” the King cut him off. “He is a master alchemist, superior to every fucking alchemist in this palace, and you will remember to give him his proper due!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” The knight glanced at me, and I shrugged.
Then I stepped forward. “Your Majesty, I apologize. They were reacting to my urgency. I didn't want you exposed to the rot. It nearly blinded Vanre.”
The Dragon King took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and turned to face me. “I appreciate your concern, Master Alchemist, but if you aren't running, do not expect me to.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Again, I'm sorry. You're more important than I am, and I needed to stay to see to the barrier. Please do not hold your knights accountable for my caution.”
“You are not the King. Their duty is to me alone. Your words shouldn't have affected them.”
“But isn't it their duty to protect you? They reacted to my panic and fear for you. It wasn't about me. It was your safety they were concerned with.”
