My hands were shaking as I pulled up his shirt. When blood spurted from a three-inch gash I sobbed and pressed my hand to the wound in order to staunchit.
“You ran all the way here with that injury!” I yelled at him, tears running down my face. He’d freaking just stood there holding the lightning with me to helped kill Ardan, all while he was bleeding todeath!
He was staring at the cloudy sky, a smile on his face. “I had to come help you. It was my life’s purpose. Now I’ve done what I was meant todo.”
“Shut up!” I screamed at him, tears and snot running down my face as I ugly cried at the thought of losing Isaac. He was like a father to me. “You’re not dying, so stop sayinggoodbye!”
I looked around frantically for trees, but there were none in the immediate vicinity. We were in a freaking endless valley of green grassy hills and rocky beaches. The only tree line I could see was over a mile away, back at the castle. I couldn’t drag a bleeding half dying man a mile. I also wasn’t sure I could do a tree healing on him, because I would need his power to pull from to do it, and he was soweak.
“Eva! Heal him. Help me!” I looked at thewitch.
She was frozen, standing horror-stricken at the sight of Isaac on the ground, in a pool of blood. He was pale and ashen, which was saying a lot about a dark-skinnedman.
“I … my magic won’t … the dragon scales are for magical injuriesand—”
“Eva! I don’t give a shit what you think you know,” I snapped at the sorceress. “I am asking you to try. Don’t just stand there and watch himdie!”
She visibly shook herself, snapping out of it, and a look of determination crossed over her. “Logan, give me a scale! Danny, rev up your magic. I’m going to need yourhelp.”
I sighed in relief that she was going to try. She then pointed to me. “I’m not doing this all by myself. Talk to the Earth or whatever, and find a way to heal him without atree.”
Shit. She’d basically spat my words back at me, but she was right. If she was going to figure out a way to heal him without knowing how, then I could do thesame.
I looked down at the druid’s arresting honey-colored eyes, and I remembered how I’d drawn them right after my dream. It was like I knew this man would become a big part of mylife.
“Help me. Tell me what to do,” I whispered to him, holding tightly to his bleedingwound.
He blinked slowly, breathing shallowly. “If it’s my time, the Earth will take me, and I’m okay withthat.”
I growled, “That’s not what I asked you, Isaac!” I burst into tears again, unable to control myemotions.
He reached up slowly and wiped them away. “Nothing really ever dies, for through the Earth all is reborn.” His arm suddenly went limp as he lostconsciousness.
“Isaac!” Eva yelled frantically, as she burst forward with Logan’s scale between herfingers.
I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. I was ruminating on his words.Through the Earth, all isreborn.
Yes.
Eva flipped Isaac over with a grunt and gestured for me to move my hand off of the wound. When I did, she held the scale over the deep opengash.
“Burn the scale,” she instructed, and I saw Danny move into view with a glowing geometric yellow shape between his hands. The pack was starting up the hill, towards the barn fire. Soon they would see Isaac’s limpform.
I’d burnt Logan’s scale for Rufus’ spell and it had fixed my wand, so maybe she was onto something. I grabbed the tip of my staff, since my necklace was currently on the floor of the burning barn, and funneled my magic through it into my palm, igniting a small amount of purple fire there. Eva dropped the scale into my palm, where it immediately turned toash.
“Now shake it off over the wound,” sheinstructed.
I cut off the flames and poured the cinder ashes into the open wound just as Danny threw an intricate yellow geometric pattern over it. Eva then chanted and flooded his body with yellow magic. It laced over his body tightly like a cocoon, and I could see the edges of his wound starting to knit together before my eyes. Hope burst open in mychest.
Eva sat back on her heels and then looked at me. “You’re up. That’s all I got. He’s stillunconscious.”
Through the Earth, all isreborn.
I nodded. “Give me some space,” I asked, and everyone stepped back. Reaching over, I took my staff in one hand and one of Isaac’s staffs in my other. Purple and orange magic immediately started arcing out of the crystals the moment I touched them. With a groan, I popped up onto my knees. Isaac’s limp form was curled on his side, resting against my thighs. I staked both staffs behind him so that I was creating a tunnel over him. I dug with my toes hard into the earth and anchored myenergy.
Then I set my intention. I intended to fully heal this man. I refused to get any more tattoos or mourn any more deaths. Iwouldheal him. Eva had once told me that a fire druid’s magic was akin to a full-blooded sorcerer’s. Well, I wasn’t fully trained, but I was motivated, and I was my mother’sdaughter.
Mother Earth, help me heal him,I begged silently. Then I said another prayer to my own mother, if she was out there, or was one with the Earth, asking her if she could help me savehim.
