‘It was just something to help her sleep,’ Xander said. ‘She’s in pain.’
Bisma struck his back, and he turned to her, face alarmed. ‘You don’t doanythingwithout telling me first!’ she cried, her voice vicious.
He blinked. ‘Alright,’ he agreed. ‘I won’t.’
She knew she should be thankful—he was helping her, after all—but she couldn’t help but claw at him.
‘We need to get the poison out of her system,’ he said.
Xander left Mei’s side to rummage through various pots, searching for something; Bisma could see his mind was whirring through different combinations and ideas.
She felt utterly useless in comparison. Treatment was never something she’d ever dealt with; she didn’t even know where to start. Instead, Bisma turned to Mei, taking her little hand in her own and giving it a squeeze. ‘Everything is going to be alright,’ she whispered. ‘I promise.’
‘I’ll be right back!’ Xander called.
Before she could reply, he vanished from the greenhouse, and a few minutes later he came back with a bucket of slimy black creatures. He set the bucket down, then pulled two out, holding them up for her to see. They wiggled in his hands.
‘Leeches!’ he said proudly, smiling at her in the most absurd manner.
She gave him a look that she hoped expressed just how deranged she thought he was.
‘What on earth—’ she began, then watched as he dropped them into a mortar. With one hand, he crushed them with a pestle, then with the other he picked and threw in a few drops of tea tree oil.
‘This should bring the poison to the surface,’ he said. ‘Then we can get it out of her.’
‘Can I help in any way?’ she asked, coming to his side.
‘Actually, yes,’ he said. He handed her the pestle. ‘Keep crushing, gently, to make it into as smooth a paste as possible.’
She nodded, doing as she was told, then watched as he went around the greenhouse, looking for certain plants. He returned with various leaves and added them to the mortar as she continued to grind them all into a paste.
Then, when he had all the ingredients he desired, he took over for her, his fingers easily taking the pestle from her hand. He stood just beside her, the warmth of his arm seeping into her skin.
‘Just like this,’ he said, showing her the contents of the mortar. He waved his hand and the paste thinned into a liquid with his magic. The sight was a delight; she hardly ever used her magic like that in the mixing process—she used more of her magic during the growing process—so it was a wonder to watch.
As if sensing she was impressed, Xander wiggled his eyebrows at him. Rolling her eyes, she shoved his shoulder, which only made him laugh quietly.
‘Look,’ he said, dipping a finger in, then showing her. It looked like a juice made from dark berries.
‘Will it work?’ she asked.
‘Oh ye of little faith,’ he said, shaking his head. She raised a brow, and he released a dramatic sigh. ‘Yes, it will work.’
He poured the liquid into a teacup. Bisma followed him to Mei’s side, where she gently raised Mei up and watched as Xander fed Mei the liquid. In her sleep, Mei drank it, grimacing slightly.
‘Sorry,’ he said, sheepishly. ‘That can’t have tasted good.’
After Mei swallowed, Bisma set her down. ‘Now what?’ she asked.
‘Now we wait,’ he replied.
Bisma released a long breath, exhausted. She realized then that more than an hour had passed. The rain had stopped, and the sky above the greenhouse was beginning to change colors to welcome the dawn.
‘What’s her story?’ Xander asked. He was leaning against a table, arms crossed over his chest as he regarded her.
She arched her brow.
Color warmed his cheeks; he was shy, asking her like this. ‘Unless you don’t want to say, but … you all have stories, don’t you?’
