The room was not monochromatic with obsidian like the rest of the castle that I had seen so far, but rather beige, multicolored brick walls lined with shelves upon shelves of bottles and jars of all colors and sizes, all neatly labeled. There were no machines or equipment. Instead, herbs hung above a workspace and a diverse collection of crystals hung in the window. In the corner, a harp played by itself softly, its notes guiding the rhythm of breath, as if it were meant for specific vibrations.
Aurelius spoke, breaking her focus. “We found her in the sacred forest. Her leg was injured by something. I patched it, but she requires deeper healing magic. She does not appear to be self-healing.”
The harp fell silent.
The healer said nothing, her eyes shifted to the pearl necklace around my neck. I had forgotten about it, I’m sure it did stand out like a sore thumb paired with my hospital gown. Her eyes widened slightly for a second, it was the only indication to her thoughts, the rest of her face was stoic as stone. There was a long pause. A heavy silence followed. The two men glanced at one another, then back at me.
“What a peculiar necklace. It’s beautiful,” she said, her voice warm and kind.
“Oh, it was a gift. Thank you,” I replied.
She turned her attention to the two males. “She is not self-healing because she is not Fae and possesses no magic. She is not even of this realm. She is human, a mortal,” she revealed.
Fae, I thought to myself as in Faeries? I had only thought them to be myths in fantasy books and movies. Perhaps they have been real all along but just existed in a different corner of the universe, or the other possibility is this is all just a very real, elaborate dream created by my wild imagination and extremely strong drugs.
A look of confusion and fear flooded the faces of the two males.
“How is that possible? My uncle will want to know about this, I must go at once!” Rexius declared with urgency, and he practically ran out of the healers room.
The healer looks slightly disturbed by what he said. Then she turned her attention on me. She held out her hands and bright light sparkled as it cast over me. My body seemed to subtly vibrate. Her hands scanned over me, head to toe, then her hands suddenly stopped right at the deep wound hidden by Aurelius’s patch job.
She focused her light in a deeper acute beam of the same light, and after a few minutes she was done. The searing pain faded, replaced by a soothing warmth that seeped deep into my skin.
I had so many questions, but only one, the most pressing, rose to my lips.
“Do I…” I started, then forced myself to finish. “Can you tell if I still have cancer?”
I needed to know. Even though I felt like I already knew the answer, I needed confirmation.
The healer blinked, confusion creasing her brow. “I do not know this word,” she said gently, “but your body is whole and strong. No illness plagues you, child.” Her voice held no fear or pity, only calm certainty.
A small whimper of joy and disbelief escaped me as I tried, and failed, to hold back my tears. One or two broke free.
Aurelius stood frozen, wide eyed, silently processing every word.
“How is that possible?” I asked, my voice breaking.
Aurelius cut in, “it may be something that exists exclusively in your realm but does not exist here, so you simply do not have it here.”
Gleeda nodded, humming softly in agreement and then added, “or perhaps the Guardians decided you had suffered enough.”
I’m cured? Or as he put it just simply without it like it never existed. For two years my illness has kept me a slave, tormenting me, beating my body, and affecting everyone I love in the process and now it just simply doesn’t exist. I’m still not certain if I am dreaming or in some kind of afterlife, but a “realm” where cancer doesn’t exist couldn’t be all that bad, could it?
Aurelius spoke again, bewilderment clear in his eyes. “But how is a mortal here in our realm? I thought the realms were sealed. Do you think this has anything to do with the prophecy?”
Gleeda gave him a stern look, then turned back to me with a gentle smile. “The will of the realm Guardians is mysterious. Only time will reveal their plan.”
“Who are…?” I began, but she interrupted me.
“There will be time for questions later,” she said, tilting her head toward Aurelius and the door, signaling for him to leave. “For now, you need to rest.”
Aurelius picked up on the healer’s hint and moved toward the door. “I will find Calpurnia and have her prepare a room for Lady Delilah.” He bowed his head and stepped out.
The healer watched the door, as if listening to the sound of his footsteps fading away. After a moment, she turned to me with a look of quiet concern.
“Lady Delilah, I have noticed that you are unable to have children,” she said softly.
Shocked, I nodded. How could she have known? How much power did this woman possess?
