Chuckling, I refused. ‘I can’t. I don’t want to ruin you.’
‘Maybe I want you to, witch.’
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Avari
The flight back was peaceful, and though we got misted by a refreshing cloud of rain, it did nothing to dampen the dovish moment. The village was only a short flight away, and not even an hour later we landed in the courtyard. In his ever-so-helpful manner, the king helped me hop off my beast.
Though charming, the kind gesture made me chuckle. Out of the two of us, I was the one with more dragon experience, evident through his measured steps.
‘What’s funny now?’ River asked, his hand still lingering at my waist.
‘Nothing, just …’
Michael ran toward us, his sombre expression tearing both River and me out of the blissful trance. He was winded and covered in blood.
River vanished, appearing by him so fast my eyes couldn’t register it. He patted his younger brother for wounds, but Michael shoved his hands away and shook his head, as if the words were too difficult to push out.
Gripping Michael’s face in his palms, River forced him to meet his gaze. ‘What is it?’
My spy friend’s throat bobbed as he released the breath he was holding. ‘Your battalion …’
The king went rigid, eyes losing warmth as they often did when he struggled to control his emotions. ‘What happened?’
Michael shook his head again, and his brother gripped him tighter before roaring, ‘Tell. Me!’
I stepped closer, uncertain whether to focus on diffusing the tension or finding out what had happened. It wasn’t like River to lose his temper with his family.
‘Michael, calm down …’ I grabbed his hand, interlacing our fingers and caressing with the gentleness I would offer a spooked animal. ‘Just start from the beginning. Everything will be okay.’
His hand tightened around mine as his panicked eyes settled on River. The king had gone unnaturally still, his spine straight, his feet rooted deep into the ground. It was difficult to tell if he was even breathing.
Voice hoarse, Michael finally managed to rasp out, ‘They are in the infirmary.’
River rushed ahead, too fast to follow. I sprinted after him, heart hammering. Around the corner I thought I lost him, but he must have stopped, sensing that I followed.
Halting me with a hand, his voice turned stern. ‘Stay. They hate witches.’
That much was obvious, but I could still prove useful, and he had to know it. ‘They’ve obviously been hurt. I can help.’
‘They have. By witches. They’re like my brothers, Ava. They’ve just come back from battle, and they’re angry. Not only that, but they may lash out. I don’t want you hurt or to be forced to step in and correct them when they’re already injured.’
It sounded reasonable. ‘I am a witch, and as such, I can heal some of their injuries if they need it. I won’t go near them unless they agree they want my help. Does that sound okay?’
Grabbing my hand again, he sprinted, pulling me with him to the far end of the corridor. The double doors to what I presumed was the infirmary had been left open, and even my untrained nose recognised the stench of blood and gore.
At the sight of carnage inside, his grip eased, and I slipped my hand free. The tiled floors had become pools of crimson, bandages scattered as the three medics jumped between the wounded. At least a dozen soldiers—maybe more—were laid across beds, counters and floors, arranged by urgency. All in varying states of damage.
The two on the beds had been hit the worst. Their injuries were too severe for even fae to heal on their own.
One lay unconscious while a medic worked over him. The other, aware of the gravity of his situation, pushed the healers away to help his comrades instead.
My heart swelled with sadness. Nobody that selfless deserved such a cruel death.
I hesitated at the threshold, worried the healthier soldiers might attack. Their fae sense of smell would tell them instantly what I was. But as they looked between me and River, they must have realised I was the Ortensian with the dragon.
They didn’t react aggressively, though their wary gazes followed as I crossed the room and reached the bedside of a soldier I was determined to help, if only he would let me.
