We reached the first jagged shard of ice in his neck. I wrapped my essence around it while River used his flames to melt it gently. It didn’t take long, but we hadn’t considered what to do with the pooling water.
As if reading my mind, he called for a medic and explained what we needed. She stood ready with a syringe, its needle long enough to cause nightmares.
We worked through each damaged vertebra, taking brief breaks as my body screamed for me to stop. Still, I forced myself to heal the last one with the remnants of my power. The moment I severed my link to the patient and River, I collapsed.
‘Ava!’ River’s shaky voice broke through the haze as I slumped on the floor beside the injured man’s bed. An arm hooked around my shoulders, keeping me upright. It was the soldier urging Albert to let me heal him.
River patted my cheek, placed a cup of water at my lips, and tilted my head to help me drink. Eventually, I rested my head against the stranger’s chest.
The healing had depleted me. My blurry vision slowly cleared, revealing a panicked king crouched before me and a roomful of his battalion watching from afar. I still leaned against the stranger, who didn’t seem to mind.
‘It’s okay, I’ll watch her. Help the others,’ he assured his king, and when River reluctantly rose, I knew he trusted him.
Embarrassed by my weakness, I whispered, ‘I’m sorry I can’t heal you.’
‘No need, it’ll heal on its own. You healed Albert and Archie, that’s more than enough. You should rest. Don’t want River to pop that vein in his forehead, do you?’
They seemed so used to injury. I couldn’t understand how he could joke in such a state. ‘I’m fine. I just used too much witchcraft; it happens.’
‘You lose consciousness when you use too much? I’ve never seen that before.’ The stranger lifted his good hand to my forehead, checking for fever. Such a kind man.
‘It’s like being cut off before you spend too much to d—’ I stopped, unwilling to admit how dangerous it truly could have been.
‘Ah, I understand. We’re truly grateful. It’s safe to say you’re an honorary Prime warrior now.’
I let out a strained chuckle. ‘Oh really? Well, that’s definitely going to pop that vein of his.’
He laughed too. ‘I’m Cecil, Executive Officer for the Prime Battalion. Lately, I’ve been filling in for our king as Commander. He’s too busy with you to fight.’
Was their group worse off now that he focused on training? ‘Sorry.’
His tone stayed light, betraying no pain despite the wound that left his flesh hanging from bone. ‘No need. We all have lives, and for too long, his revolved solely around the war.’
A sigh escaped me, which made him pause. ‘But you do know who I am, right?’
‘It’s not about where you come from. It’s about what you make of yourself.’
Chapter Thirty
Avari
The morning passed in a blur as I readied myself for what was coming. The king spent the night on the sofa in my room, since the little fainting spell worried him.
No amount of explanations that it was normal and expected and that I felt fine satisfied him, and eventually, I let it go.
Hiding my fidgeting fingers in my pockets, I questioned him once more about our destination. ‘So there are a lot of them there?’
A smirk tugged at River’s mouth as he shot me a mocking glance. ‘It’s the Land of Volcanoes. The name would suggest so.’
‘You do know that I’m only half fae, right?’ My short legs lacked the stamina to match his brisk pace without rushing. But upon noticing the struggle, he slowed down, assessing me like he kept doing last night. It was getting on my nerves.
He stilled for a moment, brow lifting as he pressed, ‘Your point?’
Gaze full of dread, I tried to explain my worry. ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger; what doesn’t kill me makes for a seriously unpleasant recovery.’
His chiselled face was set in seriousness as his gaze locked with mine. ‘Have I ever done anything to suggest you would be harmed in my presence?’
Memories of several situations flashed in my mind, and I winced. ‘Well…’
