Page 23 of Wraithwound

It went against every instinct to admit that in a room full of people she hadn’t seen in years, but she knew if Ahgrie trusted them, then she could too.

“I was,” she said.

“Then tell me, how is it that you’ve yet to turn?” he asked.

“I’m not sure,” Lena lied.

The members of the Healer’s Organization glanced at each other, a pointed silence filling the space.

“How is it that you’ve managed to keep the turn at bay?” Benneck asked again.

Lena had to force the answer out of her mouth, reminding herself that this information would be invaluable to the healers. She knew they’d been particularly interested in the mechanics of the change, keenly aware that understanding the way the infection worked, how it took over its host, might help them fight it.

“I was attacked in the forest,” she said in answer. She watched as their faces grew contemplative, and then as their eyes grew wide.

“That was you who dispatched the Commander’s men?” Suhalia asked.

“All of them?” Edith interjected, shifting in her seat.

Dispatched, Suhalia had said, as if that made Lena any less of a murderer.

“No, there was a beast in the forest that attacked the camp. I tried to get away, but one of the men came after me. I had to defend myself.”

The room seemed to stir in what was left unspoken. Ahgrie handed Lena a warm cup of tea and took the empty chair beside her. The sweet, hot liquid hit her tongue, and she savored it, immediately feeling more relaxed as it eased her nerves. Lena hadn’t expected to be nervous when seeing her mother’s old colleagues, but she hadn’t expected such blunt questions, either. Looking back, it seemed ridiculous that she hadn’t expected it. Healers were known for their curiosity. It was a common trait in their profession.

Lena told them most of what she could remember about her injuries and how her body had responded to the infiltration it was currently undergoing. It was a surreal experience. She couldn’t stomach telling them about Henry, though, or what she’d done to the man she’d killed in the forest. She figured they knew enough. When she was done, they all sat in silence for a long moment. Edith excused herself to use the restroom while Nora and Suhalia refreshed their tea.

When they came back together, a different energy filled the room. Nora, who had not spoken the entire evening, swept her bright gaze over Lena. She had upturned eyes and short, pin straight hair. Her hands were clasped in her lap. She was shorter than the other women, but Lena could tell she wasn’t afraid to take up space.

“Your mother’s diary, do you have it?” she asked.

Instantly, the skin on her chest began to prickle. She stared at Nora, unsure of what to say. Why would they be asking about her mother’s diary?

“Okay, let’s start with something else. Did Marisee ever tell you about her role in the organization? Her actual role?” Nora said.

Lena blinked. It was evident she was talking about something else that her mother had been doing because, otherwise, what sort of question was that? Nora sighed, readjusting in her chair. The others dropped their gazes to the floor, and a blush crept into Lena’s cheeks. Had she been so checked out of her own life she hadn’t realized that her mother had secrets?

“She was assigned to one of the six,” Nora said coldly.

“Nora,” Suhalia warned as the others glanced nervously at her.

“We no longer have time for hand holding. Not one of you knows how much longer she will remain in control of her own body, her consciousness. Marisee would have wanted her to know,” Nora countered.

A heavy silence hung in the air. No one spoke, not even Ahgrie.

“Her job was to care for Neema. To do anything in her power to ensure that Neema lived—” Nora said and then waited.

Of course it had been. She often went above and beyond to ensure the well-being of her patients. A sense of dread coiled in her gut as she thought back to her mother’s determination to go into the forsaken city.

“—because,” Nora continued, reaching out to sip from the lone glass of water on the table, “Neema was the last living caster of the Essence Shield.”

Everyone in the room tuned to Lena. Waiting, she realized, to see if her face showed any recognition of the information that had just been revealed. Lena’s eyes dipped to the glass still held in Nora’s hands.

“At the time when darkness fell, it was not the Commander who saved these lands from darkness with his steel and wits,” she said in a mocking tone. “It was a group of six women, all descendants of the original maiden who was favored by the Goddess. Didn’t you ever wonder why the smaller villages never sought protection? Why healers could travel to other villages with little chance they’d encounter a wraith?”

“That’s a myth,” Lena said, her mind racing.

She’d always been told wraiths were drawn to more densely populated areas or that they became disoriented and lost in the woods. But now that the truth was laid out so plainly before her, she realized it wasn’t until certain town elders had died that the smaller villages near Virdeen had been attacked. All of these elders had been women.