Chapter 50

50

MENTAL NOTES FROM THE SCHOOL HEALER AT CSA:

Despite breathing and herbs, there’s no cure for this type of wound. Healing takes time.

A fter Brenneth had carried her back into camp, Thessa faltered at the sight of Soren’s serpentine skin, seared beyond recognition. She’d sat there for however long, watching the healer’s work.

Her mind was in a silent fury, while her heart screamed. Although her eyes were opened, she couldn’t see. Without him, the world was uninhabitable; her mind was once again, uninhabitable. So, she’d drifted away. Not even the gurgling pain of others, or the tears of the mourning could steal her attention.

When day faded into night, Thessa still hadn’t moved. She had no purpose to. Familiar faces passed by, trying to free her from her torment, but nothing would help her escape this.

At some point, someone carried her away, into a healer’s tent and atop a cot .

“Perhaps a head wound,” the healer said.

A series of hands cut every piece of muddied fabric from her, inspected her skin, and cleaned her. There were mumbled uncertainties as to why she’d remained in such a daze, but Thessa didn’t care to listen. Afterwards, someone had dressed her, laid her down, and covered her with a thin blanket. Maybe it was Sila, or some other aqua-eyed female. She wasn’t sure.

The healer, who’d introduced herself as Pennique several times, stayed awake all night to observe her. When morning broke, she wagged her thick finger, mapping a shape Thessa had no energy to track. “Follow my finger, go on,” the healer repeated.

She couldn’t. Her sleep had come in waves, her eyes closing for a bit, then popping back open. Unseeing death was not an option, she learned.

“Grab me a Celestial, please,” Pennique asked the child who’d been staring at Thessa like she too was a corpse.

Leora tumbled in a second later, landing at her bedside, as if she’d been waiting for an opportunity to come in. Thessa wanted to reach out to her, to slide her fingers across Leora’s skin, and let her know she was here … but she was just too tired.

“How can I help?” Leora asked.

The healer hovered over Thessa’s face. “Conjure your magic please, just to one fingertip,” Pennique requested.

Leora did so effortlessly.

“Now, bring your finger closer to her right eye.”

Thessa heaved a breath as Leora’s opalescent fingertip shined bright. As exhausted as Thessa was, and unable to voice the pain inside her chest, she was proud of her friend.

“And the other eye, please.”

Leora’s bright finger dipped from one eye to the other .

“Pupils are responding well, good,” Pennique noted. “That’s enough, thank you.”

“Will she be, okay?” Leora asked.

“There’s no active bleeding, anywhere. There’s no wound to her head that I can find, no swelling either. Her breathing remained steady all evening. There’s not even a scratch on her skin. I think this may stem from the mind, which would require time, and rest. There’s nothing more I can offer her.”

Thessa felt Leora’s warm hand squeeze her shoulder before asking Pennique, “Could you leave us, for just a moment?”

“I have to get some water anyway, I’ll be back soon.” She gathered a bucket and looked over to the child. “Come.”

When they were alone, Leora began. “Tess, I think you’re in shock, or something. Whatever it is, I’m here. I’ve been here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Thessa's chest swelled and settled, like a tide flowing in and out of sea.

Leora continued, “You’re the strongest witch I’ve ever met. Do you know that? You can push through this.” Leora shook her head. “Is this about Soren? Sila, who I really like by the way, told me how close you two were getting. He’ll be okay, the healers said so. In fact, he’s doing so well they had to move him into a carriage. He was becoming too alert, and aggressive, which they said is a good sign. This way, they can keep him safe. All everyone wants is to keep you both safe.” Leora tucked the blanket tighter into her sides.

The act was so small, yet so comforting. Thessa wondered if that was what it’d felt like to be tucked in as a child. Her voice was scratchy, but she managed to say, “Thanks for coming.”

Leora squeezed her hand. “Tess, always. ”

She cleared her throat. “So, it’s true, he’ll be, okay?” She wanted to hear Leora say it again.

“It’s true. Emiel’s driving the healers mad with questions, but it sounds like the burns and wounds are responding well to the salves. They said he’ll be scarred, but nothing more.”

“Emiel’s okay? Beatrix and Ivy too?”

Leora smiled. “Yes, they’re all alright.”

“And Hades, Ares?”

“The horses? More than alright. Emiel’s been caring for them.”

“Good.” She was scared to ask but had to. “How many are … not alright?”

Leora paused. “Many.”

“And dead?”

After dropping her head, Leora said, “Many.”

Thessa sighed, rolling to her side. “There’s no point in leaving this tent. It was a fool’s dream to stand a chance against them.”

“That’s not true. Their forces retreated as fast as ours, thanks to Soren’s serpent friend.”

Echidna.

Her last memory of the serpent was not one she wanted to remember. She wondered if Soren could feel her loss. He must. Thessa groaned into her pillow, feeling unworthy of the soft reprieve beneath her cheek.

“Come on. Let’s stretch those legs of yours. I know quite a few people who can’t wait to see how you’re doing. Pennique is really strict, she wouldn’t allow any visitors overnight.” Leora stretched an arm around Thessa’s back, helping her off the cot.

Ivy and Beatrix were only a step away from the tent, shooting to their feet when they saw them. Beatrix opened her arms wide before pulling Thessa into a giant hug. There wasn’t room to object, especially not as Ivy did the same, squeezing her from the other side. Thessa would’ve stumbled had they not been holding on so tight. Leora couldn’t help herself, stretching her long arms around all of them. The ball of Celestials infused her with enough energy to shake a small smile from her.

“I love you all, but I can’t breathe,” Thessa said. After they released her, she zipped in a breath and asked, “How’d you all do it?”

“Do what?” Beatrix asked.

“Gather enough Celestials to distract an entire army?”

Ivy answered, “Have you met Leora?”

A genuine smile escaped Thessa’s lips. “And that slice of moonlight? Amazing.”

Ivy smirked. “The Celestials in Greenshire taught us.” She eyed Beatrix before saying, “We’re planning to move up north and learn more.”

Beatrix reached for Ivy’s hand. “You’re not just saying that for me?”

“No. I think you’re right. We should do it.”

Beatrix squealed before kissing Ivy hard enough to knock her back a few steps.

Thessa remembered the mountains and trees Eiliana had drawn. “I hope you both love it there.”

“We’ll write of course,” Ivy added.

Thessa was grateful for friends that saw the light in the darkest of places—friends like them. A rough throat cleared from behind her, and Thessa turned to see Jussal eyeing her with concern.

Sila smiled and said, “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

Jussal inclined his head toward the tent. “We should talk inside. ”

“Let’s go get Thessa something to eat.” Leora steered Ivy and Beatrix toward the braziers while eyeing Sila.

“What?” Thessa asked as she moved back inside the tent. “He’s going to be okay, right?” Hearing it again would help. She scanned Sila’s face for the truth.

Sila answered, “That’s what the healers say, but?—”

“But what?” Thessa interrupted her.

Lips pressed flat, Jussal said, “He won’t eat.”

“Not yet, you mean.” Thessa looked to Sila for reassurance.

Sila nodded. “Not yet.”

Shifting her gaze back to Jussal, Thessa asked, “What have you offered him?”

He rubbed his forehead. “So far, we’ve snared some rodents and river trout. He’s not interested in either.”

“Well, try something else,” Thessa snapped at him.

“We’re working on it,” Sila said softly.

Eyes still fixed on Jussal, Thessa asked, “How many did we lose?”

Jussal sighed, “The numbers aren’t for certain, somewhere between 170 and 180 are unaccounted for, but I can assure you the Elemental Army lost more.”

It didn’t make her feel better. “And children?”

“None harmed.”

Thessa let out a breath. “What are we going to do about him?”

“We wait,” Jussal said, as if his son wasn’t trapped. As if it weren’t every bit his fault for cursing Soren with this burden. “For now, there are things that need to be settled, and you’re the only one who can do it.”

Thessa snarled at the founder of the southern rebellion. He may be reformed, but his heart was made of stone. “You don’t have to tell me. Where’s my horse? ”

“Thessa, let’s get you fed first,” Sila offered.

The haze threatened to take over her head again. Thessa spotted her boots and moved to slide them on. “I’m not hungry,” she muttered, and stomped out of the tent.