44. Forty-Four

Forty-Four

I stared at the door for a long moment as Andrues shuffled around the room. His hands on my skin finally pulled my eyes away from where Ardan had stood and I looked down to see him grinding herbs together in a small bowl.

“What happens now?” I asked, my voice shaking.

“We try to keep the poison from spreading any further—”

“No,” I cut him off. “Not for me. I know what is coming for me . . . what happens next for the rest of you.”

“Hyacinth, we are not going to leave you,” Andrues said as he looked up at me with furrowed brows, his eyes hollow. “We are going to do everything we can, while we still can, to stop this.”

“Andrues, I am dying. I am going to die.” My voice was calm as I spoke, resigned to the truth of my circumstance. “The Silliands are coming for me and if . . . when I die, I will no longer be of use to them.” I slipped my hand into Andrues’s. “All of you have a chance to get to Locdragoon now, before they find me. You should take it.”

“No, Hyacinth. That is not how this works.” Andrues stood, frustration seeping into his features. “You do not get to sacrifice yourself over and over and expect us to not help you. Asking us, your friends—your family—to just let you die . . . we will not do that. You can choose to give up, but I will not. I will not walk away if there is any chance at an alternate outcome.”

“I am not giving up,” I stated firmly, pushing myself up against the headboard and wincing in pain. “I am giving my family a chance to survive this.”

“You think that everyone is going to survive this if we leave you to die?” Andrues asked with a scoff. “They may live through it, but they will not survive—not really.” His words sent my heart spirling to my stomach and I knew what he meant, what he was trying to tell me. “It is our choice to put our lives at risk to do whatever we can to keep each other alive. Just like it was your choice to make that deal . You do not get to take that from us.” His tone was harsh as he said the words, and I held back a sob that was building in my chest. Andrues let out a long breath as he sat back in the chair beside my bed, wrapping his fingers around the healing instruments and continuing his work.

We sat in silence while he made a fresh salve and slathered it into my wounds. I could feel the relief it brought almost instantaneously as he handed me a warm cup of tea.

“Drink this, it will help with the pain and help you sleep. Healing will happen faster when your body is not using your energy elsewhere.” I nodded as I brought the cup to my mouth and watched him pack away his items.

“Where are we?” I finally asked as the warm liquid slid down my throat.

“We are in Edvhir, Ithia’s capital. This is the home where Landers grew up.” I froze at the words. This is the house Landers had told me stories about; the house he had lost his entire family in. The “house of death” he had called it. I could picture him sitting in this small room as a child, playing chess next to the fireplace with his mother until his father came home.

“Where are Pri and Wren? Are they safe?” I asked.

“Yes,” Andrues said, tightening his satchel and hoisting it over his shoulder. “Pri is healed; they are at the border of Ithia now, watching for any signs of The Silliands.” I nodded at his response and took another sip. “Please try to sleep, Hyacinth. I will be back soon to check on your wounds, but I need you to sleep.” I let out a long sigh and watched as he stepped out of the room. Placing the cup on the table beside me I slid down into bed and pulled the covers over my head.

I shut my eyes, not knowing if I would wake again.