closed his eyes for a moment, then looked again. The tracery was clearer, threading from dedicate to man like rootlets. Fascinated, Briar walked over to watch.
The magic streamed along Orji’s arms and into his body, as if Henna ran it through his veins. For a long, long moment Henna’s power bathed Orji from top to toe. At last it retreated, trickling out of his body the way it had come in. Once Henna got her magic back, she released the dozing man and folded her hands in her lap, head bowed.
Briar was about to creep away when she spoke.
“You
are supposed to be sleeping.” Her voice had the trained quiet of someone who spends her time with the sick: Briar heard clearly, but neither Orji nor Flick in the next bed stirred.
“I couldn’t. What magic was that, what you did?”
Henna swiveled to look up at him. “You know I was doing magic?”
“It’s a thing I picked up from Tris,” he replied. Not long after Sandry had spun their magics together, Niko had written a spell on Tris’s spectacles, helping her to see magic as he did. The skill then spread to Daja, Sandry, and Briar through their bond with Tris, just as Tris learned a little of their magics. “I see power when it’s moving or working,” Briar explained to Henna, “but I don’t know what it’s doing.”
Henna moved over to Flick’s cot, sat, and took Flick’s hands. The street girl stirred, opening heavy-lidded eyes. “I just want to see how you are,” Henna reassured her.
Flick glanced up at Briar, who nodded. “I’m fine,” she whispered, licking dry lips.
Briar fetched a cup of water and held Flick up so she could drink. When she turned her face away, he lowered her to the pillow again. As Flick’s eyes closed, Henna closed her own.
“It’s a thing healers learn to do,” she murmured. Around her hands sprouted a web of light-strands that sank into Flick’s dark-spotted arms and raced through her body. “Before we start work, we must first know what is wrong. It may be that the treatment we put to a fever will hurt the patient’s diseased kidneys, or the foxglove we give to strengthen a heartbeat may cause a weakened heart to fail.”
“Then you can see what the blue pox is,” Briar said eagerly.
Henna shook her head. “If it were a disease I had fought before, perhaps I could sense it, but only then. This isn’t even
related
to the diseases I know. But I can see the flow of her blood, the strength of her heart and kidneys and bowels. I can feel her muscles, brain, and bones. I can see weak blood, if she has it, or fluid in the lungs. Bad eating habits, certainly.” Henna wrinkled her nose. “And worms, and flukes.”
Flick’s mouth dropped open. Her breath rattled in her dry mouth and nose. She was asleep.
“Worms and flukes?” asked Briar, not sure he’d heard right.
“Parasites, in her body. They live on her. I would imagine, before Rosethorn cleaned her up, she had lice and fleas as well.”
Briar was about to ask, “Don’t everybody?” when he remembered that he had not since his arrival at Winding Circle. Who am I? he wondered for a moment, shocked. Who am I really? It’s like I shucked being Roach the street rat like worn-out clothes – but Roach is who I was for years. I can’t just strip away
years,
can I?
“Where is this girl from?” Henna was asking. “Where did she live?”
Briar frowned at her. “The sewer,” he said irritably. He didn’t like the disapproval in Henna’s face and voice. Where else could Flick live and be safe? he wanted to ask, but did not. Instead he thought, Henna acts like I’m one of her kind, one of the citizens. And I’m not. I can’t be.
Henna shook her head and reclaimed her magic. Gently she drew the blanket over Flick’s thin arms. “She will have a battle of it, I’m afraid.”
“We’ll pull her through,” Briar said confidently. “I’ve heard them at the Circle – they say you’re one of the best. I’ll do whatever you say. I was thinking
The magic streamed along Orji’s arms and into his body, as if Henna ran it through his veins. For a long, long moment Henna’s power bathed Orji from top to toe. At last it retreated, trickling out of his body the way it had come in. Once Henna got her magic back, she released the dozing man and folded her hands in her lap, head bowed.
Briar was about to creep away when she spoke.
“You
are supposed to be sleeping.” Her voice had the trained quiet of someone who spends her time with the sick: Briar heard clearly, but neither Orji nor Flick in the next bed stirred.
“I couldn’t. What magic was that, what you did?”
Henna swiveled to look up at him. “You know I was doing magic?”
“It’s a thing I picked up from Tris,” he replied. Not long after Sandry had spun their magics together, Niko had written a spell on Tris’s spectacles, helping her to see magic as he did. The skill then spread to Daja, Sandry, and Briar through their bond with Tris, just as Tris learned a little of their magics. “I see power when it’s moving or working,” Briar explained to Henna, “but I don’t know what it’s doing.”
Henna moved over to Flick’s cot, sat, and took Flick’s hands. The street girl stirred, opening heavy-lidded eyes. “I just want to see how you are,” Henna reassured her.
Flick glanced up at Briar, who nodded. “I’m fine,” she whispered, licking dry lips.
Briar fetched a cup of water and held Flick up so she could drink. When she turned her face away, he lowered her to the pillow again. As Flick’s eyes closed, Henna closed her own.
“It’s a thing healers learn to do,” she murmured. Around her hands sprouted a web of light-strands that sank into Flick’s dark-spotted arms and raced through her body. “Before we start work, we must first know what is wrong. It may be that the treatment we put to a fever will hurt the patient’s diseased kidneys, or the foxglove we give to strengthen a heartbeat may cause a weakened heart to fail.”
“Then you can see what the blue pox is,” Briar said eagerly.
Henna shook her head. “If it were a disease I had fought before, perhaps I could sense it, but only then. This isn’t even
related
to the diseases I know. But I can see the flow of her blood, the strength of her heart and kidneys and bowels. I can feel her muscles, brain, and bones. I can see weak blood, if she has it, or fluid in the lungs. Bad eating habits, certainly.” Henna wrinkled her nose. “And worms, and flukes.”
Flick’s mouth dropped open. Her breath rattled in her dry mouth and nose. She was asleep.
“Worms and flukes?” asked Briar, not sure he’d heard right.
“Parasites, in her body. They live on her. I would imagine, before Rosethorn cleaned her up, she had lice and fleas as well.”
Briar was about to ask, “Don’t everybody?” when he remembered that he had not since his arrival at Winding Circle. Who am I? he wondered for a moment, shocked. Who am I really? It’s like I shucked being Roach the street rat like worn-out clothes – but Roach is who I was for years. I can’t just strip away
years,
can I?
“Where is this girl from?” Henna was asking. “Where did she live?”
Briar frowned at her. “The sewer,” he said irritably. He didn’t like the disapproval in Henna’s face and voice. Where else could Flick live and be safe? he wanted to ask, but did not. Instead he thought, Henna acts like I’m one of her kind, one of the citizens. And I’m not. I can’t be.
Henna shook her head and reclaimed her magic. Gently she drew the blanket over Flick’s thin arms. “She will have a battle of it, I’m afraid.”
“We’ll pull her through,” Briar said confidently. “I’ve heard them at the Circle – they say you’re one of the best. I’ll do whatever you say. I was thinking
Similar Books
