him. She had already lost consciousness as her body twitched and slowly went limp in his arms. His face was furrowed as his fear crept up, making him break out into a run toward the castle.
Camulus had teleported somewhere else the moment he’d seen Shade’s condition. Where the hell did he go?
“I need a healer!” Dylan called out to the guards inside the castle. One ran off down the hall while the other directed him to the infirmary. It was rarely used, but was still a necessity in such a large palace. Dylan placed her on one of the beds and waited for the healer to arrive, holding on to Shade’s now relaxed hand. He studied the dark spot on her forearm and wanted to yell out at the world for help to save her.
How dare a darkling touch F aerie royalty? The Unseelie Queen Aveta had surely sent them on a mission to get rid of Shade. Why hadn’t he seen it coming? He was so upset, he wanted to scream. His fingers flexed and dug into his palms as he watched the healer rush in and begin to examine her.
Shade was deathly pale and the black spot looked like it was starting to bleed, spreading across her skin slowly with webs of veiny, ink sprawling across paper. The healer was a short but thin woman with light brown hair that hit the small of her back and was as straight as arrows. Her full hazel eyes were closed as she held Shade’s hand in her grasp. She muttered a spell over Shade. A wisp of smoke puffed from the black spot and dissipated into the air. The healer opened her eye and stared at the sliver of mist as it vanished. She shook her head and resumed chanting, keeping her eyes open this time and staring intently at the spot. Another and then another wisp of smoke seeped from the spot but failed to change it. She continued on until her voice got louder and louder until she was practically screaming. She finally collapsed to her knees from the effort.
Dylan ran to her, helping her up. “What’s happening?”
The healer, whose name was Alandra, kept shaking her head in disbelief. She was now pale and diaphoretic, sweat dripped down her smooth hair and neck, clinging to her skin.
“I can’t stop it; it’s powerful darkling magic. I−I’m not strong enough.” She whispered. Her hands shook from the effort as she tried to stand up. Instead, Dylan led her to the bed next to Shade’s and gently placed her on it just as Ilarial burst into the room.
“Did it work?” Ilarial stooped over Shade a nd touched her forehead, feeling her burning with fever and still unconscious. Her other hand slid down her arm and touched the black mark on Shade’s forearm. She pulled her finger back as if it burned and rubbed it with her other fingers. “The darkling died marking her. He must’ve wanted her dead quite badly.” She glanced up, watching as Dylan returned to Shade’s side. “Alandra is depleted. I won’t be able to stop it completely, but I can delay the poison for a few days.” Her eyes were filled with worry.
“A few days? What do you mean you can’t stop it?” Dylan furrowed his eyes and stared at the oracle, not wanting to believe what he was hearing. Turning back toward Shade, it dawned on him that she might not be saved this time. “She’s dying.”
“I’m afraid so,” Ilarial placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling his tension seep through her. Her heart was aching, like a knife was twisting violently in it.
“But she can’t die, she −I can’t let her die.” Dylan slipped to his knees, taking Shade’s fragile, thin hand into his. She looked so vulnerable and so frail all of sudden. This couldn’t be happening; she couldn’t die. Not yet. Not when he had so much still to tell her.
“I can del ay it for three days. You have to take her to the Ancient Ice King, like she was planning to do. She might be able to fight it with her own healing abilities returned to her and his help. You have to convince him to relinquish the hold he has on her.”
Dylan nodded. A new determination set
Camulus had teleported somewhere else the moment he’d seen Shade’s condition. Where the hell did he go?
“I need a healer!” Dylan called out to the guards inside the castle. One ran off down the hall while the other directed him to the infirmary. It was rarely used, but was still a necessity in such a large palace. Dylan placed her on one of the beds and waited for the healer to arrive, holding on to Shade’s now relaxed hand. He studied the dark spot on her forearm and wanted to yell out at the world for help to save her.
How dare a darkling touch F aerie royalty? The Unseelie Queen Aveta had surely sent them on a mission to get rid of Shade. Why hadn’t he seen it coming? He was so upset, he wanted to scream. His fingers flexed and dug into his palms as he watched the healer rush in and begin to examine her.
Shade was deathly pale and the black spot looked like it was starting to bleed, spreading across her skin slowly with webs of veiny, ink sprawling across paper. The healer was a short but thin woman with light brown hair that hit the small of her back and was as straight as arrows. Her full hazel eyes were closed as she held Shade’s hand in her grasp. She muttered a spell over Shade. A wisp of smoke puffed from the black spot and dissipated into the air. The healer opened her eye and stared at the sliver of mist as it vanished. She shook her head and resumed chanting, keeping her eyes open this time and staring intently at the spot. Another and then another wisp of smoke seeped from the spot but failed to change it. She continued on until her voice got louder and louder until she was practically screaming. She finally collapsed to her knees from the effort.
Dylan ran to her, helping her up. “What’s happening?”
The healer, whose name was Alandra, kept shaking her head in disbelief. She was now pale and diaphoretic, sweat dripped down her smooth hair and neck, clinging to her skin.
“I can’t stop it; it’s powerful darkling magic. I−I’m not strong enough.” She whispered. Her hands shook from the effort as she tried to stand up. Instead, Dylan led her to the bed next to Shade’s and gently placed her on it just as Ilarial burst into the room.
“Did it work?” Ilarial stooped over Shade a nd touched her forehead, feeling her burning with fever and still unconscious. Her other hand slid down her arm and touched the black mark on Shade’s forearm. She pulled her finger back as if it burned and rubbed it with her other fingers. “The darkling died marking her. He must’ve wanted her dead quite badly.” She glanced up, watching as Dylan returned to Shade’s side. “Alandra is depleted. I won’t be able to stop it completely, but I can delay the poison for a few days.” Her eyes were filled with worry.
“A few days? What do you mean you can’t stop it?” Dylan furrowed his eyes and stared at the oracle, not wanting to believe what he was hearing. Turning back toward Shade, it dawned on him that she might not be saved this time. “She’s dying.”
“I’m afraid so,” Ilarial placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling his tension seep through her. Her heart was aching, like a knife was twisting violently in it.
“But she can’t die, she −I can’t let her die.” Dylan slipped to his knees, taking Shade’s fragile, thin hand into his. She looked so vulnerable and so frail all of sudden. This couldn’t be happening; she couldn’t die. Not yet. Not when he had so much still to tell her.
“I can del ay it for three days. You have to take her to the Ancient Ice King, like she was planning to do. She might be able to fight it with her own healing abilities returned to her and his help. You have to convince him to relinquish the hold he has on her.”
Dylan nodded. A new determination set
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