“Must be deeper,” Enokih stated candidly. “Too much poison in too small a woman.”
Aiva watched in horrified silence as Enokih returned to her side. Her fingers ripped at the fabric of Aiva’s dress, widening the already present tear at the shoulder, pulling it down to reveal the skin. Callum’s presence made her feel somewhat uncomfortable, to think of him seeing too much of her body if Enokih found it necessary to expose any more. To her relief, the material remained over most of her breast, far enough from the laceration to make further exposure unnecessary. Enokih stood tall and rigid. Her lips moved in a mumbled chant before lowering the blade of the dagger to Aiva’s skin, drawing it carefully along the reddened cut, already in the beginning stages of healing. Aiva gasped at the pain. Reflexively she squeezed Callum’s hand. But she’d been given the chance to escape the torture through the herbs. It was her decision to remain awake, and she stood by it.
Once the laceration was widened, Enokih offered the dagger to Callum, gesturing toward Aiva’s neck. He stared at her, seemingly mortified at the thought of what was being asked of him. “I cannot,” he breathed. “The opening on her chest should be enough.”
“The location of the bite must be opened. Will you not do so?”
“I will not. There is no reason to risk further injury.”
“You know not the ways of the ritual,” Enokih said harshly. “Keep her still. If you do not cut, I will.”
Aiva’s heart pounded wildly. Maybe sleep was a better choice. She feared what would happen if she moved while Enokih held the dagger to her throat. She drew in a sharp breath at the feeling of Enokih’s hand pressing her head to one side, revealing the mark on her neck where the creature initially struck. A soft cry escaped her lips at the pressure, fear holding her still as the metal cut through flesh, warmth trickling along her skin where the blood began to flow.
Setting the dagger aside, Enokih pulled forth a small vial from around her neck, sprinkling the contents over Aiva’s midsection, chanting quietly. Aiva couldn’t hear anything through her pain and confusion. She wanted it to be over. Whatever this woman intended to do, she suspected it was going to get far worse than a few small cuts along her skin.
Enokih clasped the talisman between her hands, the chant growing louder. More intense. She released the small lapis figurine onto Aiva’s chest, positioning her palms atop her abdomen and breastbone, directing Callum to do the same. “Do what you must,” she stated. “The spirits are here. They wait for you.”
Begrudgingly Callum removed his hand from Aiva’s. Patting her gently, he brought his palm to rest slightly below her naval while the other sat directly upon her chest. Aiva could feel him. The presence of his energy mingling with her own, as if bringing it to life within her body. Every inch of her pulsed. Charged. It was a strange sensation. One that she hadn’t experienced since her time at Faustine’s, though during her healing lessons, it had never been so strong.
The incantation continued, stronger and louder, Enokih’s hands waving in a fluid motion over Aiva’s body. She felt nothing at first, believing the ritual to be a waste of time. Her lips had barely parted in preparation to speak in protest when she found herself racked with an unbearable pain, like fire coursing through her veins. It started at her toes to spread rapidly along her legs, centralizing in her abdomen where it lingered, building its intensity. She couldn’t help but cry out. It was getting worse, reaching her arms and to her fingertips. The wounds at her neck and shoulder seared with heat. Her cries quickly grew into agonized screams, tears streaming down her cheeks, Enokih’s chant growing louder to be heard above the noise. A sensation like spectral fingers ran along the lacerations, tugging, pulling at some unseen force. Through her tear-filled eyes Aiva could see a clear substance mingled with the blood that had begun to flow more freely. It was working! If her head wasn’t so clouded from the pain, she would have been impressed by the strange magic Enokih possessed. But she couldn’t focus on it. The only thing that kept her from leaping to her feet was Callum’s continued hold on her body, preventing her from moving.
Gradually the water-like substance seemed to disappear, the final droplets soaking into the fabric of her dress along with the blood. The burning slowly began to subside, Enokih’s chant becoming quieter, returning to a soft mumble, the motion of her hands halted to rest over the lapis talisman at Aiva’s chest. With a smile she removed it, replacing the figurine around her neck with a definitive nod. “The spirits have cleansed you,” she stated calmly. “Your body will now begin to heal.”
Callum carefully relaxed his arms to ease the tingling Aiva still felt between his hands where they lay against her body. As it finally ceased, he let his palms slide away, staring down at Aiva sympathetically. “The wounds will need sutures,” he said softly. “If you provide me with a needle and some form of thread, I will find a way to make it work.”
“You will bind her wounds with a needle, yet you could not bear the sight of blood to create the incision?”
“It was not the blood which made me hesitate,” Callum huffed, irritation evident in his tone at the insult. “I will not speak my opinion regarding your ritual if you will not question my reasons for choosing not to take part in the entirety of it.”
Saying nothing, Enokih stepped across the room to the table where she had retrieved the dagger, lifting something from the surface. She moved with confident strides to Callum’s side, taking his hand to place the items on his palm. “You can bind with these. I will return after dinner to examine her. Food will be brought for you. She must not eat yet.”
“She hasn’t eaten in days. Her body will not heal efficiently without – ”
“She will be allowed to eat when it is safe for her to do so. Here in Iachoor, the treatment of patients is my duty. Do not question my methods. Poison is just as easily restored to the system as it is removed.”
Callum gazed at Enokih, taken aback by her words. Aiva swallowed hard, wanting to speak, her mind too exhausted to register what was going on. Had Enokih threatened her? Was she going to poison her? “Callum?”
“Hush, Aiva,” Callum whispered, lightly resting his free hand over her forehead with a stern glance at Enokih, the strain in his voice revealing barely controlled contempt. “You have been too kind, Miss Enokih. I believe we have held you from your dinner long enough. We’ll remain here until you direct us otherwise upon your return, if it suits you.”
Turning away, Enokih moved out of the room, closing the door behind her. Under his breath Callum cursed, grumbling to himself in obvious frustration. “Callum, what is it?” Aiva peered at him with concern. He was acting oddly. Something about Enokih had gotten under his skin. She just wasn’t sure exactly what.
“Nothing,” he shook his head, holding out his hand to stare at the items Enokih had placed there. To Aiva it appeared nothing more than a needle and some string. “Just a minor disagreement regarding medical procedure. Unfortunately, etiquette while in her home denies me the right to say anything. I should simply be thankful they have offered to assist at all when they are under no obligation to do so.”
“But it worked. The poison is gone.”
“Yes, but some of the steps taken were not necessary, while others were overlooked.” Callum stood, setting the needle and thread on the table beside Aiva, slowly moving around the room in search of something. “I understand that their medicine is different from ours, however, in my presence, she could have taken advantage of the help I was capable of offering. Alone, her control over the energy is minimal. When working on her own people, extra incisions might be required to guarantee a successful procedure. They provide another escape for the venom while it is being pulled from the veins, since directing it to a specific point requires a great deal of skill. I was more than capable of strengthening that control and accuracy. She is simply unwilling to accept the fact that someone else might know something about medical practices and refuses to accommodate for the differences between our bodies and theirs.”<
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Aiva watched him with interest, surprised by the vehemence in his tone. He was angry about something. She just couldn’t be sure if Enokih’s actions were the only thing that affected him. “So you’re upset that she insisted upon making the second incision on my neck? Callum, it was already there. She and Uttae made those cuts a few days ago. To not reopen it would only have spared me a brief moment of pain.”
“And if I was stronger, I could have had the venom cleared from your veins without need of their rituals and incisions.”
Understanding dawned on her. He was upset with himself for his inability to perform the procedure on his own, to prevent her from enduring the pain caused by Enokih’s strange magic. “Callum, this is not your fault.”
He picked something up from the table where the dagger had been, lifting a vial to his face, sniffing at it curiously. Wrinkling his nose in disgust he sat it back down, scouring the surface for something else. “Fault? No, not my fault. But I can still be frustrated by the fact that she refused to consider the possibility that there may have been an easier way. Why does it seem like everyone I meet is too stubborn to recognize that someone else might actually be intelligent? Too proud to admit that someone might be able to help them? There is no shame in asking for assistance. Or accepting that which is offered you.”
“She did at least allow you to assist in manipulating my energy…”
“Of course she did,” Callum smirked. “Her inability to rid you of the venom was making her look bad. She let me help because it was the only way for the ritual to work, due to her lack of knowledge regarding our bodies. For the sake of her pride, she then had to make sure the rest of the procedure was done exactly the way she commanded it. Regardless of whether it caused you to suffer more. Now, because of her practices, you have two very deep lacerations in need of sutures, which should have been tended days ago, and instead have been aggravated and left to bleed. The wounds need to be cleaned or they will become infected.”
“What are you looking for, exactly?” Aiva inquired. “I thought she gave you the items required for sutures.”
“I am looking for something with which to cleanse the skin before I close the wounds. Unfortunately her medicines appear rather archaic,” he frowned. “From the looks of things, they are still eating minerals and crushed stones to cure their ailments. And while that may work fine for them, it is not good enough for you.”
Her heart ached for the frustration she sensed in him. He wanted so badly to help. To make sure she was safe. Sitting up, she motioned for him to come closer, urging him away from the table of strange herbs and potions. “Callum, you’re going to hurt yourself if you stay on your feet. General Uttae told you not to overexert your body.” Reaching down, she picked up the small needle, examining it closely. It appeared to be some kind of bone. Sturdy. Surprisingly sharp. She tapped the tip of her finger against the point, shuddering slightly as she offered it to Callum. “Suture the wounds. I trust you to do it better than anyone else, and if it becomes infected, you will be strong enough by then to assist in flushing my system of its effects.”
Callum faced her, shoulders bowed dejectedly. With heavy steps he made his way to the table, accepting the needle from Aiva’s outstretched hand. “Have you ever had sutures before?”
“No. We may have played rough as children, but you and Edric were always rather gentle with me. Once you left for training, mending dresses and playing the harp really didn’t prove so dangerous.”
“You may not want to watch then,” Callum gave a quiet chuckle. “It’s rather unpleasant.”
She didn’t want to admit her own nervousness at the thought of having the needle pierce her skin. If she showed hesitance, it would only make things worse for Callum. He was concerned for her. She could only imagine what it had been like for him during Enokih’s ritual, a helpless bystander to it all, unable to do anything. His small role had been just enough to keep him from consoling her, prevented from holding her hand to offer encouragement. He had been left with no option other than to sit there and listen to her scream in agony.
Averting her eyes, she felt it easier if he couldn’t see her face. If he wasn’t able to see the pain in her eyes. She would do her best not to flinch. She needed to be strong. The way Callum had been strong when faced with certain death at the hands of the divastru. The image was ingrained in her mind. Him standing on the boat, bow drawn, firing arrow after arrow, even though he knew it was futile. An honorable soldier. Willing to sacrifice his own life to save those of his men. To protect his Prince and Princess. Compared to the suffering he endured, a few sutures seemed trivial.
Gently he reached for her hand, moving it to rest over the torn fabric of her dress. “You might want to hold that,” he cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I would rather not risk it falling lower than it already is.”
“I’ve never known you to be so shy,” Aiva smiled through her own embarrassment. Callum was always so strong and confident. It was strange to see him reduced to such bashfulness at the mere thought of seeing a bit of her skin. “You’re a grown man, Callum. I’m sure you have seen far more of a woman’s body than is visible on me now.”
“It would be a lie if I claimed otherwise. The difference, dear Aiva, is who the body belongs to which is being looked upon.” Callum held the silken thread up to get a better look at it while carefully weaving it through the end of the needle.
Aiva laughed quietly at the thought. “My body is no different from any other woman.”
Callum lowered the needle back down, staring absently into the distance. “On the contrary, your body is very different from every woman. It pains me to think that I am about to mar that beauty. But it must be done. Take a deep breath.” He leaned in closer to her shoulder, positioning the needle just over the skin. “I will count to three before I begin, unless you would rather not know when the first prick will come.”
“Surprise me,” she gritted her teeth, prepared for the worst. A slow count would be absolute misery. It was best if he simply got it over with.
When the needle touched her, a soft intake of air was the only sound she gave. The pain was minimal. Although it stung horribly, it was nothing compared to the sensation of her shoulder when Gadiel set the bone in Carpaen. It paled in comparison to the biting cold waters and the burn of the venom being pulled from her veins. Trembling slightly with every pass of the thread, she bit her lip. Curiosity was getting the better of her. She wanted to see what Callum was doing. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him, deep in concentration, skillfully applying each suture. Sickened by the sight of the needle she turned away, losing all desire to watch the procedure.
“I should teach you how to use a bow sometime.”
“Hmm?” Aiva started to turn her head, thinking better of it. She didn’t want to risk seeing the needle again. “Why do you say that?”
Callum chuckled to himself as he tied off the end of the thread. “I was just thinking about that last night on the ship. At the time I was more concerned about getting you to safety – since you were supposed to be in my quarters with your brother. When I saw you on the deck, you were wielding a bow. I remember thinking it an odd sight. It only just struck me why. Have you ever held such a weapon before?”
“Held, yes. Fired, no,” Aiva frowned. “I used to watch my father practice on the targets back home. It’s a lot harder than it looks.”
“You didn’t do poorly. Your arrow fired in the general direction of the divastru. That is impressive, really.” Callum walked around to the other side of the table, settling himself on the chair for a moment. He looked pale. Drawn. “It wouldn’t take much to teach you how to use one. Perhaps when we return to Tanispa and – everything has calmed down.”
She followed his movement with her eyes. He looked sluggish. Tired. Reaching out her hand she placed it against his face, feeling his muscles tense at her touch. “You look terrible,” she said quietly. It sounded an awful thing to say, regardless of the truth behi
nd it. She was worried about him. After everything he had done for her since she awoke, for the first time she could see the strain it caused his own body. He was so skilled at hiding his discomfort. It had been impossible to distinguish before, though now she couldn’t deny it. Something was wrong.
He waved dismissively, forcing a smile. “I’m just a little tired. Once the sutures have been applied to the wound on your neck, I will start to consider seeking somewhere to rest.”
“You don’t have to hide the truth from me, Callum. I’m not one of your men. I will think no less of you for admitting if you are ill.” Aiva slowly retracted her hand. She wanted to do more for him. To help him feel better. The problem was that he would never tell her what ailed him. He was just as stubborn as she was. “You have become a great man since you left Tanispa those years ago. I wish I could have been there to see the transformation.”
“It has taken years to make me into what I am now, and there is still much for me to learn,” Callum inhaled deeply, the effort it took to stand visible on his face. “What I am honored to have observed is the change which has come over you. You’re not the same girl you were when I found you in that wagon in Kaipoi. Over the past few weeks, I have watched you become… a fighter. A strong woman. I regret ever having said the things to you which were spoken between us in the Feh Noq prison. Not… not about my feelings toward you. I refer to the horrible things we said to one another before that. I was mistaken in my judgment of you. When I look in your eyes now, I see more than just a young, naïve girl. I see a great queen. One who will make her mother very proud.”
Aiva blushed, the warmth spreading through her cheeks until she could feel her entire face flush with the pink hue. “It takes a lot more than a swim in the sea to make a great queen. But I am working on it.”
“Your mother once threw herself in front of your father to protect him from certain death during the Siscalian war. It may not have been arrows you endured, but you willingly dove into that water to save me from the divastru. You risked death to drag my body to shore and I am here now only because of you. Argue what you will, Aiva. I will not concede on this one.” He gazed at her silently for a moment, the look in his eyes distant. She wondered what was going through his mind. After a moment he seemed to remember what he was doing, quickly grasping the needle to prepare a new suture. “This one might hurt a bit more. Try to hold still.”
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Two: Beyond the Veil Page 48