by C.K. Bryant
Chapter Five
Octavion discarded Lydia’s bloody clothes near the cave entrance and helped her slip into one of his long, white tunics. He rolled up the sleeves so she had more freedom to move her hands.
“Is that better?” he asked, while dabbing her forehead with a damp cloth.
“Yeah.” She moaned as she tried to adjust her position under the wool blanket. “What are you gonna do?”
He sat back on his heels and ran his fingers through his hair. “I do not think we have a choice. I know of only one way to heal this wound.”
“What do you mean? You know if I go to the hospital, they’ll find me.”
He looked into his sister’s eyes and tried not to show the emotion that was seeping from his heart. There was only one way to save his sister’s life without putting her in more danger. And she wasn’t going to like it. He didn’t like it.
Lydia’s eyes widened with sudden realization. “No! You can’t!” She grasped Octavion’s wrist and pushed the cloth away from her face. “Promise me you won’t involve Kira. Give me your word.” The outburst seemed to draw all the energy from her at once. She let her hand fall to her side. Tears welled up in her swollen eyes. “I would rather die than live with the guilt—”
“I took an oath to protect you, even if that means another’s death.” His words sounded harsh, even to him. But he had no choice. If he was to save his sister, he’d have to use every means necessary, even if that meant the death of her friend. The very thought made his heart twist and his stomach wretch. He’d have to keep his feelings for Kira in check or he’d never be able to do this.
Octavion dropped the cloth into the washbasin and used the flame from one candle to light two more. He stood and went to the table across from where Lydia lay. He’d retrieved clean linens from a trunk in the back of the cave and used a combination of herbs to make a poultice to help stop the bleeding. So far it hadn’t helped much.
He scanned the shelves of multi-colored bottles before him, but nothing would help heal a gaping knife wound. He’d never felt more helpless. He glanced back at his sister with her pale features and dark eyes. She was running out of time. If he didn’t do something soon, she would surely die.