by Lisa Daniels
Ash stepped toward her, the smile unwavering. “Wanting to protect someone is not a good reason to risk something dangerous?”
“It isn’t your job.”
“As far as I can tell, no one protects you, not even you. No one should be alone.”
There aren’t very many left like him, and he is the youngest of his type. His entire family is dead because his kind are the most sympathetic to humans. The words drifted through her thoughts as she looked at Ash. He had friends and a guardian who admitted that he was not ideal, but Ash did not have a family. He was speaking as much about himself as he was of her.
“I am not alone,” Ailey tried to smile. “I have the entire Medics Association.”
Ash looked around them. “Yes, obviously, it’s quite crowded here.”
She gave him a playful slap, unable to stop herself. “You know what I mean.”
“I do, and I deem it not good enough.”
“That really isn’t up to you.”
Ash shrugged, “Unfortunately, it is. No one tells me where I can and cannot go. If I want to walk into the middle of Antakya in my other form and eat half of the people, there is no one to tell me I can’t do that besides me.”
“What?” She screwed up her face at the preposterous idea. Ailey tried to hide the smile, but the image of Ash walking into a city and starting to eat people was utterly ridiculous. Of course, in her mind, he was just a bigger version of himself. Focus, Ailey, she reprimanded herself.
Ash placed a hand on her face. “I do love that smile.” He leaned forward to kiss her, but Ailey put her hands on his chest and frowned. Wrinkling his nose at her, Ash stroked her head. “I get to decide what I do. You can tell me not to go, but you cannot stop me from joining you. To me, it is worth the risk.” Despite it being exactly the wrong thing that she wanted him to do, Ailey couldn’t stop her heart from skipping a beat as she looked into his eyes. “Besides,” he continued, “I am in far less danger than you. Now let’s go before it gets any later. I remember someone wanting to get an early start, and I am fairly certain she did not mean early afternoon.” His hand slid down her arm and his fingers threaded through hers before pulling her forward.
Ailey allowed him to lead for the next few miles. He chatted happily about many things, but never, she noticed, about himself. If Ash mentioned himself at all, it was as a minor player in the story. Everything was about his friends and acquaintances, as if he was a bard recounting tales of heroes. Ailey listened, asking questions and pointing out a few things from time to time. But as she listened, she could not help but feel Ash wanted to create his own stories, similar to the ones he was recounting. A part of her hoped that the whole thing was just his misguided attempt at doing that, instead of his stated purpose of wanting to protect her. She placed a small pill in her mouth when she was able to see the guards standing in front of the gates. It wasn’t the best way to accomplish what she planned to do, but without any more time to plan something else, Ailey was going to make sure that Ash didn’t do anything stupid. Not if she could stop him.
Much faster than was humanly possible, they reached the gates. Ash was smiling as he swayed a little. Ailey reached up and brushed the sweat from his brow. The distance had been about the same as yesterday, but they had managed to make it in half the time. The way Ash was reacting proved that he had pushed himself much harder, and he was pleased to have impressed her with the early arrival. They were within sight of the guards, but not close enough to have their conversation overheard.
She stepped toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you, Ash. It would have been after dark if I had walked without you.”
“My pleasure.” He put a hand on her face. “May I?”
Ailey leaned her face into his hand. Ash smiled a little wider and moved forward, brushing his nose against hers. She couldn’t hold back the giggle at the unexpected reminder of last night. He sighed and leaned forward. His lips were soft and warm as he kissed her. Ailey felt his arm wrap around the small of her back and for a moment she regretted what she was about to do.
Your healing methods won’t work on him, so if you want to preserve him, keep him safe.
Anani’s words rang in her mind. She pushed the little pill into Ash’s mouth, and stroked his tongue with her own, working the pill to the back. Ash was so intent on the kiss and tired from the trip that he didn’t notice. When he pulled back, there was a weary grin on his face. He swayed a little more.
“Hold on there, my pretty boy.” Ailey slipped his arm around her neck. Her hand motioned to a stable master nearby.
Ash’s head began to droop as the man approached. “If you would please, sir. This man has taken ill on the road, and I do not want to risk taking him into the city, not with the current outbreak.” The stable master looked at Ash, then at Ailey. She moved and showed him the patch on her arm. “If you will take him back to Derbe, I would be most appreciative. I can give you a credit from the Association and they will pay within a few days.”
The stable master nodded and reached out to take Ash’s arm. Ailey stepped back. “It’s alright. I can handle him. If you take the bag, there is a credit near the top. Take two. You are doing me a huge favor. I am already late and there was never the time to spare.” The stable master took the bag and quickly headed back to the stable. A couple of minutes later, a small buggy came down to meet Ailey. Gently, she loaded Ash onto the back. She placed a hand on his face and whispered, “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you come with me. I am not worth the risk.”
She heard the footsteps of the stable master behind her. Stepping away from the buggy, Ailey nodded at the driver. Nodding back, the driver took off back the way he had come. For a moment, Ailey remembered the look of satisfaction on Ash’s face as they reached the gates. Brushing a tear from the corner of her eye, Ailey turned to face the stable master. He held out her bag and waved the note in his other hand. “Are you sure you don’t want two?”
“My wife and most of my children have died. With only one child left, I won’t need more than the one.”
Ailey wanted to argue, but knew that there was no point. She gave a grim nod, then turned to the gate. One of the guards stepped forward as she neared. Without a word, Ailey showed the medic patch. The guard turned and nodded to the ramparts. As the gates creaked open, the sound of a deafening sorrow greeted her.
Ailey stepped through the opening, and her eyes immediately fell on the corpses stacked through a small opening to the left. Standing just outside of the area were loved ones of the deceased, crying and wailing as the undertakers took away the bodies and added them to the pile.
For a moment, a beautiful smile flashed through her mind. Ailey let the tear trickle down her cheek as she turned and walked toward the heartbreaking scene unfolding in front of her.
Chapter 8
The Witch in the Ward
Ailey placed her bag down and moved over to the sink. The sun had already set, but there was still so much for her to do. When she had finally reached the medics’ quarters, they had immediately given her the place where her mentor had stayed. As much as she wanted to begin looking for clues about what had happened to Ester, there was too much for her to do after less than one day in the city. There were about a dozen medics remaining in the city, with about half as many healers supporting them. Three of them were already showing signs of the ailment, and had moved to the area of the people who had only a few days left to live. They would do what they could for as long as they could.
After talking with the undertakers, Ailey had made her way through a city in the grip of fear. To her surprise, the entertainment districts had not ceased to function, giving her some hope that the city would eventually recover from its current despair. She had roamed the streets, looking for the signs that Ester had mentioned, and it was clear that it was more than just the people who were suffering. There was a thickness in the air that seemed to choke all living creatures. Plants hung limp or dead in their pots. The remaini
ng living trees looked sickly, and there were far fewer animals roaming the streets than there had been on the only other trip she had made through the city. That had been more than a decade before, but it was like an entirely different place. She hadn’t been a fan back then, mostly because she didn’t like crowds, but it was certainly preferable to the city that it had become.
Having walked through the streets, occasionally stopping to talk to people about everyday life and getting a better understanding of what was happening outside of the plague, Ailey went to the medics’ area. It was easy to find because they had raised the sign over the largest building where they examined the people of the city.
The long discussions and questions had been exhausting, but Ailey refused to go to her quarters until she had finished an initial assessment. One of the healers laughed as the medic finished, and said that Ester had been exactly the same. A quiet fell over the group, and that was Ailey’s cue. Turning to the healer, she asked to be taken to her quarters.
The healer continued to talk about the plague and what Ester had done. “I was her assist, so if you have any questions, just ask.”
“What is your name?”
The young woman turned, her shiny black hair bouncy with the motion. “Zandra. And I’m not actually a healer, obviously. I’ve been here since the plague struck, and sitting idly by has never been something that I do well.”
“I can understand that,” Ailey said, her eyes taking in everything they passed. “So if you aren’t a healer, what are you?”
“I’m a bard.”
“I hope you don’t mind me saying, but you look a bit young to be a bard who has been here for over two years.”
The woman turned and smiled at her. “Thank you, that is very kind.”
“So what are you not telling me?” Ailey’s tone did not change.
“And you are direct like Ester, too.” She looked over her shoulder. “I hope that means you are as nonjudgmental as well.”
“It depends on what you mean by that.”
“I'm a witch. Not a powerful one, but enough that people tend to be a bit...” Her voice faded.
“Stupid.” Ailey smiled just as Zandra stopped and looked at her.
“Yeah. Well, no, I mean, I can understand the impulse. Thinking about the sorceress and sorceresses that nearly destroyed the planet, there is certainly something to their distrust.”
“You are a little too understanding. Be careful with that. There is cautious, then there is stupid.”
“You aren’t quite what I expected. A bit blunt, but you have a much more tempered outlook than Ester. It’s refreshing.” Zandra stopped at a door and held out her hand. “Here you are. The place is all yours. In the beginning we were sharing, but that isn’t necessary now.”
Ailey smiled at the healer, “Thank you very much.” She opened the door and was about to enter when something dawned on her. “Zandra?”
Zandra turned and looked at her. “Yes?” Ailey noticed the way the light reflected off the woman’s clear blue eyes.
Fighting back the memory that was trying to rise, Ailey asked, “Would you mind assisting me like you did Ester?”
“I can’t help you find her, if that is what you are hoping. If this ever gets resolved, and if I survive, I would like to look for her, but I really don’t know anything more than anyone else. I wasn’t even the last to talk to her. I’m afraid we argued the last time I saw her, and I’ve regretted it ever since.”
“What did you argue about?”
“It’s a long story.” Zandra flashed a weak smile, one that indicated she was embarrassed to talk about it.
“I have time, if you don’t mind.” Ailey opened the door wider.
Stepping away, Zandra shook her head, “I can’t tonight. There are still a few patients that I need to see before I am ready to call it a day.”
“Shouldn’t there be a medic with you when you do that?”
“The patients are in the end stages.”
Ailey nodded. “Give me a couple of minutes and I will join you.”
“There is really no need-”
“I’m not going to press you about what happened with Ester. I want to get an idea of the last stages. Ester believed that the answer was in later stages.”
“I know,” Zandra’s voice was less friendly than it had been. “I’ve been trying to find something, anything, but I just don’t have the background or knowledge.”
Ailey dropped the bag on the floor near the door, then shut it. “Alright, let’s go.”
“But you just got here.”
Ailey walked past her. “That is irrelevant.”
Zandra hurried and fell in step beside her. “But you are probably tired, and seeing what happens at the end can be discouraging to people who haven’t been here long.”
With a heavy sigh, Ailey looked at the healer from the corner of her eye. “What are you hiding now?”
Zandra swallowed. “I use magic to numb the pain.”
“That is very kind of you.”
The healer stopped in her tracks. “You aren’t mad?”
Ailey didn’t slow down as she continued toward the ward where people waited to die. “So that is what you and Ester fought about. She was my mentor, but we had different ideas about magic’s place in medicine. If it helps, I see no problem with it, just as I have no problem using leeches and nightshade.”
“Nightshade!” Zandra gasped.
“Sometimes all you can do is help them pass. But in small doses it also lowers the heart rate and lets you operate. It is a fine balancing act, so I only use it with the patient’s permission. And with full disclosure of the potential risks.”
“You aren’t like most of the medics that have come here.”
“Of course not. The first ones wanted to prove how good they were. When it became clear that it wasn’t a cut-and-dry illness, the ones who were eager to die came. The only people willing to come here now are the serious medics who know that the solution is well outside the norm. We know that the odds are not in our favor, so we damn well plan on making our deaths count.”
“How is that different from the wave of medics who sought death?”
Ailey looked over at the healer. “Because we don’t want to die, but we will accept it as the price to save an entire city.”
“That’s what brought you here?”
“In part. Honestly though, I am pissed that someone would abscond with the woman who could have solved this. I have her notes and know what she tried. Shame she didn’t use all of the resources at her disposal. I plan to, though, if you are willing to branch out a little.”
Zandra gave a little laugh. “If I’m being honest, if it is more likely to get me out of here, then I will try just about anything. Just don’t get your hopes up about what I can do. I’m not being modest when I say my abilities are basic.”
“As a person with no magical abilities whatsoever, anything you do is going to be an improvement.”
“Understood,” Zandra smiled for a moment. Then her expression became serious. “This is it. I can’t prepare you for what you are about to witness, but I can give you a-”
“I was at the last battle of the Cremera War.”
Zandra looked shocked. “You don’t look old enough to have been there. And that is a long way away.”
“I was just out of training and Ester thought it would be good for me to sink or swim.”
“I can believe it. Still, a battlefield isn’t quite the same, even the illnesses that happen afterward.”
“It’s fine. I can handle it if they can.”
Zandra pursed her lips and opened the door.
Ailey splashed water on her face as the memory of the last two hours lurked in the back of her mind. Dressing for bed, she took the notes and a candle to the bedside. Having seen all of the stages, she knew that there was something much worse than just a plague destroying the city. Ester had taught her to look for the abnormal, even when the solution seemed obvious.
Missing the little things was one of the things that usually killed patients.
The problem was trying to figure out just what was going on. If the city had been cursed, there really wasn’t much that could be done apart from evacuate it. That would likely take a long time and a lot of convincing. Who could even say if there would be anyone left by the time that was accomplished?
There were hints that it was something else, though figuring it out was well outside of what medics learned in their training. Fortunately, Ailey had access to someone with a different kind of training. It was a matter of figuring out what spells would give her the answers.
Pouring over the notes proved to be more difficult than Ailey had
expected. Her mind seemed to have trouble focusing on the subject at hand. Deciding that fatigue was setting in, Ailey collected the notes and set them to the side. She would need some sleep anyway because the queen had requested the new medic stop by the palace as soon as possible. Blowing out the light, Ailey lay back in the bed. She expected to find it difficult to sleep as her brain wove in and out of everything she had learned.
Instead of going through the events following her arrival, Ailey’s mind went back to the night before. Her body relaxed as her mind replayed the conversation with Ash on the way to the inn. The way he seemed to jump around topics, losing focus as he did. A smile spread across her face as she rolled over on her side. A few minutes later, Ailey was asleep.
Chapter 9
The First Gamble
A steady knocking on her door woke Ailey the next morning. Pulling a jacket over her night clothing, she opened the door and was surprised to see Zandra. The woman looked behind her, then pushed her way into the small abode. “You had better get dressed and hurry up. The palace guards have come down demanding to see the new medic.”
Ailey followed the healer into the room. “I thought it was at my leisure.”
Shaking her lovely locks, Zandra pulled out an outfit from Ailey’s bag. “Apparently the queen’s eldest son has suddenly fallen ill, and he completely skipped the first two stages. He isn’t quite as bad as what you saw last night, but he isn’t well. The queen is panicking since he was supposed to take the throne next. Understandable fear given the precarious position with Yuezhi these days. The next surviving child isn’t even a teenager yet. If the prince dies, then the queen, there is nothing to keep Bagrada from falling into civil war over the throne. And that is if Yuezhi doesn't’ take the opportunity to stretch their evil tentacles this way.”