“I may have stopped in Channon on my way back.”
“I saw your finished tattoo. Ziggy did an excellent job. Did not realize you were getting more beads, too.”
“There’s also another batch of herbs waiting for you downstairs. I wasn’t sure what you needed, but several of the women said they were the ones you used most.”
I laid the beads on the chest nearby and began working with his hair, braiding it as intricately as mine was. I used the beads, my fingers taking their time, loving how soft his hair was in my hands and how his breathing steadied as he relaxed even more. The more I braided, the heavier the tension grew between us. I placed a kiss on his neck, then his shoulder, smiling when he squirmed in his chair. But I didn’t let him get up just yet.
“Not finished.”
He snarled in annoyance. “You are driving me insane, love.”
“Maybe that’s the idea.”
I kissed his shoulder again, and his head turned. I caught the heated look in those green eyes and winked then ducked behind him to finish up the last of the braids. I just placed the last bead and rested my hands on his shoulders when I found myself in his lap with his lips on mine. I took a moment to study him with the new braids amongst his horns, grinning at my handiwork.
“What’s so amusing?” he asked as he kissed my neck and my hands tightened around his shoulders.
“You look like a very fierce warrior now.” I tugged gently on his beard. “I think you’ll like them.”
His arms closed around me and then he was standing, carrying me with him. I clung to him, wanting to make up for the last two weeks apart. It appeared he had the same idea, when a horn blasted, and we broke apart at the harsh sound.
“What is that?” I asked, worried when he set me down with a curse and rushed to grab his clothes.
“Something’s wrong with the hounds,” he replied, scrambling for fresh breeches.
I went to his wardrobe and pulled them out, tossing them to him along with a shirt and his boots. “You think something’s attacking them?” I turned my back as he dressed. If someone was, I was going to rip them a new one for interrupting our first night back together.
“I don’t know; it’s rare anything comes this close to the kennels. The hounds protecting it are fierce about their young.”
“Rush is out there, too.”
“He’ll be fine,” he assured me and then his hand was in mine. “We will pick this night up again, love.” He lifted me up easily and kissed me again, then we were out the door, racing through the castle with several guards in tow. The horn blasted again, and Holden and I took off at a sprint through the muddy grounds, storming toward the kennels.
A guard was waving his arm over his head as several large hounds the size of Rush stood nearby, glaring into the night. Their hackles were raised and their ears alert as we approached.
“What’s happened, Tolen?” Holden asked, following the guard inside, with me right behind.
“I came in for my nightly check,” Tolen said, “and the pups, I found them like this.”
Worry had me biting my cheek as we ran to where the pups stayed inside the kennels. The mother hounds all stood sentinel except one. She was lying down with two pups between her front legs. Both had their eyes closed and were gasping for air. When Holden tried to approach, the hound snarled at him, flashing fangs, ready to tear his throat out.
“Easy, girl, easy,” Holden whispered, crouching down low. “I need to see them.”
The hound continued to growl, and I wondered if I should go grab my emergency healing kit in case she tried to take Holden’s hand off, but she let him get close enough to place his hands on the pups.
“They’re cold,” he reported. “Breathing much too fast.”
“Are they wounded or sick?” I peered over his shoulder.
“I don’t see any blood. Are these the only two like this?” Holden asked Tolen.
“Yes, I checked the other pups. They seem fine. I don’t understand what happened. I fed them after the training, as always. They played, then they came in here. All was well when I left.”
“And the food? Nothing changed with it?”
“No, and they all ate from the same batch,” Tolen replied. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
One of the pups began to shake, and I saw a drop of blood drip from its nose. “I’ve seen this before,” I whispered, starting forward.
The mother hound growled viciously.
I froze. “I need to see them, I might be able to help.”
Holden held out his hand behind him for mine. “Walk very slowly, very slowly,” he said calmly, not taking his eyes from the hound. “Easy… easy.”
I took one step at a time, reaching for his hand. The hound’s eyes narrowed at me until Holden took my hand and held it toward her nose. She sniffed it and then stopped growling, whining instead, as she licked both her sick pups.
I was already on my knees, gently picking up one of the pups.
Holden’s breath was warm on my shoulder as he watched. “What do you see?”
There was blood dripping from its nose, and it was so cold. Hounds were naturally warm, and this one shook as I held it. “Blankets, they need warm blankets and get a fire going,” I instructed. “I need a few things from my workshop.” I carefully set the pup back down and rested my hand on the mother’s paw. “I’m going to try and save them. I promise.”
She licked my hand, and a strange hush fell over the kennels.
There was no time to ponder over how strange this behavior was. I jumped to my feet and rushed back to my workshop.
Holden stayed with me. “Gabby, you said you’ve seen this?”
“Yes,” I replied, frantically searching for the herbs I needed. “I need a mortar and pestle.”
He searched around for one and set it on the table, hurrying to light more torches for me. “The wolves? Were they sick like this?”
“It started with the wolves,” I said, breaking off leaves and stems, crushing them in my fingers then dropping them into the mortar. Several freshly made bitter tonics followed. I reached for crushed antler next.
“Started, what do you mean started?” He grabbed my hands and turned me to him. “Tell me, please, what is happening?”
“This sickness passed through Channon, it ravaged the wolf pack and the bears before it attacked the humans,” I explained, remembering those dark days.
“How?”
“I don’t know, but the villagers called it a plague. It killed half the wolf pack in days. We found dead bears for weeks after that, scattered through the woods and the humans… nearly a fourth of them became sick and most… most died, Holden.”
“When did this happen?” he asked harshly.
I licked my lips, hating what I was about to say. “Right after my mother left Channon.”
“You think… you think she caused it?”
“I don’t know,” I said, returning to my mixing and crushing. “There was never any indication of where it came from, but it was deadly, and it started like this.”
“The cold?”
“Cold, bleeding nose, rapid breathing.” I paused, then grabbed his arm. “It gets worse, Holden, much worse. The eyes will turn yellow, and then they cough up blood for days. After that, they just die.”
“But you can save them, yes?”
I hung my head and shrugged. “I’m going to try. No real cure was ever created, but we managed enough to curtail the symptoms until it appeared to go away on its own. You need to keep those hounds separate now, get them out of the main part of the kennel before they have a chance to infect the others.”
“It’s not too late for that already?”
“From what the guard said, they have just fallen ill. If we can stop this in time, we may be able to keep it from spreading.”
He nodded and said he was going to relay the orders but came back to my side. “Do what you can, Gabby. I believe in you.”
“I might not b
e able to stop this,” I admitted.
“Maybe not, but I have no doubt you will do whatever you can for them. If you need anything, just say it.” He kissed my cheek and was gone.
I would have to consult with the old women back in Channon. Back then, they had been the healers, and I, merely a student. I would have to bring them here, or go to them, see what help they could offer. I was not going to let those pups die, nor any more to get sick. Not if I could stop it.
I mixed and crushed, working until sweat beaded my forehead, forgetting all about what I’d meant tonight to be for Holden and me.
When I was pouring more tonic into the mortar, mixing it and then making ready to pour it into two small vials, a warm flutter of breath touched my neck. I spun around, assuming it was Holden, but I was alone. Telling myself it was all in my head, I shrugged it off… until I caught a glint of light against a mirrored surface. My whole body went cold as I slowly shifted and spotted the ornate mirror leaning against the far wall.
I had not brought any mirrors in here.
None.
Picking up a hammer from my table, I marched toward it and without any hesitation at all, I shattered the damned thing. I grabbed a cloth and draped it over the mess, vowing to deal with it in the morning. I finished filling the vials and ran out of the workshop, all the while forgetting what else happened while I’d been busy finding a cure to save the pups.
10
Holden
I had a guard updating me every couple of hours on the conditions of the two sick pups. So far, they were holding on, and no others had fallen ill, but from the worry lines almost permanently on Gabby’s face now, it wouldn’t be long until this situation grew worse. I’d been busy working with the other hounds, checking them over carefully to make sure if any more became sick I had them culled from the others immediately.
There hadn’t been much time for us to spend together. Gabby had gone to Channon to work with the older women who had seen this sickness before. I’d sent three guards with her to ensure she did not go anywhere near where the cabin used to be, and to watch over her in general. At night, she’d return and be in her workshop, mixing and crushing herbs for the two pups, in hopes they could be saved. There’d been no change at all in their condition, and my ire at how this happened grew with every passing day. Gabby hardly spoke, too exhausted and fearful that she brought this to Disgrace. But it had nothing to do with her and all to do with her evil witch of a mother.
Somehow, she had caused this sickness in Channon, and now she was doing the same to my kingdom. To my wife. Gabby might not be sick, but she was running herself ragged.
I entered the hall to try and catch a late dinner, hoping to see Gabby, but she was absent.
“Hattie, where is she?” I asked as the demoness entered with two plates of food.
She frowned at Gabby’s empty chair. “Workshop, where else is that damned woman most of the time now? Will you go bring her in here? She needs to eat.”
I took the dishes from her. “How about I take it to her.”
“It’s been four days,” she uttered. “She needs to rest. Sleep. Get out of that workshop.”
“I know. I’ll see what I can do, Hattie, don’t worry.”
“And the pups? How are they?”
I shrugged, at a loss. “No better, but no worse. At the moment, I think that’s the best we can hope for.” I thanked Hattie for the food and carried the dishes toward Gabby’s workshop. Two demons stood guard outside, inclining their heads in deference as I neared. “Is she still working?”
The two guards frowned. “Hasn’t stopped, sire,” the one on the right muttered.
“I’ll see to her. You two can turn in. I stepped inside, ready to drag Gabby out of the workshop if I had to throw her over my shoulder to do it. I glanced around, setting the dishes on a nearby table. “Gabby?”
I peered into the flickering light but didn’t see her bustling around anywhere. I began to worry she’d somehow slipped past the guards meant to keep her safe, but then I heard rustling and looked around one of the tables in the center to find her sound asleep on the floor in front of the fire. She had pages clutched in one hand and more scattered around, along with several vials and bottles. I crouched down before her and gently started to move the items aside, so I could get closer to her.
“Gabby,” I whispered, smoothing her hair from her face. “Gabby, wake up, love.”
“Hmm?” she mumbled and then shot straight up, butting her head into mine. “Ow, damn it!”
I had to agree, wincing as I rubbed my head. “You fell asleep on the floor.”
“Holden?” She squinted, looking around. “I did.” She saw the pages in her hand, and rubbed her eyes, opening them wide. “I have to get back to this. I think I almost have it.”
“No, you’re coming inside with me and getting some sleep.”
“I can’t, not yet,” she argued, pushing around me to go back to one of the other tables with mounds of foul-smelling herbs. “The longer it takes to save the pups, the more chances the others have of getting sick.”
“You are not going to be good to anyone if you don’t sleep,” I pointed out, watching her move frantically around. “Gabby, stop for a few minutes, huh? You need to eat, too.”
“Huh?”
“Gabby!” I scolded, catching her as she tried to dart around me. “Stop, please. You are going to run yourself into the ground.”
“But the hounds… I have to save them.”
“You are doing everything you can for them,” I assured her, “but you need to take care of yourself. Eat and rest, that’s all I’m asking.”
She bounced on her feet, and I could tell she was chewing hard on the inside of her cheek. “I’ll eat while I work how about that?” I frowned at her, but she held up her hand. “Just hear me out for a moment. I think I found a way to save them, but I need to do it now before I lose this thread. Please. You can help me, and once it’s done, I will rest for a whole day. Swear it.”
I wanted to say no, but I saw how much this meant to her. Beating her mother, that’s what this was about, just as much as saving the pups. “What do you need me to do?”
She hugged me, kissing me fiercely, then dove into explaining what our next steps would be. As I helped the best I could, not much for healing tonics at all, I made sure she ate as she went. Hours passed. I built up the fire two more times, watching as the mixture she had going in the small cauldron over it turned from black to a bright purple that smelt of sage and something else I still couldn’t pinpoint, but it was all Gabby. When she dropped a small leaf in it, and it rested perfectly balanced on the top, she grinned.
“I think… I think that’s it,” she whispered. “Vials, I need two vials, and then we need to go give them this right away.”
“What did you do?”
“I counteracted everything I’ve ever seen Tori use, what I could remember,” she explained, filling up two small vials. “I just hope it’s enough.”
With her carrying the vials, we rushed to the kennels, and I watched as she carefully tipped the pups’ heads back while the mother hound watched from nearby, next to me. Gabby talked to the pups quietly, working their throats to help them swallow. When the vials were empty, we watched, waiting to see if there would be any change. But after a few minutes, nothing happened.
“It might take time,” Gabby said.
I thought she was speaking more to herself than me.
“Then we give them time.”
“I don’t want to leave them, not yet,” she said firmly, looking at me pointedly.
I wanted to argue and take her back to the castle and a bed, but she was already lying down beside the pups, watching them as closely as their mother was. I said nothing but settled down with my back to a wall. The hound rested her big head in my lap, and I ran my hand over her fur.
“We’ll save them,” I whispered to her. “I pray we’ll save them.”
She growled in reply, but closed he
r eyes and fell asleep. At some point, Gabby’s eyes closed, too and I was the last one left awake. Exhaustion eventually took over, and I let myself relax the best I could. A memory nagged at me, something I’d spotted in the workshop as Gabby rushed from one side to the other. I strained to remember, but figured I’d remember tomorrow.
Something pulled on my boot, and I shifted my foot, thinking I was dreaming. My back screamed in pain, and my legs were stiff. It tugged again, and I opened my eyes. “Gabby,” I said, trying to wake her up. She was still passed out by the fire. “Gabby! Wake up.”
“Huh, what?” she asked, slowly sitting up.
“Look.”
She blinked, shoving her hair from her face, and beamed. “It worked… it worked!”
The pups were up and playing with each other, tumbling in a happy ball we hadn’t seen them do since they fell sick. Their mother barked as she watched, licking them both then turned her massive head to Gabby. She rested her head against Gabby’s, and I was taken in by the sight of such a lethal beast showing such compassion.
“You’re welcome,” Gabby whispered, scratching her neck.
“You did it,” I said, holding out my hand to help Gabby to her feet. “I think this calls for a full day of relaxation and celebration.” I wrapped my arm around her waist, enjoying the warmth of her as she leaned into my side and we left the kennels.
“What did you have in mind?”
I grinned down at her, knowing exactly what she would enjoy and a way to pick up where our night left off. “A surprise. Trust me?”
“Of course,” she said without any hesitation in her voice.
“We’ll go back to the castle, change, and then we’ll head out into the woods.”
It didn’t take long to reach our chambers, delivering the good news that the two pups were healthy again, and then disappearing inside our rooms to prepare. I changed clothes quickly, anticipation growing as I remembered how the other night had almost gone. How her hands had felt on my shoulders and running through my hair, and near my horns. By the time I was ready to leave, I could hardly think of anything to say to her and decided I wouldn’t say a word.
Disgrace Page 14