“My ankle will be healed by morning.”
“But I’m going to need Cellina. Unless you’d rather take the bodyguards?”
“No. I’ll wait.” I sagged back against the cushion. Exhaustion settled over me like a heavy gown, sapping my strength.
Kerrick had given me no sign he cared for me before. Unless I missed it. Or was in denial. No. I’d heard it from Tohon, and he was either a master manipulator or a sociopath—probably both. Tonight was a perfect example. He’d thrown a fit over the dress, then acted like a gentleman the rest of the evening.
It would be best to concentrate on freeing, healing and delivering Ryne to Kerrick. And not dwell on an impossibility.
In the days following the party, Tohon spent all his time in meetings with his generals and Cellina. Taking advantage of his distraction, I continued my early-morning snooping to collect as much information about Tohon as possible. With a lit lantern in hand, I headed for his lab. The stolen key worked.
I entered and relocked the door behind me. Tohon’s ledger remained on the counter. Flipping through the pages, I read his notes on the Death Lilys’ harvest schedule, but nothing indicated what he did with all those sacks of toxin. I rummaged through the drawers and cabinets. They were filled with lab supplies, syringes and clippings from plants. I couldn’t find any other books or notes.
Taking a last look around, I noticed a door behind the chair Tohon had strapped me into. Guess I had been too focused on the syringe full of toxin to see it before. I unlocked it and pushed it open.
The lantern light illuminated two rows of beds, one on each side of a long room. As I walked down the aisle, my stomach churned with nausea. Ten- to twelve-year-old children occupied the beds. Most were unconscious, but a few tossed and turned, caught by fever dreams. One girl moaned in pain. Another had curled into a ball and rocked on her bed.
Although my heart swelled with the desire to heal them, my magic didn’t stir. Which confirmed my fear that Tohon had been injecting Death Lily toxin into these children in the hopes of creating more healers. Horror rose like bile in my throat.
I checked on each child, working my way down one side. At least they were being cared for. Glasses of water sat on tables next to each bed. The room smelled clean. No bed sores marked their skin, and the unconscious patients wore diapers. Tohon must care more for them than his soldiers.
When I reached the end of the left side, I paused to gather my strength. Three of them would soon die. Rage burned. How could Tohon do this to children! Where were the people who cared for these kids? The thought Probably killed by the plague doused a little of my fury, but not the part directed at Tohon.
Resuming my inspection, I examined the children on the right side. The second-to-last patient stirred at my touch. He woke, squinting in the lantern light.
“Are you a new nurse?” he asked.
Mindful that this boy could tell Tohon or his nurse about my visit, I chose my words with care. “No, I’m just stopping in to check on everyone. How do you feel?”
“Much better now.” He sat up in bed. His black hair stuck straight up on one side. He glanced around the room with a sad resignation. “I’d thought I was going to die, too.”
Hope touched my heart. Maybe he’d survived the toxin. “How long have you been here?”
He shrugged. “Don’t know. Awhile. Why?”
“Just curious. So you were very sick?”
He nodded. “Everyone here is very sick. This is the dying room.”
I stared at him for a moment. It was all I could do as waves of dismay swept through me.
He stared right back. Suspicion lurked in his golden-brown eyes. “Shouldn’t you know all this?”
The boy acted older than he looked. I crouched down next to his bed so we were eye level. “You’re half right. I am new here so I don’t know everything. But I want to.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t like it when kids are sick.”
“I don’t, either, but no one can stop it.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“We’ve been chosen by King Tohon for an important job. He says we’re helping him learn what medicines are good for his soldiers. And no one disobeys the king.”
The boy reminded me of Flea—wise beyond his years. “How many rooms are there?”
“Three.”
It was difficult to keep my expression neutral. Tohon must have a room for each stage of the toxin. “All filled with kids your age helping the king?”
“Yep.”
“Is there a room for those who have survived?”
Another shrug. “Don’t know.” Then he smiled. “Guess I’ll find out.”
“What’s your name?” I asked.
A guarded look replaced his grin. “Who wants to know?”
“I’m Avry. I’m working for King Tohon, too, but it’s like you said, I can’t refuse the king.”
“I’m Danny.”
I shook his hand. “Danny, can you do me a favor and not tell anyone I was here?”
“Why not?”
“It would get me into trouble with the king. I doubt anyone will ask you, but just in case.”
“Okay.”
“Thanks.” I stood to leave.
“Will you come back and visit me?” Danny asked.
“If I can, I will. However, I have a feeling the king might bring you to me at some point.”
“Why?”
“To help care for his soldiers.”
He hugged his thin arms around his chest and shivered.
I rushed to assure him. “But not as a test subject. As a…nurse.”
“Oh. That would be fun. I hope he does.”
Smiling, I pulled his blankets up as he lay back on his pillow, tucking him in. If he considered being a nurse fun, then he would make a great healer.
My thoughts swirled as I left the room and Tohon’s lab, locking the doors behind me. How many more children would die because of his experiments? How could I stop Tohon? Cutting off his supply of toxin would mean killing all the Death Lilys in the compound. And what would keep him from planting more? Assassination was the only solution I managed to produce. My contract with him hadn’t included a clause for attacking or harming him. But could I? One-on-one, my magic wasn’t strong enough. But with Kerrick’s? Maybe, and only if we fought him in the woods.
I arrived at the infirmary without any memory of the trip. My workers moved around the main room, snuffing the lanterns and attending to the morning chores. Once they understood that the new procedures improved a patient’s health, they were quick to adopt them. Those who refused had been replaced.
Starting near the door, I checked on each patient. A few slept, but most woke with the activity and brightening sunshine. Sweat beaded on the forehead of one soldier, who didn’t stir when I placed a hand on his cheek. His skin burned.
“Emre, when did you last check on Gantin?” I asked.
“Before bed. He was sitting up and making jokes with Lieutenant Fox.”
In the bed next to Gantin, Fox pushed up on an elbow. “He didn’t complain of anything.”
I glanced at the lieutenant. “Gantin wouldn’t. Don’t you remember how he kept quiet the whole time I stitched him up?”
Fox grinned. “No, ma’am, I believe I passed out after the first sight of blood.”
“And you call yourself a soldier,” I teased.
His humor faded. “I call myself a farmer, but King Tohon called me a soldier.”
“We have something in common. He called me, as well. And he’s a hard man to refuse.”
“We could resist,” Fox said. “But then we’d be dead and still working for him.”
I shar
ed a sympathetic look with Fox before I turned to my helper. “Emre, fetch me a tablespoon of fever powder, please.” I inspected Gantin’s stomach wound. It had been stitched closed five days ago, and the sutures would be removed in the next couple of days. No puss or red streaked his skin, therefore no infection. Which meant the cut had gone deeper than it looked, causing internal bleeding or it could be another problem altogether.
Emre returned with the medicine.
I mixed the white powder in a glass of water and handed it to Emre. “Dribble a little of this into his mouth at a time, letting him swallow between them. It should reduce his fever.”
“What if it doesn’t?” Lieutenant Fox’s face creased with concern.
“Then I’ll take care of him personally. Don’t worry.” I moved over to the lieutenant’s bed to let Emre finish the job. “How’s the leg?” I asked him.
“Better.”
“Ready to put weight on it?”
He gave me a queasy look. “No.”
I pulled back his covers and pressed my hands to his right leg. The thigh bone had been broken in three places and I’d had to heal him. His shin bone had also been fractured, but I allowed that one to heal on its own. The leg felt strong.
“I know you’re enjoying being spoiled, but you have to work your muscles. Come on, up on your feet.” I pulled his legs off the bed.
He groaned, but not in pain. “You’re a hard lady to refuse.”
I put his arm around my shoulder and helped him stand. Fox wobbled on one foot, leaning on me.
“Put the other foot down. Your leg will hold. Trust me.”
He cringed in anticipation, but blinked with surprise. Distributing his weight, he straightened.
I beamed at him. “See? I wouldn’t lie to you.” I called another one of my workers over. “Please take the lieutenant for a walk. Once around the room.”
As she led Fox down the aisle, I checked on the next patient. “How’s the arm, Henson?”
He didn’t get a chance to reply. A bang sounded as a group of bloody soldiers pushed through the door. They carried six wounded men. I rushed to them, calling for a few helpers. The injured men were all unconscious, which, considering the severity of their wounds, was a kindness.
It was times like this that I wished for another five healers. All the men needed extreme measures. One died as I inspected the gaping hole in his stomach. Three others wouldn’t make it another hour. The remaining two had the best chance. But which one should I take first? I chose the weaker of the two. Before assuming his injuries, I instructed my helpers on how to keep the other alive. And how to assist with the walking wounded who had carried their buddies here.
My magic felt as if it jumped when I placed my hands on the first soldier. He had broken five ribs and one had pierced his lung. Breathing became difficult as pain ringed my chest; I collapsed on an empty bed. The commotion in the infirmary faded.
Darkness had fallen by the time I woke. Voices muttered, but no one in the infirmary was awake. In fact, it appeared as if everyone had been tucked in for the night. I reached over to the man lying in the bed next to me. The second man had survived the day and his pulse felt strong. Emre dozed in a chair next to him.
Before healing the soldier, I woke Emre.
“What’s the status on Gantin?” I asked.
“Better. No fever and resting quietly.”
“Good. Go to bed, Emre. I’ve got this one.” Plus the night nurses would be doing their rounds soon.
The voices outside stopped when Emre left. I would have ignored them except I heard Estrid’s name. The injured man would last a few more minutes. My ribs ached as I stood and searched for the source of the voices. They came from behind the infirmary. I crept back to my office. Glad the high window had been opened and no lanterns had been lit in here, I climbed up on my desk to peek outside.
Two men talked in low tones. My eyes needed a minute to adjust to the darkness. A weak yellow glow from the infirmary’s windows shone on them and the four dead bodies. The bodies had been covered with linen sheets and laid in the large stone basin, waiting to be prepared for a proper burial. Since I started here, we hadn’t had to use the prep area.
I recognized the one man as the captain of the injured unit. Tohon was the other.
“…sure, Captain?” Tohon asked.
“Yes, sire. No one matching that description was among the attackers. All wore Estrid’s red uniforms except for those three I described.”
I wondered if the three were Belen, Loren and Quain. That would mean Tohon had been asking about Kerrick.
“Explain to me again how their smaller force overwhelmed yours?” Tohon didn’t sound happy.
“We had no warning, sire. It was the middle of the night, in the middle of a town in Vyg that we had secured months ago. It was a small group who attacked. They came in quick, and left just as fast. We gave chase, but lost them in the woods.”
Tohon appeared to consider the information. “Doesn’t your unit have special forces?”
“No, sire. Captain Young’s unit works with them.”
“All right, Captain. Return to your men.” Tohon remained standing next to the dead as the captain walked away.
He waited until the captain rounded the corner before lifting the sheet on the nearest body. Tohon pulled a syringe from his pocket. Shoving the needle into the dead man’s arm, he pushed the plunger. Then he rested his hand on the dead man’s forehead before letting the sheet fall. He did the same thing for the other three, injecting, then touching them. Odd. Was he doing an experiment?
I pressed both my hands to my mouth, muffling a very girlie scream when the first body moved. Tohon yanked the sheet off and helped the formerly dead and naked man stand. Soon the three others joined their comrade. Tohon pushed them and they walked in a line, heading toward the other side of the compound. A tiny macabre parade. He guided the dead men by touch. I watched until the darkness swallowed them.
Sinking down to my desk, I sat there in shock. Tohon had just reanimated the dead. What was in the syringes? Did he use magic? Probably when he touched their foreheads. I had known his special soldiers were dead—without souls—but their bodies hadn’t decayed so I hadn’t been entirely convinced the bodies had ceased to function.
Those four had been dead. No doubt about that. I mulled over the horror, but I couldn’t think of an explanation for what had transpired outside.
“Miss Avry?” The captain stood in the doorway of my office. “My sergeant doesn’t look good. He’s coughing up blood.”
Spurred into action, I slid off the desk. “Sorry, I needed a glass of water.” I followed him back to the sergeant.
The man’s body convulsed as he sputtered. His ribs had been broken as well, but his spleen had also been damaged.
“How did they get hurt?” I asked.
“A man the size of a bear came up from behind, picked him up and squeezed. He did it to both of them.” The captain shook his head. “I’d take a sword to the gut rather than be hugged to death.”
Only Belen had the strength. “Neither of these men will die from their injuries.”
“They might die of embarrassment.”
I laughed. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”
“Deal.” The captain shook my hand, but then he sobered. “Thanks for saving them.”
“I wish I could have saved them all.”
“It took us too long to bring them here. You should be in the field with us.”
“I should. Talk to Tohon.”
“My superior officer has already tried. His request was denied.”
“Perhaps next time you could send a runner and I could meet you halfway.”
“I’d like to be optimistic and say there won’t be a
next time, but Estrid has gone on the offensive and I think it’ll just be a matter of time.” He sighed. “In case we need you again, I’ll remember to send word.”
“Then I hope I don’t hear from you.” I meant what I said. If Ryne stopped Tohon, then the war would be over. Until Estrid decided she didn’t like sharing power with Ryne.
The captain nodded. I assumed the sergeant’s injuries and returned to my bed. For now, one problem at a time was all I could handle.
More midnight attacks harried Tohon’s troops, which meant more soldiers for me to heal. On the fourth evening since I’d seen Kerrick in the garden, Tohon visited the infirmary. He walked around the main room, talking with the patients. When he finished, he gestured for me to follow him into my office.
He closed the door, then sat on the edge of my desk. “I’m leaving tomorrow morning for a few days. Estrid’s holy army is getting feisty and needs to be taught a lesson.”
Not sure why he confided in me, I asked, “Should I prep for more wounded?”
“Not too many more. I’m taking my special soldiers. They should upset Estrid’s sensibilities.”
I waited for him to get to the point.
He slid off the desk and stood close to me. “I debated taking you with me.”
Not good. I kept my expression neutral. “And?”
“You’re more useful to me here.” He reached to touch my face.
I stepped back. “Do you know when you’ll return?”
“Why? Are you going to miss me?”
“I’m assuming when you return, there will be fewer wounded. I just wanted to gauge how much longer to expect casualties.”
“I should be back within the week.” He moved toward me again.
Retreating, I bumped into the wall.
Tohon pressed his hands on the wall on either side of me. He leaned in. “We’ve been so busy. I’ve missed you.”
His lips brushed mine and a spark of heat shot through me.
“You’re exhausted, my dear. Please don’t overexert yourself for my men. You’re more valuable than they are. Even if they’re dead, they continue to serve me.”
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