Page 111 of The Warlock's Trial

“Fucking hell,” I growled. “Not again.”

I was no stranger to fatigue, but my health had been so good these last few months. I wasn’t about to let my lupus take over my life again. It was only a matter of time before one of my friends found a lead, and we were going to act fast to obtain another Wand. Furthermore, the priestesses could show up on our doorstep at any time, and I’d have to be ready to fight them.

I didn’t have the time or ability to continue lying in bed anymore. I needed to be proactive.

It was one hell of a wake-up call.

I sank back down onto the bed. I waited several minutes, like the fatigue might pass, but I knew this feeling all too well. Chronic illnesses were unpredictable, and an episode like this could last for months before I got my energy back.

I became increasingly angry the longer I lay there. My doctors had predicted a three-to-five-percent chance my lupus would ever return after the kidney transplant. What’s more, Dr. Yonker had told me my lupus would go into remission a year or two after I got my magic. He’d obviously lied.

Either way, the chances of symptoms returning was so low. Why was this happening now of all times?

The possibilities terrified me. If my lupus was back… did that mean my kidney was failing?

Was it too much to ask for my symptoms to just be over and done with?

The mattress shook beneath me, and I gave a start. I looked over to see Isa jumping onto the bed. She nudged her nose into my hand, as if to ask if I was okay.

I wiped my eyes and stroked her head. “I’ll be all right.”

I didn’t think Isa believed me, because she snuggled up on my belly and began purring. I could hear chatter from downstairs. I wanted to go join everyone else, but I couldn’t muster the energy to talk to a single person, let alone a whole group. At the same time, the bed was so uncomfortable when I felt like this, and I didn’t want to go back to it, but I had to do something with my body, because otherwise, I’d just sit here and suffer.

I hated it.

This was not the life I wanted. I didn’t want to spend my life wasting away. I’d done enough of that these last two weeks. It’d been my choice, but if my illness flared, I couldn’t get up and live my life when I wanted—no, when I needed to. I had to get ahead of this before my lupus flare gained control over my life again.

“Isa,” I whispered as I stroked her fur. “I’ve got to ask for help.”

Isa gave a light meow, like she agreed with me.

Taking a deep breath, I swung my legs off the corner of the bed. Down the hall, Onyx’s door was wide open, and she was organizing Alchemy supplies inside. A cauldron sat on the dresser, surrounded by various crystals and herbs. Charms hung from the ceiling fan, and incantations scribbled on sticky notes stuck to her mirror. A haunting melody played from her phone.

“Onyx, do you have a minute?” I asked.

She looked up from the herbs she was arranging on her dresser. “Sure, Nadine. Come in.”

I stepped into the room, and Isa followed behind me. I closed the door, because I didn’t want anyone to overhear, then sat on her bed. Onyx shot a curious glance at the closed door, like she knew whatever I had to say was serious.

“You worked at the hospital,” I started. “What do you know about lupus?”

Onyx spoke slowly, like she was worried where I might be going with this. “I have my nursing license, but I’m not a doctor. I only know what I’ve gathered from reading up on it. Is everything okay?”

I tried to keep the worry from my features, but I wasn’t sure it worked. “No,” I admitted in a broken voice. “I woke up really fatigued. I’m afraid my lupus is coming back, and I wouldn’t normally ask for help, but we’re fighting a war. I can’t deal with the unpredictability of my illness, so I need to get on the front end of this before it gets worse, because I know it inevitably will.”

Onyx dropped her herbs immediately and came to sit beside me. “Nadine, I’m so sorry. I thought the kidney transplant was supposed to help.”

“It did. For a while, at least,” I said. “I’ve been feeling really good. I’ve been off antibiotics for a while, and my immunosuppressants have been keeping everything in check. The doctors said I was good. And now… I’m scared that I’m not.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Onyx promised. “I can brew something to help with the fatigue.”

I swallowed the lump rising in my throat. “I’m worried it’s more than that. What if my body’s rejecting the kidney?”

Onyx’s features paled. “I can help you manage symptoms, but if you think your kidney’s failing, you need to see a doctor immediately.”

I sighed heavily. “I thought I was done with all that.”

“We won’t know anything for sure until you see a doctor,” Onyx said.

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