Page 122 of Heir

I glanced at him, pure, unadulterated rage bubbling up in my belly. “She better be. I’m already on the warpath. You don’t want to see me when I have nothing left to lose.”

We arrived at the healing mage’s house about two hours later. Raver said he could have taken us to a closer one, but he wanted to take us out of immediate harm. And since Zandren was still paralyzed and unconscious, and Gemma was also unconscious but alive, I reluctantly agreed.

The healing mage lived out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees, with a river running below a small hill at the rear of the yard. Birds chirped and squirrels tittered like the world wasn’t going to total shit as we unloaded from the van.

We left Zandren in the vehicle, since there was no use moving him, and Raver carried Gemma into the house.

“Your Majesty,” greeted a comely woman with bright white hair, sharp blue eyes, and twin dimples, as we arrived at her front door. She bowed her head. “It is an honor to meet you.” Her expression turned sad. “I’m so sorry about Delia. I knew her well, and she was so kind. Truly tragic.”

I pressed my lips together and nodded curtly. “Thank you.”

She ushered us inside and motioned for Raver to set Gemma down on a hospital bed inside what appeared to be a proper infirmary. Western medical equipment along with a whole wall of herbs, poultices, and other medicinal plants took up half the room, while four beds took up the other.

“We’ll be safe at Melissima’s,” Raver said. “She’s on the right side of all of this.”

Melissima nodded and pulled on some latex gloves. I tugged close a chair, settling beside Gemma, and held her hand. Tears spilled down my face as I took in all the dried blood covering her. This was because of me. I’d never not feel this guilt. Never not try to make it right and keep her safe.

“She will be okay,” Melissima said, resting a gloved hand on my shoulder. “I can feel her energy. Feel her fight. She is tired. She is weak, but she isn’t ready to leave this world yet.”

I choked on a sob as more tears fell. “Thank you.”

“You go get some rest. I need time with the patient. There is hot water in the kettle in the kitchen.”

“I don’t want to leave her.”

“I understand, but I need my entire magical focus to be on her. If you are here, you will absorb some of my energy and focus. She is human, you are not. I am not. Anything I practice will default to you, as we are of the Realm. I need you in another room so my magic can only go into her.”

“She’ll be okay,” Maxar said, resting a hand on my other shoulder. “We’re just going to go to the adjacent room.”

I kissed the back of Gemma’s hand and reluctantly stood up, following Maxar, Drak, and Raver out to the living room.

Maxar went into the kitchen and found tea bags. He filled up four mugs, bringing them to everyone. When he pulled his hand away to give me my mug, that’s when I caught a glimpse of just how badly Zandren’s claws had scored him. He wasn’t bleeding anymore, but I saw muscle and bone. And oh, god, was that . . . was that part of his liver?

I sprang up from my seat. “You need to go see Melissima. I can see your bones.”

“I’ll heal,” he said with a wince before sitting down in the last empty seat at Melissima’s kitchen table. “She needs to funnel all her magic into Gemma. If she has any left, she can take a crack at me.”

A roar from outside had the three men lurching to their feet.

Zandren.

I raced out the front door, nearly tripping over a sprinting chicken in the yard, before I made it to the back of the van.

Zandren had shifted back to human form and was stirring, trying to sit up. I crawled into the van. “Easy. Easy.”

He blinked open those soft, brown eyes that I loved. “W-what happened?”

“You tried to kill us,” Maxar said. He pointed to his abdomen.

Zandren blinked. “I did that?”

I ran my hand affectionately over his bare thigh. “Lerris took control of your mind when the flame crown fell off. He turned you against us. Well, everyone but me.”

Guilt filled his eyes. “Who else did I hurt?”

“Nearly bit off my leg,” Drak said deadpanned.

Zandren shrugged. “You probably deserved it.”

---