Page 1 of A Healer's Wrath

Chapter one

Irina

Istared up at the infirmary’s towering double doors. I’d dreamed of following in my parents’ footsteps since I was old enough to watch them work. They weren’t famous. Few within the halls of power would ever know their names. And yet, my mother and father were among the many physikers who tended everyday wounds of ordinary folk across the Kingdom.

At twelve summers of life, I stood trembling before the hallowed halls of the capital’s most prestigious infirmary, the Royal Medica. I could hardly believe the day had arrived.

“This is your door to open, 'Rina,” my father said as he placed a gentle hand on my back. “Remember, you won’t be alone. There are other apprentices starting with Master Rist today. You’ll have friends to help you through this.”

My eyes rose, drinking in the white marbled façade of the massive building. Black swirls of the stone’s veins flowed like calming brooks through fields of snow. An ancient etching of the Phoenix hovered above the door, its gilding flawless and glittering despite centuries of exposure to harsh Kingdom winters.

As I reached for the bronze handle, the door flew open to reveal a thin boy whose eyes were as wild as his unruly brown hair. He took one look at me, made an odd yelping sound, and ran back into the building, slamming the door behind him.

“Is that one of my new friends?” I asked, blinking at the door that had almost smacked me in the nose.

My mother chuckled. “Maybe he’s shy.”

A moment later, the door opened again. This time, an old man in thick, round spectacles with lenses so small they barely covered his eyes stood before us. The man looked as wide as he was tall, causing the buttons on his pale blue smock to strain against the threads that bound them to the fabric.

“Hello, Irina. Don’t be shy. Come in and meet your fellow apprentices. Parents, I shouldn’t see or hear from you for another week. Is that understood? Now shoo.” He waved a dismissive hand toward Mother and Father.

I turned, expecting to see outrage from my parents at the week-long ban but found only grins and nods of acceptance. Then I remembered they had both been apprentices long ago. They knew what to expect. Why hadn’t they prepared me for this? They could’ve said something, anything. Annoyed, I crossed my arms and turned back to face my new Master.

“Deep breath, Irina,” Master Rist said more warmly than before as he beckoned me forward. “Your mother tells me you have quite the aptitude for learning and memory. We’ll test both straightaway.”

Then the door slammed shut behind me.

Chapter two

Irina

Master Rist never looked back as he led me through a series of winding hallways. The sound of chatter drifted from behind many of the doors, but we didn’t pass a single person as we ventured through the building that proved much longer than I’d thought possible while staring at it from the front. Rist stopped before an unremarkable wooden door.

“Irina, the first thing any physiker does when confronted with a patient is assess. We look, sniff, poke, prod, and a hundred other things. We do the same with new apprentices.” The Master’s wispy brows fluttered as air breathed through the crack between the door and its frame. “Today, you are my patient, and I will be assessing your mind.”

He smiled and threw open the door, then stood aside and motioned for me to enter before him. I’m not sure what I expected. His grand gesture had me conjuring images of examination tables, shelves lined with shimmering vials, or chairs for working teeth. What greeted me was a lone rickety school desk and an even less sturdy chair. The window set into the far wall stood open, allowing a pleasant breeze to drift through the room.

“Take your seat, please,” the Master said as he drifted around to the only other furniture in the empty chamber, a large leather chair and a small side table. Atop the table, two oil lamps burned brightly. “You can read and write, yes?”

I nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Excellent.” He reached into his smock and retrieved a scroll bound by a simple strand of leather. “We will start with some basic arithmetic. From the moment you remove the binding, you have until the sand runs out to complete the exercise.”

He handed me the scroll, then reached to the table and passed me a lamp. A small hourglass sat hidden behind. He raised the timepiece and waited.

I looked down at the scroll, at how it shook in my hand. I wanted to become a physiker more than anything, but no one had told me about a test on my first day. What if I failed? Would there be another chance? Would my parents still be proud if I returned home before even sitting for my first lesson?

Questions battered my mind as I struggled to keep my heart from beating out of my chest.

“Irina, whenever you’re ready, just remove the leather,” Rist prodded.

I glanced up. His eyes remained kind, yet firm.

I sucked in a deep breath and slipped the leather free.

The thud of the hourglass hitting the table startled me.

“Go on, then. Time waits for no one,” Rist said, settling into his chair with his eyes glued to me like some predator waiting to pounce.

---