Page 97 of Kingdom of Crowns and Daggers

The next several hours are torturous. The king, Orion, and I observe as Master Yiel attempts to heal my girl.

We all watch in complete silence while the healer does his work. I might have little healing experience, but even I can tell the expert is struggling, working his knowledge of poisons to the extreme.

When I arrived back at the palace, Alyx looked grey, all the colour drained from her skin. I had not been gone long, so I knew we were almost out of time. Thankfully, Master Yiel was delivered shortly after, carried over one of my rat’s shoulders and dumped at our feet, swearing and scared. All it took was one look at our faces for him to pale and get to work without another complaint about being kidnapped.

Sighing, the master sits back on his heels and begins to put everything away. “It was touch and go. She had almost run out of time,” he explains, his voice loud after such a long time without any other sounds. “If you had not found me when you did, then she would be dead by now.”

His flat, matter-of-fact words hit me in the gut, making me realise just how close we were to losing her. Standing, he brushes down the front of his dark blue robes. His long black hair is pulled back into a sleek bun, but several strands broke free during such a long healing.

Turning from Alyx, he faces the three of us, his neutral expression going tight for a moment as he clasps his hands in front of him.

“Your other healers don’t believe in using certain techniques and potions, especially if there is an unknown substance affecting the patient.” Disapproval rings in his voice. “I do not have those qualms. If the patient is going to die without treatment, then using something that might save them seems like the most logical course of action to me.”

“She’s going to survive?” Joha asks with disbelief.

The healer looks at the king and dips his head. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

My eyes squeeze tightly shut as pure and utter relief fills me. I knew she would survive, she had to, but hearing those words from the healer’s mouth . . .

If the worst had happened, then I do not think I could have controlled myself. I would have stalked through the city and made others hurt like I was, killing Queen Mother and everyone associated with her. The only reason I have any sense of restraint is because of Alyx. She is the better half of me and my very reason for living. All of this is pointless without her. If she’d died, I would have taken my revenge, and then I would have ended my pitiful existence and hoped that we could be together in the afterlife.

“Why is she so still?” Orion’s deep voice snaps me out of my morose thoughts. It’s the first thing I’ve heard him say in hours, his gaze locked on the limp body of the woman we love.

“I gave her a sedative,” Master Yiel explains patiently. “Her body needs to rest so it can heal from the infection and let the herbs work.”

It turns out that my little raiding party in the city for anything that might help the healer was actually fruitful. There was a type of dried grass I found in one of the apothecaries I raided. I had no idea what it was, but I took it anyway, just in case. It turns out that I was right to take it, as it helped save her. Since we had no idea what poison was used, we could not use an antidote, but this herb was some type of rare seagrass from another kingdom with the ability to draw out poisons from the body. This way, we didn’t need to know the specifics of the poison, as the seagrass absorbed it like a sponge. Once that was removed and burnt in the fireplace, Master Yiel worked on the infection itself, cleaning and packing the wound.

“It will need to be stitched once the infection has cleared,” he continues, his gaze flitting between the three of us, obviously unsure whom to give his instructions to. “Rest and hydration are the most important things here. She came close to death, and her recovery will reflect that.”

Joha steps forward and takes the healer’s hand, kissing the back of it in a display of gratitude. “Thank you, thank you so much.”

The master is clearly surprised by the gesture and awkwardly pats the king on his shoulder. “You are welcome, my king. I am glad to care for your betrothed. It is not as though I had a choice though.” His eyes slide to mine, his tone shifting as his face twists slightly.

I am not sorry in the slightest, but I allow a slightly manic grin to pull at my lips. He looks mildly disturbed, but to his credit, he does not look away.

“Next time, just ask me. You don’t need to tie me up like a hog.” Shaking his head, he takes a deep breath and glances at the clock on the wall. “I must go. My ship will be leaving soon.”

“Of course. Let me escort you to the guard house, and I shall arrange for a carriage to take you to the harbour.” Orion immediately jumps into action, the large man needing something to do. It must have been difficult for him to be left behind when I went into the city to look for the healer.

As soon as he leaves with the master, I take the seat placed near the top of the bed, slipping Alyx’s cold hand into mine.

“She almost died saving my life,” Joha comments quietly, taking a seat on the other side of the bed.

“I know.” My response is curt. I do not have the energy for niceties, though I suppose I never did.

Do I blame Joha for her getting attacked? I’m not sure. My mind is a mess. If he hadn’t hired her, then she never would have gotten involved. Because of that, I want to throttle him. She’s put in even more danger by being with the king.

However, she’s an assassin and in control of every job she takes on. It’s dangerous work, and we know the risks of dying every time we leave the base—not to mention, she would kick my ass if she found out I killed the king because she got hurt.

So, no, I don’t blame him specifically. That does not mean I am happy with him or want to become best friends though. I won’t kill him, and that is the best I can offer him at the moment.

Joha has been quiet, sensing my animosity towards him right now. He seems to have a point to prove, though, because he clears his throat and leans forward. “I love her, you know.”

“I know,” I reply, seemingly unable to force any other words through my clenched teeth. Her brush with death seems to have brought a sense of clarity to the king, who has been dancing around how he feels, much like the brutish guard who does not seem to even notice how he cares for her.

“We all do,” Orion grumbles as he strides back into the room, his face set in a frown. Maybe I was wrong. It’s about time he realised it because those two have been clashing heads more than her and I do. “The healer is with some of my trusted guards, so they will see he’s returned safely.”

Joha nods and returns his attention to me. “Thank you for finding him.”

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