Page 34 of The Elven Healer's Apprentice

I nodded. “Mine. Merlon arrived too late to save him.”

“So, he saved you instead.” Poppy offered me a glowing smile. “How sweet.”

Never had I considered using sweet to describe Merlon. Yes, he could be gentle. I had seen him handle an ancient elven woman as though she were spun glass. His bedside manner tended toward the blunt end of the spectrum, but it wasn’t because he lacked sympathy. Efficiency outranked coddling in his evaluation. Despite his best efforts, Merlon’s caring heart shone through his actions. But sweet? No, Merlon wasn’t sweet.

Hubert laughed. “You clearly haven’t spent enough time around Merlon, dear wife. Caustic and aloof are always the first words that come to my mind.”

“Hubert, don’t be rude,” Poppy protested as she rose to clear the table. As she passed behind his chair, she swatted playfully at her husband’s head. “Don’t you go offending our guests.”

The hobgoblin laughed again, throwing back his head. “Offend Merlon? The elf has a skin thick as leather. I doubt anyone could offend him.”

The two continued to bicker cheerfully. Content to listen and watch, I eased back in my chair and relaxed. Before I realized it, I was stifling my fifth yawn.

“We best get Adela to bed before she falls asleep in her seat,” Poppy announced. “Don’t want you waking up with a crick in the neck now.”

She herded me efficiently off to bed. Not that I protested much. Sleep came only moments after I lay down on the bed across the room from Merlon, who continued to sleep deeply.

∞∞∞

Merlon

I woke to pain. My joints ached, my limbs trembled, and a steady throb in my temples bode ill for the day. As I blinked the shadowy darkness into focus, the sounds of night crept into my awareness. A cricket sang a song for his mate; distant croaking marked the direction of the lake that Hubert and I had fished in many times over the years.

Pulling my focus in closer, Moonlight spilled across the windowsill and onto the floorboards. I grew aware of the contrast between the chill of the air outside my blankets. Only then did I realize I wasn’t alone in the room. Someone stirred. Adela?

When I reached for my magic, agony burned through my chest. I gasped for breath, immediately abandoning my attempt at accessing my reserve.

“Merlon?” Adela’s voice sounded sleepy.

Chastising myself for waking her, I tried to calm my racing heart. Echoes of the agony moments before still pulsed in my chest, a chaotic flutter of receding pain. Soft rustling noises signaled Adela’s approach.

“What is wrong? Are you in pain?”

A cool hand caressed my forehead as fingers encircled my wrist, seeking my pulse with practiced ease. Instantly, my senses flared to peak awareness, flooding me with the visceral bliss of Adela’s closeness. Breathing deeply of her soothing scent, I drew on her quiet presence and the sense of belonging that came withit. When had I become so dependent on her? At the moment, I found I didn’t care. It was a rumination for another day.

“Your pulse is a bit fast, but steady. Your skin is cool and dry, so no fever; however, this—” She traced my eyebrows with a fingertip. “It says you are distressed. What hurts?”

“Everything.” My voice sounded harsh, even to my ears. I attempted to clear my throat, to no avail. “I would welcome some water.”

“That I can do.” She rested her hand briefly on my shoulder before she rose.

The moment the contact broke, my whole being rebelled. I closed my eyes with a groan. “I haven’t burned out this badly since healer testing.”

She returned. “Can you sit?”

I responded by doing so. My muscles protested, but I forced myself partially upright and leaned back against the wall. At some point, someone had covered me with the blankets that were now tangled about my legs. I still wore traveling clothing from the day before, but Adela looked delicate and lovely in a sleeping gown of gray wool. She offered me a wooden cup full of water.

“Who lent you the gown? Or did Hubert open the satchel for you?” I asked, before swallowing the comforting liquid. It banked the fire in my throat.

“An elven visitor left it behind, so Poppy saved it for such an occasion.” She tucked her feet under the edge of the gown before plucking at the fabric. “She also offered to clean my clothing.” Adela assessed my features with a cool jade glance. “I only thought of the clothing in the satchel after I retired to bed. How bad is the pain?”

I took another mouthful of water. “Bad.” Easing my head back to rest against the wall behind me, I assessed my symptoms. “My joints ache, my muscles keep spasming, and mychest burns. I suspect my reserves have been depleted. Reaching for my magic causes agony.”

“How long before you—” She paused as though struggling for words “Build your magic back up?”

Amused at her hesitant tone, I rolled my head to the side so I could peer at her without fully opening my eyes. “I need at least two weeks to regain my usual strength and ability if nothing else goes wrong.”

Worry pulled at her mouth. “What do you mean? You said you have done this before.” She surveyed me with far more concern than my comment merited.

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