Page 40 of The Elven Healer's Apprentice

“He took them.”

“Who?”

“Merlon.” She grimaced at me. “I can’t take you to him. I don’t know who is on his patient roster or what order he plans to visit them in. Hubert might, though.”

“Thank you,” I called over my shoulder. Dashing through the house on bare feet, I emerged into the farmyard slightly out of breath. “Hubert?” I called.

“In here,” he replied from the barn.

“Where is Merlon?” I demanded as I skidded through the open doors. A larger structure built for normal-sized animals, including a donkey, I didn’t need to stoop to enter.

Hubert looked up from forking hay. His already large eyes widened further. “Why?”

“Poppy says he is visiting patients. He barely has enough magic to keep from dying. You saw how depleted he was last night. He can’t afford to spend any on a patient, let alone more than one of them.”

“He knows his limits, Lady Adela.”

I groaned. He was just going to argue. Meanwhile, Merlon was dangerously depleting himself. The pain in his features when he tried to access his magic to heal my bruises the night before burned into my memory.

“He—” Spotting Sage grazing next to the fence just outside the barn, I changed tactics. “Sage?”

The unicorn’s ears perked up at her name. Lifting her head, she eyed me with interest.

“Can you take me to Merlon?” It seemed a reasonable request, considering she had tracked me to the hobgoblin village.

Taking one last tuft of grass from a patch beside the fence post, she ambled over to stand next to me.

Taking that as an agreement, I scrambled awkwardly up onto her back.Too frightened for Merlon to worry about the fact I had never ridden a horse before, I tried to sit upright. “Ready.”

Sage tossed her head and snorted, as though critiquing my seat.

“It is the best I can do,” I protested. “Merlon, please. Now.”

Hubert appeared at the barn door just in time to watch Sage and me amble down the road into the village.

∞∞∞

Merlon

Poppy had been correct. This plan had been a mistake. For the first three patients, my strength and endurance remained tolerable. No pain when accessing my magic for diagnostic purposes.

However, by the fifth patient, the burning sensation returned. When I accessed it for my seventh patient, the pain intensified so much that I gasped at the acuteness.

“Are you well, healer?” Smythina, a wizened hobgoblin female ancient enough to be Sina’s grandmother, peered up at me with concern. “You aren’t looking well. Are elves supposed to be so pale?”

“I am well,” I assured her. “I just need a moment to rest.” I lowered myself to the floor. In her tiny one-room house, my long legs took up about a quarter of the space no matter how I folded them. The burning in my chest eased slightly.

“You look worn to a thread, Master Healer.” Her luminous lavender eyes assessed me frankly. “Are you sure you should be here and not in your bed sleeping?”

I smirked. “Probably. I performed a deep healing on Queen Kate a handful of days ago and followed that up with the premature birthing of triplets. I am a bit weary.”

“You have been busy.” She snapped her fingers and her stove flared to life, the coals bursting into flame as though they never had been doused. “In that case, let me fix you some tea. I know just the brew to help you.”

Normally, I avoided accepting food from patients, but this was a hobgoblin and a long-time patient. We had been through a great deal over the years, and I almost counted her a friend.

“So, I heard you didn’t come alone this visit.” Smythina winked at me.

“I won’t confirm or deny gossip.” My head ached so and the burning in my chest suddenly intensified. Slowing my breathing, I tried to calm the panic growing within me. I still had to walk home. At the very least, I had to rise and walk back to my host’s house. I groaned softly.

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