Page 32 of The Fae King's Labyrinth

“For the moment.” Azulin leaned elegantly against one of the massive pillars holding up the roof. Despite his appearance of casual grace, pain etched the corners of his eyes with lines. “As soon as anyone enters, you must remain silent.”

“What about with the healer?” Ghost asked. “He will want to question her.”

Azulin shook his head before Ghost had even finished speaking. “Not even with him. I don’t trust a healer who doesn’t come running when his master calls. Where has he been all this time?”

Ghost nodded in apparent understanding.

“I will order him to stick to binary questions that can be answered without words.” Azulin’s assessing gaze lingered on me. “Besides, I suspect we already know the cause of her collapse.”

I opened my mouth to demand an explanation.

“My apologies, sire.” A young male elf stumbled into the room out of breath and flushed. “My master could not climb the stairs, so he sent me.” He paused to pant. “How might I serve you?” He scanned the room, taking in the king sagging against the wall, Ghost blocking a window with his massive bulk, and me sitting in the center of Azulin’s bed.

The elf’s crystalline blue-silver eyes widened, and his eyebrows disappeared under the fringe of golden hair falling over his forehead.

“There is a girl,” he sputtered.

Ghost growled. “Every time.”

Azulin sighed impatiently. “Lady Anon is a woman, not a girl, Matius. Now can we get on with healing?” He coughed roughly. The sound made me flinch in sympathy. Each coughing fit sounded worse. “We were both exposed to dragon fire and Lady Anon was bit by a nathair. I drew out the poison, but I couldn’t heal the bite.”

Matius froze, wild-eyed as though uncertain who to tend first.

“See to the king first, squirt,” Ghost ordered. “Then the lady.” Catching my questioning gaze, he grimaced. “Dragon fire festers in the lungs and can cause significant damage if not quenched adequately.”

“I barely caught a breath,” Azulin protested. However, he didn’t make a fuss when the young healer approached him, offering him a potion from a storage spell similar to the one Azulin had been fumbling with since I met him. The elf extractedthe vial of potion promptly, clearly far more at ease with the spell than Azulin.

Then Matius turned to me and blushed. “How might I assist you, my lady? Aside from attending to your foot, that is.”

Mindful of Azulin’s instructions about not speaking, I extended my bandaged and swollen foot from beneath my ragged skirt. Hard to believe that it had been clean and fresh only days before.

“This first, then.” The healer approached the edge of the bed, and Azulin wilted demeanor transformed as straightened to his full height. His shoulders squared and his intense gaze homed in on the healer.

“I applied a spelled bandage to the wound. Do you wish for me to remove it first?”

“No need.” Matius leaned over my bare foot. “It appears simple enough.” A gentle tug on the bandage and it fell away from my foot. He drew in a sharp breath through his teeth. “That looks painful.” He glanced up at me, assessing my features. “When did you say this happened?”

“I didn’t,” Azulin responded.

Matius nodded as he turned his attention back to my foot.

Azulin moved to stand next to the head of the bed. “The bite happened over a day ago. I drew out the poison immediately. I am confident I extracted all the poison, but…”

Matius nodded. “I will check for you, but by the looks of it, she is poison free. If any had remained, there would be signs.” Lifting my leg by the calf, he examined my foot. “Pain?”

I nodded, but he hadn’t glanced up.

“She says yes,” Azulin informed the healer.

Matius lifted his head at that. “Can she not speak?”

“I advised her not to for the time being. At least until I can place a protection spell on her. Stick to yes or no questions.”

“Ah, that makes sense.” Matius turned his attention back to his task. “The damage is minimal. Some lacerations and bruising in addition to the puncture marks. I suspect she will be well on her way to healing within a week, but I doubt you wish her to wait that long.”

Azulin agreed.

“In that case, I will see what I can do. I will check her lungs as well.” The elf straightened and closed his eyes. The air thickened with magic. Then the sensation in the air shifted, concentrating on my foot, wrapping it in an invisible cocoon that prickled and tickled.

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