Page 34 of Deliverance

We stare at each other for a moment, and I can feel his desperate desire to trust that I can help him. He wants to believe me, but he is so fearful of losing Blaise that he is struggling to choose. I would not want to be in his position, but I knowI can help. He must see something in my expression that helps him make his mind up, as he lets out a frustrated noise and jerks his head in a motion that I take as an affirmative.

Not wasting any more time, I lay the leaves over Blaise’s mangled arm, creating a barrier over the wound. The leaves will change colour as they draw out any toxins, and even now I can see the purple centre expanding as it absorbs the poison. Dreading what I am about to do, I press my palm down on the wound. The heat of my hand will help speed up the process.

It is also agonising though. Blaise groans and weakly tries to pull away from me, but I hold on tight. Pushing away my guilt, I continue to press, knowing it will help.

“Iris, we cannot wait.”

This time, I agree with Alaric. Keeping my hand on the wound, I jog beside the fae prince, attempting to keep up. It is harder than it sounds, and I stumble along, almost falling on several occasions. I can hear the sound of rushing water, so we can’t be far now. A sense of urgency settles over me. Before, I was reacting to Alaric’s stress, yet now this feeling is entirely my own. We need to hurry.

Through the foliage, I can see a break in the trees. Surging forward, we stumble into a small clearing with a little river, complete with stone bridge. It is not the bridge that we go to though. Removing my hand, I step back as Alaric walks straight up to the edge of the water and walks directly into the middle of the river. It is not deep, the water hitting him around mid-thigh as he lowers his friend, kneeling so he can support him.

Blaise is almost completely submerged, only his face visible as Alaric holds him in place. I wait on the bank, not quite sure what I am supposed to be witnessing. Alaric is frowning, and I can almost feel his fear despite the fact that he is hiding it well. Removing some of the leaves so he can check on the wound, he curses loudly.

Stepping up to the water’s edge, I hesitate, not knowing what to do. “What’s wrong?”

“The water isn’t working.” Looking from the wound to his friend’s pale, almost lifeless face, he curses again. “Fresh running water should cleanse the wound, but he is too far gone. We are going to need a naiad.”

Overwhelmed with the sudden influx of information, I shake my head in confusion. I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment as I try to organise my thoughts. A naiad—is that a type of fae? Howare they going to help us? Taking a deep breath, I consider what Idoknow instead of all the unknowns about this situation.

The water should have helped him, and it hasn’t.

The bleeding heart leaves were applied too late and weren’t enough to reverse the damage done.

Finally, Blaise is so unwell that whatever magical properties the water has will not help, which I have taken to mean that he is dying.

While I don’t know Blaise that well, and he is constantly snarky, I have grown to like his sarcasm. When I look forward, I see the possibility of us being friends in the future, but that will only happen if we can save him. How much time does he have?

“What is a naiad?” I ask, clinging onto that one small piece of information.

“A type of fae being that is bound to the river,” he explains as he moves through the water, guiding Blaise’s body gently. “Most bodies of water have one, and they are always female. She might be able to bless the water and heal him.”

Nodding as he speaks, I process this new information as he holds out his hand for me to join him in the water. “How do we find one?” Stepping into the water, I brace myself against the cold, not stopping to question why he needs me in the river. “Are they friendly?”

Alaric guides me over to a rock that juts out into the water, mostly submerged, and I slowly piece together what is happening. “They are of the Seelie Court, but I would not call them friendly.” His face twists slightly as he gestures for me to sit on the rock and positions Blaise between my legs, his head resting on my thigh. Sure that his friend is secure, he places a hand on my cheek, his expression open. Desperation and feverish hope drive him now, and I realise that I need to let him do this.

“Stay with him,” he instructs, but I hear the plea he’s trying to hide, his thumb stroking my cheek softly. “I need to find the naiad.”

His body is primed and ready to go as he waits for my response. I nod, and he disappears in a splash of water, his supernatural speed too fast for my eyes to track.

He must have been holding back on the journey here. If he could move that fast, there is only one reason that he was going the speed he was—me. Guilt floods me, and the back of my throat stings as I try to swallow. Am I part of the reason Blaise is as sick as he is?

Looking down at the fae in my lap, I know I cannot carry that blame by myself. Blaise refused help when he should have spoken up. Alaric would have moved fast if he was able to. He was probably just taking it easier so he didn’t disturb Blaise as he moved through the forest. Yes, that must be the reason. He wouldn’t risk his friend’s life on a slow human female.

Sitting in the water with Blaise’s limp body draped across my lap, I have no idea what to do while I wait. The bleeding heart leaves washed away when he first entered the water, but I have some spares leaves shoved into the belt at my waist. With nothing else to do, I rub them between my hands as I sing. I don’t know where the words come from or why I feel compelled to sing. The song is an old folk song my mother used to sing to me when I couldn’t sleep, and even now, I find it comforting. I hope Blaise can get some peace from it too.

Laying the leaves over the wound, I place my hand over the top, allowing my warmth to pass through them. Anxiety tightens my chest because there is no reaction from Blaise as I put pressure on his wound. While causing him pain is the last thing I want to do, his stillness means he is unable to react. Not letting those negative thoughts taint my mind, I continue hummingmy tune. With my free hand, I brush back the tangled mess of Blaise’s hair, running my fingers through his tresses.

Sitting here like this, a sense of calm washes over me, and I push my will towards him—heal, survive, hold on until Alaric returns. I manifest my wishes over and over, adding it to my song. Warmth and the feeling of safety wraps around me like we are surrounded by love and protection.

Something shifts in me, and I blink my eyes open to assess why I feel so different all of a sudden. The world is a blur, and my head feels like it is spinning, my vantage point at odds to the physical position of my body, almost as though I am lying down. As I stare up at the sky, only colours and blurred shapes are visible, and my body feels like it’s floating…

Need to get back to Alaric. He needs me…

Wait, am I hearing Blaise’s thoughts? No, that’s not quite right. Not thoughts, more like fuzzy sensations of what he is feeling, the pain in his wound now a dull ache as he is held in a shining light.

I am inside Blaise’s mind.

There are no full coherent thoughts, nor can I hear him actually thinking. The guilt he feels at not being well enough to protect and assist his prince is strong enough to reach me. Strangely, it is as though his body is now my own, yet I do not control him. I cannot influence his thoughts, nor can I move his body, yet I can feel every sensation he can.

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