Page 62 of The Blood Crown

The protection spells caressed her exposed skin—her face, her neck, her hands—and she could have sworn they whisperedI know you, I know you, I know you.

Nira appeared in a plume of smoke, Karro next to her, holding Valea in his arms. The scene was enough to shake herfrom her stupor as she stepped out of Ven’s reach, his fingers reluctantly releasing her.

Valea’s blood stained Karro’s stolen clothing, but the Wraith hardly seemed to notice as he lifted the hand pressed to her side, revealing the cut from Maloch’s blade.

It was as if the sword had scorched her from the inside, the wound blackened and smoking even now, spreading across her body. Her alabaster skin had paled even further, a sheen of sweat covering her brow as her eyes fluttered under blue-veined lids. Dried blood stained her silvery-white hair a shade of rust.

A flash of green rushed out to meet them as Embra sprinted across the narrow bridge, her thick braid of emerald hair spilling down a slender shoulder. Brown eyes met Aurelia’s, widening as her footsteps faltered, silver lining them before they sharpened with purpose once more and she raced for Karro and the Nostari princess.

Embra looked down at Valea’s bloodied body, dark green brows knitting together as she glanced up at Karro.

“Please,” He pleaded, voice breaking.

The emotion seemed to take Embra by surprise, but gave him a single nod, pale green throat bobbing before she fell into her role once more. “Quickly, then.”

Within moments, a table was cleared and two of the Wraiths moved to lift Valea from Karro’s arms.

“I’ll do it,” he growled between bared teeth, his grip tightening on her limp body as he laid her on the table with a tenderness Aurelia had never witnessed from the ancient warrior.

His jaw clenched as he watched Embra peel away Valea’s blood crusted gear, and she paused, eyes flitting to the crest embroidered above Valea’s breast. “What did this?”

“Maloch,” Karro answered softly, “and a blade meant for me.”

Embra glanced up at him, eyes widening only for a moment before she began calling out for basins of fresh water to the Wraiths assisting her. Then turning to Aurelia. “I need you to fetch some things for me that might help slow the venom.”

Grateful to be of use, Aurelia committed the list to memory, scanning the shelves of Embra’s laboratory in search of the tonics and extracts she’d requested. When she returned, Embra had cut away the rest of Valea’s gear, cleaning away the dried blood and revealing the black, festering wound beneath.

A blush stained Karro’s face as his eyes dropped to the floor, but his feet remained rooted beside Valea, shadows pouring off him at every wince and whimper she made in her unconscious state.

Her pale skin had been entirely leeched of color, breathing so faintly that her chest hardly moved.

Amber and green threads of magick unspooled from Embra’s fingertips as she worked to draw out the oily substance from Valea’s body.

The female rasped wetly, eyelids fluttering open for a moment as Embra nodded at Aurelia.

She stepped forward, careful to give Karro a wide berth as she uncorked the vial of shimmering liquid. The same elixir that she’d watched Ven administer to him the night he'd been attacked by a demon.

This wouldn’t be pleasant to endure—less pleasant for Karro to watch.

Emptying the contents, Aurelia stepped back as Embra resumed her healing, hands outstretched over Valea’s abdomen.The female let out another whimper, her forehead creasing, the pain softening her features and making her nearly unrecognizable from the one who had helped them fight their way out of Mountveil.

Embra’s magick worked in tandem with the elixir as the black substance pumped out from Valea’s wound. Sweat glistened across her pale brow, stitched together in pain.

At last, her blood ran red—the skin around the ragged edges of her injury going from black to blue to purple.

“The blue vial,” Embra ordered, hand outstretched as Aurelia passed the tonic to her.

She pressed the bottle to Valea’s purple-tinged lips, watching as the female’s throat worked, swallowing the substance.

Her silver brows smoothed, relief removing the lines that had creased her forehead moments before.

“Red,” Embra called out to the Wraiths nearby, sending two of them scattering to raid the supply of the synthetic blood.

“I’ll do it,” Karro stepped forward, biting into his wrist, blood welling up as he pressed his arm to Valea’s lips.

“She’ll need much more if she’s going to recover,” Embra softly countered.

Karro’s scarlet eyes flashed in challenge. “Then I’ll give her as much as she needs.”

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