Page 13 of Essence of the Throne

“Perhaps I should just sew the skin together without any pain relief. See how funny you findthat.” I chuckle and shake my head. Despite her words, Elowen’s hands are gentle as she cleans the blood from my arm and inspects what needs healing.

My eyes slide over to Ariella, who leans against the door while she glares at the woman next to me. She twirls a blade through her fingers, not seeming to pay any attention to the action.

What a captivating fucking specimen she is.

I run a hand over my mouth to hide a smile when my angel’s eye twitches, as if she’s fighting every instinct in her body to not slice Elowen’s throat right here.

The healer’s spine stiffens as she pauses her work and peers over her shoulder. She hums, repressing a smile and returning to my wound.

“It’s okay, El; she’s just jealous.” I study Ariella as she processes my words before running her tongue too slowly over her bottom lip.

“Is that so?” she challenges, pushing from the door and dropping her head back. “That would imply there’s something to be jealous of.” She pins me with a wicked look, her eyes saying more than her mouth ever will.

I fucking love this game.

She continues before I can reply. “I think your friend is wise enough to not touch what doesn’t belong to her. Isn’t that right, Elowen?” Ariella stops next to the shelves, her brows furrowing as she runs her fingers over the wilted plants at the top.

“Ariella,” I berate, remaining calm. Her brows snap up, the surprise of my tone evident in her unmasked reaction. “Fuck with anyone else, I do not care, but you will refrain with Elowen. She is off-limits to you.” Her jaw and fists clench, the white of her knuckles increasing with each second. I level her with an admonishing look, warning her to test me on this; I almost think she will before she exhales and mutters under her breath—something I’m sure is not her listing every way she would kill me if she could.

Elowen smiles as if this is amusing, and she has not just been threatened by the realm’s deadliest assassin. “That is correct, Ariella. You’ve nothing to fret over with me—the Angel would sooner fall from the sky before I ever approached Caspian in such a manner.”

Ariella’s eyes narrow as she continues to study the shriveled plants. “These herbs…are you not caring for them?”

Elowen glances up from my arm, her brow furrowing. “No, I am. Well,trying to—I’ve been having trouble keeping them alive lately. It’s odd.”

“Odd how?” Ariella presses, her fingers ghosting over the dried leaves.

Elowen sighs, applying a salve to my now closed wound before answering. Strange, I didn’t even feel her heal it. “It’s like they do not want to be alive. Of course, I've tried using my flora strand, but I’m so desperate I’ve resorted to mundane methods like watering them and providing sunlight. Nothing is working, and I can’t explain why.” She tosses my shirt at me before joining Ariella by the shelves and crossing her arms. “It’s affecting myability to provide proper treatments, so if you have any ideas, I’m all ears.”

I watch as Ariella’s posture stiffens, her eyes darting to meet mine. There’s a silent communication between us—this isn’t a coincidence. I nod at the unasked question in her gaze, trusting her to decide how much to divulge.

She faces the healer, the intensity in her gaze enough to make most men fall to their knees weeping. And I’ll gladly be one of them if that’s how she wishes to be worshiped.

Ariella’s voice is low, measured as she asks, “How long has this been happening?”

Elowen scowls, considering. “It started gradually, maybe…three months ago? But it has gotten worse in the past few weeks.”

“And it’s not just these plants?” Ariella presses. “You’re having trouble with all your herbs?”

The healer nods. “Yes, even the hardiest ones are struggling. It’s like…” She pauses, searching for the right words. “It’s like the essence itself feels different. Wrong, somehow. I don't know how to explain it, but I can just feel it.”

I watch the exchange intently, trying to follow Ariella’s line of questioning. Where is she going with this? This is information we already know.

“Have you noticed anything else unusual?” Ariella continues. “Any changes in your essence, specifically?”

Elowen hesitates, her eyes darting between Ariella and me. “Well, now that you mention it, my vital strand has felt strainedfor some days. Like it takes more effort to access and control. I assumed it was just stress from all the extra work.”

Ariella nods, her eyes distant as if piecing together a puzzle. “And have you noticed any changes in the patients you treat? Anything out of the ordinary?”

The healer’s brow furrows deeper. “Come to think of it, wounds have been taking longer to heal, even with my assistance. And there’s been an uptick in strange ailments—things I’ve never seen before.”

I can’t help but interject, “What kind of strange ailments?”

The healer shakes her head and bites the inside of her cheek. “It’s hard to describe. Fevers that won’t break, inexplicable pain, hallucinations. Probably just a sickness floating around the city.”

Ariella taps a finger against her thigh, her eyes distant. I can practically see the wheels turning in her mind, connecting dots that I’m still struggling to see. I want to traverse every corner of her head and learn how she thinks—discover every little thing that makes her tick.

But that will have to wait as she nods at Elowen before stalking from the room, disregarding all formalities. Not that anyone in this room expected her to partake in such trivial matters. I mumble a thank you to my friend and move to follow Ariella, but the healer’s voice gives me pause.

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