Page 151 of Bane of the Wild Hunt

“I had hoped you would be able to heal her, and Sage has indicated that you are willing to try,” admitted Rian. He looked pleased as if my first interaction with Nuala had gone as he had hoped.

“I am not sure I can make her completely new tonight, but she will certainly be more comfortable,” I told him.

“I do not want to erase all of the scars,” she broke in. “Please,” she added with a deferential glance at Rian who merely nodded in agreement.

“I believe her mouth pains her the most. That must be the priority. It makes it difficult for her to eat anything,” Rian saidwhile I came to sit on the couch near him and behind Nuala who swivelled to face me. “And her feet.”

I glanced down and saw that the witch undoubtedly had been a victim of fungal infection. Rian and Carrick would have already treated her with medicine, but her raw skin would still be painful which would be impacting her mobility.

“And my eyes,” the witch blurted again. “I cannot bear the brightness of flames long enough to See anything.”

“I will do as much as I can. But this will be painful. Some of your bones will need to be reset into their proper place if they are to heal,” I admitted.

“I am accustomed to pain. At least this pain will be fleeting and purposeful,” Nuala dismissed my concern.

“Alright. Then I shall start with your mouth,” I told her as I sat forward to reach for her face.

I was shocked when Rian abruptly grabbed my wrist, moving so quickly that I hadn’t even felt him flinch on the couch next to me.

“Apologies, Ornella, but I must ask you not to touch Nuala without my permission,” he advised me, remaining calm in spite of the tightness of his grip.

“Rian!” growled Carrick who seemed to have leapt in front of Sage who had advanced and was now bristling.

I recalled what Carrick said about Rian’s relationship with the witch and understood immediately.

“It’s okay. He made a promise,” I stated confidently, glancing down at Nuala who was observing us all with a reserved curiosity. “But it will help me heal her if you will permit me to touch her,” I insisted calmly to Rian.

He looked impressed that I had deduced his reasons, and it seemed to put him at ease. He released me in favour of beckoning for Nuala who rose to come to him without hesitation and settled on the couch between us.

“She is going to need to touch you,” he told her with a gentle but firm voice that made even me feel confident he was in control of the situation. And I could definitely see how it would be deeply reassuring for someone like her who was so fresh out of a traumatic situation.

“I am not afraid of her,” Nuala told him with her eye trained on me.

“Please leave us,” he commanded Sage and Carrick, both of whom were reluctant.

“It’s alright. This is going to hurt her, and she does not need an audience for it,” I explained quickly to Sage.

I could tell that myanamunderstood, so although he did not want to leave me alone, he nodded his agreement. With a final look of warning that I knew was a reminder not to overdo it, he turned for the tent entrance.

“I will be right outside,” he told me.

I waited until he and his father had gone before turning to Rian who had reached into the pocket of his pants.

“I know that you are limited with what you can do for her when parts of Nuala are missing or damaged beyond any hope of repair,” acknowledged Rian as he extracted something from his pocket. “But Aodhan was talented at the art ofaistriú, and I suspect that you may surpass him,” Rian told me as he revealed acneasútin.

Aistriúwas a kind of transformative blood magic that was favoured among my people, so I knew what would be in thecneasútin before Rian opened it for me.

Fresh human remains for me to harness magic from and use to restore Nuala.

It was a dark and cruel magic, but I did not hesitate to reach for the tin and emptied the remains into my palm. Their essence of fire magic, the essence of a fire witch, wafted up to me.

“Where did you get these?” I asked him as I used my thumb to pop the cork out of the vial of human blood.

“From someone who deserved their fate,” Rian advised me with a shrug as I dumped the blood over the other remains in my hand.

“Alright. Ready?” I asked, and he nodded.

I reached for Nuala again with my free hand. I was sure to make my touch on her jaw as light as I could when my magic began to flow into her to chart her injuries.

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