Page 37 of Cruel Vampire King

“Easy,” I cautioned. “Try not to move.”

Thessa blinked, her expression pinched. “Thirsty.”

I pulled out the waterskin and dripped some water into her mouth, careful not to give her too much. She licked her lips and groaned. “It’s too hot. Can’t we cool down?”’

But even as she said it, she shivered. Kael knelt on her other side and touched her cheek. She was flushed, her hairline damp with sweat. I stared hard at Kael, and he sighed.

“She’s got a fever. What do we need to fight it?” He looked up at me.

I shook my head. Even though this was part of my training, I hadn’t memorized much beyond immediate concerns. Yarrow to stop bleeding. Willow bark for pain management. Why had I been so stupid? It seemed that every turn just showed something else I was woefully unprepared for.

“I know something about the forest. If we can get the right herbs, I might be able to make a poultice,” Kael said. “Aspen bark, honeysuckle, raspberry leaves. It’ll be a good idea to find more water so we can clean out that wound again. Ysara, I need someone to watch my back.”

She nodded once, and they slipped off into the forest together. Part of me wanted to ask Kael how he knew about healing herbs now but seemingly hadn’t yesterday, but I was too grateful he was actually doing something this time. I dripped some more water into Thessa’s mouth and looked up at Greyson.

“Will you—” I started.

“I’m going to look for water,” he said, spinning on his heel. Then he stopped, took a deep breath, and looked back at us. “And if I spy any beehives along the way, I’ll get honey. It might help fight the infection.”

I nodded gratefully at him. He smiled, his dark eyes warming, before disappearing into the forest again.

“Elara?” Thessa’s large eyes were on my face as Greyson left. “How bad is it?”

I took her hand and squeezed it lightly. “You’re going to make it, Thessa. I promise.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

I hesitated but only smiled at her. Now would be the perfect time for me to ask her why she had Darcie’s necklace. I should ask. But I found I couldn’t—it felt too much like giving up on her, like if I asked now, it meant Thessa was doomed for death.

The wait was excruciating.

Kael returned first, bringing handfuls of herbs and a pocketful of rocks. “We’re going to need to make a tea. If youbuild a fire, I’ll prepare a bark bowl to heat the water in. Gods know this would be easier if we had a frying pan. But I suppose this is the hand that we’ve been dealt.”

I gathered what we needed for a fire and set about trying to coax a flame into existence. By this time, Thessa had fallen asleep again. She kept shivering. I was reminded of the months I’d spent in the nunnery, always in pain and fighting off the fevers and infections. It was a miracle I’d survived, the nuns said so often.

Why hadn’t Luken sent for me again? He had to have seen what I offered…

“You’re going to win in the colosseum,” Kael said suddenly. He was preparing the herbs, carefully processing them. “We all know it. You’re going to win one way or another. It might be better if…”

Smoke started to rise from my little bundle of tinder. I blew gently on it, trying to ignore Kael’s words.

“If I killed her now, it would end her suffering. Then, the vampires would kill me as soon as we reach the colosseum. And it’ll be easier on you,” Kael murmured.

I winced. “Why care about making it easier on me?”

Kael shrugged. “I really don’t have anything I’m fighting for, other than my life. You are. As soon as I was selected for the Trials, I knew I was going to die. And living in fear is getting tiring.”

The fire licked up the tinder, taking hold. I fed it a few twigs to keep it alive. For several minutes, neither of us spoke. I almost thought that Kael was asking permission. But was it permission to give up, or permission to keep fighting?

“We don’t know that I’ll win,” I finally said. “And if I let you do that, who knows. Maybe I’d be punished for it. So no. You’re not giving up, Kael. I’m sorry but you’re going to have to keep fighting to stay alive.”

He snickered, nodded, and fell silent.

By the time I had a healthy fire going, Kael had gotten the bark bowl and herbs ready. We poured the rest of our water into it, and he started to heat the rocks in the fire. Ysara returned with a couple of rabbits that she dressed and cooked over the fire. Last to return was Greyson, though he came triumphant; he’d found a small creek from which we could get water.

“You go with him and refill the waterskins,” Ysara told me. “I’ve been running around enough while you’ve sat on your ass.”

Thessa was awake again. I glanced at her nervously, thinking about Kael’s words to me earlier. If I left now, would she be alive when I came back?

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