Page 82 of The Storm of the Empire

“Gran?” Nyx asked.

“Yes. I sent her a message personally.” Kiera cupped his face. “If anyone can help him, it’s her. She will bring the best with her to treat every part of him, but he has blood poisoning, which…” She trailed off, but her face told us all we needed to know.

It wasn’t good.

“If he can survive the night and they can make it here in time…”

“We’ll send dragons.” Nyx turned to Jaxus. “Get our fastest flyers and send them now.”

“What about Damona Island?”

“Go to the King after you dispatch the flyers and tell him I need to speak with him urgently. Tell him I’m here.”

I blinked.

Was Nyx summoning the King to him?

I kept my mouth shut. What could I say?

Nyx turned back on Kiera. “I won’t be kept from him any longer. Dragon’s Bane be damned.”

“Wait. You need a mask and gloves. The bane is so deep in his tissue from prolonged exposure, we could only get so much out of his system.” She stopped him before he could move. And I need you to be sure this is your brother and not some lookalike. You still can’t feel him?”

“It’s him.” Nyx set his jaw.

Kiera pressed her lips into a line, clearly holding back.

We all donned the safety gear and went in again.

Nyx collapsed at Kol’s bedside, his face pressed into Kol’s lifeless chest.

Kiera stood back, wincing, but we all knew nothing was getting Nyx out of this room a second time. Eventually, we got Nyx to take a chair next to Kol’s bedside.

We left to find a meal when the King came to speak to Jaxus and Nyx, returning later to bring Nyx some food, which went untouched.

The healers came in and out over the hours, checking on Kol, but nothing changed. We were all there holding our breath, waiting for the healers to arrive from the Forest Kingdom.

“What in Uriel’s seventh circle is that?” Nyx growled when Kiera pulled down the blanket over Kol to listen to his heart and revealed one arm and the shackle attached to his wrist.

“I suspect it’s the reason you still can’t feel him. The shackles are inlaid with Draco Fulgurite which we know can disrupt certain magics. One tiny shard was enough to keep you from Zaria for years. Between that and the level of Dragon’s Bane in his system, there’s no question someone has gone to great lengths to hide him away. They wanted us to think he was dead.” Kiera’s words were ominous.

“Well, get them off him,” Nyx demanded, flipping back the covers to reveal the same on his ankles.

“We will,” Kiera assured him. “I have healers looking into how we can break them without causing him further injury. You burned Zaria getting her chain off, remember? These have been on him so long and so tightly, they are nearly imbedded in his flesh. We don’t want to harm him. His body can’t take it.”

“I can do it,” I said from where I stood quietly observing near the door. I stepped forward and examined the shackle on Kol’s ankle. “My lightning can break them, but there is a risk that the charge might disrupt any treatments for a short time. Is he strong enough for that?”

Kiera sighed. “That, I don’t know.” She turned to Nyx. “It might be better to wait for Gran to arrive with more specialized healers before we try. He’s stable right now, and I want to keep him that way.”

Nyx nodded, a war of opposing emotions evident in his watery eyes. I would want to get them off, too.

“Besides, there is also this,” Kiera said hesitantly. It was obvious the pain it caused her each time she had to dash Nyx’s hopes. She leaned forward and parted the robe they had put Kol in to show the skin around his neck, and the quiet room fell even more still.

A tattoo graced Kol’s pale skin. It was an exact replica of Luka’s pendant.

“We think the crystal has been ground down and tattooed under his skin.”

Nyx made a sound of despair, like he just couldn’t take one more thing.

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