Page 7 of Stars May Fall

I entered Sophie’s room and loomed behind Lord Lyrason and Gregane whose shoulders hunched under my glare as he unpacked numerous strange instruments from his bags. Somelooked like metalwork instruments, but he also had needles, syringes, and bandages. My blood ran cold. I didn’t want to know what he was about to do. But I also knew I didn’t have a choice but to allow him to do it. Annabelle watched in silence from the corner of the room.

Gregane took out a dark leather collar similar to those worn by the halfsoul dogs, and started to put it around Sophie’s neck. I lunged forward and caught his wrist. “What are you doing!”

He flinched and took a step back. His mouth moved wordlessly.

Annabelle took a step forward. “Kasten, please calm down.”

Lord Lyrason sighed. “By the kingdoms, Kasten. Do you want us to help her or not? That collar will stop any more of her vitality being taken. It blocks haemalcomy and will give us more time. Or do you want her to weaken by the second?”

I considered his words for a couple of heartbeats before releasing the lanky man’s wrist. Nausea made my stomach tighten as he fastened the collar around Sophie’s pale neck. I hated that he was touching her when he was part of what was killing her.

I shifted, folding my arms to prevent me from yanking him away from my wife. “How long is this going to take?”

Lord Lyrason wiped his forehead. “A few hours, I suspect. In truth, I know little about this. Gregane here does my private kryalcomy. Honestly, there isn’t much point in me being here. I might as well return to…”

I stepped up to him. “You will not leave this room until Sophie is back to normal. If she dies, you die here.”

He looked away with a small shiver. “Yes, yes. You’ve already made yourself clear.”

Annabelle laid a hand on my sleeve. “Kasten…”

A clatter resounded as Gregane accidentally dropped half his instruments on the floor. Annabelle startled, and Greganewinced, glancing back at me with fearful eyes as he rushed to pick them up.

Callum cleared his throat and patted me on the arm. He spoke quietly. “You know, Kasten, Sophie is unaware of what is going on right now. I think it might be best if you stepped outside the room and let the man work. I will keep a close eye on things. I understand kryalcomy better than you. Annabelle can assist too if needed. Why don’t you leave Lord Lyrason with a guard outside the room too? I suspect this will be complicated and Gregane would appreciate a more calm working environment.”

I dragged a hand down my face and glanced at Sophie’s pathetic frame. Callum was right. I was no use to anyone here. I grunted, grabbed Lord Lyrason by his coat’s collar, and hauled him out of the room with me.

Two guards were already stationed at Sophie’s door, and I shoved the man between them. I glared at him. “You’re not to move from this spot.”

He licked his lips. “Perhaps a chair…”

I hardened my stare.

He looked down. A placating smile reappearing on his lips before his nerves stole it away. He dropped his voice. “Will you really let me live if she survives? Annabelle said she could guarantee my safety in that instance…”

I met his eyes. “You’ll walk out alive, and none of my soldiers will follow you. I just want Sophie back.”

He gave a hurried nod. “Yes, yes, of course.”

At that moment, Annabelle came out of Sophie’s room, closing the door softly behind her. I turned my back to them all and walked down the stairs toward the dining room. I needed a strong drink.

Annabelle caught up to me on swift feet. She started talking as soon as the door had shut to give us privacy. “You were right,Kasten. It was Lord Lyrason. I find it hard to believe he would do something like this.”

I grunted. I didn’t care. I couldn’t even be bothered to work out if she was playing both sides.

She continued despite my lack of interest. “When I sent a letter to Father, he just sent a letter back to Lord Lyrason saying to ‘deal with it and not involve him.’” I glanced at her, wondering where she was going with this. She was chewing her lip, her eyebrows lowered in concern. “Why would he say that? Does it mean that he already knew about the halfsouls or that he didn’t care?”

I reached the serving table and poured myself a whiskey, not bothering to offer anything to Annabelle. “Well, the king will be forced to act against Lord Lyrason now. Even if he heals Sophie, his guilt will be plain for all to see. The king will have to punish him.”

She frowned as she continued to worry her lip. “Yes. Of course. But still…”

I downed my glass and studied her again. Maybe she was finally realizing her precious father wasn’t so perfect after all and that there was a good reason why I didn’t acknowledge him as mine. I paced the room. My fingers itched. Lord Lyrason had said this could take hours. Hours! What if Sophie couldn’t survive that long? What was I meant to do with myself? Maybe I should go back into the room. But no, Callum was right, I would get in the way, and I trusted him to know if anything was amiss. But I had to do something…

Annabelle helped herself to a glass of water and sat down at the table. Her shoulders sagged, and she seemed smaller. A servant brought a platter of fruit, cheese, and crackers, but neither of us touched it. After countless minutes passed in intolerable silence, she made a pillow with her cloak and rested her head on the table.

At last, I could bear it no longer. I strode back up the stairs, past a bored Lord Lyrason who sat cross-legged on the floor between the guards and crept into Sophie’s room. Callum was restraining Sophie as Gregane poured something down her throat. My friend frowned at me. “Out, Kasten. I will send for you if something happens.”

I folded my arms as I watched my unconscious wife, fighting the instinct to pull them away from her. “Is she improving?”

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