Page 143 of Akarnae

“I hope you’re not bothering my patient, Jordan?”

“Of course not, Fletch,” he replied, trying to pull off an innocent look.

Fletcher shook his head in exasperation and turned to Alex. “How are you feeling today?”

“Much better,” she said. “Back to my old self, I’d say.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” he said, asking the boys to move away so he could check her over.

“It looks like everything has healed nicely,” he said when he was finished. “Just so you’re aware, you have a small scar on your back from where the dagger entered your flesh. Like your hand, I was unable to heal it completely, and it also has a slight… glow.”

“Awesome,” Alex said sarcastically. But at least she wouldn’t have to look atthatscar every day.

“It’s barely noticeable,” Fletcher promised. “While my Regenevators restored the internal damage caused by the weapon, they were useless at the point of entry. But the wound sealed shut on its own once the dagger was pulled out, as strange as that was to witness.”

“That’s what happened with my hand,” Alex told him. “It healed right before my eyes.”

“Fascinating,” the doctor said. “I’m curious whether it was Aven’s Meyarin blood or the unusual weapon itself that prompted the healing in both cases.”

“I have no idea,” Alex admitted. “And I hope never to have to find out again.”

“I too would prefer it if you could avoid any similar situations in the future,” Fletcher agreed seriously.

Alex noticed the concern deep in his eyes. He really must have been worried about her. She smiled reassuringly and said, “Good thing I’ve got a great doctor just in case it does happen again.”

He chuckled modestly and then he was all business again. “As I was saying, all your injuries from your encounter with Aven have healed, and your shoulder has realigned perfectly from your Combat exam. All in all, I’d say you’re pretty well recovered.”

“You’re incredible, Fletcher,” Alex said, amazed that she was back to normal already.

“That’s the wonder of modern medicine,” he said.

“And a doctor who knows exactly what he’s doing.” Alex wanted him to understand how grateful she was for all his help.

He straightened his lab coat awkwardly and even blushed a little. She smiled at his embarrassment, but she knew better than to call him on it. “When can I get out of here?” she asked instead.

“Now, as a matter of fact,” he answered. “You just have to take it easy for the rest of the night. It’s almost curfew, so you’ll be heading to bed soon, anyway. You should be fine for classes tomorrow and Friday, but do be careful. I’d rather not see you again until next term, and I mean that in the nicest possible way.”

Alex laughed. “Gee, thanks, Fletcher. And here I thought you said I was your favourite patient.”

“I have no idea how you got that idea in your head, but you’re certainly my most frequent visitor.”

He helped her stand, and after a momentary bout of dizziness, she was good to go. Bear and Jordan were called back in and given strict instructions to make sure she had a quiet night—to which they solemnly promised to take her straight to her room without supper. Fletcher wasn’t as amused as Alex, if his frown was anything to judge by.

As they were walking out the door, Fletcher called out to her. “Remember, Alex. I’ll see younext term.”

“I’ll do my best,” she said, grinning at him and walking out with her friends.

As the three headed across the grounds, she wondered if Fletcher’s parting message had simply been him banning her from injury for her last two days of classes, or if there was more to it than that. Perhaps he was confiding to her that he believed she would be coming back when term restarted.

Alex hoped he’d meant both.

True, she had no idea how she would return. As it was, she still needed to find a way back to Freya in the first place—but now that the headmaster was residing on campus again, she presumed he would be able to solve that problem for her, as promised. And maybe, just maybe, he could provide her with a way to come back to the academy for the next school year. It would mean the best of both worlds for her—literally. Because if it came down to it, if she could only pick one, she didn’t know which world she would choose. Her parents were back in Freya, but there was nothing else tying her there. The rest of her life was in Medora. She couldn’t deny it anymore, not even to herself.

It was an impossible decision, and Alex could only hope that she wouldn’t have to make the choice. Because she had absolutely no idea what she would do.

Forty-Six

Alex was woken up bythe sound of a door slamming. The last thing she remembered was waiting up for D.C. after Jordan and Bear had left her dorm the night before, but her roommate hadn’t arrived and Alex must have fallen asleep.

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