Page 83 of Wrath of the Oracle

They walked in the quiet night to the general’s chambers. No one was in sight except guards who watched overthe palace. They stopped and bowed whenever they spotted her.

“No one can find out about Ojore’s illness,” Akima warned her.

“I won’t breathe a word,” Sholei promised as she pushed the heavy doors open.

Ojore lay on his bed, not making a move. Sholei rushed to his side and sat beside his bed.

”Did you move his body?” She felt his temperature. He was burning up.

“I placed him on the bed and came to find you right away,” Akima replied. “We’re receiving more officials from Dembe court tomorrow. Will he be okay before then?” Akima paused after the question, worry tinted his voice.

“I will do my best to get him up by morning.” She set to work, and with the help of Akima, they managed to turn Ojore on his side. They put him in a recovery position.

“I anticipated this would happen. I didn’t expect it would be this soon.” Sholei touched Ojore’s brow. Guilt ate her up. She was the one who had caused him to end up like that. Maybe the Oracle was right, and she would be the end of Ojore. Sholei closed her eyes in frustration.

“What I said by Lake Alokove is wrong. I shouldn’t have treated you so badly.” Akima lowered his head in an apology. They hadn’t spoken again after he brought her from Lake Alokove, and Sholei was okay with it. An angry Akima wasn’t someone Sholei wanted to cross.

“There’s no need to apologize.” Sholei rose from her bedside and walked to her medicine basket, which was placed by the fire.

“It is true I poisoned Ojore and betrayed his trust.” She picked up the herb she had been searching for. “Just as I was looking out for Tula, you were concerned about Ojore.”

“I should have tried to understand your situation better. I shouldn’t have threatened you.” Akima scratched the back of his head.

She thought of Tula for a moment and shook her head. “I need to work alone. Wait outside.”

Akima looked like he wanted to add something but held back. With a final glance at Ojore, he left the room.

Sholei turned toward her patient and started to work. It didn’t take long for more symptoms to show. With a violent heave, Ojore thrashed on the bed and knocked over the covers. He didn’t respond to Sholei calling out his name in his delirious state. She tried to restrain him, but he pushed her aside.

“Sholei.” Litonde arrived in time.

“The poison is spreading fast.” She breathed as she held on to Ojore’s strong shoulders. “I’m sorry for waking you.”

“Physicians are always prepared for emergencies like this.” Litonde approached Ojore’s side and held onto his arms. “He’s burning up. We should lower his temperature.”

“I have already prepared the herbs.” Sholei pointed to a secluded room that housed a bathing pool.

“I need…help moving him.” She cleared her throat. Ojore was to be completely naked and soaked in the herbs to lower his temperature and slow down the poison.

“What?” Litonde held her gaze, his eyes danced with silent laughter. “Don’t tell me you are getting shy now.”

“How can I be shy?” she chuckled nervously. “I have been doing it for a long time. He’s too heavy for me to move him without help.” Litonde shook his head but said nothing.

Sholei couldn’t believe that she was shy about undressing Ojore. After all, she tended to him before while he was incapacitated. At the moment, heat crawled on her skin whenever she thought of him.

After their kiss, they hadn’t had much time to talk. He was swamped with court sessions by the new administration, and she busied herself with concocting medicine for him. Their talk by River Nkiru hadn’t ended well and widened the wall between them. Ojore was stubborn and refused to let her go. Sholei focused on perfecting his medicines and gave him time to accept her demands.

Sholei and Litonde eased Ojore into the huge pool. The water contained herbs and tree bark residue that had been boiled to the highest temperatures before being mixed with special medicinal pastes to turn the water into a white milky liquid filled with fragrant scents. Ojore was to soak in the water for several hours for the medicine to take effect.

“You have to keep watch he doesn’t slide in the pool,” Litonde advised as he straightened.

“I can take it from here,” Sholei placed Ojore’s head under a pillow at the pool’s edge. “You don’t have to stay.”

“I should stay and help.” Litonde held her gaze with his light eyes. “General Ojore is my leader in the army. It’s my duty, after all.”

“I will watch over him,” Sholei assured him. “You have other patients to attend to.” Litonde had duties at the new camp right outside the capital. The injured men from the war were still recuperating and needed his constant attention.

”Don’t be too hard on yourself. You did what you had to do. I’m sure Prince Ojore doesn’t fault you for that,” Litonde said. Sholei felt guilty about what she did, and she expected Litonde to be mad at her, but he wasn’t.

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