Page 98 of A Promise of Peridot
“My witch is hurt. Possibly spelled or struck with a curse of some kind. She’s unconscious but my healer says completely healthy. She needs you.”
Briar stared at Mari’s face.
Inspecting. Studying.
My stomach roiled on itself.
“Bring her inside,” Briar finally said, wrapping her dark robe tightly against the night’s chill. “There’s a spare bedroom on the second floor that Cori can help you to.”
“Thank you,” Kane said, gesturing for Griffin to bring Mari inside. The commander exchanged a nod of familiarity with Briar as he crossed her threshold.
Through the bleary light of what had to be two or three in the morning, an ornate yet cozy foyer gleamed under a crystal chandelier overhead. Sophisticated artwork peppered the walls of the wide maple-wood staircase Griffin carried Mari up, trailing behind a woman in a clean, white uniform whose face resembled the moon, both in serenity and shape.
I could just make out a long hallway farther down, which must have led into Briar’s elaborate home, but she guided us immediately to the left and into a dark sitting room furnished with a rich violet carpet that matched the sorceress’s haunting eyes.
Briar stepped one slipper-clad foot inside and the whole roomlit up with warmth—white pillar candles ignited, a stone fireplace roared to life, and soft string music emanated from a harp in the corner with no player that I could see.
“Sit, sit,” she told us, folding her slender limbs into a plush chair. “Cori will make up the bedrooms. I have three spares and a small library with an extra bed on the second floor.”
I did as I was told and gathered my tired body into a ball in the corner of the leather settee. Fedrik sat next to me and Kane across from us.
Where had Cori taken Griffin and Mari? I arched to see where the staircase led.
“Cori will get her settled,” Briar said to me. “I need information from you before I see what I can do.”
“Anything,” I said.
“And who are you?”
“This is Lady Arwen, my healer, and Prince Fedrik of Citrine. Broderick and Isolde’s son.”
Briar greeted us both before turning back to Kane. “Tell me what happened.”
Kane leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “She was—”
“We were attacked by bandits,” I blurted. “Mari—the witch—came to help, but Kane and I had already disarmed most of them. One bandit was left, though. He shot an arrow at her before we could get to him. I couldn’t see really, but I think it hit a necklace she was wearing.” I cringed. “It was yours, actually. She thought it made her stronger. She was doing magic far beyond her reach as a young, new witch. Her mother died in childbirth, so she never got to learn from anyone properly.
“Anyway, she was fine. I mean, completely fine. She fell backwith the force, but got right up moments later. No head injury. No chest wound. Then she collapsed about an hour later. Completely unresponsive, but her breathing and heart rate are normal.” I sucked in some air, and Fedrik placed a warm hand on my shoulder and gave a squeeze. “I’m a healer, as Kane said. I can tell you with certainty, she isn’t ill.”
Briar had listened intently before she spoke. When she did, she turned to face Kane. “Why did she have my amulet?”
“I gifted it to her,” he lied seamlessly.
“Are you sleeping with her?”
I nearly choked on sheer air.
“No.” He furrowed a brow, but didn’t look in my direction. And why would he? The question had nothing to do with me.
Briar stood, smoothing her robe down her lean legs. “Very well,” she said. “What am I if not a walking favor for Kane Ravenwood?”
She breezed past us and up the stairs, leaving Kane, Fedrik, and me in the harp-twinged silence.
“What did she mean?” I asked Kane. “About being a favor to you?”
He grimaced. “She’s done a lot for me over the years. I’m very grateful to her.”
BleedingStones. The thought of her pleasing him, doing himfavors, made me want to pitch myself into the sizable fireplace in front of us.
