Page 83 of The Howling
“We have to help Reavely. He was injured in battle,” I say to her urgently as Fenrother toes the prone form of my mate.
She raises her paw-like hand and several burly warriors come running.
“Get the king to his quarters,” she orders, “and find the apothecary.”
“What happened?” we ask each other at the same time.
Ellie grins. “All I know is I used to be able to walk through walls and now I can’t. The curse has been lifted!”
“I can see that.” I watch as Reavely is gently raised, his head cradled, and I follow as they carry him with some considerablecare across the courtyard, through the great hall, which is filled with life, banners, and the scent of food, up the stairs, and into our bedroom, where he is laid with great reverence on the bed.
He lets out a low groan, and I am instantly by his side.
The wound on his shoulder has the appearance of half-cooked meat, and it’s hard for me even to look at it.
“Hey.” I brush my hand through the muss of hair at his temple.
Reavely’s eyes roll open, and he fixes them on me. For a second, there is recognition before they cloud again.
“You broke the curse,” I say. “Your family is back.”
“Back?” he rasps.
Ellie drops down next to me and takes Reavely’s hand. “Hello, brother,” she says.
For a moment, I think he’s lost conciousness, but then his eyes come back into focus.
“Sister?”
“Yes, it’s me, Reavely.”
A smile spreads over his face.
“You did it, my little deer,” he murmurs. “You brought them back like I always knew you would.”
“Not me,” I say as a broad woman bustles in through the door.
“Someone asked for an apothecary?” she says before she spots Reavely and shoves me and Ellie aside, tutting and muttering as she empties the contents of her basket onto the bed and sets to work.
Despite her glares, I install myself on Reavely’s uninjured side, stroking his hair and whispering nothings into his ear. She applies an herby smelling poultice to the wound and binds him up.
“He is strong, but this is a nasty magical wound. Lord Soulis’s work, I presume?” the apothecary says. “Stopped by even morepowerful magic? That’s good. He’ll need to rest for a few days, but he will survive.” Her gaze falls back on me. “And you’ll be coming to see me tomorrow, won’t you?”
I open my mouth to reply, but she’s already packed and walking out the door without a backwards glance.
“That was…interesting,” I say to Ellie.
“We couldn’t tell you. There was an enchantment in place. But the healer from the village was in the employ of Lord Soulis,” she says. “Once the curse was lifted, he disappeared.”
I try to imagine what it was like for the village folk to suddenly find all the Barghest back. I guess most of them would have been happy about it, given they have a castle to supply once again.
“I can’t quite believe it about the curse.” I shake my head and stare down at my mate. His long eyelashes brush his cheeks, and I have to resist the urge to kiss the tip of his nose. “It didn’t seem like it would be that easy.”
“It probably wouldn’t have been, if you’d been anyone else,” Ellie says. “But if Mother gave you the jewel, then it was meant to be.”
I touch the chain around my neck.
“You knew?”
