Page 91 of The Demon's Discovery
The other stone kin arrived with his severed limbs, and Lovette said several colorful things before flying into action, Calla on her heels as she collected supplies.
I made eye contact with my brother, and he patted his chest, where I assumed the elixir was contained in a pocket. I nodded, turning to Greta. “He’s missing some pieces at the moment,” I told her.
“Use the elixir,” she said without hesitation.
“My thoughts exactly.” I pressed a kiss to her cheek and rose, ready to help with the frantic scramble taking place. “Besides, we need some for you, also.”
“I’m just going to rest a bit,” she muttered.
“I won’t be far.”
“Fix my wing first,” Gaius commanded. “I can manage the rest as long as I can fly.”
“We’ll go in the order that I say we will,” Lovette said cheerfully, combating his intense frown with her bright smile. “Here we go.” She lined his limbs up to his body, getting everything as close as possible to how it should be. “How on earth did you manage to get yourself in such a predicament?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me. I’d bet you’d be surprised what I’ve seen come through this building.”
Rylan offered the elixir, but Gaius shook his head. “Not drinking any mage’s potion.”
“No need to be stubborn,” I said, unreasonably offended at his refusal. He’d made use of d’Arcan at his will plenty of times. For him to refuse my brother’s offer was a grave insult after the kindness he’d been shown. “It wasn’t made by a mage. It was made by her.” I gestured to Greta, now asleep on the nearby bed. “Ophelia kept referring to her as The Alchemist. If that means anything to you, I’d encourage you to use it.”
He watched me cautiously. “Ophelia?”
“Yes.”
“The Alchemist?” Lovette breathed over the word. “My father didn’t mention that.” Her mouth quirked, and she shook her head. Rylan handed her his vial. “Elixir of Healing?”
“What does that mean?” Gaius demanded.
“Just what it sounds like. You should let me use this.” She held up the little bottle for him to see, but he was unimpressed.
“Will it fix my wing?”
“It will fix your everything, I’d imagine,” she said.
Without warning, he reached out and snatched it from her hand. Before anyone could intervene, he’d popped the cork and downed the contents. “Fine. Happy?”
“You absolute fool,” I snarled.
“What is thematterwith you!” Lovette howled, punching him fiercely in the shoulder.
“That hurt! And you said I should!” He looked between us, genuinely perplexed at our reaction.
“We have no idea what consumption will do,” I explained. “Especially that quantity. It’s to be used topically.”
“Topically?”
“On your skin,” Rylan said, tone dark and deadly. He was glaring down at the injured stone kin general, sparks of magic floating around him out of anger.
“That’s alright,” Lovette said, her usually bright, friendly tone shockingly cool. “Since he decided to be rash, we can justdo this the old-fashioned way. Then you’ll go off to stone sleep, and we’ll hope for the best. You’ll get exactly what you deserve, I suppose. If it works, it works. If not, you’ll be no worse off than if you’d never taken it. Unless you’re dead.” Wasting no time, she pushed him over on his side. She then pulled his damaged wing out straight, causing him to howl, and set to work with tight, precise stitches on the delicate fleshy membrane.
“If I can’t fly, I’m as good as dead anyh—” He gasped. “Saints and devils, you’re doing that onpurpose!” he yelled, twisting as though trying to escape but trapped in her grasp.
“Hold still, and it won’t hurt as much.” Lovette sniffed, her steady stitching pace unaffected by her patient’s movements.
“I could cauterize the stumps,” Rylan offered, eyes narrowing as he suggested it. My normally easygoing brother had been offended and apparently wanted to show Gaius the mistake he’d made. “Perhaps while you tell us in more detail exactly what happened?”
