Page 9 of A Balm of Healing
She paused as she took him in, followed by the lavish decorations surrounding them. It would be easy to take advantage of the man, who clearly had plenty of money to spend. She had suddenly found herself dirt poor, after all. But doing such a thing was out of character for her. No matter how desperate she was.
“I only want one thing from you.”
“Anything.”
She inhaled a long breath and let it out slowly. “If my performance is satisfactory, perhaps you might write me a letter of recommendation to the Sun King. Or at the very least, give a good word to your daughter. I really, truly want a job at the palace.”
“I don’t know how much my word is worth…”
“This is the closest I’ve ever come to reaching my dreams, Emeric. I will take whatever you will give me.”
Hope flared within her chest as she held her breath, waiting for his answer. To her delight, he nodded in agreement.
“Swallow this,” she instructed as she held the vial to his lips. “You will be unconscious within minutes, and then I will begin.”
But instead of taking the vial from her, he caught onto her hand. Her stomach flipped at the warm, pleasant contact, especially as she gazed back into eyes as silver as a full moon.
“Please,” he rasped.
She wasn’t sure whether it was a plea for her to heal him, to be careful with him, to take care of his trust, or gently handle his legs. But she found herself returning the gesture with a squeeze to his fingers.
“I promise.”
And then he drank the elixir.
“You are a brave man.” Gweneth squeezed his hand like she did with all her patients. But with Emeric… It felt different. No man had ever managed to spread fire through her fingers, up her arm, and engulf her entire chest in flames.
“I am a coward.” His eyes drooped and snapped back open. “I never fought back when I could have. When I should have.”
“Why?” she murmured as his eyelids drooped again.
“Because Bastien means more to me than anything in the world.”
“You never fought back because you were protecting someone you loved.” She squeezed his hand again. “That’s one of the bravest things you could have done.”
Twin trails of silver tears rolled down his cheeks as his eyes closed entirely. “I don’t know what to do.” His voice slurred. “I am nothing without my legs. Without my magic.”
She started at the realization that he’d at one point possessed an affinity for magic. To lose so much after such a hefty sacrifice? Emeric deserved a happy life more than anyone she’d ever known. “Those things do not define your worth. You are a wonderful man just because of what’s in here.”
She touched her other hand to his chest, and she started once again when her fingers brushed against solid muscle beneath the confines of his tunic. True, many people in wheelchairs had muscular arms or torso. But he hid it so well…
Heat flared in her cheeks as she retracted her hand. Several more tears escaped his eyes before his breathing deepened, and his hand fell limp within hers. For several long moments, she held it, enjoying the simple warmth he offered, not wanting to release the pleasant but foreign emotions swirling within her chest.
But she forced herself to drop his hand and moved to stand at the foot of the bed, nearest his legs. She took a hold of each of his ankles on his left foot, closed her eyes, and channeled her magic in his foot first.
Breaking so many bones within such a short time would put a lot of stress on his body. However, the elixir would take much of the burden for him. At least during this phase.
With her magic, she felt along the broken bones nearest her hands, sensing each corner and groove where the bones had healed incorrectly.
Taking a deep breath and honing her concentration, she snapped his first bone with her magic.
The corners of his eyes winced, but he otherwise made no indication of feeling the pain.
One by one, she snapped his bones, taking care each time to place her magic correctly. No mistakes. Not for Emeric.
And when he whimpered in his sleep halfway through the surgery, still on his left leg, she administered a little more medicine to help numb the pain. Weariness tugged on her shoulders. Her belly ached from hunger. Her fingers felt stiff from holding them in the same position for so long.
She allowed herself a short break to eat from the pantry Emeric now shared with her and to flex her fingers until they felt loose and limber. And then she continued her administration until every single previously shattered piece of bone in his leg was broken.
