Page 5 of Oaths & Vengeance
As I laid her back down after finishing, I noticed her fingertips were beginning to darken, which was also a sign she wouldn’t survive. That blackness would slowly spread from her extremities to the rest of her body. When it reached her heart, that would be the end. Fae were generally healthy, and we healed fast, but nothing could stop the faebor fever.
During times like these, I dearly wished my mother had succeeded in finding the Naforya Fountain. Then, children like Rynn would have access to a cure and wouldn’t be forced to suffer like this. In some families, they would even poison the children before they reached the final, most painful stages to spare them the agony. I’d heard my uncle did that with his third son. That happened when I was only three years old, so I didn’t remember it.
What if he killed Rynn once he heard the news? He might not wait until she was truly in bad shape and finish her early. My gaze shot to Briauna. “You can’t tell Lord Morgunn.”
“I haven’t said anything yet.” She heaved a sigh. “But I can’t keep it from him for much longer, or you know he’ll be angry. Not unless…”
I frowned. “Unless what?”
“We’ll speak of it later,” she said in a curt tone.
I wondered what she meant, but knew I’d have to wait. Instead, I continued talking to my cousin until her eyelids drooped, and she fell into a deep sleep. Only twenty minutes had passed since I entered her room, so she hadn’t lasted long. Despair filled me as Briauna followed me out the door.
“Your room,” she whispered, gesturing for me to take the lead.
I couldn’t imagine what she planned to tell me, but I did as she requested. Once we were inside my chambers, she gingerly sat on the window seat, and I took the stool in front of the fire. It still blazed with heat from when I’d stoked it earlier while reading. Springtime brought warm temperatures during the day, but in the evenings, it cooled quickly.
“So, what did you mean byunless?” I asked.
Briauna smoothed her skirt. “You know there is no cure for the fever, and there’s nothing I can do to make it much easier on Rynn. But…there is one person who might be able to help her.”
“What?” I sat up straighter. “Why have I never heard of this before?”
“Because that person is my sister, and her abilities are a closely guarded secret.”
Everyone knew she had an older sibling who left Therress more than a century and a half ago to marry an elf she fell for while visiting the king’s court. Unfortunately, he was Lord Gannon’s uncle in Veronna. Since our lands were mortal enemies, the two sisters rarely found a chance to see each other.
“Do you even know where she lives now?” I asked.
She shook her head. “We lost touch a few decades ago. I visited her when her husband passed, but she was grieving and wanted to be alone, so Ididn’t stay long. There is one person she was clearly close to then, and rumor has it he still looks after her when he’s able.”
I frowned. “Who?”
“Her great nephew, Darrow.”
I cursed under my breath. “Even under the best circumstances, he’ll never agree to speak to me peacefully, certainly not after our encounter a few days ago.”
“I thought you said you blew kisses at each other. It can’t be that bad if you managed such a thing on a battlefield,” she said with amusement in her eyes.
When I returned after the battle, I’d told her and Rynn all about our exchanging magical attacks. Since I was unharmed, we’d had a good laugh.
“We were toying with each other, not exchanging love letters.”
She nodded. “True, but if you could talk him into cooperating somehow, he could take you to my sister. Her greatest talent is healing incurable ailments, including faebor fever. I saw her do it several times myself before she left with her husband.”
“How have I never heard of this before?” It seemed like something everyone would know.
She rubbed her face. “Doing such work exacts a terrible price. It’s very hard on her body and requires rest for a week afterward. Her husband was protective and only allowed her to heal those who were truly deserving and would keep the secret. My family handled it the same way before that.”
My mind raced. There was a real way to cure Rynn out there, but how could I even take advantage of it? In what world would Darrow ever listen to me, much less agree to help? The very thought of facing the half-dark elf with his telekinetic powers was daunting. The chances of him going along with the plan were nearly as impossible as curing my cousin in some other way. He was a cold-blooded killer who’d snapped six soldiers’ necks so easily that he must lack a soul.
“He’ll never cooperate,” I said, a tear falling down my cheek. There were very few things I could count as good in my life, but Rynn was one of them.
Briauna stood and came over to me. “Maybe, maybe not. He is my sister’s favorite relative and the only person she tolerates, so there must besomething redeemable about him. It’s up to you if you want to take the chance for your cousin.”
Hopelessness filled me. I skirted rules now and then, but I avoided doing anything that might border on treason. During my first few years at the castle, I’d learned the hard way what would happen if I made my uncle angry. Sneaking off to meet Darrow would definitely earn me severe punishment if I were caught.
The healer patted my head. “It’s a lot to consider. I’ll give you two days to decide what to do before I must inform Lord Morgunn.”
