Page 183 of A Fate of Blood and Magic
Donnie grinned.
I couldn’t fault Etienne for his anger. It wasn’t long ago that I felt exactly as he felt.Kill them all. Show no mercy.It was how we’d been trained. How we’d lived as warriors. While I’d heard accounts of the torture the fae had suffered at the humans’ hands, Etienne had experienced it. It seemed the ramifications of what he’d suffered would follow him through his life. It wasn’t just that, though. Etienne, too, had fought many battles, killing to keep our people safe. It was not natural to believe differently. Yet, the council was formed to establish a unified front. So, we’d wait until Etienne had the strength to meet with us again.
Then I felt it. Etienne was seizing while Teddy spoke softly to the male she barely knew. I wouldn’t be surprised if I went to them and found her holding his hand.
“This is something else to consider,” I told the now silent group. “Etienne suffers from seizures. Whatever brings on the seizures is unknown to our healers, and they don’t know how to heal him. He’s taking human medication that may not help him. There are others whose lives have been permanently impacted because of the attacks. So many children lost their parents that our orphanage is over capacity. Parents lost children. Soul-bound mates lost their other halves. Whatever our decision is, we must do something to not only punish those responsible but ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
“I believe this is a good place to stop, if everyone agrees,” Alastor said. “I know you wanted us to come to an agreement today, but I would rather wait until Etienne can attend again.”
I nodded in agreement. “Speak with Leah, and onceyou and Donnie pick a date, make sure the military school gives Javier a day pass.”
While many of the council talked or left, I stayed in my seat to see if Javier would approach me. Or better, if he would approach Teddy.
He didn’t, but he left with that same quiet confidence that I couldn’t help but respect.
Only then did I go to the other side of the tavern. I found Teddy on her knees next to where Etienne lay on the floor. Although he was awake, he lay motionless. Simply blinking at the ceiling.
I approached Brenton who spoke to Leah a couple of steps beside them.
“I can stay with them,” Brenton offered. “That way, when I sense another seizure, I can summon you.”
Leah gave him a sad smile and patted his shoulder.
“Is the human medicine not helping him?” I asked her.
“They’ve helped,” Leah said. “He isn’t experiencing the seizures as frequently, and they’re easier to stop. I believe he needs a higher dosage, though, but I’m afraid to give him more in case we run out before our scholars can replicate it.”
“I can go back to the human realm and search for more medicine,” Brenton said.
“Will you be doing this while also staying at their house to monitor him?” Leah raised her brows in question.
“We can go,” Cierra said with Donnie and Evander on either side of her.
“Can you send someone else?” I asked. “I’d like you here when the council meets again.”
“Did the council come to a decision?” Etienne asked.
Teddy helped him sit up slowly, and when he groaned,leaning forward with his hands on his head, she rubbed his back.
“We didn’t reach a decision,” Alastor told him. “We’re to meet again at a future date.”
Brenton leaned down to help Etienne up and then ease him onto a chair. Someone from the bar held out a mug of tea for Etienne that he took.
“Leah, may I steal you for a second?” Teddy asked.
When Leah nodded, Teddy took my hand and ushered Alastor to follow her. When we were back at the table where the council had met, Teddy turned to Alastor.
“Can you open up a mental connection between us?” she asked. When he did, she continued. “I was thinking about Etienne while I was going through the living book. There’s a spell to help with convulsions, which I’m assuming is the same as seizures. I don’t want to do anything that’ll harm the boys.”She touched her stomach, with her thumb grazing up and down.“But if you think we could try it without hurting them, maybe the spell can help him.”
“I don’t know mage magic,”Leah said. “I don’t know what it would require of you.”
“Why don’t we go to your house so you can show me the spell?”Alastor said.“I can study it and let Leah know what you would need to do.”
“Did you see him?”Teddy asked from where she sat on the porch swing.
Inside, Alastor studied the living book and the spell it’d given Teddy. While it was a far more complicated spell thanany she’d cast, he didn’t believe it would take any more from Teddy than a regular spell did. Still, he wanted to study it further and ask the book more questions to make sure.
“He looked so grown and confident,” Teddy went on.
