Page 30 of Healer to the Ash King
“Do you want the baby?” I ask.
She shakes her head at first, and then she nods, pressing both hands over her face. “I don’t know. If I decide I want it, I’ll have to leave the competition, and my family will be so disappointed. Most of us have waited our whole lives for this chance, you know. We’ve been groomed for the Calling since birth, knowing that at some point the new king would choose his bride. Some of the girls have retained their virginity so they can tempt him with that.”
I snort a little. “Does the Ash King even care if a woman is a virgin?”
“Some men do. And he’s so reserved no one knows what he likes. He never drinks much, not even when he’s visiting noble houses around the kingdom—and trust me, people have tried to get him drunk, to make him loosen up. He never overindulges, never loses control.”
“Really?” That sounds so different from the Ash King I know—withdrawn, yes, but always wavering on the edge of an explosion. Maybe he’s more volatile right now because of the stress of the competition and the way his life will change after he chooses a wife.
Or maybe he’s more fiery when he’s aroundme.
“Some people want him to lose control again,” Khloe whispers. “They want to use it against him.”
“But not you.”
“No. I’m scared of him, like everyone else, but he doesn’t seem as cruel as they say. Maybe he just needs someone to make him laugh.” She gives me a sweet, watery smile. “I thought maybe that person could be me. I guess I was just being stupid.”
My heart melts. “There’s no need to tell anyone about the baby yet. We have time for you to decide one way or another.”
Her eyes widen. “You’d do that for me?”
“I can keep it quiet for a little while, at least.” I smile at her.
“Gods, you’re so nice.” Sniffling, she slides off the bed and throws both arms around me. I hug her back while she releases a few quiet sobs into my shoulder. When she manages to compose herself, I whisk her tears away with my water magic and soothe the redness of her nose and eyes with my healing power.
“The other girls don’t need to know you were crying,” I tell her, and she smiles gratefully.
When she leaves, I stand rooted to the spot for a moment.
It’s not my place to make the decision for her. But I’m grateful that if she decides not to have the baby, I won’t be the one removing it. She’ll go to a physik who specializes in that sort of procedure.
Diaza, the Favored with the light brown skin and freckles, enters next. She treats me with more respect than the others but less friendliness than Khloe. What I sense from Diaza is primarily caution and a wary distance. Like the rest of the girls, she’s in perfect physical condition.
“You’re all so healthy,” I comment as she rises from the bed.
“We come from families who can pay for the best healers,” she says as she walks out.
It’s an offhand comment, but it startles me. I’ve always given my healing magic freely to anyone who needed my help. I can’t imagine requiring people to pay for it. Are there people in this city who need healing and can’t afford it?
The thought gnaws at me for the rest of the day as I examine more of the Favored. I enjoy my brief time with Teagan, who goes out of her way to be friendly, as if she knows what some of the girls have been saying about me. I treat an infected cut on Adalasia’s leg, and I heal Morani of a genital rash she probably got through prolific sexual activity. Samay bears a temporary muting tattoo on her ankle, since magical abilities are not allowed during the contest. I don’t question her about it, though I’m deeply curious about her powers.
Next is the big muscled girl, Sabre. She has a small tear of the tendon in her left shoulder. When I ask her how it happened, she blushes.
“I was lifting some of the other girls. Showing off,” she concedes. “Even after I felt the pain, I kept going. That’s what this contest is about—pushing through pain.”
“Well, I’m here to ease the pain.” I give her a smile and send threads of magic into the injured area to repair it.
When I’m done, she works the joint and smiles back at me. “Thanks, Healer.”
The last Favored, Vanas, is a woman whose bodily energy puzzles me at first—it has an echo I’m not used to. As my magic winds through her, I realize what it is. This body used to be male, but all the male parts were removed, and new female parts have been magically grown in their place.
When I look at her face, she’s watching me, her features tense and defensive.
“The healer you hired did very nice work for you.” I give her an encouraging nod. “Most healers can only regrow parts that were already there, but your healer created something entirely new, just for you. That’s a unique ability, put to excellent use.”
Vanas’s face relaxes into a smile.
“But you’re aware that a healer’s abilities only extend so far,” I add. “You understand you can’t have children?”
