Page 10 of Curse of the Healer
"A day and a half from here," I admitted, shoulders slumped. "He does not have enough time. Please…" I choked down a sob.
The Queen of the Wildwood walked closer to me, and this time concern was written across her face. "Talia, have no fear, I will help you.”
The words sounded awkward coming from her mouth, as though she were not used to being kind or maybe to others looking to her for help.
"I know what it is like to lose someone you love, and if you lose him in this forest, he will turn into a Lycan. I will help you, but you must know, magic is never fair. In exchange for life, there will be a cost."
My nostrils flared, and I wanted to ask more, and yet I grasped at the words she spoke. She would help me and I would accept, no matter the cost. "What must I do?" I breathed, my fists coming unclenched as relief seeped through my body.
But the Queen cocked her head and narrowed her eyes slightly. "As I said, I will help you, not Wilhelm," she repeated slowly. "Even from here I sense the curse that rests over you, a curse of death that I must lift. Once you are free, you may return and heal him."
My eyes widened. “I don't know how to heal him from the bite of a deadly creature." I held back the tears which pressed against my eyes. Was the Queen toying with me? Did she want to see me suffer?
"You do," the Queen said. “The magic has always been with you, that's why you have come to me, is it not? For I will reveal the hidden things. Now stay here while I gather my supplies."
She disappeared around the massive tree. I wiped my face with the back of my hand and took slow, steady breaths. She would help me, that's all I needed to know. But with each passing breath, Wilhelm could be turning. I needed to return to him. Quickly.
When she returned, the Queen held a small bag in her hands. She walked up to me, and close up, I saw her clearly. She could not have been much older than myself, but there was an intensity in her eyes, as if she had seen too much, had been through much. An apology rose to my lips. I'd judged her without knowing her tale. Perhaps there was a reason she had to defeat the Dark Queen.
I lifted a hand and touched her arm. "Thank you. I don't know you at all—we are but strangers—and yet you are willing to help me."
A light shone in her eyes, and the tension between us faded away. "It is rare that one thanks a queen," she admitted. "I did not intend to rule the wildwood, but the Dark Queen refused to honor my request. I discovered more about my magic than I could have imagined, and you remind me of myself." There was a bittersweet sadness behind her eyes. "I destroyed much before I discovered who I am, but I had help. So shall you."
The Queen of the Wildwood walked around me, tossing handfuls of salt and herbs in a circle around my feet. A light breeze carried the scent to my nostrils. My chest went tight for there was a weight on my shoulders, something dark and ugly binding the light and joy I used to carry. I closed my eyes and swayed against it while the Queen of the Wildwood chanted, words I did not understand. Her voice rose in a sing-song cadence.
The grip on my chest grew tighter while pain radiated out of my core. Pressure built in my head as though it was squeezed between two boards pressing harder and harder. I cried out, but the voice of the Queen rose higher, firmer, stronger, fighting against the darkness. I squeezed my eyes shut and planted my feet, but my knees buckled all the same and I went down, catching myself on my hands. I shook my head, in an attempt to wipe away the memories that rose like fingers to choke the breath out of my lungs.
Again I saw the dead babes, one with a cord wrapped around its neck, another covered in blood with eyes, dead and unseeing. The wailing of the mothers who were robbed of the precious gift of life cut through me like a freshly sharpened blade. I was there, back there in those dark rooms filled with piss and blood and death. So much death, when I was supposed to give life.
The pressure in my head intensified, and I choked as my breath whisked away. Agony streaked up and down my veins. Memories of grief and sorrow faded as pain took over until I could think of nothing else but ripping my soul to shreds. A scream ripped from my lips, and my hands clawed the air, fighting against the unseen. The voice of the Queen was my only beacon of hope in the violent storm within, and yet my hope faltered. What powers did she fight against? Would her magic be enough?
Without warning, the darkness snapped, the pain fled, the tightness in my chest vanished and the burden on my shoulders lifted. I sat back on my heels, wiping salty tears from my cheeks with the back of my hands. When I could see clearly again, the circle of salt and herbs around me was black and burnt. The Queen of the Wildwood knelt in front of me, her eyes anxious.
When I met her gaze, something dark flickered there, as though she'd taken the curse that haunted me and consumed it herself. Then she blinked, and the darkness faded.
"It's gone," I cried out, surprised both at the strength of my voice and the clarity in my head. I hadn't noticed the dark cloud that hovered about me, but it was gone, taking with it the urge to sit in front of the fire, drinking and feeling sorry for myself.
I reached out to embrace the Queen as joy surged through me. She stepped back before I could touch her, but grateful words poured out of my mouth. "Thank you," I breathed, ensuring she heard those words. I would not be a thankless wretch.
She stood, a small smile playing around her lips. "The curse of death has been lifted, your magic should run pure. Return to the one you love and heal him. Now go, hurry, before daylight leaves."
I gathered my bundle and knife as I stood, but paused. “What is the cost? What do you ask of me?"
Her eyes went to the giant tree. "One day I might need help to drive back the darkness. The wood is wild, and creatures stir up trouble against me. If that day comes and I call, will you come?"
"Yes," I said, for there was nothing more to say. She'd given me more than I could repay.
"Then go. The wolf will keep you from harm on your journey back. May the blessings of Yule rest upon you."
Without another word, I turned and ran out of that magical place, back into the enchanted wildwood, determination surging in my chest.
Chapter 13
With the beating of a pure heart and the knowledge that the stain, that curse on my power had been wiped clean, I dashed through the forest with Rex at my side until I could run no longer. Then I walked, and for the first time, I saw the magic of the enchanted wildwood. No longer was it dark and frightening. Motes of light shone under flattened toadstools, and hope sparked beneath green moss. The domain of the Dark Queen had passed and something else was taking root in the forest, something new and pure, like what I had experienced in my heart. Hope.
Evil had fled, leaving freedom in its wake. Although the hard times might not be over, I had strength and determination to carry on, to go the distance, and with that knowledge I just needed the courage to heal again.
When I reached the tree with the hidden chamber, my footsteps slowed. My breath turned cold, and my fingers twitched on the latch. Wilhelm. Would he be himself? Or was I too late? A low moan met my ears as I pushed open the door.
