Page 8 of Curse of the Healer
After all, we were in the enchanted wildwood, nowhere was safe for us. I was tempted to tell him we should give up this quest and return home. The wood was too perilous for us.
"There are safe places,” Wilhelm assured me. “Bound by light magic throughout the wood. There's one not far from us, come on."
I grasped his hand as if my life depended on it, and we fled through the forest while the creatures howled around us. Two more dashed into our path, but Wilhelm was ready with his axe. Though they knocked us down each time, we escaped with only minor scratches and bruises.
It wasn't until darkness threatened to envelop us that Wilhelm pointed at an odd structure.
Chapter 10
There was a hollowed opening in the middle of two trees which grew together, as though they'd found their roots intertwined and they could not do without each other. Green ivy covered what looked like the tree trunk, but Wilhelm walked up to it and pulled it open. I lifted a grimy hand in surprise and stared. A hidden cottage inside the wildwood.
Wilhelm motioned for me to follow him, and we ducked inside, shutting out the forest behind us.
"What is this place?" I breathed as Wilhelm lit candles.
It was surprisingly warm inside, and my shivers from fright and the winter air melted away.
"When the Dark Queen ruled the wildwood, she had knights who did her bidding. They ensured that the villages surrounding the wildwood performed the rituals that gave the queen her magic. As the knights traveled through the forest, they needed places to stay with food, blankets, weapons and spare clothes, if needed. They are called safe houses, some are trees, others are caves, but they exist throughout the wood."
“It’s comforting,” I admitted. “I did not expect a place like this in the hostile wood.”
The candles lit up the inside of the tree. Green moss curled up the sides of the trunks, shooting up toward the sky before tapering off into darkness. The room I stood in was just that, a room with a pile of furs in one corner and a stack of what looked like clothes and supplies in another. It was clear that one came here just to huddle down, eat and sleep. There wasn't much room for two people, and I blushed at the thought of being so close to Wilhelm for the night.
A lantern hung from a study branch near the ceiling. Standing on his toes, Wilhelm lit it, and the room instantly brightened enough to allow me to see his face clearly. His face was drawn and pale from our dash through the forest. In an attempt to be helpful, I made for the supplies, pulling out a fresh shirt and searching for water.
"Sit, Wilhelm." Now it was my turn to take care of him. "You look tried. We can rest here tonight."
Wilhelm staggered as he made his way to the pile of furs.
I drew in a sharp breath, my eyes suddenly noticing the caked blood on his shoulder. "Wilhelm," I cried, fear gnawing at me.
He lifted a hand to his neck as he tugged at the shirt. "It bit me.".
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I reached for a waterskin and a bundle of bandages.
"I did not know," he gasped. "Talia, it's a Lycan bite. They are poisoned. I could turn."
"No," I whispered. "Lie still, let me help."
He lay on his back as I pulled away his shirt, cleaned the blood and discovered the wound. Sure enough, there was a three-inch-long bite on his neck. It was a wonder it had pierced only soft skin and hadn't bled out. All the same, a faint odor came from it as I washed it and bandaged it.
"Can you eat?" I asked when I was done.
He merely shook his head and held out his hand to me. "Sit with me, beautiful Talia. Talk to me."
His hand was warm in mine, almost clammy, and I realized he would find himself lost in a fever dream soon. There was nothing I could do to help him. Out there was the wood and through our flight I'd seen no herbs, nothing to starve off a fever. What would I do if he became too sick to go on? What would I do without Wilhelm? I blinked back tears as I realized the truth of what I felt. A surge of love burst out of me, except it had been there all along, blossoming silently while I went about my days, assuming I'd be alone for the rest of my life. Wilhelm had been in front of me the entire time.
"Wilhelm," I lifted his hand and kissing it gently. "You walk the wood, and you are brave enough to risk your life for me. But it's just you and I. If this is indeed poison, we need the Queen of the Wildwood to help us."
"When the bite takes over, I have one, maybe two days," he murmured, his eyes closing. "Talia, when morning comes you must go on. You have the gift, and the Queen of the Wildwood can still help you with your magic. I only wish that I'd been honest with you, that we had more time before I turn into a monster."
"No," I shook my head. "I won't let you turn into a monster, Wilhelm. You may walk this wood, but you're not one of them. You are good and kind and generous. You save lives, not destroy them."
He squeezed my hand. "Regardless, you must go before I turn mad. My mind will not be my own and I could not live with myself should I harm you."
Tears filled my eyes, and even though I wanted to sob, I simply nodded my head. "I will save you, Wilhelm," I vowed. "You saved me. Life would not be worth it without you."
“I’ve always loved the sound of your voice, Talia. You used to sing, will you sing for me?”
