Page 92 of Across an Endless Sea

“I am. Let’s go.”

Lore takes that for the order it is, and a second later, the three of us are at the knight commander’s bedside. Drystan and Bree follow shortly after, the latter taking a spot by the door, while the former gives me a look that clearly says ‘this isn’t over.’

I’m too busy marvelling at Florian to pay his grumpiness any attention. My brother is lying on a raised mound of moss with veins of black forming a thick web across his skin. Parts of the network are so thick that you can’t see pale skin at all. His hands are entirely black with iron. He’s still a giant of a male, but he’s far thinner than he was, and his bones stare out of his face.

“Titania,” I whisper.

She doesn’t keep me waiting. I carefully follow her guidance for a second time, letting Danu’s power flow through me into her, then allowing her answering magic flow through her hand on my shoulder and into my brother. This time, I can feel the drain and the complexity of what she’s doing as she works through me.

“Iron poisoning is magic-resistant,” she explains. “And this has had time to spread. That’s why it’s harder on us.”

It’s worth it, though. The black recedes from his veins like it’s being drained away. Soon, sticky pools of it form beneath his hands—where the worst of the damage is—only to be absorbed by the moss.

Florian’s breathing evens out, and the canyons of strain etched into his forehead are smoothed out by invisible hands. I know before Titania tells me that he’s going to be fine. It’s the oddest thing. Danu is providing the power and it flows through me into Titania, but the two of us are working together to shape it; her expertise and my will blending into one.

Titania releases me, and this time I don’t need her guidance to let go of Danu carefully and funnel my remaining power towards my Guards. It’s not easy, but I understand it better now.

I’m still not sure I could do it under duress, and I’m certain I’ll lose control again the second Danu and I are both angry enough, but as I let go, I finally feel like I’ve done somethingright.

“He needs to rest,” I mumble. “But he’ll be fine.”

I turn and pin Drystan to the spot with my gaze. “Now, tell me about your hand.”

“Prince Ashton tried to collect my mark as proof for his brother, King Cedwyn,” Drystan explains. “The Winter King is unhappy about the rumours of me being part of your Guard. I warned you that your reputation would be tainted by association with me.”

Goddess, can he be any more cryptic? Then again, I wasn’t exactly expecting Drystan to vomit up his darkest secrets.

“Is Cedwyn going to make trouble for her because of you?” Jaro asks.

“Of course he is,” Drystan growls. “He would’ve done it, anyway, because he’s a paranoid ass. Do you honestly think Eero or Cressida will be much better?”

Jaro inclines his head in acknowledgement. “That’s true… even Aiyana might take umbrage when she realises who my parents are…”

He trails off as the door opens and a golden-eyed faun peers in.

“My lady!” he gasps, dropping into a bow. “I beg your leave. I was just coming to check on the knight commander.”

“He’ll recover,” Jaro says, thankfully saving me from embarrassing myself. “The Nicnevin has cured his iron poisoning.”

My attention slides past the bowing fae and into the hall beyond. It looks almost like…

“Is this the infirmary?” I ask, shifting past Bree to get a better look.

Every space is covered in wounded—is that because of whatever happened to the Outer Ring? Fae groan and whimper, disrupting the otherwise peaceful ambience as healers wander between them, seeing to patients.

It’s oddly familiar, and I glance back at my Guards, pleading with my eyes.

“I want to help them too,” I mutter, unsure of how the words will be received.

The last time we talked about it, they wanted to keep my necromancy secret until I’d mastered it, but I’m finally able to use my magic—and for something better than exploding buildings and heads.

If healing the injured means not having to talk about mating ceremonies, or coronations, or whatever else for a few hours, then I’ll gladly do it all day long.

Yes, I’m dodging the issue, but getting married and being crowned are two monumental things that I am just not ready to deal with right now.

“Rosie…” Jaro rubs the back of his neck. “You should be resting.”

That’s not a no.

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