Solace

by Bethany Adams

  Was this mission about to go wrong?

  Maddy shifted, awareness of her surroundings returning to her gaze. “This is like a weird hybrid of our two problems, and that sucks.”

  Perhaps that explained what was behind Lynia’s uneasiness. Between Caolte’s confusion, Anna’s resigned sigh, and Fen’s harsh expletive, the news wasn’t pleasing to anyone. Yet that didn’t seem right, either. What was the problem? Was there something else they were missing?

  “It’s sort of like the darkness we removed from the Seelie…I mean, from our previous patient’s blood, but this is more active,” Maddy mused. “It doesn’t react to healing energy, though. I don’t know if the potion will do anything to stop it or not.”

  “You have a potion?” Caolte asked.

  Lynia opened the pouch at her waist and pulled a vial free. “Yes. We developed this from a healer’s notes on a similar disease that almost wiped out one of our colonies several millennia ago.”

  “I see.” Caolte stared at the vial for a long moment. “Have you tested it?”

  Though she wanted to prevaricate, Lynia wouldn’t. “Not fully. We gave it to someone before I left, and we witnessed no poor reactions. But I also don’t know if it helped.”

  The other man continued to study the vial with an expression so intense she expected the fire to return to his hair. Apparently, he was too exhausted, for no spark appeared by the time he finally gave a sharp nod. Meeting her gaze, he held out his hand.

  “I will try it,” Caolte said. “If it works, we can risk the mixture on Naomh. I would rather be the one to suffer if we’re wrong.”

  There was more family drama here than she could begin to guess at, and she had no intention of trying. If Caolte wanted to risk himself for his brother, she wouldn’t stop him. She didn’t know the half-Seelie’s age, but she suspected he was far older than she was. More than old enough to make his own choices without being questioned by a stranger.

  Lynia crossed the space between them and settled the vial in his hand, then backed away. “Drink half now. The rest you’ll take in a mark. Or hour, I suppose you’d say.”

  He uncorked the vial and tossed back half without a moment’s hesitation. Aside from a slight grimace at the taste, he showed no reaction. She couldn’t say she would have been as bold. The thought of using a potion gleaned from an ancient book made her apprehensive if she stopped to consider it—so she did her best not to.

  “When will I feel the effects?”

  “I have no idea,” Lynia answered. “Maddy?”

  “I’ll check him again in a bit to see if the potion is starting to kill the virus.” Maddy crossed her arms. “I guess it was a waste for Fen and Anna to come, because that’s all I know to do. We can’t pull this out of the blood if it has already taken root in the lungs.”

  Anna wrapped her arm around Maddy’s waist. “It was a good thought.”

  If only it had been so easy. Lynia fought the urge to pace up and down the long corridor stretching behind her. She wanted to be back on Moranaia already, not standing here staring at a sick half-Seelie lord. Part of her had hoped Maddy’s other idea might have been possible. The triad could have pulled the virus from Naomh’s blood, and they’d already be on their way.

  Lynia glanced over her shoulder, spotting her bodyguards and Inona standing guard at the far end of the corridor. Everything within her longed to rejoin them and begin the journey back to Moranaia. The wait was going to be intolerably long.

  Especially since the dread in her heart hadn’t eased.

  An odd awareness tingled over her skin, and the ring on her right hand warmed until she studied the pale yellow stone with a frown. This ring connected her to Lial, which meant… Her heart pounding, she poured energy into the stone to activate the link. The metal heated until the ring was almost uncomfortable to wear, but it was worth it when the mental connection snapped firm.

  “Lynia. I dare not use much magic, but I had to speak to you.”

  She pressed her hand against her breastbone, the warmth from the ring settling above her heart. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m infected. The needle slipped.” Very little emotion crossed with his words at this distance, but she still caught the hint of self-recrimination. “I’m sorry. Elan is going to render me unconscious while the next batch of potion brews. There’s more information on the potions in the introductory chapter of the book, but I don’t have time to describe. I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” she answered automatically.

  Before it was too late.

  “Take care of yourself, beloved,” Lial sent.

  Then he disconnected the link, so abruptly her other hand clenched around the ring as though she could pull him back through that fragile connection. Hot tears tracked down her face, but they did nothing to wash away her resolve. Sick Seelie lords or no, she was going back to Moranaia. Now.

  She never should have left.

  Chapter 39

  Lial shouldn’t have used the energy required to contact Lynia over such an immense distance, but a quick scan revealed no sign that communication magic had increased the virus’s spread. His own innate healing powers, on the other hand… He took a deep breath through his nose and exhaled slowly through his mouth. Then again. A small calming effort for a massive, terrifying problem.

  He had no idea if he would ever wake again.

  Nevertheless, Lial stretched out on the bed and did his best to remain composed as a pale Elan hovered over him. If he had more time, Lial would contact Ralan and yell at him for the inaccuracy of his prophecy. Unless, of course, it had been a lie all along that Lial had little risk in all of this. There were no guarantees with his cousin.

  It was far better to place his trust in Lynia. She would find the page he’d marked in The Wayfarer’s Trial and use the information to perfect the potion. He could allow himself no other thought as he settled against the pillow.

  “Do it,” he muttered.

  “But what if Caeleth worsens?” Elan asked in a low, frantic voice. “What if you develop a fever or other sign of illness? I don’t have the power or training to save either of you.”

  Lial sighed. He couldn’t even have a quick, easy rest when he was possibly dying, could he? “Use the tobahn. It isn’t perfect, but we have few options. Otherwise, listen to Lynia when she returns.”

  “But—”

  “Would you please knock me out?” Lial snapped, his patience gone. “It’s the chance you’ve surely been waiting for.”

  That only drew the barest smile from the young healer. “Not like this. But very well.”

  Lial closed his eyes and opened his shielding to allow Elan access. Then he pictured Lynia’s face until he slipped into darkness.

  The mists swirled in the portal behind her as Lynia followed Inona through, her bodyguards close on her heels. Maddy had scanned them before they left and found no signs of virus, but Lynia still ordered the portal guardians to step away as she paused in the clearing in front of the broad, stone arch.

  “You should head back,” she said to Inona. “I trust you can sufficiently guard our guests if events go poorly there? Though Maddy, Fen, and Anna seem a formidable triad on their own.”

  “I believe so, Lady Lynia,” Inona answered.

  Lynia gave her a strained smile. “Thank you.”

  The scout hurried back through the portal, closing it behind her until the view of the mists faded into the forest behind the stone arch. Lynia turned to her bodyguards. “You’ll need to isolate yourselves near the healing tower. I’ll not risk Maddy being wrong about this infection.”

  After receiving their assent, Lynia strode from the clearing, her cloak snapping around her legs with each hurried step. She trusted them to follow, for her thoughts were too focused on the problem at hand to put much worry behind their obedience. Lial was counting on her to find the answer to his illness.

  There’s more information on the potions in the introductory chapter, he’d said. What
had he meant by that? She’d skimmed that chapter for mention of Abuiarn, but there’d been nothing about the colony there. Though Emereh had spent a solid twenty pages on how and why he’d chosen his research subjects and treatment methods, nothing had stuck out to her. Clearly, that had not been the case for Lial.

  As she walked, Lynia tapped her fingers against her thumb in a restless gesture. She needed those pages in front of her now. Why hadn’t she taken the time to spell copy the entire book instead of the recipe alone? She could have reviewed the introduction from memory if she had. The lack left her feeling oddly bereft.

  As she neared the estate, Lynia connected with Lyr. “I’ve returned early. The others remained to help Lord Naomh, but I cannot leave Lial to die.”

  Surprise filtered through. “How did you know?”

  “A gift from Fen.” At the wash of confusion, she shook her head, though Lyr couldn’t see. “He made a ring to augment telepathy. But Lial couldn’t hold the link long enough to give me many details. Something about a needle slipping?”

  “I received little more from him personally, but Elan contacted me. Caeleth began to convulse near the end of the surgery, causing Lial to poke himself with the bloody needle.” Lyr hesitated. “Should I have Elan send any resources you might need to the library? I’m not sure that being in the healing tower is wise.”

  Lynia glared at the path beneath her feet. “Your concern is noted, but I’m ignoring it.”

  “I suspected you might,” Lyr said. “Laiala…”

  “I know.” The healing tower came into view, and she hurried her steps until she was almost at a run. “I might lose him. We all might. That would be a terrible loss, not just for me but for the entire estate. I’ll do my best to prevent that on all our accounts.”

  “Do you think you can?”

  A small voice inside whispered its uncertainty, but she stifled it ruthlessly. “I must.”

  Lyr sent her a wave of love. “Let me know if I can help.”

  After agreeing, Lynia ended their link and swung through the tower door. On the right side of the room, Elan slumped in a chair beside the bed, but he shot to his feet at her entrance. “Lady Lynia?”

  “I’m here to help.” She cast a glance at the bed. Blood-stained sheets rose and fell with Caeleth’s breaths, and red colored the edge of the sheet beneath him, too. “Shouldn’t you change his bedding?”

  Elan’s nose wrinkled. “Ideally, yes, but I’m not certain if I should in this case. I’m…waiting for Lial.”

  He didn’t say that he was relying on her to ensure that Lial would be alive to direct him, but Lynia felt the words all the same. “I’ll do what I can.”

  The book was in the same spot she’d left it, but a small scrap of paper jutted out from the top. A note from Lial? Hopeful, Lynia opened the book, but the paper was blank. Though her heart dropped, she skimmed the dense lines of text for the purpose of the marker. It couldn’t be an accident.

  The first page held several paragraphs arguing the merits of energy versus herbal-based healing. Then Emereh launched into the reasoning behind his travels, key among them the acquisition of new experiences. A bit of a repeat, if she recalled from her first scan of this chapter. She’d moved on quickly after reading twenty pages of similar exposition.

  When she spotted the relevant line of text, her breath hissed out in frustration. It was only a few paragraphs from the ending of this section, a quick thought easily missed. For instance, I learned from Tebid Ored on Rrelen that one could combine life magic with healing magic in a single mixture to amplify its effects. This advancement led me to add my gift for life energy into each tincture, unless otherwise noted.

  Lynia’s face went hot. She was no novice researcher, but she’d been in such a rush that she’d neglected to examine this section thoroughly. She’d skimmed for “potions,” not similar words like “tinctures,” and she hadn’t had a chance to study the text again for more detail. Though she probably wouldn’t have made the same mistake if she’d had ample time, the error still burned.

  Quickly, she connected with her son again. “Did Tynan arrive? Is he with Aris?”

  “Yes,” Lyr answered warily. “Why?”

  “I need a life mage, and I need one now.” Lynia glanced at the new flask bubbling in the distillation device, waiting for an infusion of energy. The batch started by Lial—four precious doses that meant so much. “I hope Tynan has helped Aris enough that he’ll be able to lend aid. My work requires both of them, and as soon as possible.”

  “I’ll speak to them,” Lyr answered before disconnecting.

  Lynia paced back and forth in front of the workbench and let her thoughts clatter and combine. A healer using a method from Rrelen, where the virus had supposedly originated. Life magic, the essence of life itself. Hadn’t Lial said the fertility potion had been augmented by Aris?

  And from what he’d told her of Korel’s illness and death, Aris was capable of nullifying the virus in spilled blood. Possibly more if his power was increased in some way. If he had more energy, he might be capable of eliminating it from someone infected, but that wouldn’t be practical for an outbreak.

  They had to perfect the potion.

  Unfortunately, the mixture took several marks to distill and only created enough for four full doses. How had Emereh managed to save a colony at that rate? She would need to do a closer read to find out if she’d missed directions on increasing the batch size. In the meantime, though… What could she do to help Lial?

  Her gaze landed on a small basket with a thin vial just visible over the top. That looked similar to the one Lial had given her, and the color of the liquid inside was right. She stooped to examine the card attached to the top and smiled at the contained scrawl of Lial’s writing—it wanted to be messy, but he would never allow ambiguity here.

  There were only five vials in the basket, the rest of the batch of fertility potions he’d made for her. Was the life magic inside bound to this mixture alone, or would it help in other ways, too? Could it stave off the infection a little while they waited? Of course, there was also the matter of safety. If it was designed to aid in conception inside the uterus, would it cause damage to those without said organ?

  Lyr’s presence returned. “According to Tynan, it will be half a mark more at least.”

  “I see.” Lynia wanted to demand Aris help them at once, but he couldn’t be forced. Such an order would be the opposite of helpful for all of them. “Tell them to come when they are able.”

  After their telepathic link ended, Lynia frowned at the basket of vials. Then she glanced over her shoulder at the young healer beside the bed. “Elan? I have a few questions.”

  His was not a job that could be rushed—a fact Tynan had learned the hard way, the most recent in this very room. Today, he’d had the foresight to ask Selia to accompany them. The last time he’d attempted to work with Aris, Tynan had almost been overcome by the life mage’s powerful magic.

  A novice’s mistake, but one he wouldn’t repeat. Fortunately, Selia had been able to help, since the couple’s son, Iren, remained with his friend Eri to comfort her. Tynan had had little to do with the girl, but he gathered the child was a powerful seer whose current lack of foresight caused her distress. Though he disliked hearing of her suffering, he couldn’t deny the benefit Iren’s absence brought.

  The nearly empty room echoed Aris’s harsh breaths as he worked through the meditation Tynan had assigned. Carefully, he examined the life mage’s channels, searching for the trigger that had returned the man to his traumatized state. A regression, but not entirely. At least they wouldn’t have to repeat the more wrenching form of healing required last time.

  Tynan tapped his fingers softly against his knee, the motion practiced enough to make no sound. He was young for the job, but he’d helped thousands through such meditations already. He’d had to find ways to dispel his own restlessness during the process, especially when the outside world held other important tasks.

/>   Like saving the estate’s recalcitrant healer.

  If he could speed this work by reaching in and rearranging the mental pathways created by trauma, he would. Oh, that was partially what he did during intense healings, but the brain was a tricky organ. Trauma layered in so many ways and in so many places that magic could never really replace the work required of the patient. Some pain couldn’t be erased, only rerouted.

  “I was cut there,” Aris murmured.

  “Where?” Tynan asked, though he didn’t really need to know. At least not beyond offering aid. The patient’s revelation was the important part.

  “In the same spot as Caeleth.” Despite the warmth of the room, Aris shivered. Energy hummed on the air, and Selia, in her place against the far wall, lifted a crystal to absorb it. “Not as deep, but the blood… I thought she might allow my intestines to spill free, but she only drained my blood until I was weak.”

  Aris had already theorized to Tynan that witnessing the surgery had likely been to blame, but working through the memory aloud would help. Tynan increased his magic, easing the stress lining Aris’s brow but leaving him in control of how he experienced the memories. Actively rerouting this together would help more than the forceful method a true emergency required.

  The life mage let out a long breath. “Caeleth isn’t me. Nor was Korel. Those weren’t my injuries.”

  Tynan had no clue who Korel might be, but it wasn’t important. “That is true.”

  In just that way, Tynan talked Aris through, prodding and suggesting as the moment required. All the time, his magic drained in a steady stream to the other man. A balm to ease healing, one he gave freely despite his exhaustion. It was far preferable to a full connection, which required him to experience the memories along with the patient.

  As he had with the woman who’d delayed his arrival until today.

  Tynan shoved that thought—and its accompanying images—down deep. He had to help Aris be fit enough to save Lial. He owed the other healer, for although Lial had berated him for healing Aris without proper preparation, that criticism had been warranted. Lial would have been within his rights to report the matter to Tynan’s superior, but he hadn’t.