Jess started to leave and to her dismay Bleidd followed. She felt a rush of panic at the idea of being left alone in the clinic, and more at the thought of Bleidd going out to find Liz on his own. She struggled to sit up and failed to do more than push herself up a few inches and fall back, setting off a painful protest from her body. It was enough to stop both of them, even before she reached out with her mind, “No don’t go! Don’t leave me here by myself!”
“Allie I must go,” Jess said, his voice soft but firm. Bleidd opened his mouth and then closed it again, looking between the other two.
“I know but Bleidd can stay,” she thought back desperately, then directly to Bleidd, “Stay with me. Don’t leave.”
“Allie,” he thought back, his mental speech more confident but his feelings still raw and uncertain. “I have spent far too much time here recently and I can tell you the staff will not let me stay. I am amazed we have gone this long without interruption from a nurse or doctor. They will make me leave anyway, and I must let Jason know what has happened.”
“Make him stay Jess,” she begged, wishing for once that she could use her empathy, or their bond – if that is what she had just forged between herself and Bleidd – to make him do what she willed. It was finally starting to really register that she had in fact almost died and although she was unbelievably tired she was afraid to go to sleep, afraid she wouldn’t wake up again. If Brynneth came back in whatever healing he could offer would surely knock her out and the idea of being back in that terrible darkness, now that she understood better what it was, terrified her.
She could sense Bleidd’s resolve crumbling beneath her obvious desperation, even as Jess, his own emotions a chaos of hard to read things thought back, “I cannot compel him in anything,” then to Bleidd, “But if you will stay I will ensure that the clinic allows it. I can tell them that she was poisoned and I want someone with her at all times until the person responsible is apprehended.”
Bleidd looked at his erstwhile rival, obviously confused by this sudden willingness to encourage him to get closer to Allie, when he had so far tried to separate them. The Guard commander could assign anyone to watch her if he were truly concerned about her safety, and Bleidd was not even a member of the Guard, so he had to be doing this purely to please Allie. Just when she was certain he was going to refuse, Bleidd nodded and stepped back towards the bed. “Alright. I will stay as long as I am able to. And I will certainly protect her life against any threats.”
Allie relaxed back into the pillows, feeling the hard knot of fear ease. She would not be alone, and if he had saved her from the darkness once he could do it again. “Thank you,” she whispered, then to Jess, “Thank you, too. And please be careful. Please, I can’t believe, even if I know it’s true that Liz has done this. But she has and that means I have no one, no family left that I have any connection to. You two, and Jason, you’re all I have. I don’t think I can bear to lose any of you right now.”
“I will return to you as soon as possible, and I will strive to let no harm come to myself,” Jess said, smiling slightly. “Until then I will let Jason know what has happened, and ask that he come here as well, for his own safety, and Bleidd has said he will stay with you, so you need not fear for him.”
“Jess? Don’t tell Jason that it was Liz please,” Allie said reaching out and clutching Bleidd’s hand like a life line. Under the circumstances she wasn’t entirely sure what Jason would do, and the thought of him getting hurt because of her, or at least because of what felt like her fault, was unbearable.
“If you wish it, I will not tell him yet,” Jess agreed, inclining his head in a shrug. “But he may also be in danger. I will have someone stay with him as well, until we have found your cousin.”
She nodded, the barest motion of her head, fighting to keep her eyes open. Bleidd’s hand was warm against hers as she heard Jess walking slowly towards the door. Maybe this is all a bad dream she thought feeling the anguish rising up again even as exhaustion pulled her down towards sleep. Bleidd leaned forward his hand gentle against her cheek, “It’s okay Allie. Everything’s going to be okay. I don’t know how, or when, but it will be.”
“Stay with me,” she mumbled, losing her battle with sleep. “Don’t leave me in the darkness.”
“Never Allie,” he said, and she could sense his own anguish now merging with hers. “Never. I am right here. If you truly wish it I will stay for as long as you like.”
“Forever,” she murmured recklessly, unable to force her eyes open anymore. She knew no elf would ever agree to that, it was too close to a promise and it was impossible; to promise it would mean eventually to be foresworn and elves took their honor too seriously for that.
“Forever is a long time,” he whispered gently.
“I know,” she thought to him, too tired now to speak, right on the edge of sleep.
“Go to sleep Allie,” he thought back. “I am not leaving I will be here when you wake up.”
“I’m afraid to sleep,” she said, more honest in this liminal state between sleep and waking than she might usually be.
“Wherefore?” Jess’s voice drifted into the conversation.
“If I go to sleep I’m afraid I won’t wake up. I don’t want to die,” she thought back simply.
Their joined grief buoyed her up slightly back closer to waking. Jess said, “Oh no my love you shall not. You shall live. Sleep and be safe.”
She could feel Bleidd’s hesitation, and then suddenly, the words quick as if he was afraid himself, “If you want me to promise you forever Allie then I will promise it. For as long as you want it. But do not fear to sleep. We, Jessilaen and I, are with you. I will watch over you while you rest and no harm will come to you. I swear that I will put my own life before yours, but do not fear to sleep. You are safe.”
She felt Jess’s shock at Bleidd’s words, then, “Yes Allie, we are with you. Forever, if that is what you wish. Sleep peacefully. You are safe.”
Her last thought as she lost the battle with her own exhaustion, was that she must already be dreaming, because that could not have just happened….
***********************
Jess walked out of the room, leaving Allie and Bleidd alone. His own heart was a sea of conflicting emotions as he tried to process everything that had happened so quickly. He was overjoyed that Allie would live, although it was clear that she was still very ill. He was also both relieved and pleased that his greatest fear – that given the chance she would choose another and reject him – had proven groundless. It was a shocking and unexpected turn though that she had bonded to the other elf in the same way that she was bonded to him, and while he could not regret the actions necessary to save her life it did make him jealous to have to share that unique aspect of their relationship. And yet…and yet, he had come to respect the former Outcast and he knew that Bleidd loved Allie as much as he himself did, something he had long refused to believe given the elven predilection for rejecting strong emotions and avoiding close emotional ties outside of blood-kin.
He pushed the thoughts away as he emerged back into the hallway where the rest of the Elven Guard where waiting. Their faces made it plain that they expected him to announce bad news. He looked to Brynneth, relieved that in the intervening time the healer seemed to have recovered somewhat. “Bryn, would you go check her again. I believe you will be able to help her now.”
The healer’s head went to one side, his curiosity evident, but instead of asking any question he moved quickly past his friend and into the room. Jess had no doubt that he was eager to see for himself what was going on. His brother however frowned. “She was dying Jessilaen. What could have changed that Brynneth can help her now?”
“She was dying but she is not now,” Jess said simply, earning a gasp of disbelief from Mariniessa.
“What have you done?” Zarethyn asked, his voice low and worried.
“What I had to do to save her,” Jess replied calmly, thinking even if saving her means s
haring her. At least she will live. Seeing the concern on his brother’s face he added. “I didn’t break any Laws, nor cause any harm to anyone, nor do anything against anyone’s will.”
They all looked baffled now. He didn’t care. Let them wonder – if it mattered that much to his brother he would tell him later, privately. It was nothing that could be duplicated for anyone else anyway, and they had more important issues at hand. “She told me who poisoned her, but she has asked that the person be brought here before any justice is dealt, and I have promised as much.”
Now his brother looked really shocked, although whether it was because Allie knew who had caused her such grievous harm or because he had been willing to give such a promise Jess wasn’t sure. Either way he forged on, with Mariniessa and Natarien watching the exchange in silence. “The person is human and so beyond our legal reach, but she may have vital information about the conspiracy and the ritual murders. I believe if we allow Allie to confront her directly we may learn something essential.”
Now Zarethyn was nodding, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Yes, I had assumed the culprit would likely prove human and that puts us in a bad position. The punishment for trying to kill any member of the Elven Guard, even one with a nominal position such as Allie’s, should be death. Yet we lack the authority to mete out such a punishment on a human resident of town. Knowing what I do about the human legal system I fear their justice will not be something we will recognize.”
“Have you alerted the human police yet?” Jess asked, trying to decide how best to proceed. Zarethyn had not yet asked him to name the suspect, knowing he would do so in time on his own, but once named, they would need to move quickly to try to find and capture her. He feared that the task might prove more difficult if the human police were already involved.
“Not as of yet,” the Guard captain said, his head tilting to the side. “Allie is half-blooded and within our jurisdiction. Up to this point although it seemed logical to assume that this attack on her was related to our investigation there was no proof of anything.”
Jess nodded. “Her cousin, Liz McCarthy – I believe her full name is Elizabeth McCarthy – is the one we need to find.”
Natarien shook his head sadly. “Her own cousin? That is a grievous thing.”
“Indeed,” Jess agreed. “Although Allie believes that she did not intend to kill her but only to sicken her enough to ensure Allie could no longer help us.”
The looks of disgust on the faces of the elves in the hallway made their opinions of that idea clear.
“So we must find her and bring her here,” Mariniessa said thoughtfully. “If Aliaine is wrong and her cousin was seeking her death it may be that she will try again. We may not need to seek her if she comes here on her own.”
“Yes,” Zarethyn agreed. “That is a possibility we must consider as well. It would be unwise to leave her here alone. We will take shifts staying with her.”
“Bleidd is staying with her as well, at her request,” Jess said, ignoring the searching look his brother gave him. It was too complicated to try to explain at the moment why he not only wasn’t upset about it but had encouraged it. “I have told both of them that we will ensure the staff allow him to stay.”
“Easily done under the circumstances,” Zarethyn agreed. “But given his own recent grave injury I will still leave one other Guard here to ensure her safety. Have we any indication that her cousin is a mage or witch?”
Jess shook his head. “None that I am aware of, even having stayed in the same home with her. But the original coven consisted of practitioners, it is quite likely if she is herself a member of the new coven she has some talent and training,”
“Synchronicity,” Zarethyn murmured, frowning. “We must assume then that she has some magical ability, perhaps well hidden. If that is so, then only Mariniessa and I should risk pursuing her.”
Jess began to protest but the Guard captain held up his hand to forestall it. “I understand your feelings in this matter, truly, but she is an unknown factor. It may be that she has a great deal more skill than any of us realize and if she were to attack either you or Natarien magically she might escape or do you great harm. No we shall pursue her and you two shall return to Allie’s home and seek out any clues that can be found. Examine her cousin’s room and possessions. Look for signs to whether she has fled, or remains. We will find out where she works and begin tracking her there.”
“She works in the theater, O’Neill’s Theater, downtown,” Jess supplied. “But I doubt greatly she is there now. It was she who called the ambulance that brought Allie here. I had thought it odd that she left when we arrived, but it can be hard to understand why humans do the things they do sometimes. Of course now it is obvious why she fled.”
Zarethyn nodded. “Then we will begin by questioning the staff who talked with her when Allie arrived…”
They were interrupted by the arrival of a harried looking doctor accompanied by a determined nurse. The doctor was an older woman, her grey hair pulled back in a severe way that made her face seem very round. The nurse was younger, her brown hair short and held back by a headband, a clipboard in her hands. The doctor looked unhappily from one elf to another before addressing Zarethyn. “Captain, I’m sorry if I’m interrupting, but with all due respect, we really must check on the patient now. It’s normal protocol to check critically ill patients no less than every fifteen minutes while they are in the emergency room, and it’s been almost two hours since we’ve seen Ms. McCarthy. Please understand…”
“I understand doctor Bierry. Our healer is in with her at the moment. As long as you do not disturb him there is no reason for you not to enter as well.”
The young nurse was regarding them all suspiciously, but the doctor looked relieved. “I hope your healer can help her, sir. Honestly there’s nothing we can do for iron poisoning. I’m sure you know that. Just make the patient comfortable.”
“I appreciate your efforts on Aliaine’s behalf,” Zarethyn said gravely. “Whatever those efforts may be. I must tell you that I know you have strict rules about visitors, however we believe that Aliaine was intentionally poisoned and her life may be in danger until we apprehend the person responsible. I am ensuring that someone will be with her at all times, around the clock.”
The doctor frowned. “Of course, of course. I’ll notify all the staff. I assume you want to restrict any visitors to her room? Here and if - when we move her to a room upstairs?”
So they think she is dying as well Jess thought, not terribly surprised. Iron poisoning was always fatal to elves, and he did not think it had ever yet been seen in a half-elf. It was clear that his brother had done as he’d asked and kept everyone from entering the room while he and Bleidd were in there, and he felt a surge of gratitude for that.
“Yes,” Zarethyn said simply. “I will provide you with a list of my Guards who will take shifts here and of the other approved people who may be here as well.”
“Doctor,” Jess said suddenly breaking his silence. “May I ask if you saw Aliaine’s cousin when she first arrived?”
“Brown hair? Arrived in the ambulance with her?” the doctor asked.
“Yes, and I believe so.”
“Yes I did. I was the physician who handled Ms. McCarthy when she was first brought in. I remember the woman who was with her,” the doctor said, obviously puzzled.
“Did you tell her of the seriousness of Aliaine’s condition?” Jess asked, and he saw his brother’s eyes light up. The Guard captain turned to give the doctor his full attention.
“Ah, yes, yes I did,” the doctor said, glancing towards the door of the room. “I told her that her cousin was critically ill but there was really nothing we could do for her except try to minimize the pain.”
“Did you tell her that Allie was dying?” Jess said bluntly.
The doctor’s eyes widened, but after a moment she nodded. “Yes. I felt it was best to be honest with her about her cousin’s condition and not give her any
false hope. People tend to think that coming in here will fix anything but that just isn’t the case sometimes. I didn’t want there to be any…any unrealistic expectations. And I thought if she wanted to say goodbye or call anyone else to do the same she needed to be aware to do that.”
“Thank you doctor,” Jess said, and then in Elvish to Zarethyn. “So Liz arrived here without her own vehicle and left thinking that she had killed her only family. Perhaps it may prove fruitful to track her from here?”
Zarethyn nodded but before he could speak Brynneth was emerging from Allie’s room. The elven healer looked stunned. He started to speak and then saw the two humans and stopped. The doctor looked relieved to see him. “You’re the healer? Did you have any luck stabilizing her?”
Bryn gave Jess a long look out of the corner of his eye, but answered the doctor calmly. “She is stable now and I believe she will recover. She is still, of course, gravely ill, but her life is out of immediate danger. In time – perhaps a few days with additional healing – she should fully recover.”
The doctor and nurse both looked as stunned as Brynneth had when he’d first walked out of the room. “Well that’s…amazing. You must be truly skilled. If you don’t mind I’m just going to go in and examine her myself.”
Brynneth shrugged one shoulder noncommittally at the doctor; the nurse was already heading into the room. “She is sleeping now, but you will see from her vital signs that she is significantly improved.”
As soon as the two humans were gone Brynneth turned sharply to Jess. “What have you done?”
Jess repressed a sigh. This was getting tedious. As his friend, a rare and cherished thing among elves, Bryn had a right to speak bluntly to him but he had no intention of responding in kind in front of everyone. He ignored the question and answered with a question of his own, “How is she doing?”
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