Page 97 of Treasured
The problem was that I wasn’t a scientist at that moment. I wasn’t even certain I was capable of rational thought at the moment. I was an older sister, waiting to see if my little brother would wake.
And I was scared.
But I refused to let fear rule me. Not anymore. I could be scared and still do this. Bravery wasn’t overcoming fear. It was staring at the wall fear tried to build, and dismantling it brick by brick until it was possible to get through. Bravery was acting in spite of fear. And Marius needed me to be brave.
Drawing a deep breath, I brushed my lips over Marius’s cheek. “I’ll be right over there.”
I swapped spots with Odette, her white robes swooshing as she took my place beside the bed. She picked up Marius’s hand and held it gently before glancing over at us. “Would you mind if I prayed for him?”
My brows rose. I hadn’t expected her to ask, though I didn’t think anything was inherently wrong with it. Before my marriage, I had followed Kydona in a… mediocre way at best. After my wedding, my religiosity hadn’t improved. I’d been a little preoccupied with breaking the Tether and finding Syndra’s plant. But ever since I’d met Isvana, I couldn’t deny that perhaps there was a place for faith in my life. Could science and religion mix? I wasn’t sure, but I would strive to find out.
“Please do,” I whispered.
Besides, Marius could use all the help he could get.
Sebastian’s fingers nudged mine, and he held my hand as Odette dipped her head, murmuring quietly. “Isvana, Goddess of the Moon, we come to you…”
Her voice dipped, her words becoming too low to hear, but it didn’t matter. Odette prayed, and a sense of calm and rightness filled me.
Somehow, everything would be alright. There was a light at the end of this tunnel. A way for everything to end. We were drawing closer every day.
Eventually, Odette’s prayer ended. She released Marius’s hand and looked up. “It’s time.”
Unceremoniously, she pulled the stopper out of the vial and plugged my brother’s too-frail nose. With the other hand, she tipped back the vial. The moment the liquid entered Marius’s body, he choked, his body spasming.
I gasped. My nails dug into my palm, and every second felt like a lifetime as the liquid disappeared into my brother, one drop at a time.
It was over just as quickly as it began. The vial was empty, and Marius dropped back onto the cot, his chest heaving. His eyes were still closed, though, and he looked just as sick as before.
My heart strained against my chest, and I looked between Marius and Odette. “Now what?”
“Now we wait,” the witch said solemnly.
* * *
“It’s been eight hours, darling.” Sebastian crouched beside me where I kept vigil at Marius’s bedside, and his eyes swept over me, mirroring the concern coming through the Binding Mark. “You’re tired, and you need to sleep.”
I was, but Marius wasn’t awake yet. His skin color had improved, but he still looked too frail. Odette had stayed for hours, but eventually, she’d been called away by her other duties.
Sleep wasn’t an option. What if he woke while I was out? What if I missed something?
I opened my mouth to reply, but a yawn slipped out of me. Sebastian’s eyes widened, and in one swift movement, he hugged me to his chest and lifted me in the air.
“No—”
“Did it sound like I was asking, darling?” he murmured, holding me tight. “You’re going to sleep because you need to take care of yourself.”
My treacherous eyes started slipping shut against my will. His words sounded so good, but I needed to stay awake.
“I can’t leave him.” I shook my head, struggling to leave Sebastian’s arms. His grip only tightened. I hated to admit it, but it felt good to be held. “Marius needs me.”
When he woke, I needed to be here. He would be so scared if he was alone. Already, I had a lot to explain to my brother. It wasn’t every day one got kidnapped, brought into another country, saved by a spy, and then delivered to an abbey where vampires and witches worked to heal you from the debilitating illness that had haunted you for your entire life.
Sebastian pressed his hand against the back of my neck, gently pushing my head against his chest. He brushed a feather-soft kiss over my lips. “We won’t leave.”
He slid down the wall, his wings bursting out of his back and drawing around us like a blanket as he settled on the ground.
I yawned once. Then again. Did my body not understand my need to remain alert? Sleep had to wait. I tried to fight it but after a few minutes of Sebastian rubbing my arms and back in soothing motions, my eyes slipped shut. This time, they refused to open at my command. One day, my body would no longer bend to the mortal requirements of sleep, allowing me to remain alert all day and night without the constraints of rest.