Page 15 of A Healer's Wrath

“Irina.” Her voice was barely loud enough to hear.

I decided to barrel forward. “I can Heal your Master, though I sense someone has already done an excellent job mending his wounds.”

Irina shot to her feet. “I . . . I don’t know what happened. I didn’t mean to—”

“Irina, breathe easy. Please.” I raised a palm. “Listen to me, child. You did nothing wrong. In fact, what you did was wonderful. I am here to help you . . . understand, to help you celebrate.”

“Celebrate? What are you talking about?” Her voice grew stronger as anger mingled with her words. “My master is close to death. There will be no celebrating in these halls for some time.”

I stepped forward and took Rist’s hand in mine. Irina jerked forward, but I held her back with a quick glance. Keeping my eyes locked on hers, I called my magic, and a warm glow bloomed. The Light swelled until it flowed from my palm into Rist, illuminating his entire form.

“Stop!” Irina lurched forward. “What are you doing to him?”

The glow faded, and Rist’s eyes fluttered open.

“Irina? Where—? What happened?” He tried to sit up, but Irina threw herself to his side and pressed her hands to his shoulders.

“Oh, no you don’t. I just got you pieced back together. You need to rest,” Irina said, the steel of a physiker’s backbone ringing in her admonition.

Rist let his head fall back onto the pillow, but his eyes narrowed as he studied her. He chuckled, though his mirth grew into an uncomfortable rumble punctuated by a fit of coughing.

“Was I not clear? You need to relax . . . I mean . . . Master.” Irina frowned. “What’s so funny?”

“How you have grown, my girl.” His smile brightened the room. “So strong and fierce. You will be the Kingdom’s finest physiker one day.”

She stared, appearing frozen by the magic of his words. I thought it ironic how powerful those spoken by one without magic could carry so potent an impact.

Irina released his shoulders and resumed her seat by his bedside. Her eyes searched the man. She struggled to maintain the scrutiny of his gaze—until a tiny curl crept into the corner of her mouth, and Rist’s coughing laughter rang through the room once more.

I stepped forward and pressed my fingers to his arm. My magic flared, and Rist drifted into a peaceful sleep.

“Hey! Why’d you do that?” Irina’s hand shot forward and grabbed the Master’s wrist.

“He’s fine, Irina. I helped him sleep. That is all.” I glanced about the room. “Is there somewhere private we can chat? I would rather not be interrupted by others coming to check on your Master.”

Irina glared, as though deciding how far she could trust me, then looked down at Rist. His breathing was steady, and color had returned to his face. He looked peaceful.

Irina nodded once. “We can use his study. It is as insulated from prying ears as anywhere in this building.”

Hours later, Gareth and I stood in the circle before the other Mages.

“She’s exceptional—keen intelligence, strong, inquisitive. She will be an excellent addition to our number when she accepts who she is,” I reported.

“What in damnation were you thinking?” Tasha’s rage echoed off the rounded stone walls. “We agreed you could find her. What gave you the right to make contact without—”

“Tasha,” Gareth cut in, “Kelså faced a rapidly evolving situation.”

“Rapidly evolving, my ass. The man wasn’t dying. The girl had stabilized him.”

“He was not out of danger,” I said. “I had to Heal him enough to—”

“You what?” Elric boomed. His knuckles gripped the arms of his chair so tightly I could almost see bone through his whitened skin. “You exposed yourself?”

“No, my gown remained on my shoulders.” I knew my quip for a mistake the moment it left my lips.

“And now you mock us.” Tasha glared at the Grand Mage. “Johann, this cannot go unpunished.”

“Punished?” Gareth spat. “One of our number Healed a prominent man, one in the favor of the King and Queen of Spires, and you want her punished? She soothed a new Mage, the first we have seen in how long? She prepared her to accept us, to accept herself, and you want what? To bind her power? To throw her in a dungeon? To flay her at dawn?”