Healer's Touch (Deadly Touch #1) [Complete]

Chapter 14: A Whole New Country

Alvaro stirred around mid-morning but stayed resting until lunch time. When he made an appearance in the dining hall he moved stiffly and ate little.

They stayed together as a group through most of the day and went nowhere as anything less than a pair. Despite being confined to a ship, they never saw Braph. This was disconcerting, because Llew was certain he was watching them all the time; he was watching her all the time.

The sun shone from an almost cloudless sky and what wind there was remained high and gentle enough not to bother the passengers. Word from the sailors was that they were making good progress and might even arrive in Rakun half a day early. Llew was ambivalent about the news. On the one hand, she was looking forward to arriving in Rakun, since Anya would be safe, and the city sounded exciting. On the other, she was apprehensive about leaving the ship, finding comfort in the thought that Braph had to conserve his power. Chances were good he wouldn't attack again. But the thought wasn't enough to let her relax when bedtime came round again. She lay awake, tensing at the slightest sound, and Anya clearing her throat, or Emylia scratching her nose, nearly had Llew jumping for the ceiling.

Anya slipped from her bunk.

"You alright?" Llew asked into the darkness.

"Yes," Anya whispered, her voice light, barely touched by sleep. "Just restless."

Llew linked her fingers behind her head, heaved a sigh and waited for sleep to come.

Metal slid over wood. Llew's knife, the one Jonas had given her before Cassidy was injured, was lying on a wooden set of drawers between the two bunks in the little room. Llew tensed. What was Anya doing?

Feathered bedding crackled and Emylia gasped and Llew was out of her own bed and on the floor in an instant. Wet material tore, and there was another cushioned thump and a gasp, weaker than the first.

It was too dark to see, and Llew flailed her arms before her until she found the frilly form of Anya. The other girl's arms rose, and Llew visualized her brandishing the knife over Emylia. Suddenly, the earlier sounds made sense. She grabbed Anya and pulled her away, staggering back to the door. Anya continued mindlessly swinging the knife, as if Emylia still lay before her.

There were no lamps lining the corridor, all having been doused for the night as a precaution: but now lamps were being ignited one after the other as sailors made their way toward them. Jonas grabbed one of the newly lit lamps before rushing to Llew and her captive. He snatched the knife from Anya, and she fell limp in Llew's grasp.

"Emylia!" Llew said, and Jonas lifted the lamp into the room.

Blood pooled on the woman's bedding.

"What's happened?" demanded Aris as he strode from the men's room with Cassidy behind him. Cassidy saw Llew lowering the unconscious Anya and hurried toward them.

"Aris, stop." Jonas stepped back into the corridor. "It's Emylia."

"Is she—"

"She's alive," Jonas said, before dropping his voice. "But it's not good."

Llew's first instinct was to dash into the room and heal Emylia, but Jonas's warning shake of the head stopped her cold. She felt helpless, more so than if she had been powerless.

"Llew—"

"Aris." Jonas stepped between Aris and Llew. "You said yourself, Braph's tryin' to weaken us."

Aris puffed up and started to raise one arm, like he was going to brush Jonas aside and defy his own warning. Then his shoulders slumped, and he nodded. His eyes glistened, and again Llew felt the urge to go into the room and heal Emylia.