Curse of Blades (Blades #1)

Chapter 20

[Note: This was originally included in Curse of Blades: Book 2, but as of July 28th, 2021, I began combining the 3 Curse of Blades books into a single one.]

Somehow, Myri was not surprised by who her patient was for her first emergency healing. His room had been closer than the healing room, so they had the luxury of privacy, which allowed Sara to practically throw Wildas out of the room. The prince was close to distraught and refused to leave until Sara grabbed his arm and removed him from the room, shutting the door in his face. Myri wished she had been a bit more understanding, but they definitely didn't need him pacing the room the whole time they were working.

That still left the Second King, who was trying to stay out of their way while still holding Coulta's left wrist.

"If I let go of him, he'll die," Shelton told Sara when she gave him a stern look. "I'm using magic to sustain his life force. I don't think his wound is as much a problem as the fact that he drained himself."

"What happened?" Sara demanded as she cut Coulta's shirt away from the ugly arrow wound on his left shoulder. "Myri, is that water heated yet?"

"Almost," Myri replied. She'd had to jam the metal bowl into the dying embers when she realized there was no wood to stoke the hearth with.

"I'm not completely sure what happened," Shelton explained. "We were near the trees outside the city. He noticed something as we were preparing to leave. That's when we were attacked. Coulta put a shield on Wildas, but not himself. I had been working with him on his magic the whole time we were out there, so he shouldn't have been able to use that much power. Coupled with the injury, he ended up collapsing after only moments."

The water was finally heated and Myri got a cloth from Sara to dip in the water. Sara had her clean the wound while Shelton kept talking.

"The arrow was poisoned. I was able to stop it from doing any damage. Whatever is left in him won't be able to hurt him, if we get him through these next hours. He is going to need the strongest strengthening tea you can make."

"What of the attackers?" Myri asked.

"Dead. Rohan's men made sure of that. We won't know more until more men can be sent out to retrieve the bodies and make a thorough search of the woods. They'll have to start at first light, though, it's too close to dusk and the weather isn't with us. Until then, we're increasing the guards."

Sara leaned over Myri to look at the wound. "At least it didn't get very deep," she muttered to Myri. "The usual healing salve should suffice, wrapped tightly, with the strongest tea, as His Highness recommends."

"Will there be a guard posted at this door?" Myri asked as she took the cloth back to the bowl of water.

"Two," Shelton answered. "I'll be with him until he no longer needs me to sustain him. And I think even the the gods themselves would be hard-pressed to drag Wildas away."

Myri glanced at Coulta, who looked the most peaceful she had ever seen him. There was no pain in his face, just a quiet ease, the look of someone completely oblivious to his condition. Did he look that peaceful when he actually slept? Or did he look as intimidating as he did when he was awake?

Why was she wondering about that?

"Help me bandage him," Sara said suddenly, bringing her from her thoughts.

Myri nodded and went back to the bedside. She had a patient to care for.

***

Shelton had lent strength to other sorcerers and a few members of the royal family who were healing before, but his vigil that night at Coulta's side was the hardest on him. It wasn't only that Coulta's strength needed constant bolstering throughout the night, but that he knew exactly what Coulta was to Wildas. If Coulta didn't get through the night, there would be no consoling the prince.