The Witch and the Tower: Book 1

Poison

"It's too hot..." My body aches as I attempt to sit up. I quickly give up, laying back down, remembering the fight. I turn to see a bandage, but deep in the wound, something disgusting makes its way through my blood. "Those horrible dreams," I mumble, placing my hand over my eyes.

My gaze snaps to the floor when I hear a loud thud and look to see a woman staring at me with large brown eyes. Her body shakes like a leaf as she hurries away. When she collects herself, she opens the door. Long, curly hair stops at her back. "She... She is awake!" She opens the door and yells. I look around and notice I am in an unfamiliar room for the first time.

I hear several footsteps and then a familiar head of blonde locks. With the usual frown on his face. "Iresa, you're not supposed to be in here." Another woman enters behind him.

"I was only trying to...." She speaks softly and looks down at the wooden floor.

The two women look very similar, except her hair is cut to her shoulders, and she glares at me with sharp, amber eyes. "Go help downstairs." I watch the quiet women disappear, but not before catching one last curious glance.

"If you try anything at all. I will kill you." She frowns, sitting uneasily next to me on the small stool.

"You're a friend of the Captains. That much is obvious. Is it customary in Moonbright to always threaten a person with death upon meeting? Or is it just you two?" I laugh, but it quickly turns into a coughing fit, and I turn away from them. "What's wrong with me?"

"A poisoned arrow struck you. I was sure you would die, but your kind certainly finds a way to survive." She pushes on the wound, and I wince. "It's true when they say elves heal faster, but the poison... How is it still so bad?"

"How long was I out?" She doesn't answer; instead, she roughly begins to apply a potent herbal-scented cream on the wound.

"Almost two weeks. Today is the 76th of Getia. You woke only a few times. Enough to drink and nibble but never to speak." He grumbles and seems unhappy about that.

"Hey, watch it!" I hiss and pull away when she presses directly on the sore spots with a satisfied grin.

"Alea... That's unnecessary." He rests a hand on her shoulder. She gives him a fierce stare. "She treated you... You should be extremely thankful." He turns back to me now. I take note of a bandage around his shoulder.

"Treating me or trying to speed up the process." I hold a shaky hand to the still-aching wound. Staring at the strong-willed women. "What did you treat it with?"

"I can do that. If that's what you want." We glare at one another before she hands me a jar filled with a paste. "Flowering Silver leaf, Rogues Ambrosia, Desert thistle, and Nightingale Ash." A robust herbal scent hits me as I open it.

"That's a good mixture. I would add Western Skunk Rye. It smells awful but numbs the pain. Something I think your patients may need." She takes the jar back, standing. "Anyways, this won't work."

"If you have something better, then let's see it. I work with what I have. So you only have yourself to blame for it not working on your kind." She bites her bottom lip and looks as if she is holding back from yelling.

"Yes... Yes. My kind... My kind. It's always my kind." I don't break the stare she holds with me as she begins shaking with anger. Her face turns scarlet, and her lips part to yell. When a large body comes between us, I look away from his firm gaze, and he turns to the woman behind him. She twitches her nose but walks to the door.

"That's enough. You should be more appreciative." His voice sounds strained, and his hand runs through messy blonde locks.

"Oh, and why is that, because against her will, she took me in? Do humans not do anything wrong? Do you all live perfect lives with perfect-" I begin to cough and shake, feeling cold.