Until the Last Drop of My Blood (The Legends Saga #1)

Chapter 8

Astrid brought me to my supposed chamber, a surprise considering I expected to be kept in a cell like the one they had me in during the interrogation.

To my astonishment, Astrid led me to a room that looked medieval. An ornate bed with intricate carvings and rich fabric drapes dominated the space. Floating candles and lamps illuminated the room, casting shadows on walls adorned with tapestries. A platter with apples, figs, and a bread roll lay on a wooden table in the foreground. Though the chamber had no windows, it didn't feel suffocating.

"You truly need to reconsider what Talin said about joining us. I don't think he will let you go anymore, not after your encounter with the swamp spirit," Astrid remarked. She was the same nymph who accompanied me when I was first taken.

I walked inside and sat on the soft mattress. Even without magic, I felt drowsy. "It's not my fault he abducted me and brought me here."

"Fair enough," she replied with a shrug, making me chuckle.

I noticed the tattoos on her brown arms. She wore a brown crop top and a long green skirt with leaf patterns. A brown satchel was strapped around her waist. Astrid rummaged through her satchel and took out an old book.

"Seriously, are you going to read instructions from a book to heal me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She gave me an offended look, "I'm still a practitioner. This isn't just some cookbook. It's my manual!"

I shrugged, "Right, because nothing says 'professional healer' like consulting a spell book."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Excuse me if I prefer not to experiment with random herbs from the 'Mystical Plants for Dummies' guide."

"Fine, but if I end up with three heads or something, I'm blaming you."

She shot me a mock stern look. "Three heads? Fine. You can keep one to argue with me while the other two try to get some sleep."

She raised her index finger to trace a circular pattern in the air. The book floated, its yellowed pages flipping until it stopped on a page with a strange language I couldn't understand-the language of healers. All healers in the realm came from the kingdom of Valor. Despite strict rules, healers could move between kingdoms freely, unlike other descendants. Though you could use plants to heal injuries, the effectiveness didn't compare to Valor's healers.

"Since he's forcing me to join you, maybe you could tell me what to expect."

Her gaze fell on my scratched arms. My gaze landed on where I stabbed myself. Surprisingly, the wound from stabbing myself was healed, leaving only a tiny scar. She held my arm, and it glowed green. Lichen spread over the scratches and melted into my skin. In a blink, the scratches were gone, and I felt a surge of energy, though I still felt sleepy. "We're trying to retrieve Malik's Obsidian," she revealed, making me freeze.

"What?"

The floating book closed and disappeared into her satchel. Astrid sighed, looking me in the eyes. "You heard it. The Malik's Obsidian."

Cold rushed through my veins as I recalled my older brother rushing home, badly wounded.

"Kalid!" I shouted, rushing to him as he stumbled, blood dripping from his wounds. My shout woke Luke, who also rushed to help, worry clearly on his face.

My hands trembled as we dragged Kalid to a long wooden chair. His eyes were closed, but I felt his heavy breath. His hair was matted with blood. I grabbed the nearest potion from the counter where I usually made concoctions.

"He was in battle!" Luke exclaimed, trying to see what happened to him.

I brought the glass container to Kalid's mouth, and he drank it like a starving child.