Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1

84. Schemers

Laying straight on the forest floor, green-colored energy shrouded him intently as would the flames of a fire hungrily gouging the remains of its fallen victim, but as slow as a process as healing was, in her eyes, Simon's condition did show signs of improvement, even if the most he could do was give a weak smile and a fragile nod of the head to confirm as much. But it was working; Fearne's healing magic was working.

Even still, the girl realized she hadn't the joyous opportunity to savor that feeling of accomplishment—of knowing that her Gift was the reason someone important to her hadn't yet taken his final breath in this world—as a Medical Mage's job was never done until their patient looked the same as they did before succumbing to their illness, or, in this case, an injury.

Fearne's Thistle Wand remained steady in her hand she had raised over Simon, his bloodied frame slowly rising and falling as he inhaled slowly. He looked different without his glasses, his rather elongated face possessing a sharpness to it that would perhaps go unappreciated on account of the pair of glasses that usually sat front and center on the bridge of his nose. Simon's typically well-kempt dark hair had splattered into disarray, strands of it strewn over his forehead covered in beads of sweat.

And his dark-colored eyes were narrowed in a constant, pained squint, that strained scowl rippling across his features. Fearne, perched beside him with concern, urged him softly to remain as still as possible. As she'd absorbed from her Abjuration Class, as well as the training her parents put her through, that any unnecessary movement could disturb the spell's effectiveness, and given Simon's condition, she couldn't risk jeopardizing his chances of survival.

Motion above her drew Fearne's gaze to her trio of titan veladora snaptrappers, who had been instructed to monitor their area for any potential threats; Fearne wasn't entirely positive that they understood her, more so, she believed that they could sense her emotions and thoughts. Nevertheless, the bloodthirsty plants with silverish globs of slime dripping out of their mouth filled with fangs kept alert, flinching at every sound and Melody Glyph Forest offered.

On the one hand, it was reassuring that she had the plants to rely on, but on the other, Fearne had summoned them while she'd been consumed by the Hidden Melody, a natural piece of music that no longer pranced into her ears. In fact, she couldn't detect any of the Melodies, not since Adeline had left her to watch over Simon.

The snaptrapper towering to her right made a gargling sound and shifted its sightless glare to the far side of the clearing, and almost instinctually, Fearne found herself doing the exact same, shooting her wide eyes to where the carnivorous plant was searching. A wave of wind washed over the scenery, fluttering the seas of grass and flowers, rustling the thigh-high shrubbery that stood at the gateway of the shadowy depths of the forest, branches of the mighty galbora trees swaying and aching above them all.

As far as Fearne could tell, there was nobody there, and neither had there been anyone five minutes earlier when her snaptrappers mistook a flock of birds as a potential threat or even fifteen minutes prior when two of the plants began growling at a cluster of stellarium, more than likely fooled into thinking their reflections were an approaching enemy. If nothing else, they made for efficient bodyguards, yet not even their monstrous efforts could quell the anxiety flowering inside of her.

That sulmo Adeline, Fearne thought frustratedly. Why did she have to leave me here like this? We're supposed to be looking out for one another. How could she be so reckless? Adeline Griffith hailed from a long line of State Sorcerers, her father—Keith Griffith—acting as the current general of the Incantian Military itself. What must he have instilled in his daughter for her to act so irrationally brave? The desire to do the honorable thing? Fighting to save those she deemed as weaker?