Flame of Frost (The Caelestian Chronicles: Book #1)

Chapter 25 - A Rose of Various Petals

"Caelestian poison. Must be removed, especially from the undead." Alacritas breathes, as the guards push the stretcher, taking us to healers or whatever. We all stride after them.
Austin winces once in a while, twisting himself on the stretcher.
Finally, we walk through a door and into a section which is plain white. No decoration, no shine, nothing.

"Emma, we need you here. Emergency." Alacritas announces. The common name catches me off guard.

A blonde woman turns to our direction, dressed in a simple white shirt and trousers. "What is it— oh, Your Majesty." The stretcher gets joint in an empty stand.

"His hand has been cut by a Caelestian dagger." Alacritas turns his palm.

The bloodless cut makes the woman stumble back. "A lamia..." she mutters, almost inaudible.

"I know, I know!" Alacritas counters, looking genuinely worried. "He is important."
I look at Austin's face. He is nearly unconscious.

Emma purses her lip, and nods. "But I don't know how to heal the undead."

"They can heal themselves — Austin, child?" The Queen touches his forehead. "Can you heal yourself?"

He nods slightly. "B-but the poison..."

"Yes, yes, I know. Emma, you have to remove the poison."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Who's dagger was it?"

"Alaster Doyle."

The healer gasps, storming away for supplies.

"L-lex," Austin says, extending his good hand.

My heart skips from the weakness and pain reflecting in his voice. I clutch his hand with mine. "Yes, Austin?"

His irises turn red and any trace of the scent of water lilies is wiped away. "If any-th-thing happens to me—"

"Shut up!" I cry out in fear.

He blinks in shock.

"Nothing will happen to you. You'll be fine."

He winces, closing his eyes. "Ok-kay."

Emma comes back with a tray overflowing with supplies and an assistant. "Wipe the wound, I'll draw the poison back," she tells the small, lanky guy, handing him a pack of cotton balls.
The guy trembles at the look of the wound. Nonetheless, he soaks the cotton in a blue liquid and uses a pair of tweezers to clean the wound.

Austin hisses through his teeth, his grip on my hand tightening.

The cotton comes back stained golden.
Golden Caelestian poison. Red Lamian poison.
I tuck the information away in my brain.

Emma fills three syringes with different medicines and arranges them, probably in serial order. "Charley! Bring a pack of activated charcoal."

"In a sec!" A voice that belongs to Charley replies. The ginger haired guy rushes to her with a small pack filled with jet black capsules. "Here."