Page 59 of Lies That Blemish
Hopefully not because he wasn’t a good healer.
I watched as he scanned his hands over Elaine’s body, grimacing as he did. His fox creature walked up and down the side of Elaine’s body, sniffing as she went. The irony that Elaine had lost Vespa, her fox, only to hopefully be healed by a man with a fox creature was not lost on me.
The man began to hum, a pretty rhythmic sound, and I watched in fascination as small threads of white silver light left his fingers and went into Elaine’s body. I glanced over at Valor to see if she could see it too, and her jaw was dropped open. Everyone’s was. It looked like his gift was similar to hers, and thank the stars for that.
‘He’s also using sound to help heal,’Liana told me as she watched the man curiously.
I didn’t know what that meant. I didn’t care, so long as it meant Elaine would survive.
Kohen picked up the white letter from the ground and approached me, pulling me off to the side to speak privately. His voice filled with compassion. “This will take a while. He works slowly, but he’s the best healer we have.”
I nodded, taking the letter, knowing I had to not only worry about Elaine but also Victory.
Whatever was in this letter would be some type of ransom or demand for her, and I had to deal with that.
“Do you want my brothers to fly your sisters to Sorak and keep them safe?” Kohen asked, pulling me from my thoughts. “No one will look for them there.”
Take them out of Amersea? I hadn’t even thought about that.
I met his eyes and saw so much compassion there. But something else, too, something that scared me.
Sadness.
Why was he sad? What did he know?
“Did you see her die, Kohen?” I asked. “Just tell me.”
He shook his head. “I think she makes it out. I’ve seen her in future visions.”
I frowned. “Then why do you look so sad?”
He gestured to the letter in my hands. “Why don’t you read that? Let’s focus on Victory. I’m going to have my brothers take your sisters to Sorak, okay? I think that’s best.”
He was treating me a bit like I couldn’t think for myself, and I was starting to wonder if I couldn’t. Was I in shock? I felt frozen, and it honestly was a relief to have someone to lean on who could make decisions right now.
Why hadn’t I read the letter yet? Why didn’t I tear it open and start barking orders and rallying the troops to get my sister back?
“Okay,” I said, trying to fight through the grief and panic that were clawing their way inside my body.
I told my sisters to go with Arjun and Tej and that Elaine was going to be fine. They happily obliged. It seemed like they would do anything to get out of here. Virtue sat behind Valor on Zara, and they left. Seeing the three dragons fly off into the sky made me question if I was making a mistake.
“Won’t your people hurt them if they find out who they are?” I asked.
Kohen looked offended. “My people don’t have the same prejudices as yours.”
Ouch.
But he was right. Maybe his people were more forgiving and accepting than mine. Maybe they saw my sisters as separate from my father and me. I hoped so. Because Imbria might be the only safe place for them now.
I looked up at Kohen and then at the letter. “I’m scared to open it.”
What if it said they killed her? What if it said they stuck her head on a spike on the Wall? I felt paralyzed at the thought.
Kohen peered over his shoulder at the healer, who was still humming and waving his hands over Elaine, weaving silver strings up and down her body.
Kohen pulled me aside even farther so that the tree was mostly blocking us, and then he took me into his arms. When the weight of his body crushed against me, I finally let myself relax. The buzzing shock that had me frozen this whole time melted into pure panic and grief.
“Elaine is like my mother,” I whispered against his neck.
