Page 49 of These Fractured Bonds

“On it, boss man.” Erick was out of his seat faster than Yareli could say “I.” He dragged her out of the dining room and up the stairs before she could ask more questions.

Right as they reached the top of the stairs, August called out to him. “I almost forgot—contact Hale. We’ll need him for Tuom.”

Erick groaned. “This is why you make yourself scarce at the end of the meeting, Reli. If not, they’ll pile on duties!”

“I heard that.”

“You were meant to hear it, dork,” Erick shot back.

Yareli laughed. “Alright, come on. Let’s take a look inside my mind.”

It was her turn to drag a despairing Erick to her room.

Chapter 18

Ericktutted.Itwasthe tenth time he had tutted in the span of an hour, and Yareli was coming to hate it.

“What?” she snapped.

“You pushed it, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You put two leaves in your tea.” He held his hand up, stopping her from replying. “Don’t deny it. I can tell with one look at your mind.”

“It worked!”

“It was dangerous.”

“It’s dangerous not to remember most of my life.”

“I know you’re impatient, but you need to follow your treatment plan. If you remember something too quickly, you risk permanently damaging the rest. I’ll prepare your tea when we’re together, but if we’re ever separated, promise me you’ll only steep one leaf.”

Yareli pursed her lips, but she knew he was right. She had been reckless. “Fine.”

He motioned for her to settle back against the bed’s headboard. “It’s going to feel a lot more intrusive this time.”

“Can’t you give me something for the pain?” she exclaimed.

He tutted. “No. I need to know your limits. Besides, it’s tricky; pain-relievers for this procedure require a specialty brew that takes a week to complete.”

Yareli glared. “I meant, more like the magical kind, like wave your hand and spell the pain away.”

He chuckled. “You’re in for a rude awakening. Magic isn’t a solution for everything, especially in medicine. While it’s true that I can use magic to close a gaping wound, it is also true that magic doesn’t replenish the blood that was lost. And although the wound was closed, the spot will remain tender because the body remembers the trauma. It’s why we combine magic, potions, and good ol’ first-aid methods.

“That said, I can alleviate any lingering pain after, but I can’t block the pain without putting you under. I’m sorry. The brew should be ready in time for next time. I’ll take care of your pesky, lingering pneumonia while I’m at it.”

Yareli groaned, but she rested her head back and closed her eyes. “Fine!”

The pain was instant, like the beginning of a tension headache. It increased in magnitude until she groaned. Erick sifted through her memories, except this time it was accompanied by a cool, gel-like sensation. The relief was brief; it quickly becamea searing heat that ignited a sharp, blaring pain in her temple. Sweat trickled down her forehead, and she gritted her teeth.Stop.Please stop. The words begged to be uttered, but the longer she held out, the more progress Erick could make.

It slipped from her dry lips anyway. “Stop.”

His presence vanished, and Yareli’s eyes fluttered open. He wore a smile.

“You did great. We’ll talk more after you rest.”

Her heavy eyelids drooped shut, and she fell into sleep’s embrace. Her last thought was of a vaguely familiar curly-haired little boy.