Page 94 of A Touch of Poison
He lifted his head, peering up the road. “Not far. Not long.” With a grunt, he staggered as though wrestling some great weight.
It might not be far, but at this rate he wasn’t going to stay on his feet long enough to make it, and I wouldn’t be able to carry him.
I checked my gloves were securely in place and that he wore a thick jacket. That had to be safe, right? I touched my potion bottle to reassure myself it was there before clutching my magic to keep it small. All that in place, I took his arm.
Trembling, he leant on me. Strange to be the strong one in the equation, but then Tenebris-Luminis was a strange place by night or day.
He made a low sound that might’ve been a “thank you” or a “bugger off” but didn’t pull away, and we made quicker progress.
I took the opportunity to examine him more closely. One of the older looking fae I’d seen, as a human, I’d have said he was almost fifty. His pale violet hair could fit Dusk or Dawn, and his grey clothing didn’t help me place him, either.
His jacket was a thick wool but smooth—it probably felt soft, but I couldn’t tell through my glove—and the hems were clean and crisp. His leather shoes shone. Although his hair was messy like it had been cut by an eight-year-old, he looked otherwise well groomed and if not wealthy, then comfortably off.
At the next corner, he dragged on my hold and nodded when we turned. A few houses down, he slowed and pulled a key from his pocket. I helped him inside, but had to stop on the threshold as magic rolled over me, thick and smothering like a blanket.
It took a couple of breaths before I could open my eyes. I went for my pocket, where I’d cut a hole that would let me reach my pistol.
But the fae was bent over the table, dragging in deep breaths, and there was no sign of another soul.
The magic wasn’t an attack but… something else. And maybe I was a fool for entering a strange fae’s home, but he didn’t look in a fit state to attack a plate of food, never mind me.
Beyond the table, a wall of books gave the room a delightfully cluttered feel, and two cosy armchairs sat beside the fireplace. The moon and star decoration surrounding the fireplace answered my earlier question. Dusk Court. My shoulders eased.
A kitchen with cabinets and a stove occupied another wall, so I took the basket over.
“Am I all right to leave you now or…?”
He didn’t respond, just continued his long inhale and long exhale, palms pressed into the table.
Maybe I should keep an eye on him for a minute, just to check he wasn’t about to keel over.
But standing here justlookingat him felt beyond awkward, so I made myself useful unpacking the basket. Aside from pots, pans, and plates, the cupboards were bare.
“Looks like you really needed that shopping trip,” I muttered as I placed the potatoes in a basket in a low cabinet. Perhaps that was what had driven him out of the house even though he was unwell. “I can get you a healer, you know. I was just at the Hall of Healing—it won’t take me long to go back.” The idea made me shudder, but if I had to, I would.
As I picked up a blood-red apple, I had to close my eyes against the sight of my flayed fingers.
Not real. Not real. Not real.
“What do you think?” I straightened and turned.
And found himright there. He grabbed my arm, eyes wide, and I gasped at the biting grip.
“What did she do to you?”
“Don’t touch me.” I yanked, but he was too strong. At least my coat meant he wasn’t touching my skin.
Wait. “What did you—?”
“Uncontrolled magic.” His eyes went even wider and he dropped my arm like I’d burned him.
Heart pounding, I checked my sleeve—the cloth was intact. I hadn’t accidentally poisoned him. “I don’t… I was just trying to help.”
My fingers on my sleeve. But open, flesh exposed to the stinging air. I screwed my eyes shut. Last time, the intrusive memories had mostly faded after a while, but going back in that room had triggered them all coming back. I couldn’t go through the rest of the day seeing that.
“You’re right. You can’t.”
“Did I…?” I covered my mouth. The horror of Elthea’s experiment had me voicing my thoughts—dangerous at the best of times, but here in Elfhame, it had to be worse. Deadly, even.
