Sapphire Falls (The Lost Realm #2)

38. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Kyla

K yla raced back to Orofine. The heartbeat of Rue’s fox form grew weaker with the beat of her elk’s hooves through the snow. While she could practice healing using tinctures, salves, and care, she couldn’t save someone through her essence. Sticky blood turned her white fur coat crimson. Rue had splinters embedded throughout her thick coat, but from what Kyla could tell, only a few of the wood shards punctured her flesh. It was bad enough for her to lose blood, but Kyla prayed that it wasn’t going to kill her.

Her prayers to the Goddess hadn’t come naturally off her tongue lately. She found herself daily praying to Mother Althea less and less as she watched her soulmate mourn the loss of his bear, and the shame of his house arrest. Yet now, she prayed with a fervency that she hadn’t experienced since Garnel was near death.

She couldn’t lose this young friend who’d become so dear to her over the course of a few short months. Rue brought laughter and light to her day that she hadn’t experienced many times in her life.

When she reached the hidden door to Hyacinth’s private rooms, she slid off her elk, telling her to find Jay as she carried the weakening bundle in her arms. Up the stairs she ran until she pounded on Hyacinth’s door.

Hyacinth opened it immediately, and Kyla walked into her cozy healing room to see the other Bayberry healer, Maud, joining Hyacinth for tea. In all that had happened over the weeks, Kyla had completely forgotten about the woman, and whether she’d been punished by Savine for not healing Avery properly.

Perhaps she, like many others from Jasper’s regime, had been quietly dismissed. She was proud of how her brother was handling the transition to power. Trusting Darby’s judgment on who was staunchly loyal to Jasper and who could be swayed into serving Savine. The interviews that Garnel and Raikin had conducted in the first month while Kyla was in Nephel seemed to attest to what Darby had said.

Hyacinth hurried to Kyla’s side, taking the small bundle into her arms. Her little friend hardly felt like she was still with her.

“It’s Rue. There was an attack on the King and Queen, and Rue got between the blast.”

Hyacinth jumped. “Oh dear! Maud, I’ll need your help when the other injuries arrive. Prepare the side rooms for patients.”

Kyla shook her head. “Rue was the only injury. Avery formed that barrier again to protect us and it shielded the others from harm. I think Rue was too far ahead to be protected from the blast.”

“Would you like my assistance?” Maud asked.

Hyacinth shook her head, hurrying the fox to the bed.

“I will leave you to your patient then. Again, thank you for your time, Hyacinth.”

Hyacinth gave a quick shake of her arm, waving the woman off. “You’ll do well to return to our folk. It’s been too long.”

She turned to Kyla as the door clicked shut behind Maud. “I’ll try to heal her in her fox form. If she shifts with these injuries she could cause serious damage.”

Kyla knew a thing or two about injured shifter fae, after fighting side by side with them for twenty-five years. They had to heal in the form they were injured in, or shifting could lead to dire consequences. It was hard enough on a shifter’s essence to switch forms, but when their body was healing it could be a death sentence.

Kyla watched, always in awe of how the Bayberry healers worked. How they deftly handled tinctures and essence seamlessly at one time, bringing swift healing to an injured fae. She realized she was holding her breath as she waited for a sign that Rue was healing.

“There,” said Hyacinth in a confident tone. “She’s healing as she should. Her wounds were hard on the small body of her fox form. A few broken ribs, a broken hind leg, and a deep puncture on the same leg, but her body was very receptive to healing.”

“So she’ll make a full recovery?” Kyla asked, a wave of relief washing over her.

“Yes. She’ll be good as new soon. Should be able to shift after she rests. I did feel something… unexpected. Did you know Rue has met her soulmate?”

Kyla shook her head. Rue hadn’t said anything to her about meeting her mate yet. “There’s a bond and I felt a tug on it. I don’t think it’s been completed, but the soulmate on the other side must have felt Rue’s pain through the bond.”

Kyla thought about the folk she’d seen Rue interact with. She couldn’t think who this soulmate could be, not unless they weren’t Latian. A Nepheli?

“Whoever it is, I hope that they can feel her stabilizing. Even before the bond is accepted, it’s a cruel thing to know that one’s soulmate is in distress,” Kyla said.

Hyacinth shrugged. “I’m nearly four-hundred and fifty years old and I’ve yet to feel the bond.”

It happened, Kyla knew, but she couldn’t help but feel pity for Hyacinth. She wasn’t like her father, who would have never deserved to have a soulmate. Or her mother, who seemed accepting of her lot in life as the queen to a cruel king. But why should Hyacinth be denied the one to whom her soul calls?

“Do you ever wonder if your soulmate is on the other side of the portal?” Kyla prevented herself from saying “was” but the words almost slipped off her tongue. Human lives were so short. What if her soulmate had died three hundred years ago, never making it to her realm as Avery had? What if countless fae without mates were mateless because their human soulmate was on the wrong side of the portal?

Hyacinth let out a harsh chuckle. “That would be my fate. Denied my human soulmate.”

The click of the door brought Kyla and Hyacinth’s attention to the other side of the room. Avery stepped into the space, black blood splatter on her face and furs. Kyla moved to her, taking Avery’s hands in hers. She couldn’t sense an injury, but Avery was distraught.

“Are you hurt? Was there another attack?”

Avery’s face was ashen as she spoke in low tones. “No, I’m not hurt. I killed the Hunter. I just feel a bit shocked from it, I think. How is Rue?”

“She’s resting, but will recover,” Kyla replied.

Hyacinth moved closer, taking one of Avery’s hands as both women guided her to a chair. Kyla stepped back as Hyacinth gave Avery a quick assessment.

“Deep magic. Did you draw it from the ground yourself?” Hyacinth asked as she put a kettle on the stove and took out three mugs. Kyla took a seat, her aching feet needed the rest awhile ago. Other than some nausea, she’d felt few changes as her body adjusted to pregnancy.

“Savine and I found a relic. I don’t know if the Hunter knew it was there, or if it was a coincidence. When I touched the relic I was filled with deep magic.” She shook her head. “I couldn’t stop it from happening. It was like a drug when it hit my blood.” Kyla could feel the disgust in Avery’s emotions. She was disappointed in herself for something, but Kyla couldn’t understand what it was.

“Can you describe the relic?” Hyacinth asked, and Avery described the small wooden bowl hidden in the heart of a tree.

Hyacinth sorted herbs into the different cups, choosing what each woman needed before she poured piping hot water over the herbs. “Long ago, long before Rylo sat on the throne of Nephel, I spent years studying the ancient magic and medicine of the witches at the Nepheli libraries. I read once that deep magic will take on the qualities of the object it uses and can respond more strongly to those whose magic naturally aligns with it. Perhaps the wooden bowl called to you in a way that you did not anticipate.”

Kyla thought about the necklace Avery wore the night of her father’s death. How Avery had felt nothing from that necklace, yet she’d been able to access deep magic through the roots of an aspen tree. “Remember the necklace? The deep magic wouldn’t call to you. We’ll need to work on your control so you are not always overcome when you touch a relic.”

Avery nodded. “Yeah, I think you’re right. But for now I’d like to practice my control without using deep magic. It was intense, and to feel that after Savine’s life was threatened… Something in me snapped. I couldn’t let that man live, not after he tried to hurt Savine.”

Hyacinth strained the herbs from the tea cups and handed Avery and Kyla their cups of tea.

Kyla knew what Avery meant. She too had taken lives when someone threatened Garnel. “It may sound strange to you, but it’s natural for soulmates to react so intensely.”

“Avery, here’s a draught to calm your nerves and remove the excess magic. Kyla, a fortifying blend for yourself and the babe,” Hyacinth said, then she took a long drink from her own tea cup.

Avery stared down into her cup. “It may be normal for fae to act that way, but it’s not typical human behavior. Acting that way in my world would get me life in prison.”

Hyacinth startled in her seat, and Kyla couldn’t keep her own surprise from her face. “Could you imagine how many mates would be imprisoned if they were locked away for acting on their instincts!” Hyacinth snorted. “How strange it must be in your world, Avery!”

Avery shook her head. “There’s no reason for people to go around killing others because nobody is threatening anyone. At least not normally.”

Kyla couldn’t imagine it, this peaceful land. “That is not how the Hunter, Kinlon, made your realm sound.”

Avery shrugged, changing the subject. “What I really don’t understand is how I found a relic that wasn’t even the one we were looking for. Do you think there’s actually a bone relic too?”

Kyla took a long draught of her tea. “If so, that would give us three if we could find the bone.”

A small shrieking sound came from the table and Kyla looked to see Rue stirring. She let out a foxish bark as she continued to slumber, kicking her small legs in her sleep.

Avery cooed at the sight of Rue running in her sleep. “When she’s in this form it’s so easy for me to forget that she’s a fae and not a fluffy, friendly little fox. But seriously, look how cute she is kicking her paws like that!”

Hyacinth let out a hard laugh. “Never tell a shifter that, Avery, if you value your tongue! They may very well cut it out for such an offensive statement.”

A bang came from the door before it swung open, surprise and fear bubbling forth in Avery and Hyacinth. Kyla leaped up from her seat, toppling her tea cup to the floor where it smashed into pieces.

Dark clouds, like a stormy night’s sky filled the room. Avery screamed and Kyla saw her lift her arms to protect them. Before she could cast a protective barrier around them, Kyla saw who stood in the doorway. A dark winged fae with feathers the color of ravens and skin like ebony. Her black dress flowed around her as the clouds spun in an unnatural wind.

“Where is she? Where is my mate?” and Kyla recognized the voice, clear and raging with anger.

Selene.