25

G E O R G I E

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The old healer's overgrown chamber lay on the lower floors of the pack house and was guarded by two soldiers of our pack. The pretty islander had deliberately not been admitted to the health wing with all other injured pack members, since she primarily remained an intruder and thus posed a danger to the pack.

I've been sitting on this uncomfortable little wooden stool for an hour now and I still don't quite know why I was actually here. Perhaps it was the need to convince myself that my healing had taken hold of her? Or the thought that she was lying there all alone, without anyone knowing her? Did she have family? Children? A mate?

The islander lying on the long plank next to me let out a low whimper and tossed her head. Delirium held her in its claws. Her forehead was burning hot and her hairline was wet.

The wound I had healed her only the day before yesterday was now completely healed, leaving only a fine scar on the honey-colored skin. Her hazel hair fanned out around her head and the pink flower that had adorned her hair now lay on the table next to her, the petals wilted.

I took the washcloth off her forehead, dunked it in the wooden kettle next to me, and wrung it out. In the background the bursting of bubbles could be heard, which formed again and again the many elixirs babbling in front of them. The long maple table swarmed with various bowls, dried flowers, medicinal plants, and potions. It looked like a grim old witch's den.

"He'll find me," said a dry, tight voice.

The rag slipped from my hand and splashed into the cauldron. The werewolf kicked her legs and the white sheet knotted between her feet.

"He'll find me," she murmured, her almond-shaped eyes squeezed shut. Then she whimpered in panic. "Help. Help!"

I sat down close to her. "Who will find you?"

Her eyes moved frantically beneath her songs. “He... He will find us all... Oh God!”

I leaned over her, gritting my teeth to keep from yelling at her. "Who? Who are you talking about?"

Their songs flickered. A pained expression on her face. "M-Monster. He's a monster. So dangerous.”

"His name." I wanted to shake her. Instead, I clutched the sheets with my wet hands. "Tell me his name."

"TT..." Her teeth chattered as she fell into a chill. She made a face. "Death-dd-bringer."

My hands, clutching the sheets so tightly, went numb. My stomach turned. "Who is this Deathbringer?"

"Selva." Her body trembled. Her head banged restlessly from side to side. “Se-elva. He is-is-is in Se-e-elva.”

"Hades? Is Hades behind this?” Say it! Say it! I grabbed her shoulders. "Tell me!"

I flinched as her hand wrapped around my arm and her nails dug into my skin. She stared at me with wide, purple eyes. “He has terrible plans. So terrible! Be careful, you have to take care of yourself! He called her. He found out and she-"

"Georgie, what are you doing?"

she let me go Her head fell into the pillows and her eyes rolled up. Then violent convulsions attacked them. My hands fell from her shoulders and I backed away. My pulse was racing as I turned to Arya. "Nothing. I just wanted to check on her."

Arya's gaze slid to the woman next to me, whose shiver had now gripped her entire limbs. 'She needs a blanket. Fast! I will summon the Healer."

I rummaged through the wooden cabinets, covering the weakened and feverish healer werewolf, whose lips were turning bluish. The activities grounded me, distracted me from the dark shadows that clung to me and wanted to pull me back into the past.

Arya, who had been yelling for the healer down the hall so loud the whole pack house could hear, came up to me a few seconds later with the healer on my heels. She put the stool down next to me and sat down. The healer scurried from one simmering elixir to the next on her workbench, trickling various liquids into the wooden bowl in her hand. After she had mixed in some herbs unknown to me, she hurried to us and poured her remedy into the wolf.

The chills subsided and after a while the fever also went down.

'Keep an eye on her for a while. If her condition worsens again, call me,” the healer said before disappearing to go about her business.

I pulled the two blankets up to her chin, adjusted her pillow and made sure she was comfortable. My hands trembled. "You live with werewolves, you know that, don't you?"

I heard Arya cross her legs. "What does that mean?"

“We're not quite so deaf that you have to scream your vocal cords sore for us to hear you. We have good ears.” I bent down, fished the washcloth out of the cauldron, and wrung it out. Just keep going, Georgie.

"You know you just insulted your queen," Arya said pointedly, waiting for me to hand her the rag. Then she placed it on the wolf's warm forehead. "And your Tazim."

I sank onto the stool a little stiffly and forced a smile. "I like you too."

"Don't forget about practice tonight," Arya reminded me, dodging my confession. But I saw the small smile on her lips.

"I will not. After all, the exam is in four days.” I rubbed my hands dry on the black pants I'd fished out of the cardboard box this morning. Now that I had shipped enough clothes to Beau's house, I no longer have a valid reason to wear his clothes. Good on one hand, because let's admit it, I just looked awful in it. On the other hand, I liked his smell on my skin.

"Something happened? Earlier I mean?” Arya asked me. "Did she say something?"

Yes, oh yes. She had said several things. I shuddered. A monster, she had spoken of a monster. A monster that was very dangerous.

"Georgie, did she say something?"

“Uh no. No she did not. Just incomprehensible mumblings.” I blurted out of my own accord and shook my head. "Why do you ask?"

Arya stood and tucked one of her fine braids behind her ear. "It can happen in delirium."

I wrung my hands. "Is that true then? The said?"

"Not necessarily," she said. "Mostly hallucinations, dreams and delusions."

I nodded. But was that it? A hallucination? Nothing more than a bad dream? Hades had not been a dream. I remembered only too well how he had raised his hand. How my body had flown against the cell walls. The silver iron bar pressed against my face. My skin burned. The scar on my temple tingled. "Who is the Deathbringer?" I choked out.

“The Todbriner?”

I looked up from my hands and looked at Arya. "Yes, what does that name tell you?"

Arya frowned thoughtfully. "Not much. Nothing really, to be honest. I'm not very well read when it comes to legends. Reah is, but she's not here and Zaira just picked up her son from daycare, which means Aramis is nowhere to be found either."

I debated whether I should tell her my guess. That Hades was behind it. That he hunted us, thirsty for revenge.

"Can you keep a secret?" she then asked me.

I swallowed the words that were already on the tip of my tongue. She would think I was crazy. A girl who couldn't get over her demons, who couldn't tear herself away from the past. That wasn't strong enough. I nodded. "Sure."

“Xenos is in his study right now. You should stop by there."

I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud. "Xenos? No joke?"

She pointed her finger at me. "Be silent, no dying word may come out of this mouth, otherwise I'm as good as dead."

I raised my hands in obedience. "You have my word." Xenos, our king, was fond of thick rotting books? I would have laughed my ass off if the upcoming trip to his office hadn't scared me so much.

Just a dream. A hallucination.

But why didn't I let go of the queasy feeling that it was far more than a harmless delusion?