“I see you didn’t hesitate to help out,” I said.
“And I see you put my information to good use.” She gestured to Estrid.
“Yes, thanks for that. Now I owe you two.”
Christina smiled, showing straight white teeth, which complemented her olive skin and dark hair. “I’ll remember that the next couple times I’m sick.”
“Deal.” Glancing around, I counted cots. Four more patients than when I’d left. Not bad. “Do you know where Ginger is?”
“She’s resting. We’re sharing her duties.”
“Great. Can you walk me through the patients?”
“Sure.”
We stopped at each patient and Christina explained the person’s injury or illness. Most had minor ailments that the caregivers had already treated. One woman didn’t rouse when we stopped by her cot. A large gash marked her forehead.
“Private Tori hasn’t woken since she arrived yesterday, but she swallows the broth we feed her.”
I rested my fingertips on her neck, feeling her pulse and allowing my magic to flow into her, seeking the sickness. At first it found nothing, but a blackness pumped through her heart and tainted all her organs.
“She’s either been poisoned or she ate Hogs Breath berries,” I said.
“Is she going to die?” Christina asked with alarm.
“Depends. If it’s the berries, then she’ll recover on her own, but if it’s poison then I need to heal her before it gets worse.”
“You’re too fatigued.”
I agreed. Plus I’d shared my energy with Kerrick every night. I considered.
“Can you bring that lantern closer?” I asked Christina.
She hefted it and I checked Tori’s mouth. If she had eaten the pink berries, the seeds might still be stuck in her teeth or the juice might have stained her tongue. Nothing. Perhaps the broth washed them away.
“Have you examined her skin?” I asked.
“Not too closely. We made sure she didn’t have any broken bones or other injuries.”
“Help me remove her shirt.”
We stripped her from the waist up, exposing purplish-red bite marks on her upper arms, br**sts and shoulders. She hadn’t been bitten hard enough to break the skin, which was why Christina had missed it.
Christina covered her mouth. Her eyes wide. “Do you think she’s been...”
“I hope not.”
Rolling her over, we removed her pants and undergarments. More bite marks lined her legs and hips, but after a quick check, it didn’t appear that she’d been raped. Thank the Flea! But she had been poisoned. An ugly puncture wound on her thigh oozed pus and blood.
“What’s this?” Christina pointed to a black mark in the middle of Tori’s back.
It was a tattoo of a skull wearing a crown of bones. Horror welled as I guessed the significance. The Skeleton King. He must have captured Private Tori.
I explained my suspicions to Christina. “I have to heal her so she can tell us what happened.” My magic surged through her, cleaning the poison from her body and drawing the power into me.
Christina grabbed my elbow, steadying me. “You should lie down.”
“No. Take me outside.” I hated to bother Kerrick, but if my strength failed, I’d need his energy.
I leaned on Christina. A few inches shorter than me, her left shoulder fit right under my arm. As we passed the fire, Odd sprang to his feet. He supported my other side. The world spun.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
Christina answered, but her words faded into a buzzing noise. Black-and-white spots swarmed around me like flies. My legs refused to hold my weight. Then fresh air roused me for a moment.
Odd’s voice cleared. “...doesn’t make sense, it’s warmer inside... Oh.”
The sweet smell of spring sunshine engulfed me. I sank into it.
* * *
“...message for me,” Ryne said. “Private Tori remembers being tortured by the Skeleton King. He grilled her on our defenses and locations and when she refused to answer, he’d bite and lick her, claiming he was tasting her. An effective method. She eventually told him all she knows.” He sounded defeated.
“Did she learn anything about his forces?” Kerrick asked.
“They blindfolded her, so she doesn’t remember much about where she was or details about his troops. Her patrol had been assigned to sweep down near the border with Tobory and Sectven Realms. I didn’t expect them to encounter any trouble. The Skeleton King is much closer than my estimate.”
Another problem to deal with. I wondered if I kept my eyes closed, maybe all our problems would go away. I ached from head to toe. Cocooned in softness and warmth, I considered giving into the desire to return to sleep.
“Once Avry’s recovered, I can scout for you and find out exactly where the Skeleton King’s been hiding,” Kerrick said.
Oh, no. He wasn’t going anywhere. My eyes wouldn’t open so I reached out through the blankets, blindly seeking Kerrick.
“Avry? Can you hear me?” he asked, clasping my hand. His magic tingled along my skin.
My throat refused to work. I nodded instead.
“You’ve absorbed a very potent poison. It will take some time for all your senses to return.”
I longed to ask how long, but all I managed was a squeak.
Kerrick’s voice deepened with emotion. “You’ve been sick for three days. You struggled just as bad as when you healed Belen.”