Chapter 18

After another day in the saddle in the dry desert heat, Brea’s arm throbbed beneath the cauterized flesh. It felt tight and hot, and she was restless.

“I thought I perturbed you,” Brea muttered when Lochlan carried her into his tent.

“You do that quite well, Lady Brea. I’ve asked Lewis to make you something to help you sleep.”

“Can you ask him to make an AC unit for the window?”

“We don’t have windows in tents. You’re such an odd girl.” She thought she heard laughter as he laid her on a bedroll for the night.

“No blanket.” She shoved his hand away. “Too hot.”

“Today was a hot day. It will get cooler as we approach the palace.”

“She still awake?” Finn ducked into the tent.

“Unfortunately.” Brea groaned at the pounding in her head.

“I have some medicine for you from Lewis.” Finn crouched beside her and helped her sit up. The simple wooden cup frothed with smoke and smelled like a dead moose’s butt.

“Ugh, I’m not drinking that.”

“Pour it down her throat,” Lochlan ordered.

“Ignore him.” Finn shot him a glare. “It will make you feel better, I promise. And it doesn’t taste as bad as it smells.”

Brea held the cup up to her lips and winced.

“It’s best if you chug it,” Finn said.

Brea took a tentative sip and gagged. “Ugh, that’s worse than it smells, Finn!”

“That’s why I told you to chug it.” He rolled his eyes. “Just pretend it’s wine and don’t stop till you see the bottom of the cup.”

“Fine. But this better make me feel better.” Brea tipped the cup back and choked down the brown smoky concoction. “That was vile.”

Brea burped and smoke flew out of her mouth. She’d normally be embarrassed but a warm fuzzy cloud settled over her.

“Oh, that’s nice.”

Finn helped ease her back onto her bedroll. She stroked his smooth face with her good hand.

“You’re a nice person, Finn. Not like Mr. Grumpy Pants over there with his grunts and scowls.”

Finn chuckled, brushing the sweaty strands of hair from her face. “I know I shouldn’t laugh, but this girl is hilarious.”

“She’s a menace,” Lochlan said.

Brea hummed in satisfaction. “My complements to Mr. Lewis. He should p-put that stuff on t-ap.” She yawned, belched, and fell asleep.

~~~

“No! Myles!” Brea cried out, trying to reach her friend but the police officer refused to let her near him.

“The boy probably won’t survive the ride to the hospital.”

Those words gutted Brea all over again.

“She’s burning up,” Finn’s voice reached her through the fog of her fever.

“Cut her bandages off,” Lochlan ordered.

“Ouch,” Brea muttered as the fabric peeled away from the crusty burned flesh on her arm.

“The wound is infected,” Finn announced. “The medicine should have prevented this.”

“I don’t think my human half liked that stuff,” Brea managed.

She screamed when Lochlan came at her with a knife. He held her down as he slipped the tip under the massive scab on her arm. Infection oozed out, and her stomach churned.

“We have to cool her down.” Lochlan gathered her up in his arms.

“We’re in the middle of the desert, Loch. How are you going to get her temperature down?” Finn followed them out of the tent.

Lochlan handed Brea to Finn and mounted his horse. Reaching down, he took her back into his arms.

“Ugh, no more riding. Take me to see Myles. He’s in the hospital. They can give me a shot of antibiotics.”

“What is she saying?”

“More human nonsense,” Lochlan said. “I’ll ride for Loch Langt. Meet us there.”

“Will she make it that far?” Finn asked.

“What?” Brea struggled to fight through the fog of her mind.

“Shh, Lady Brea,” Lochlan said in a soothing voice. “You’ll be better soon. The cool waters of Langt is our best chance.” He gathered the reins in his hands and took off, galloping across the dusty desert plains.

~~~

“Stay with me, Brea,” Lochlan refused to let her sleep. “Tell me about your favorite Harry Potter movie.”

“Goblet of Fire,” she groaned. “Shoulda been two movies.”

“That was a great book.”

“I don’t feel good, Loch.” She curled against him, her skin on fire.

“We’re almost there. I can see the lake just over the next rise. Once we get you cooled off, we’ll have to work on that infection.”

“Promise you won’t cut off my arm.” Brea blacked out before she heard his promise.

Cool water splashed against her legs as Lochlan rode his horse straight into Loch Langt.

“That’s freezing,” she complained.

“It’s about to get a lot colder.” He slid off the horse and carried her into the deep cold waters of Langt.

“Too cold.” She squirmed against him, her teeth chattering.

“Take a deep breath, Brea.” Loch held her against his chest, plunging them under the surface.

The water stabbed like a thousand tiny needles. But that wasn’t good enough for Lochlan. Brea gasped for breath when they broke the surface, but he only stripped away her tunic and trousers until she was down to her undergarments in the icy water.

“Why are you doing this to me?” Tears slipped down her cheeks.

“To save your life. The water is freezing because your temperature is too high. You’ll die if we don’t get it down. Now, take another deep breath for me.”

She barely got a breath in before they plunged beneath the surface again. Brea thrashed around until Lochlan pressed his palm against her chest, right above her heart. Everything slowed with the blue glow of his magic. They sank to the bottom of the lake as she shivered in his arms.

His blond hair swirled around them like a cloud, tangling with her dark tresses. Hers black as ebony and his pale as fine silver. Her lungs were about to burst when Lochlan propelled them back to the surface.

Brea gasped for air, her mind clearer than it had been all day.

“I can’t take it much longer, Loch.” She shook with tremors, and her lips turned blue.

“Let’s get you warm and dry and see how you feel.” He carried her out of the lake and wrapped a warm dry blanket around her. “We don’t have much in the way of supplies, but I’ll make a fire. Sit here and drink as much water as you can stomach. Sip slowly.” He handed her his water skin.

Brea shivered under the hot sun and knew she was in trouble if the fever didn’t break soon.

Sweat rolled down Lochlan’s face as he built a roaring fire. He even gathered a pile of huge palm leaves to build a quick shade for her to lounge under.

“I’m afraid this is going to hurt, Brea.” Lochlan pulled his knife from the pot of boiling water over the fire. “But I have to clean the infection out.”

Brea nodded. “Do what you have to.”

“Put this between your teeth and bite down.” He slipped a piece of leather between her lips. “I’ll try to hurry, but if you can pass out, don’t fight it.”

Brea screamed as the hot knife sliced through the remaining scab over her arm. Putrid infection seeped from the wound. Lochlan wiped it away with a strip of fabric he’d boiled with the knife. Strips from his only shirt.

When he squeezed her arm, stars danced in her eyes, and she mercifully passed out.

When she woke next, she floated in Lochlan’s arms in the shallow water. It was pleasantly cool this time. Her back against his chest, she glanced at her shoulder under the water. Bright red blood seeped from the fresh opening, but the cool water numbed her flesh.

“Your fever broke about an hour ago. I think the worst of it is over.”

“Thank you,” she murmured, weak as a kitten. She couldn’t manage more than that.

“My men will be here soon, and Lewis will make you another tonic for the pain. I’ve made a poultice that will help with the infection. It should be ready now.”

Brea nodded, draping her arms around his neck as he lifted her from the water. “I am sorry to be such a burden.” Her head lolled against his shoulder.

“It is not your fault. You were hurt in battle trying to save my life. I will be here to see you through this injury, no matter what you need. I am only sorry it will likely leave a scar.”

Brea shrugged her good shoulder. “Scars are badass.” She eyed the few she could see marking his chest and back.

Lochlan settled Brea under the makeshift shelter, though the sun was setting along the horizon now. A vivid green poultice warmed by the fire. “That smells awful.”

“I made this while you were asleep. It is similar to the human Aloe Vera plant but with more advanced healing properties. It will pull the poison of inflammation from your arm. I should have sent someone out to find the herbs when you were first injured.”

“It’s okay, Loch. You couldn’t have known about the infection.”

His jaw muscles ticked as he painted a thick layer of the green goo over her arm, layering pieces of fabric over it to hold it in place.

“Lie still and try to sleep if you can. I’ll work on finding some food.” Lochlan draped the blanket over her and left her to rest on her own. They’d come a long way in the few days since he’d taken to leading her around on a leash. Then again, she couldn’t run even if she wanted to.

The men arrived at dusk, and Brea ate two bowls of stew before Lewis approached with a new tonic he promised would help her heal and give her a good night’s rest.

She woke again later that evening, feeling like a new woman after a dip in the lake to rinse off the remains of Lochlan’s life-saving poultice.

“Feeling better?” Finn crouched beside the water’s edge as she emerged, wrapping herself in a dry blanket.

“Weak, but I’m feeling clear headed now and much better.”

“Want to see something you’ll never forget?”

“Sure.” She changed back into her clothes after making him turn around.

“This is a special place for the men,” Finn explained as they walked back toward camp. “But it’s a bit of walk to the next ridge. We’ll ride if you don’t mind.”

“Okay.” Honestly, she’d rather go back to sleep, but Finn really wanted her to see whatever he was so excited about.

“Have you ever seen a snúa aftur?”

“Bless you.” Brea chuckled. “I have no idea what you just said.”

“Look just there.” Finn pointed up to the sky. Swirls of green, purple, and yellow lights illuminated the night.

“An Aurora Borealis.”

“Bless you.” Finn cracked a smile.

“That’s what we call the Northern Lights in the human realm.”

“Here it’s the Southern Lights called snúa aftur. To the soldiers it means we’re almost home. This will be our last night at camp.”

“We’ll reach the palace tomorrow?” Her nerves immediately spiraled into panic mode. “What does the Eldur queen want with me, Finn?”

“I don’t know, Brea, but I know you can trust her with your life. She’s a good woman and a fair ruler.”

“Thank you for bringing me here.” She settled onto the ground to watch the lights with the soldiers. “It’s beautiful.”

The cluster of soldiers were all silent as they watched the colors dance across the night sky. Brea leaned against Finn’s shoulder, cradling her injured arm. It was such a soothing sight. The tension in her body relaxed as she watched a riot of colors shoot across the sky.

Each of the soldiers sent a spark of color into the sky to join the phenomenon.

“What are they doing?”

“It’s their magic,” Finn explained. “They’re making wishes. It’s an Eldur tradition.”

“It’s beautiful.” Brea wished she could send up a streak of yellow, but she barely had the energy to keep her eyes open. “What do the colors mean?”

“It’s like a signature.” A tiny ball of orange left his fingertips. “Each Fae’s magic has a distinct color that connects their magic back to them. Families sometimes share a similar color, but not always. It depends on the strength of their magic and their heritage from both sides.”

Brea wondered if the mystery of her own heritage would ever be so clear.

~~~