Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 120974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
“Take more,” I say urgently. “You need to drink it all.”
Slowly, sip-by-sip, she takes every last drop. And as the golden liquid goes down her throat, I can see the health returning to her face and figure.
The lines on her face fade and her body and face seem to fill out. Color returns to her cheeks and her eyes look brighter. Even her hair changes—it was so thin I could see her scalp when I first came into the room and it had turned completely white. Now it’s getting thicker as I watch and it changes slowly from white…to gray…to a warm, golden-brown, the same as my own.
“Oh, Irena…what was in that?” she asks and her voice almost sounds normal. She still looks tired, but it’s clear she’s on the mend.
“Magic,” I say, smiling at her. “Healing magic.”
“Magic,” she whispers drowsily, and her eyelids flutter closed. “My dear, I’m so glad you’re home but I am so sleepy,” she says and yawns.
“That’s all right, Mama—you rest now,” I say, stroking her cheek.
My heart is so full I have to blink back tears of happiness. I can tell that she’s slipping into a real, natural sleep—not the stillness of impending doom.
The shadow of Death has passed…she will recover. I know it—I feel it in my bones.
Gently, I lay her head back down on the pillow and smooth back her hair.
“You sleep, Mama,” I murmur. “I’ll be right here waiting until you’re well—you’ll be back on the throne, ruling our kingdom before you know it.”
But just at that moment, the door to her bedroom bursts open and I see my brother standing there. Right behind him is the Head Healer.
Both men are staring at me in utter surprise, and they don’t look pleased to see me.
Not at all.
75
IRENA
“Irena?” My brother’s eyes go wide when he sees me sitting on the bed beside our mother. “What are you doing here?” he demands. “Where have you been? What did you do to Mother?”
“I healed her,” I say proudly.
“You what?” my brother demands. He rushes to my mother’s bedside with the Head Healer right behind him.
The two men look down at our mother and I can see in their faces the moment they realize that she’s better. But instead of joy, I see a look of disbelief and anger growing in my brother’s eyes. He looks at the Head Healer and gestures at my mother.
“What’s this?” he demands. “What did she do?”
The Head Healer leans over my mother, a grave look on his face. He takes my mother’s wrist in one hand, frowning as he consults his timepiece. Then he places his hearing-horn to her chest and listens to her heart.
She stirs briefly and opens her eyes. Looking up at my brother she murmurs,
“I feel so much better, Kellis. Your sister healed me.”
Then she slips back to sleep again but it’s clear she truly is feeling better.
The Head Healer straightens up.
“Your Majesty,” he says formally to my brother. “I, ah, do believe your mother, the Queen, is making a recovery. Truly, it’s most remarkable.”
It’s wonderful news…only I don’t see any happiness in either of their faces. In fact, I see anger on my big brother’s face when he looks down at me.
“You little bitch!” he snaps. “What did you give her? She was almost gone!”
I’m so stunned I can’t even answer. I just stare up at him, my eyes wide and my mouth agape.
“I…I gave her the Healing Draught I heard you and the Head Healer talking about,” I say at last. “I went all the way to Thornmere forest and dealt with the Sorceress—the Lady of Thornmere—to get it.”
I don’t tell them that I made it myself—or how I made it. Some things need to be kept private. Because if anyone found out I sacrificed my virginity to brew the Healing Draught…I don’t even want to think what might happen next.
My brother is angry enough as it is.
“You little fool!” he snarls at me. “You’ve ruined everything!”
I shake my head, bewildered.
“What are you talking about? I’ve healed Mother! She’ll be well enough to sit on the throne again in a few days.”
“She’s never sitting on the throne again! We don’t need a woman to rule us!” my brother barks angrily.
“What?” I’m still so confused but when I turn to the Head Healer for help, his face is grave, but he makes no move to contradict my brother.
“Prince Kellis is quite right,” he says, with a sniff. “It’s wrong for a woman to rule. They are simply too weak and emotional to be trusted with power.”
“But our people have flourished these past two years under my mother’s rule!” I protest.
I still don’t understand what’s going on here. Are my brother and the Head Healer actually saying they wanted my mother dead? And if so, did they have something to do with the wasting illness she contracted—the same illness that carried my father away two years ago?