Page 13 of Staff of Nightfall

“I’ll take that risk.” She held her hand over the jutting bone, hoping that would be easier and faster than his ribs, which based on his coughing, might have punctured his lung. If she healed the ribs first, she might not have enough magic left for his arm.

She dug deep for the spark of magical energy flickering in the carved-out place in her soul. Rather than removing a cork from a full flask like when she used her magic before, this felt like squeezing the last drop of water out of an empty wineskin. The familiar warmth spread across her hand, and she perspired from the exertion. Regulus relaxed as the pale-blue light spread over his arm. The bone straightened, no longer threatening to break through the skin. She focused on his arm. In the energy flowing out of her and into him, she sensed the bones and muscles and tendons pulling back together. Healing.

She could feel his arm was healed, so she moved her hand to his ribs. White spots danced in her vision, and she blinked them away. But she detected four broken ribs and internal bleeding. She focused on the bleeding first—healed the puncture and collapsing lung and forced the blood to reabsorb, then worked on maneuvering the ribs back together. Her hand shook.

Regulus placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, perhaps you should take a breather—”

“Shh. Concentrating.” Black circled the edges of her sight. She swayed and her hand bumped Regulus’ ribs. “Sorry.” She shook herself.A bit more. Come on. Give me a little more, Etiros.

“Adelaide, stop!” Regulus sounded panicked.

The conversation behind her died as Landon exclaimed, “What in creation?”

Her eyes drifted shut as she sank into unconsciousness.

Chapter 6

The light on Adelaide’spalm vanished as she slumped forward, and Regulus caught her shoulders. “Adelaide?” When she didn’t respond, he pushed her hair away from her face. Her eyes were closed, and her head lolled to the side.

“Adelaide!” Lord Belanger shoved Regulus aside and pulled his daughter into his arms. She slumped against him, limp and unmoving, her eyes still closed. Belanger rested the back of her head in the crook of his arm. “Ad, wake up.” He glared at Regulus. “What happened?”

“She healed my arm, then started healing my ribs.” Regulus touched his ribs. He suspected they were still cracked, but as usual, her magic had numbed the area. “She started looking ashen, and her eyes went all unfocused, and then she swayed and she...passed out.” Tendrils of dread threaded through Regulus’ heart.

“She shouldn’t be using her magic at all!” Lady Belanger crouched between him and Adelaide and took Adelaide’s hand.

“Wait, wait, Adelaide is amage?” The wiry man with mousy brown hair Adelaide had called brother crossed his arms. “Sincewhen?”

“Mages are born, so forever,” Lady Belanger said, her voice rising. “We kept it a secret for her protection.” She gave Regulus a look that could kill. “To prevent things like this! Like everything that has happened since she metyou!”

He ducked his head. “The sorcerer would have found her whether she met me or not. Whether she kept her magic secret or not.”

“I’ve half a mind to have you thrown in the dungeon, you—” She added several words in Khast that were clearly not complimentary.

Lord Belanger cleared his throat. “Tamina, this anger isn’t helping.”

“There’s asorcerernow?” the brother shouted.

---