Page 134 of The Fae Girl 1

Everything hurt. Every miniscule movement. Every step they took, every stair they climbed. I gritted my teeth determined not to look weak, not to look pathetic and yet the whimpers still got out.

The man holding me kept glancing at my face, as if he was sorry, but he didn’t stop. He didn’t slow. He just kept the same brutal pace as he carried me back.

They laid me on my bed. Something about the fact all these strangers were in my room made it worse. Made it so much worse.

A man knelt beside me. “I’m going to start healing you now.”

“What does that mean?”

“I wield a different kind of magic to the Magi.” He said. “It means I can touch you without reaction. But it also means I can heal you.”

“Will it hurt?”

I didn’t want it to. I didn’t think I could take any more pain.

“No.” He said placing something small and cold on my forehead.

“What is that?” I gasped as a numbness began to spread. As my heart began to slow just enough to calm me. As the sharpness of the pain began to dull.

“It will help.” He said gently.

I nodded like I understood but in reality none of this made sense.

“Jelric.” I murmured as he appeared in the door.

He glanced around seeing the man who’d carried me, seeing the other people who’d followed behind and were now stood, watching on, as the healer began to pull his crystals and lay them out.

As though this were some circus performance. Something to entertain them.

“Leave.” Jelric said loudly.

My relief was palpable as soon as they were gone.

Jelric came and knelt beside me. His hand wrapped around mine and I looked down seeing the thick glove he was wearing to stop any reaction between our magic.

“I’ve got you.” He murmured.

I squeezed my hand just a little and he returned it, not once taking his eyes from my face.

The healer began drawing his magic. I stared, open mouthed as I watched him. I could feel the pattern. It was so different from the magic Jelric and I conjured. Like it was an entirely different language.

“Can you see it?” Jelric murmured.

I nodded. “Would I be able to do that? To heal?”

He shook his head. “No. No one can do both. They have two different cores, like fire and water. They don’t mix.”

I blinked. Wondering why my own was responding then, why I could feel it humming inside me.

“Is Fain okay?” I asked.

A flicker crossed Jelric’s face. “The Prince is fine. In far better condition than you I’d say.”

“And the creature. Was it destroyed?”

“The dybba?” He said. “Yes. The Magi have destroyed them.”

My eyes widened. “Them?”