Page 106 of Enchanted Crown
While it felt overkill, like I had an entire damn audience to heal just Jagen, I still appreciated them wanting to have my back. When they returned back to Wylan, I would have significantly less allies in Dra Skor. So I would enjoy it while I could.
John was in the library, of course, but the rest of us and Malachi’s team had headed to The Drak. Malachi looked far less tormented this morning, but also not himself yet.
“Thank you for doing this,” Jagen said to me. “The relief it will bring me, to be able to shift and defend Charlotte—” he cut off, overcome with emotion. “Thank you for this.”
I looked him in the eyes. “Thank you for not holding what happened in that cell against me.”
He gave his head one long shake. “If Charlotte wouldn’t have said what she did, we could have been killed that night. And not by you. You might have scared the hell out of me, but in a chaotic sort of way, you also saved us.” He gave me a shrug. “That bridge is so wide and high over the water, that it is irrelevant.”
“Still,” I bit out. “I do not want to make a habit of torturing people. I strive to be different from my father.”
“You were willing to do whatever necessary to protect Esta and Dra Skor. Dra Skor deserves a king like that.”
I hadn’t realized how much I needed to hear those words until they were out there, into the air. “Thank you.” I paused and looked to Malachi. “As you know, we have told no one this is happening. Yes, there are a lot of us here now, mostly because my team insisted on coming along. But two men on Malachi’s team and Malachi in his shifted form will get you back to the castle. Your carriage willnotget ambushed as there is no carriage this time. And Esta has insured that you’ll have round the clock guards while you sleep it off.”
Jagen gave me a nod. “Thank you.”
I made quick work of explaining to Jagen all that had to happen to heal him. How he would be able to shift, but only briefly, then would have to shift back before the exhaustion took over entirely.
As we walked into the water of The Drak, Jagen hesitated. “I am counting on all of you to keep Charlotte safe while I am recovering.”
I noted he did not and had not said a thing about the baby. “I will personally check in with her when I get back to Halikaara,” I told him. “This is the worst part. A few days to rest it off. Then you will be back to your full power.”
He rolled his neck. “My sister could use another dragon at her disposal anyway.”
I knew Esta was not going to take Jagen away from Charlotte so long as Morana was out there after the throne, but eventually,that would be helpful. It was likely time to also heal Esta’s parents. Though Reyald Mallick was far from my favorite Mallick, if given a chance, I knew he would protect Esta and the throne. In the very least, protect his legacy.
“Are you ready?” I asked.
As his eyes hit mine, I saw his fear that in the next three days something could happen to his non-Enchanted fiancé and his unborn child. He was risking the next few days to ensure the months to come. But his doubts were gnawing at him. A lot could happen in three days.
“Would it help you feel better if I move Charlotte to my wing of the castle? A few of my men can help guard her. Both shifters and palm wielders to protect her?” I cocked my head. “If I wanted you dead, you’d already be dead.”
His shoulder blades pulled back slightly, as if he remembered what it was like to be pinned in place by my magic even as he snorted a laugh. “That would actually help, yes.”
“Consider it done,” I told him. “You are not Dra Skor’s enemy, Jagen. And we won’t let the true enemy do a thing to Charlotte while you heal.”
Jagen reached out to shake my hand. “You are a good man.”
I took it and shook his hand back. “As are you.”
And then with a nod to Malachi, I unleashed my magic onto Jagen. This time seeking out any pockets of poison and blackness.
A minute in, Jagen announced, “As it turns out, this is way less scary without all the pressure, when I am still able to move my limbs.”
“It will only hurt slightly when I tug on my magic,” I bit out as I sent more and more magic to wrap around him. “Or so I’ve been told.”
It took me close to five minutes; I was adamant I heal Jagen. Adamant he be able to protect his family. “Ready?”
“Ready,” he confirmed.
Emric was beside me, ready to blast the poison once it left Jagen. Malachi was there also, ready to shove me backward to help me yank the poison out of him. Simple practices we had learned helped things go more smoothly this many healings in.
“Now!”
Malachi began pushing with his huge horse head on my chest as I yanked hard. As soon as the inky mass was in the water, Emric’s red magic blasted it apart.
“Shift,” I commanded breathlessly. Having to seek out the poison in the human shifters was not harder, but it took far more concentration.
