Page 66 of Courting War
“Time to go.” The earth nymph grabbed his arm fiercely.
“You’re required at your Tribunal,” the sea nymph said, her voice dark like the ocean’s depths.
Kellyn allowed himself to be steered away. He needed to buy time and plan if he was going to best the gods. Which meant he had to go along with the games.
For now.
The Tribunal passed in a haze. Kellyn couldn’t focus. His mind longed only to return to Emmett and see how he was doing. His focus was stoked with a myriad of thoughts on how to beat the gods. He needed to band together with the other champions. They needed to keep each other alive.
Together they were all stronger, but he had no idea how to convince all of them of that. Especially since, to them, he was a plague.
Kellyn couldn’t remember what the gods did or said during his Tribunal. He had a new tattoo riddle, but he didn’t care. He’d figure it out later.
After it ended, his feet automatically led him to Emmett and the infirmary. But he wasn’t alone this time. Two of the creepy triplet goddesses were by his side, along with Cecile. Andromache was administering what looked like medicine.
Kellyn tensed. Havyn was by Emmett’s side, a satisfied look on her face.
When Cecile caught his eyes, she said, “It’s the antidote.” Gliding over to Kellyn, she pulled him into a sweet embrace. It was nice. Just what he needed—the comfort of a friend. Of family. Cecile pulled away but didn’t remove her hand from his arm. “The gods aren’t allowed to heal after the Poison challenge, but they can administer an antidote.”
“Your friend should be fine,” Andromache said, running a hand along Emmett’s head, taking his temperature.
“He should be dead.” Havyn placed her legs up on a shadow table, lounging. “Poison sped up the death process, and now he rests in a coma.” The tips of her lips curved up with mirth.
The god didn’t have to look so happy about it.
Cecile squeezed his arm. “It’s okay, Kel. It’s not your fault.”
He stiffened. “It is.” It was his fault, and the gods . . . and Morrigan’s.
“I’ve got it from here, boy,” Andromache said, conjuring a wet compress out of the air. “She might need your help more than he does.” Light bobbed her head at Morrigan, who was retching into a bucket on her infirmary cot. War hadn’t come to the games, so Morrigan wouldn’t receive any godly help.
Havyn chuckled, and the sisters shared a knowing look.
Cecile winced, paled at the sight, and took a step closer to the Theoden priestess, but she hated vomit. The mere presence of it had her gagging.
“It’s alright, Cecile. I’ll handle it.”
Cecile nodded. “Be good to her.”
“I will.”
Kellyn walked over and scooped the priestess into his arms once again.
She needed a bath, so he walked her to the thermal caves—the bathing chambers for the champions.
Moss grew on the cave walls, ivy interlacing with it. Lava flowed in streams of liquid fire and snaked through the moss, releasing heat but not burning or destroying it. The brilliant—near white—glow was the only internal light in the cave, save the luminescent butterflies. Magical butterflies glimmered in all different colors. Periwinkle blue, cotton candy pink, blood rose red, ghost tree purple, mysterious green, kitten whisker grey, and unicorn gold. All sparkling and graceful, flitting through the cave with no worries and endless energy. The room smelled of spring mornings and twilight dances—flowers, musk, and magic. The rivers of liquid fire poured into the waters and hissed. The sound caressed Kellyn’s senses.
It would’ve been romantic if Morrigan wasn’t in such a horrible state.
Taking pains to be gentle, Kellyn washed out her hair, strand by strand, his fingers accidentally grazingher skin.
Each contact sent a shiver down his spine. He hated how much he simultaneously wanted this girl and despised her.
Morrigan groaned, gagging, and resting her hands on the rocks at the side of the pool. She croaked out words in a foreign language that sounded like the language of the gods . . . again. The words were delirious, and her eyes were vacant when they were open.
“Big, care, human . . . I don’t,” she whispered, her words primarily nonsensical.
She pinched her eyes tight and swayed. Kellyn caught her and held her upright, her body weak from the sickness and exhaustion. There was nothing remotely attractive about her at the moment. She was a jumble of muck and misery, yet his body still reacted to her like she was a drug. Still wanted her like she was air.
