Page 61 of Song of the Dragon Rider
“The healer should be on his way.” Jacob cleared his throat. “I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough, Arya. I should have protected you. I—”
“It’s not your fault, either,” I murmured drowsily. “This was bound to happen sooner or later.”
I didn’t know what deal Gianna and Lord Zacharia had struck, but a bargain had been made. That much was obvious. Lord Zacharia had never treated his legitimate child this way before. Arya had done many horrible things in the past and he always overlooked them. Something had changed. And I was almost positive it had something to do with my older half-sister. The expression on her face as she watched me being beaten spoke volumes. If she thought she was successfully hiding her twisted side, she was sorely mistaken.
“Get Garrick,” I said to Maeve. “Bring him to me.”
Maeve frowned. “What? My lady, he’s a warlock, not a healer.”
I didn’t know much about their magic system here, but Garrick was powerful enough to strike fear in those who knew about him. I’d long suspected that he made his own deal with the emperor to stifle his powers in exchange for his life, which was why that day we met at the tavern and he was about to get jumped by those humans, he was practically powerless.
“Who is Garrick?” Jacob quickly asked.
“A friend,” I whispered.
“A warlock,” Maeve corrected and turned back to me. “My lady, I know you trust Garrick and he’s helped us out a lot, but you must still be careful. If the emperor learns—”
“Wait…” Jacob spun around, no longer caring about propriety. “You mean Garrick the Betrayer?” he said incredulously.
Maeve nodded as she nibbled her bottom lip and wrung her hands.
“He’s a good friend,” I said. “If anyone can heal me, it’ll be him. Now bring him to me. Don’t make me ask again, Maeve.”
“My lady!” Maeve gasped. She looked between me and Jacob, wondering what to do.
Jacob's stance hardened, his military background evident in his posture and tone. “A warlock, especially one with Garrick's reputation, should not be involved in this. There's too much at stake. The last thing we need is to give the emperor another reason to target this family.”
I shifted slightly, wincing as the movement pulled at the open wounds on my back. “Jacob, I need him. I know the risks,” I said through gritted teeth.
Maeve hovered nearby, her expression torn. “My lady, perhaps the healer can—”
“No!” I cut her off sharply, feeling a flare of frustration. Healers were human, which meant they were limited on what they could do. I was also human, which meant it would take forever for me to heal. I didn’t have that kind of time. These injuries left me too exposed to the ones who wanted to hurt me. “The healers here can’t do what Garrick can. I've seen what he's capable of. Trust me on this.”
Jacob frowned, his brows knitting together in conflict. “This is madness, Arya! Inviting a disgraced warlock like him into our home—into our family’s affairs—is too dangerous.”
I forced myself to sit up, drawing on the last reserves of my strength to plead my case. “Look, I appreciate your concern, but Garrick has abilities that go beyond what any normal healer can provide. I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate.”
Jacob paced a few steps and then stopped, running his hands through his hair. “If anything happens, if the emperor finds out—”
“He won't,” I assured him, though a part of me knew the gamble was as high as the stakes. “Garrick is discreet, and he owes me.” Although technically, he’d done me so many favors that his debt was probably paid in full by now.
After a tense moment, Jacob exhaled sharply. “Fine. But I’ll be here, watching. The moment anything seems off, I’ll put an end to it.”
Maeve, sensing the concession, nodded and hurriedly left the room to fetch Garrick from where he was stationed at the beach house that housed Arya’s paintings and money. It would be easy to find him.
The room fell silent after she left, with only the sound of my labored breathing and the distant calls of birds outside. Jacob remained in place as my stalwart sentinel, his body taut with barely contained anxiety.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice filled with pain and relief. It was a risk, calling on Garrick, but desperation had a way of narrowing choices to the sharpest points.
Jacob didn't respond. His eyes remained fixed on the window, as if he expected trouble to come bursting through at any moment. In the strained silence, the weight of our collective fears seemed almost palpable, pressing down on us with the heavy warmth of the late afternoon.
Garrick was quicklyand discreetly ushered into Lady Arya’s quarters with the Ryder servants and guards none the wiser. Jacob had covered my bare back before the warlock stepped inside, which was stupid of him. Garrick would have to look at my wounds to treat them.
“My lady.” Garrick glanced at Maeve and Jacob before returning his attention to me. “Are you okay?”
I grimaced. “Peachy,” I said. “But I need another favor.”
Garrick sighed and scratched his head, his brown leather eye patch shifting with the movement. “My lady, you sure are demanding.”
