Page 100 of Poisoned Kingdom
Reynard had promised he would find him, and I couldn’t fault his efforts. The Observers had reported that patrol after patrol had been sent out, some of which the king led himself. Rey had also engaged dragons in the search.
But so far, they’d found nothing.
And as the days passed, I slowly lost hope.
I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and stood up to collect my tools.
‘All done, just remember to keep it clean,’ I said to the man before returning to Ciesko.
Today was the first day he’d allowed me to work alone. My healing spells were growing stronger, and my non-magical healing already surpassed his other apprentices. Despite all this, Ciesko resisted, and I had the unsettling feeling he was keeping me hidden.
‘I’m finished with the last patient. Do you have any other tasks for me?’ I asked as I approached the arch healer, but he only sighed deeply, shaking his head.
‘You’ve done a great job, Sana. Your affinity for healing magic is stronger than I’d thought possible, but you can’t do too much too quickly.’
Another refusal, another half-arsed excuse.
Ciesko looked at me with the same benevolent smile he used on his patients, but I had already learned to see past his mask.
‘You call this “quickly?” I’ve barely studied the basics. Why do I have to wait for the geas ceremony?’ I asked, my fists involuntarily tightening, rehearsing the arguments in my head.
I’d never realised how gratifying it would feel to work the strands of aether. How a simple tug on a person’s energy could change the outcome of a disease, or how purging the corrupted strands could clean a wound and speed up healing.
‘You’re not ready for more,’ he answered.
I wanted to scream in frustration. I studied diligently, barely sleeping at night as I made steady progress through all the books he’d given me, while also juggling my responsibilities in the Brotherhood. But asking Ciesko to show me more, teach me more, was like trying to get blood out of a stone.
‘Did you know that I conjured fire yesterday?’ I asked, my fingers dancing as tiny flames appeared on their tips.
I’d finally done it. After years of failing, I finally understood the flow of aether enough to manipulate magic I had no affinity for. I had lit a bloody candle, all alone in my eerie, empty house, with no one to share my success with.
Then I’d cried myself to sleep.
Ciesko’s pupils widened before he grasped my hand and tightened it into a fist, smothering the flames. The benevolent smile slipped off his features like water, and a fear I didn’t expect to see flashed in his gaze.
‘Go home, Roksana,’ he said, patting my shoulder as he avoided my eyes. ‘Get some sleep. You’ve worked hard enoughtoday. My reputation will suffer if people think I exploit my students.’
He was a mage of vast knowledge and experience. Under his patient guidance, my understanding of the aether had grown by leaps and bounds. I’d have blessed the fates for putting him in my way if not for the fact he was also an insufferable arsehole. I’d seen him soothe a dangerous, half-crazed mage with nothing more than a couple of hastily drawn sigils, yet a few tiny flames had made him send me home with no explanation.
I left to wash my hands in the basin while I calmed my thoughts before I tackled the problem head-on. I returned to the arch healer, knowing I couldn’t pretend to be oblivious to his manipulations any longer.
‘What’s the real reason you’re stalling my progress?’
His expression darkened, his brows furrowing as he looked at me sharply, the previous joviality completely gone. This was his true face—stern and powerful. But it didn’t matter how much the aether danced around him, I would not back down.
‘Roksana. I can’t tell you. Not yet. But trust me, I have my reasons,’ he said.
I exhaled slowly, calling on all the patience I had left.
‘Then I’ll ask Riordan,’ I responded.
‘And end up in the Court of Aether’s dungeon until the geas ceremony?’ Ciesko shrugged, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he shook his head.
‘Roksana, vivamancy is feared for good reason. Some believe it’s a blessing that our ancestors eradicated it. We have to develop your skills slowly. Your ability is growing too fast, your power blooming in a way I didn’t anticipate.’
He stopped, exhaling slowly, as if our conversation had exhausted him.
‘Just . . . promise me you’ll only practice under my supervision.’
