Page 68 of Wings of Lies
Hana gave me an amused smile, dabbing a little honey on her blisters. “It’s okay. I have children in here who don’t know how to control their powers either. Here”—she rummaged through her bag—“take a sip of this,” then held a vial near my lips. “It’ll suppress your flames for a few minutes.”
I took a sip. The clear liquid tasted sweet against my tongue; a lot better than what she gave me last night. Immediately, warmth pooled in my chest, silencing my flames. The tension in my shoulders eased, and I sighed, at peace. It was easy, like my amulet was.
“Thanks.”
She smiled. “Your injuries are stable. It’ll take two to six days for them to fully heal. Check them each day to see how they’re fairing. As for your broken bones, your pinky suffered a tiny fracture, but it’s healed now. Your wrist may need one more day.”
“That fast?”
The kindness never left her eyes, but a hint of worry made her smile vanish. “You’re at least part angel, and I suspect a high-level one,or you wouldn’t have made it through the first night. The Hellhound’s saliva is designed to invade your bloodstream and stop coagulation so they can drink you dry. If you were human, you would’ve gone into multiple organ failure the moment Prince Aspen reached my door. It was only through your accelerated healing you survived. So yes, once the serum removes the rest of those toxins, it’ll be that fast. As for your bones, they usually take longer, but Aspen told me you received them a few days ago. Still, last night put you back, but as long as you don’t use your flames for a day or two, you should be fine.”
I nodded in understanding. But that was a big ask.
“Can’t I just take some of that serum?” I pointed at the small vial on the bedside table. The calming liquid filled half the bottle. I’d probably need more than that.
She gave me an odd look. “It suppresses your power. You’ll take weeks to heal instead of days.”
“That’s okay.” It could help me hide my powers if they got out of hand while I attempted to practice with them.
Her eyes narrowed. “Sorry, Lucille. This is the last vial I have until I go to buy more from Magda, and since she lives a couple of days away, I can’t give you it.”
I jolted. “Did you say, Magda?”
Hana nodded.
This was it. This was the help I needed. I latched onto Hana’s arm. “I was told to find her. That she can answer my questions. Can she? Where is she?”
Hana looked at me warily.
“Please, tell me. I have to find her.” I didn’t know if it was the eagerness in my voice or the desperation in my eyes, but with a glanceback at the closed door, Hana bowed her head and sighed, coming to some conclusion.
“Lucille, her answers come at a steep price and are not always clear. Plus, you won’t be traveling that way. As the human walks, it’s two days North of here, and you’re traveling Southeast.”
“Then help me escape. Tell them I ran away,” I pleaded.
Hana bowed her head, dropping her gaze from my begging eyes. “I can’t.”
Sagging back, I stared at the ceiling as tears leaked from the corner of my eyes. Of course, she couldn’t. Why would it ever be that simple for me?
“But in the Drune Forest, which you will go through on the way, there are creatures there called Drunes. No one knows what they are, but they’ve been here longer than most. They’ve seen a lot and know even more.” Pity and kindness wove around her resigned words.
“Do they have a price?”
“Yes. It usually comes in the form of blood.”
I fiddled with the hem of my shirt. “How much blood?”
Hana stepped closer, gripping my bicep. “Don’t be so eager. Blood is a dangerous currency to give away. In the wrong hands, it can do a lot of damage. Make sure the answers you want are worth it before seeking them out.”
She shifted her ear toward the door like she heard something and released me. “There are some extra clothes in the closet I found for you. Get dressed. Aspen is ready to leave as soon as you are.” She handed me a ball of gauze and a small pouch filled with something. “Your rib stitches should be fine with the gauze pads, but if you’d like them covered more securely, you can wrap more around your body. That”—she pointed at the pouch—“is if, for some reason, you don’theed my warnings on using your power and end up bleeding again. It’ll clot your blood long enough to allow your fast healing to kick in. I gave Aspen an extra sterile needle and thread, too.” Hana shook her head. “I may have taught that male how to stitch, but trust me, it’s better if you heal without his grumpy ass.”
“Thank you.” I held the gauze and pouch, studying her face. It was odd hearing anyone talk about Aspen sofondly.Especially when I could see the guilt in her frown lines. Hana may not approve of Aspen holding me against my will, but she’d do nothing to stop it. She cared for him, and by what he said about her, he cared for her, too. Or at least respected her.
After last night, I couldn’t think my princely jailor was heartless anymore. But he wasn’t far off.
Hana put the calming liquid in her bag, unfortunately, and walked to the door, hand on the knob. “Aspen is loyal to his queen and is the commander of her armies. He has ninety years’ worth of swordplay and magic.”
I jolted, forgetting angel blood made you immortal. Aspen looked young, like twenties young, not somewhere near or over ninety.
