Page 72 of The Silent Mountain
Her words are very much to my liking. She seems to be ready to get to work immediately. “Could you take a look at Barbara as well?” Alana asks.
Erin looks at her curiously. “Barbara?”
“She is one of our warriors,” Alana explains. “And currently sick. She has been in bed the whole day, but I think she hasn’t been feeling well for longer.”
“That’s very unusual for shifters,” Erin says, surprised. “Did a doctor look at her?”
“Yes, but he can’t find the root of her sickness,” Alana says.
“If you want, we can go to her right away,” Erin offers.
I have been listening to their exchange in silence and decide to follow them to Barbara. Whenever I am in the vicinity of a witch, I can’t help but feel particularly tentative and distrustful. Cassie and Alana walk ahead while Erin adapts her pace to mine. “King Favian,” she says quietly. “I know you don’t trust me.”
“I don’t,” I answer honestly. “But it doesn’t mean I am not thankful for your help.”
“I wouldn’t trust a witch either, after what Penelope did to you,” she says.
“Did you know her?”
“No, she was never one of my pupils. The only witch with dark powers I mentored is the one working for the werewolf kingdom, and she is very trustworthy. Other than her, I mainly mentored and taught young witches like Cassie.”
“So, you are more of a healer and advisor?” I ask.
“Precisely.” She turns to look at me. “If it helps you, I will pledge my loyalty to you,” she says seriously.
“That’s a big step for a witch,” I point out. “It would bind you to my kingdom and punish you with death if you betray us.”
“Yes,” she says. “But, it’s the least I can do after a witch brought so much destruction upon you. You don’t need to trust me yet,” she tells me. “Trust is earned.”
“Azadeh pledged for you,” I say. “And her words matter to me.”
“The Princess of the Sun,” Erin says with a smile, indicating she truly knows about Azadeh, and also verifying that Aza must have trusted her to reveal herself to her. “Your very own Warrior Princess is also one of a kind,” she adds, glancing at Alana.
“I would do anything to protect her,” I say with finality in my voice. “I would kill and wreak havoc over whoever hurts her.”
“Let’s make sure to keep her and your clan safe,” Erin says. “So, you won’t need to do anything drastic. Don’t you agree?”
I furrow my brows, wondering what she is trying to say. I feel like she is lecturing me, but it’s hard to put my finger on it. There is no time to enquire further, though, because we have reached Frederick’s cottage. He is currently keeping Barbara with him to make sure she gets treated. One look at his worried expression tells me everything I need to know.
“She is not better?” I ask quietly.
“No, in fact, I would say that her fever got higher,” Frederick mutters. “I am worried, Your Highness.”
I turn to Erin. “Please, take a look at her.”
“Of course.” Erin grabs her bag and takes Cassie’s hand. “Come, sweetheart, introduce me to your friend.”
Alana and I wait at the door, not wanting to intrude too much. We only stare into the room to see for ourselves how Barbara is coping. Frederick is right. She is not looking better at all. Her face is ashen and sweaty, and she looks exhausted. She is coughing slightly and clearly battling some sort of infection. She readily complies with Erin’s examination, although it seems to exhaust her further. Her eyes light up, though, when she sees us.
“Alana,” she whispers.
“Barbara.” Alana steps into the room, smiling warmly. “When I checked on you earlier, you were asleep. We didn’t want to invade your privacy.”
“You are not,” Barbara reassures us. “I am so happy to see you. Such an honor.”
“We just want you to get better as soon as possible,” I say. “You and your strength are very much missed.”
My words seem to have made her happy for a moment. However, my optimism doesn’t remain high, as I study Erin. She has a worried frown on her forehead while inspecting Barbara’s arm. “How long have you had these, my child?” she asks.
