“Not good. I have to amputate her finger. Could you please heat my knife?”
“Hold it out.” Zaarusha’s grim tone reflected how Ezaara felt. The queen heated the blade until it glowed.
Ezaara dashed back into her cavern. She swallowed. “Adelina, c-could you help me with this?”
Adelina’s eyes were grave as she held Leah’s hand still upon a clean cloth on the bedside table. “We’re ready.”
It wasn’t physically hard to cut off the flimsy flap of skin holding the girl’s finger in place—yet it was the hardest job Ezaara had ever done. It felt like slicing off hope. Damning someone to a bleak future.
It felt like losing Roberto all over again.
As she held the hot knife against the stump of Leah’s finger to cauterize it, Leah, still unconscious, whimpered. Ezaara tried not to breathe in the stench of heated flesh. Hot tears ran down her face. Adelina was crying too.
Ezaara dribbled piaua juice onto the cauterized stump, and then bandaged Leah’s finger. With Adelina’s help, she slowly released the tourniquet.
“She’ll need feverweed tea,” Adelina whispered, sloshing water into a mug and crumbling feverweed into it. She passed the mug to Ezaara and sprinkled more anti-limplock granules on Leah’s tongue. “We’re not over the pass yet.”
Exhaling violently, Ezaara paced to the den, holding out the cup to Zaarusha. “Not too hot.”
Zaarusha leaned in and shot a tiny flame at the cup. “There, that should be warm now. You’re doing a good job, Ezaara.”
Then why did she feel so hollow?
When Ezaara came back into her cavern, Adelina was sponging Leah’s forehead. “She’s burning up.”
“This should help.”
They propped Leah’s head up and took turns dribbling tea into her mouth. She swallowed reflexively. After half an hour, her fever had cooled a little. Ezaara gave her more antidote, while Adelina and Zaarusha made more tea.
“Tell me more about limplock and numlock,” Ezaara asked while they waited.
Adelina settled in a chair. “Numlock stops your emotions and reasoning and makes people seem slow and dull.”
“How does it feel? Do you know anyone who has had it?”
“Like you’re dead inside.” Adelina’s eyes slid away. “Anyway, limplock is different. It gradually paralyzes you, starting with your hands and feet and working its way through your body until you stop breathing.” She dribbled tea into Leah’s mouth. “If the dose had been stronger, she would’ve been dead already. We’re lucky Fleur had the antidote in her alcove.”
§
Ezaara awoke to whimpering. Leah was having another nightmare. Only it wasn’t yet night—the sun was setting outside. They’d been up tending her all of last night and only dropped off this afternoon, when her fever had broken.
Adelina raised her head from the pallet next to Ezaara’s.
“I’ll go,” Ezaara croaked. “Get some more sleep.” She scrambled from her makeshift bed into a chair at the bedside.
Leah was shivering again. Ezaara pulled the quilt up and grabbed some sleeping furs from a chest, piling them on top of her. Adelina had said that the antidote could make Leah tremble and vomit. So far, they’d only had trembling, but Ezaara had a supply of pails near the bed, just in case. She held Leah’s hand and stroked her forehead. Touch seemed to soothe her.
Erob melded. “How’s the girl?”
“Not conscious yet. I can’t leave her with Adelina until she wakes.”
“I’m going hunting. It may be days before I can eat again.” Erob hesitated. “Ezaara, whether you can come or not, I’m leaving in a few hours.”
Ezaara twisted a button on her jerkin. “Erob, please …”
“I can’t keep delaying. Neither of us want to find Roberto dead.”
“But if he’s injured, I can help heal him.”
“Not if you’re here, you can’t.”
All the people she loved were slipping, like salt, through her fingers: Roberto was gone; she had no idea where Ma, Tomaaz or Pa were; and when Leah was well enough, she’d be running out on Zaarusha. How had it come to this? A tear slipped down Ezaara’s cheek. Why was life full of choices that hurt?
“I know he cares about you.”
Ezaara froze.
Adelina was awake, watching her.
“I—”
“I know you care about him too,” Adelina said, “but I don’t think I can look after Leah properly if she’s unconscious. I mean, what do I do if she never wakes up?”
“No one’s asking you to.”
“I know. I also know Erob well. I’m guessing he’ll be leaving soon. You’ve been stretched as tight as a bowstring since yesterday. You want to go with him, don’t you?”
Ezaara nodded. Leah was peaceful now, sleeping with a trace of a smile.
Adelina gestured toward her. “Let’s hope she rouses. In the meantime, I’ll visit the mess room and get some food. Where have you been keeping your supplies?”
Ezaara’s cheeks burned. “In Roberto’s cavern, so I can load them into Erob’s saddlebags.”
“Logical. I’ll strap his saddlebags on him and start loading.” Adelina hugged her. “I’m so glad you’re going. I’ve been crazy with worry about him.”
“How do you hide your anxiety so well?”
“You mean like this?” Adelina flashed her a sparkling smile. “I’ve had years of practice.” Face grim, she strode out the door.
§
A scream woke Ezaara. Leah, again. Her neck hurt—she’d dozed off in her chair.
Sitting up in bed, Leah was wide-eyed. “Who are you? Where am I?”
“It’s all right.” Adelina put an arm around her. “You’re with friends, safe at Dragons’ Hold.”
Ezaara patted Leah’s hand. “You’ve been sick, but we’re helping you.” The torches had burned low. How late was it? Had she already missed Erob?
“Ezaara, I’ll take care of Leah. Zens and his tharuks ruined my family, and I swore I’d always help any victim.” Adelina gestured to the door, her eyes full of meaning. “Go. Give him my love.”
A jolt ran through Ezaara.
She hugged Adelina.
