Page 73 of Lucifer's Mirror

I hear Khaosti’s sharp indrawn breath. “That’s impossible,” he says.

“I think you’ll find nothing is impossible, young prince, if you’re willing to open your mind.” With that, she pushes herself to her feet. “I’ll leave you now. Someone will bring you food and then show you where you can sleep. Rest tonight, and tomorrow we will work.” She comes around and stands before me. “Except you. You need to come with me. I need to take a look at that injury.”

“It’s fine.”

“You can still show me.”

I stand and cast a last look at the others. “I’ll be back. Don’t eat all the food.”

Hecate leads me across a hallway and into a small room. I loiter just inside the door as she moves about, filling a bowl with water, then adding something from a bottle and whispering words over her witch’s brew. It begins to steam, and the room fills with a sweet scent. It reminds me of the night Sheela healed Zayne back on Earth, and I breathe deeply. Instantly, my mind feels clearer, and the exhaustion lifts from me.

“So you’re a witch,” I say.

“Of course I’m a witch,” she replies, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Now come here.”

She tugs my shirt over my head, tosses it on the bench beside her, unwinds the bandage, and stares at me. She runs her finger over the wound, and I shiver. “It’s healing nicely,” she says.

“Khaosti put a salve on it.” For some reason, I don’t like her thinking badly of Khaos. I mean, I don’t trust him, but he has saved my life more than once.

“Hmm. I think we can do a little better than that.” She soaks a cloth in her bowl of magic and presses it to my side. There’s a brief sting, and then the last of the pain fades away. When she removes the cloth, the angry red line that ran down my side is gone.

I stretch my arms above my head and revel in the lack of pain. I grin, and then I realize I’m half-naked in front of a virtual stranger, so I drop my arms. She hands me my grubby T-shirt. “I’ll find you clean clothes in the morning. Now I think food and sleep are more important.”

My stomach rumbles as if to agree with her. She comes to stand in front of me, rests her hands on my shoulders, and stares into my eyes.

“I know you haven’t gotten the answers you wanted but understand that you have made me very happy. I thought you were lost and that the end would ultimately come. We had nothing left to fight with. Yet now you are here. And remember, you’re not alone. I will find a way to help you remember; I just have to think on it.” She bends down and kisses my forehead. She smells of cinnamon, flowers, and sunshine. “Now go, eat, sleep, and we’ll talk more tomorrow.”

And then she’s gone.

Chapter 35

Khaos

I’mlosingit.

Inside, Fury is a raging beast, growling and clawing to be free.

My control is splintering, and I know that soon, it will shatter into a thousand pieces. I haven’t felt this close to the edge for many years.

I glance up and find them all watching me with varying levels of concern. No doubt they can see the wolf in my eyes.

“You need to control yourself,” Thanouq says, his voice low.

Yeah, fucking great plan, asshole.

I take a deep breath, clench my jaw, and slowly rise to my feet, each movement slow and deliberate. I stalk out of the kitchen, retracing our steps to the front door and then outside into the moonlit night. Fury calms a little once we’re in the open. I stand looking around me. The house is at the end of the village, and beyond it is a path leading to a forest. I head that way. Once among the trees, I drop to my knees.

This hasn’t changed anything. Deep down, I always knew he was dead.

But a small part of me had hoped.

He was more father than brother to me. Every good memory I have of my childhood includes Khendril. There certainly hadn’t been any more after he left. My life had descended into a hell that it had taken me years to crawl out of. At times like this, I know I could fall so easily back into that place.

Why?

Why had he left?

Why hadn’t he taken me with him? I would have followed him anywhere. But he never gave me the chance.