Page 10

brEAKFAST

C as was hovering out in the hallway like he was awaiting punishment. Like he was a child, waiting for his betters to discuss his wrongdoing.

But all he was truly waiting for was for Emryn to bathe and dress and be ready to receive them for breakfast.

She’d finally woken up. It had been a solid week since he’d come upon her on the floor of the hallway being stood over by Asan. The First Wizard of Rodilla was still in residence in the palace, and while he’d reassured Cas that what had been done was fixable, Cas still had no idea what it was.

And he couldn’t ask either. Asan had made it quite clear that he would only explain it when the both of them could be present. That way, he didn’t have to explain it twice.

Or at least that was what Asan had said while Emryn was still unconscious.

And for the entire time that she had been, Cas had been enduring that weird flutter in his head and in the base of his soul. He hadn’t been able to get Asan to answer that series of questions, either.

Finally, the door to Emryn’s rooms opened, revealing Shana, who curtsied to him. “Healer Emryn will see you now.”

“Thank you, Shana,” Asan said, setting a hand in the center of Cas’ back and propelling him forward into the room where Emryn was standing next to the little round table.

It had been set for three, but all Cas could see was the way her knuckles were white as she gripped the table.

“Sit, Emryn,” Asan said before Cas could cross the room. “Let’s not stand on ceremony and let the food get cold.”

Emryn looked at Cas, who just nodded, smiling as gently as he could. “Asan is right. We should eat before it gets cold.”

He stepped to Emryn’s side, unclenching her hands from the table and helping her sit. “You look lovely, Emryn.”

And she did. Shana had dressed her in a lovely gown of a deep rose that set off her green eyes and the paleness of her hair beautifully. If the gown was slightly too big and hung a little strangely, well, no one could tell when she was seated.

Cas took his seat, followed shortly by Asan, and he rang the bell to call for service.

“What-”

Asan shook his head. “Food first, Emryn. As it seems that all healers are, I doubt you are very good at taking care of yourself.”

Emryn bristled slightly. “I shepherd myself.”

“Not the same thing,” Asan shot back. “Healers work at a near constant magical deficit and, as such, are poor at realizing when they’ve done too much.”

“You’ve done too much when you hit the floor.” Emryn said, as though she was reciting a lesson.

“You’ve been a resident of the floor for rather too long at this point, yes?”

“I’m not certain why.” Emryn picked up her fork and turned it, the silver tines glittering in the light. “I should have recovered long since. I know I’m out of place and unwelcome here.”

“Who has made you feel unwelcome?” Cas leaned forward in his chair.

Emryn shook her head. “I know how the palace healers feel about me being here.”

“They will have to become accustomed,” Asan said, shaking his head. “Because if my theory is correct, you and Cas are about to become rather inseparable.”

Cas opened his mouth, but the door opened and the servants came in with breakfast, serving the food and leaving the dishes on the table before they withdrew.

“What does that mean?” Emryn asked pointedly as she picked up her spoon and looked down at the oatmeal. “Why would His Highness tolerate my presence for longer than needed?”

“How familiar are you with the story of how healing was gifted to humans?” Asan asked, digging into his own breakfast. Asan preferred a simple meal and the oatmeal, fruit, and eggs were a nod to that.

“I’ve read the myth.” Cas said, fiddling with his own fork before spearing a chunk of apple and popping it into his mouth. “Something about the Moon Mother’s guardian birds?”

“Correct.” Asan nodded, before looking over at Emryn. “Are you familiar with the myth?”

Emryn looked at the two of them and shook her head hesitantly. “I don’t have any memories from before I was found by the temple, so if it would have been taught to a child, I don’t know it.”

“When were you found by the temple?” Asan gave her a sharp look.

Emryn shrank slightly. “The Head healer thinks I was seven, but there’s no real way to tell.”

“An odd age for a foundling.” Asan mused. “But not really my point. Cas, would you be so kind as to relate the myth?”

Cas nodded, looking over at Emryn, who was slowly eating and told her the story of how the Mother had seen the suffering of her children and had sent her guardian birds to teach the people how to heal each other.

How the birds had discovered that only ones called by the Mother could grasp their gift, how they devoted themselves entirely to healing and how they were honored by the mother for their sacrifice.

“And then there’s the spin off stories about the birds taking on human form and becoming companions to the healers. But that’s an offshoot legend and there’s no proof to it.”

“Is there proof for the rest of it?” Emryn asked, spoon held loosely in her hand.

Asan nodded, gesturing with his fork. “We have extant books from that time period which details the rise of healers and there are too many coincidences that tie into the myth. Meaning that, at least as an explanation, we must assume that humans did not evolve as healers, and there was an outside incident that caused the skill to develop.”

“But I don’t see what that has to do with me?” Emryn set her spoon down, looking between Cas and Asan. “Or why that means that His Highness must stay close to me.”

“In order to explain that, we must return to healing’s genesis.” Asan replied. “If we are operating on the idea that the Mother gifted healing to humans, then it must also be true that she maintains a link with the ones that were able to receive her gift.”

“Alright?”

“And if there is a link between the Mother and her healers, then does it stand to reason that there could be a link forged between a healer and her patient?”

“No healer of any quality would be so loose with their power spend.” Emryn said, but Cas could see horror dawning in her eyes. “Unless there was a link needed so that the patient wouldn’t-”

Asan nodded, flicking his eyes at Cas. “Correct.”