Page 68 of The Keeper of the Kingdoms

“How? Who are all these people?”I spun around to assess the fae in my sacred space.

“You don’t have time to do everything as it is,” he said aloud, only for me to hear. “So with you out of action and falling behind, I figured that you could use some real help around here.”

He hadn’t answered my question.

“But—they’re not healers,” I stammered, surveying the room. My stomach tightened when I saw Koen and his cohorts over on the far bench. I whirled on Jaxus again. “They’re flyers and ryders,” I hissed through our bond. “And some of them are not welcome in my wing unless they are bleeding!” I tipped my head towards the last flyers I’d ever want in my space to drive my point home.

Jaxus turned me by the shoulders to face the room again and lowered his mouth to my ear.

“Watch them, Kiera,” he spoke softly. “Do they look like they are here to cause trouble?”

I didn’t want to look at them directly for fear they would turn this way and see me doing so. My hands and knees shook. But I made myself glance over there and saw that they were indeed working. In fact, they were working with Vanya, who was showing them a technique for blending, and they surprisingly seem engaged.

I didn’t know what to make of it.

“How? Why?”

“It’s amazing the response you get when you tell a bunch of tough flyers that the one thing that can bring them down is right at their door. Word got around that our brightest healer and newest ryder had been poisoned. I told them we needed to help make more supplies of the antidote in case this was just the beginning of something much worse, and I had no trouble getting them all signed up to help.”

I huffed out an indignant laugh. “But they know nothing of healing.”

“Well, they are here to learn. They can do more than make an antidote, too. They can do anything you need. And not just in here. We have them helping with basic patient care and menial tasks. The King has ordered us to stay within reach of the capital for now, so I’m putting them to good use until we are needed further afield.”

“But—”

Jaxus rolled his eyes and ushered me into an unused side room.

“Do you believe that ryders and flyers should be out there with those undead creatures and not have at least some basic knowledge of how to treat things in the field?”

“They don’t have the magic, though,” I objected.

“Many do have a little. It’s just overlooked. With some solid basic training, it could be used. Think about it. If every flight had the antidote and at least one fae with some field healing knowledge, how many dragons could we save? Even against this new threat, it’s better than nothing at all.”

I didn’t want to agree because I was raised to guard healing magic and having half the flyers in the palace stomping around here seemed to conflict with that in every way. But I had to admit, what he was suggesting was actually quite brilliant.

He was right. We couldn’t afford to lose any more flights, and this was something that could at least give them a chance if they were attacked. And if it helped us out here even a little, then it was worth a shot.

I watched them through the glass. Even my nemesis was working diligently. I wasn’t sure I could bear to be around him, but I would take their help for now.

“You are a ryder, Kiera,” Jaxus cut into my thoughts. “Whether you like it or not, your world and theirs have collided. So why not use this as a chance to change things for the better? Where I’m from, we don’t draw such lines. Everyone helps out, or things don’t get done. This kingdom is in dire need of a real change, and this is the start.”

“We only follow the Goddess’ teachings. Healers are blessed with the magic by her. If she wanted all fae to heal, surely she would have bestowed them with the magic?”

“Then we are not breaking any rules. Their trace amounts of healing magic have been ignored.” He had a point I wouldn’tadmit to because it felt like it went against my people. "Maybe the way the teachings have been interpreted over the centuries has clouded their intention? I personally believe that those blessed with the pure magic are the perfect teachers for those who have enough power and the will to serve. Think of what this kingdom could become if passion and desire were the driving force behind one’s contribution, rather than genetics and law.”

I had no words. I’d never considered things this way. Where did his ideas come from? They seemed so radical, but I couldn’t deny they were worth consideration.

“I don’t think the Goddess does anything without reason. I think we are all guided to our destiny by fate,” he said. “And I feel like resisting the Goddess is the only wrong move we can make here.”

I slowly nodded my agreement, my head swimming with the possibilities. “So how will this work?”

Jaxus’ face broke into a smile. “For now, they are just here to help with the tasks that don’t involve healing magic. Prep work and such. But you also don’t necessarily need full healing magic to assess people, to change linens, to care for and check on the wounded. There’s all sorts of tasks that you and all the other healers are doing every day that your magic is wasted on.

“Then, if some of them show they have some level of healing magic, they can be trained for emergency fieldwork and used here where they are needed to take the strain off.”

I processed what he was saying, and my thoughts ran wild. “We could teach the spells we use for things like bathing a bed-bound patient and moving them without causing injury,” I suggested. “Those weren’t originally healing spells. They were adapted from basic magic, with patient care in mind.”

“See, now you’re thinking,” Jaxus said with a smile.