She swallowed hard and looked him in the eye.
“Then your heart stopped. I was so afraid. I can’t lose you, My Love. I can’t.” She started to lose her composure again.
“Hush, you haven’t lost me, Little One. It’s all right. Just tell me what happened next.”
“Isabel used her healing light on you.”
A thrill of fear raced through Alexander. He looked over at Isabel quickly and scrutinized her, then closed his eyes with a feeling of dread when he saw a hint of darkness tangled up in her beautiful colors.
“She’s all right, My Love.”
Alexander shook his head. “No, she’s not. The wraithkin’s taint is infecting her magic.”
“Oh, My Love, I’m so sorry. She said she felt fine.”
Alexander nodded with his eyes closed.
“Her light brought your heartbeat back and healed the cut on your arm.”
Alexander opened his eyes with a frown. “So the fairy dust worked … it just killed me in the bargain.”
Chloe nodded. “Lucky said he thinks the conflict between the fairy dust and the wraithkin’s dark magic unleashes too much power. It caused all of your muscles to clench uncontrollably until you ran out of air. You only relaxed once your heart stopped.”
Isabel moaned softly as she woke from the sound of their conversation. Alexander watched her with a gentle smile. With all of the trouble swirling around him he was at peace just knowing that this amazing woman loved him. With her at his side he could face any challenge.
She came awake with a start and scrambled out of the chair and onto the bed, kneeling beside him and putting her head on his shoulder as she started crying softly.
He put his hand on her back and caressed her gently.
“I’m all right, you saved me—both of you.”
“Don’t ever scare me like that again,” Isabel said. “When your mom said your heart had stopped, I felt like the world was ending.”
“Come here,” he whispered.
She lay down beside him and put her head on his shoulder.
“I’m grateful that you saved me. But now the wraithkin’s taint is growing inside you,” Alexander said.
She tensed a little but didn’t say anything.
“You have to promise me that you won’t use your light again until we figure out how to undo whatever the wraithkin’s magic did to you.”
She nodded. “I don’t feel anything. Are you sure it’s really there?”
“I’m sure,” he said.
“I promise I won’t use it unless it’s the only way to save you,” Isabel said.
“Isabel, we don’t know what’s happening. The wraithkin’s taint could kill you.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“You can’t risk yourself for me,” Alexander said.
She lifted herself up so she could look him in the eye. “I can and I will,” she said, her green eyes flashing. “When I was lost in the darkness, you risked yourself to save me. You can’t ask me to do any less. I love you just as much as you love me. Losing you would be the most horrible thing that could ever happen to me.”
Chloe nodded, still sitting in the middle of his chest.
Alexander sighed and shook his head. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I know,” Isabel said.
He relaxed and let himself drift off. When he woke an hour later, Isabel was resting with her head on his shoulder, and Chloe was curled up asleep on his chest. He yawned and both of them woke.
“Are you hungry?” Isabel asked.
“Now that you mention it, I’m starving.”
“I’ll have Adele make us some breakfast and send word to your parents and sister that you’re awake,” Isabel said, as she got up.
“Adele? From New Ruatha?”
“Yep, she volunteered to serve as your house manager. She’s the one who got these quarters cleaned and furnished for us. In fact, as I understand it, she went to Erik demanding to know why he hadn’t assigned a staff to attend to you when you were in the Keep. He was a bit flustered at first. I can’t say I blame him since he’s been busy coordinating the supply operation for the army. When Adele offered to take care of our quarters, he gladly assigned her the job.”
Alexander chuckled and shook his head. “I don’t blame him, either. He’s got more important things to do than worry about where we’re going to sleep. Besides, I thought we had rooms off the paddock.”
“Alexander, you’re the Sovereign,” Isabel said, smiling at his discomfort. “It wouldn’t do for you to stay in the barracks with the soldiers.”
Alexander shook his head. “One of these days, I expect everyone to realize that I’m just a ranch hand and throw me in the dungeon for impersonating a king.”
“You are much more than a ranch hand, My Love,” Chloe said, standing in the middle of his chest with her hands on her hips and looking at him sternly. “I know your heart, maybe even better than you do yourself. You are every bit the king that the people need. Without you, they don’t stand a chance against the storm that’s coming. Through you, they may yet live to see a world ruled by justice rather than ambition.”
Once again, Alexander felt the weight of his burden settle into place. He set aside his dream of a simple life with Isabel and accepted the world as it was. He was the Sovereign of the Seven Isles—and he had a war to win.
“Let’s go get breakfast.”
He opened the door leading from his bedchamber into a large circular sitting room. There was an arch on the opposite side leading to an entry hall with a door on the far side. To his right was an arch that opened into a large formal dining room with three crystal chandeliers hanging over a long oak table. On his left was a heavy bound oak door. The sitting room had a fireplace in the center with a stone chimney rising into the ceiling. On one side of the fireplace was a low table with couches on two sides and overstuffed chairs on the other two. Colorful tapestries, probably from New Ruatha, hung over the black granite of the walls. Brass lamps stood at intervals between the tapestries, providing ample light.
Boaberous stood when Alexander entered.
“Lord Reishi, it’s good to see you well again.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant. Report,” Alexander said.
“Your rooms are secure. There’s only one entrance from within the Keep,” he said, motioning toward the door in the entry hall. “The balconies are inaccessible except by flight. I’ve posted two Rangers at the door and four on platforms above your balconies.
“Commander P’Tal is still incapacitated, but the healers tell me he’s mending. I’m aware of only one immediate threat. The Rangers reported that a serving girl was murdered last night within the Keep. They’re investigating.”
“It’s always something,” Alexander said with a frown.
Adele came bustling in and smiled broadly when she saw Alexander.
“Lord Reishi, it’s so good to see you. We were all worried sick that you wouldn’t wake up. I’ll send word to your mother right away.” She turned and called out into the other room, “Lena.”
A young woman of about nineteen came into the sitting room. She wasn’t quite as tall as Isabel, had dark brown hair and soft brown eyes, clear skin, and a timid smile. She was beautiful but still unsure of herself as a woman. Her colors were clear and bright, vibrant with life but also revealed the nervousness and uncertainty of youth.
“Yes ma’am?”
“Lena, this is Lord Reishi,” Adele said, turning back to Alexander. “With your permission, Lord Reishi, Lena will be your maidservant. She is well-trained and has served on my staff for many years.”
“I trust your judgment, Adele. Pick your staff as you see fit,” Alexander said, then turned to Lena. “Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Thank you, Lord Reishi,” she said.
“Lena, run and tell Lady Bella that her son is awake,” Adele said.
Lena nodded and headed out the door in the entry hall.
“You must be famished,” Adele said. “I’ll have the chef start breakfast right away. I suspect your family will be joining you shortly, so I’ll be sure he makes plenty. Is there anything in particular you’d like?”
Alexander shrugged with a smile, “Maybe some eggs.”
“Of course, I’ll get breakfast started and be back with a pot of tea,” Adele said, as she whisked out of the room.
“I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that,” Alexander said. “It just doesn’t feel right having people waiting on me.”
“You have more important things to worry about,” Isabel said.
Alexander and Isabel were sitting on a couch sipping tea when Duncan and Bella arrived.
When Bella saw her son, she put her hand on her chest and closed her eyes to fight back tears. She hugged him fiercely and then held him by the shoulders at arm’s length.
“How do you feel? Are you having any light-headedness, dizziness, or confusion?”
“I feel fine, Mom, just a little hungry.”
“You had us all pretty worried, Son,” Duncan said, “especially after Esmer died.”
“Who’s Esmer?”
“He was one of Kelvin’s wizards, a healer,” Duncan said. “He tried to heal Commander P’Tal with a spell but it didn’t work. We found him dead the next morning.”
Alexander looked at Isabel again, examining her colors more closely.
“I’m fine, Alexander. Stop worrying. My healing magic works differently than most others’. I’ve already talked with Kelvin and Magda about it. They said Esmer died because the wraithkin’s taint kept his connection to the firmament open. When he went to sleep, he got lost in the firmament in his dreams. That’s why he never woke up.
“Since my healing doesn’t come from manipulating the firmament, Magda thinks the taint will attack my connection to the realm of light instead. I might lose my ability to use the light but not my other magic.”
“What’s Kelvin think?” Alexander asked.
“He’s not so sure,” Isabel said, reluctantly. “He’s afraid that the taint will go to work on my connection with the firmament once it’s overpowered my link with the realm of light.”
Alexander frowned. “We have to get rid of that taint, and sooner would be better than later.”
“We’re already working on it, Alexander,” Bella said.
The door in the entry hall opened and people started filing in. Abigail and Jack, with a young waifish girl trailing behind them, looking timid and wide-eyed, came first, followed by Anatoly, Lucky, Kelvin, and Magda.
Abigail went straight to her brother and hugged him, then stepped back and said with a smile, “Be more careful!”
“You’re looking well for a man who’s just recently died,” Jack said with a sparkle. “It’s good to have you back.”
“Quite, my boy,” Lucky said. “Looks like your wound has mended nicely.”
“I hear you got two of those wraithkin,” Anatoly said. “Not bad. I went to see Commander P’Tal yesterday. They hurt him pretty bad. The healers say he’ll be out of commission for a few months, at least.”
“You look like you’ve recovered well,” Alexander said.
“Isabel’s magic fixed me up better than I had any right to expect,” Anatoly said. “I thought I was gone for sure when that scourgling hit me. Felt like every bone in my chest was shattered.”
“That’s because they were,” Lucky said. “You were far beyond my talents. Without Isabel, you would have died.”
“So you keep reminding me,” Anatoly said.
Lucky smiled impishly.
Kelvin shook Alexander’s hand. “Glad to have you back. We have much to discuss and your leadership is sorely needed.”
Alexander sighed and nodded. “Can we have breakfast first?”
Kelvin chuckled, nodding.
“Hello, Lord Reishi,” Magda said. “I’m glad to see you’re well. I feared the worst when I arrived to the news that you’d been unconscious for two days.”
“Thank you, Magda. I’m glad you could come to Blackstone for the council meeting,” Alexander said with a deferential nod to the triumvir.
Then he turned to the young girl and smiled. “You were sitting with Isabel and Abigail when I looked in on them at the fortress island. Thanks for keeping them company. I’m sure your friendship was a comfort to them. I’m Alexander.”
She swallowed hard and curtsied as if she just remembered she was supposed to be on her best behavior. “I’m Wren, Lord Reishi. Thank you for having me as a guest in your home.”
Alexander smiled and chuckled. “You’re most welcome. Any friend of my wife and sister is a friend of mine.”
“Wren is a treasure,” Jack said. “Abigail introduced her to me when she arrived with the triumvirs yesterday. It seems that Wren wants to sing. We bards are always on the hunt for new talent, so I listened to her for a few minutes. I have to say, I’ve never heard anyone with more natural talent and passion for the craft. With a little coaching, I expect her to be one of the greatest singers in all of the Seven Isles.”
Wren blushed furiously. “I’m not really that good,” she muttered.
Adele came bustling into the sitting room and stopped short when she saw the crowd. “Ah, breakfast is ready. There’s plenty for everyone.”
They ate a leisurely meal, enjoying the food and talking of little things. When only Lucky was still eating, Alexander sighed contentedly and looked to Isabel. She nodded.