Chapter Nine
CHAPTER
NINE
Brayden’s face inches from hers, the brush of his touch on her cheek… Scarlett ran through the moment over and over again. That parting shot. Anything for my best friend. Something had been in the air between them—she was sure of it. But his farewell…
She collapsed into an armchair. The awkward moment with Brayden, paired with her list of things to do, made her chest tight. Self-care first, then I’ll be in better shape to take action. I’ll take a bath, see the doctor, and then write to Elestine.
With her eyes closed, she took several deep breaths.
When she opened them again, she was calm enough to appreciate the space around her.
For an old castle, Scarlett’s room appeared fresh and modern.
The walls were bright with peach-colored wallpaper, and several elegant oil paintings of landscapes adorned the walls.
She was sitting in one of two inviting armchairs opposite a fireplace with a crackling fire, and there was a comfortable-looking four-poster bed a few feet away.
Feeling slightly more grounded, Scarlett hobbled to the bathroom. The plumbing was the same as Soleil’s. She drew a bath in a large clawfoot tub.
Immersed in the warm water, she scrubbed the scummy tape marks from her arm where the IV had been and did a full-body check.
Aside from general weakness, she didn’t find anything wrong.
All the hair on her body had grown longer during the weeks she’d been unconscious.
She supposed it’d be more disconcerting if it hadn’t.
The mental image of a nurse shaving her legs while she was in bed made Scarlett snort.
She grabbed a razor from her toiletry bag.
Once she was done shaving she felt more like her normal self. A tired, weakened version of herself.
She lingered in the tub. How surreal had it been to see Brayden in real life?
He was more magnetic than she’d dreamed, which was something, because he’d always been handsome.
There was an uncomfortable niggling in her stomach she didn’t understand though.
Was she afraid of being around him? She’d expected to be nervous, but this was closer to dread.
Scarlett dug deeper, and the dread became a thought. What if he doesn’t like me anymore now that I’m here? He’d had no expectations of her through the mirror—how could he? What would he expect now? What if he preferred the fantasy of her to the reality?
Scarlett sighed. Stop catastrophizing. She’d be here for a couple of days. The friendship wouldn’t be ruined if she was nice and didn’t reveal she fell asleep imagining having sex with him.
Just keep it in a box, Scarlett. It’ll be fine.
Then she remembered all the quiet lies she’d told Alastair over the years, and a wave of nausea rolled through her. She didn’t want to lie anymore. At that thought, her stomach settled immediately.
I am a certified mess.
Feeling both better and worse, Scarlett climbed out of the tub.
She rifled through the limited clothing options in her suitcase, selecting a black silk dress with a fitted corset bodice and the same black leather ankle boots she’d worn for traveling.
Dressed, she went to Manon’s room and found Flora helping her onto her bed.
Her grandmother was now in her dressing gown.
Flora came closer, her expression kind as she spoke to Scarlett in a hushed voice. “I’ve just helped her with her bath. I expect the doctor will be here shortly.”
“That’s above and beyond. Thank you,” whispered Scarlett.
With a smile and a wave, Flora left, closing the door softly behind her.
“Come sit,” said Manon, patting the bed beside her. She leaned back against several pillows. Her eyes looked like they didn’t want to stay open.
Scarlett climbed onto the bed and settled in next to her. “That was nice of Flora to help you take a bath.”
“Mmm. Yes, it was. She’s very kind.”
“I’ll let you sleep in a minute, but can you quickly tell me how phones work here? I know I can’t call Soleil, but how do I charge my phone? There are no electrical outlets.”
Manon rubbed her eyes. “Soul-light magic powers electronics here. It’ll work once you charge it with magic. I’ll show you after we see the doctor.”
“You told me about your soul light. It’s a little ball of light, right? But you didn’t tell me it charged cell phones.”
Manon scoffed. “Soul lights are more than that. They’re our connection to the divine—the energy we’re all a part of.”
“Remind me, how did you meet your soul light? Isn’t it a ritual or something?”
Yawning, Manon closed her eyes once more. “I don’t know if ‘ritual’ is the word I’d use. It’s more a rite of passage.”
Scarlett spread a soft, woolen blanket over her grandmother’s body. “Is it too late for me to meet my soul light?”
“No. You could go to the Forest Temple while we’re here.” Her voice grew quieter. “Beni could too.” Seconds later, Manon let out a soft snore.
Resolving to let her sleep, Scarlett sat there silently contemplating the soul light concept. The Forest Temple intrigued her, but then she recalled all she needed to do: contact Elestine and investigate their abduction.
Her thoughts raced until they were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. A petite woman with short black hair entered the room, bringing a new level of calm with a cheerful smile and a soft-spoken greeting. Scarlett rose to shake her hand, and the woman introduced herself as Dr. Bowen.
Scarlett glanced at Manon. “My grandmother is exhausted. Does she need to be awake for this?”
Dr. Bowen shook her head. “No, it’s fine to let her sleep.”
“Before we begin, I have a question,” said Scarlett, struggling to remain calm knowing this woman was about to use magic on her body. Magic she didn’t understand well enough to trust.
“Go on.”
“Did Lachlan mention why we’re here?” Scarlett looked at her grandmother’s sleeping form.
Dr. Bowen nodded. “He said you were attacked and sedated.”
“Both of us were sedated when it wasn’t medically necessary. We brought urine samples with us. Can you test them to see if we can prove malpractice? The samples are from early this morning.” Scarlett retrieved the bag from where Manon had hidden it in the side pocket of the wheelchair.
Dr. Bowen took it from her. “I’ll get these to a lab and see what comes up. Given the nature of your situation, I’ll ask for a rush job.”
“Thank you.”
Dr. Bowen’s response made Scarlett trust her more.
“Now, why don’t you tell me what happened to you? Do you mind if we take a seat?” She gestured to the armchairs by the fire.
As she relayed everything—murder, sedation, abduction, death threats—Scarlett was conscious of how impossible it all sounded. But Dr. Bowen listened receptively, only interjecting with a few clarifying questions about her symptoms.
When they were finished, the doctor looked from Manon to Scarlett, her eyebrows drawn together. “I’m so sorry for all you went through. I think I have enough information to begin with. Is it all right if I start with Manon? I can tell from her aura she’s worse for wear.”
“Of course,” said Scarlett, although her chest tightened in anticipation.
Dr. Bowen moved to the bedside. “In Clair de Lune we assess the body by examining the energy field. With my magic, I can see overall vitality on sight, but I have to get in closer to know the specifics.”
“Oh, interesting” was all Scarlett could think to say. She stared, mesmerized, as Dr. Bowen’s hands hovered over Manon’s body, moving in slow, deliberate passes up and down her extremities.
“Her energy field is very weak,” said the doctor after a couple of minutes.
“I’ll do some energy healing on her muscles and prescribe her a course of antibiotics.
The catheter gave her an infection. She should be walking again in a day or two, but I want her to take it slow.
If she’s laid low again too quickly, her weakened energetic system might not be able to cope. ”
Scarlett’s eyebrows rose. Walking tomorrow? She’d assumed Manon would take much longer to heal. In Soleil, it would’ve taken her weeks of physical therapy to recover, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear that wasn’t the case here. The depleted energetic system was a concern though.
“Thank you, Doctor,” she said.
Dr. Bowen resumed her work. Scarlett stared at the woman’s hands, where a faint white light radiated out of her palms into Manon’s body.
“Does your soul light help you heal people?” She was so curious she had to ask, even though the question was childlike in its ignorance.
Dr. Bowen glanced up at Scarlett and paused her work. “Well, yes, it does. But healing isn’t everyone’s gift. Do you know what valors are?”
Scarlett shook her head.
“A valor is a kind of magical specialization. Like most doctors, I’m a medicus. That’s my valor. Even with that, it still takes years of training to heal people.”
“Oh,” said Scarlett. So many questions came to mind. Magical specialization? How many were there? But she wanted Dr. Bowen to focus on her grandmother, so she stayed silent.
The doctor glanced at Manon, then at Scarlett. “Your room is next door, right?”
“Yes.”
“The energy healing for Manon will take an hour or so. If you like, you can wait there. I’ll come to you afterward.”
Back in her room, Scarlett lay on her bed thinking.
Her life had been turned upside down since the night of the fight and her breakup with Alastair.
Had he reached out while she was asleep?
She didn’t want his help, didn’t want to see him, but it was horrible to think he didn’t care whether she lived or died after all their years together.
Her mind wandered to the beginning of their relationship—a more soothing, if bittersweet, set of memories.
He’d been so charming, making her feel chosen, showering her with gifts, and welcoming her wholeheartedly into his life, his friendships, and his family.
Then he’d changed, wanting her to exist only for him.
He’d been controlling and unwilling to compromise on the things most important to her.
The life he’d wanted with her… it wasn’t what she wanted.
Maybe it was for the best he’d been honest, even if it wasn’t what she’d wanted to hear. She had no desire to go back to him. All she wanted was to heal and go home.
The lie sat heavy in her stomach, and she sighed. There was something else she wanted.
Him.
She pictured Brayden’s face when he’d spotted her across the train station, and her skin tingled as she remembered the all-encompassing hug he’d wrapped her in.
She wanted to deepen their friendship in any way she could now that they were finally face-to-face.
She wanted more, but she only had days here. It wasn’t enough.
I should have zero expectations of romance, and I just broke up with Alastair.
Somehow, though, her longing for Brayden was undeniable. Scarlett shook her head. She was a lost cause. Thankfully, no one else had to know about it.
Dr. Bowen’s knock snapped her out of her thoughts. She let the doctor in and lay down for the same assessment she’d performed on her grandmother.
Once she’d gone over Scarlett’s body, Dr. Bowen sat in a chair next to the bed.
“The good news is your atrophy is mild. You’d heal fine in a short time without me, but with energy healing, it’ll be even faster.
In the emotional space, however…” Dr. Bowen patted Scarlett’s hand.
“I heard about your father’s death. And how you were there.
Under the circumstances, the blockages you have around your heart are normal, but it’s not healthy to live like this long term.
Is there anything you’d like to tell me? ”
The simple inquiry broke Scarlett. The grief she’d buried rose like a tidal wave.
She saw it clearly in her mind—the bullet hole in her father’s head, his hair matted with blood, and the chunks of his skull and brain that were missing.
It was the sight that haunted her whether she was asleep or awake.
Her pent-up emotions broke through her wafer-thin emotional armor, and Scarlett burst into tears. “N-no. I just feel s-sad and overwhelmed.”
“It’s all right to feel overwhelmed, Scarlett. Talk with your loved ones. A burden shared is easier to bear.” Dr. Bowen held Scarlett’s hand and patted it while she cried. She didn’t try to calm her or ask her any more questions.
When the tears stopped of their own accord, the doctor stood. “Now that you’ve cleared some of that out, shall we begin?”
Throat still raw, Scarlett nodded.
Dr. Bowen moved her hands over Scarlett’s body. “Try to relax. You may have more feelings come up. That’s normal. If it becomes overwhelming, we can stop.”
“All right,” said Scarlett from where she was reclining on the bed.
Dr. Bowen’s hands emitted faint white light.
After her tears, Scarlett was too exhausted to fear the magic entering her body.
The energy healing nipped at the hollowness in her soul, and her body pulsed with a warm, fuzzy sensation.
Scarlett fixated on the doctor’s glowing hands, but the healing was so pleasant her eyes eventually closed. Gradually, she felt lighter.
Memories did come up as Dr. Bowen worked on her.
At first, they were all unpleasant—the breakup with Alastair, her father’s funeral.
But by the time the energy healing was over, she was recalling mornings spent talking to Brayden in front of the mirror with her favorite coffee and happy days surfing at the beach with Beni.
She opened her eyes for a moment when Dr. Bowen said a hushed goodbye, but as soon as she was gone, Scarlett fell into a deep sleep and began to look for Brayden in her dreams.