Chapter Fifteen
UNEXPECTEDLY, KILLIAN RECEIVED a summons at midday.
Having been lounging on the sofa after finishing giving his reports, picking at the snacks the servants had brought Fyar earlier that morning, Killian had frozen when a servant appeared with an embossed invitation on a silver platter.
He’d instantly recognized the small and anally neat letters of the palace healer.
It filled him with a sudden and horrible sense of dread.
“What do you know about this?” Killian had accused with a finger pointed at the king.
Fyar had only chuckled evilly and waved him away with a simple call of good luck, and then, “Take the rest of the day to recover. You’ll need it.”
Horrified, Killian had blinked at him, and then he’d gone.
Walking the halls to the infirmary felt like walking the gallows to his execution.
The entire wing was empty. There were no patients, no apprentices, no other healers. No one except Kade.
Kade who was wringing his hands and pacing the length of the lesson room outside of Hokda’s office when Killian walked in. He looked stricken. “Why are you here?”
Killian shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Right. Okay. Well.” Kade smiled, it came out a bit wobbly. “It’ll be nice not to do this alone, I guess.”
Killian returned it, but he wasn’t so confident that was the whole of it. If Hokda wanted them both there, and Fyar knew about it, whatever Hokda’d cooked up was going to be pure evil. Hell on earth.
The minutes stretched on. Kade continued to pace, throwing glances at the closed door of Hokda’s office every few seconds. Killian had crossed his arms and settled with his back against the far wall, watching Kade go back and forth and back and forth, until he just couldn’t anymore.
“Stop it,” commanded Killian. “Calm down.”
“Easy for you to say. It’s not your ass on the line.”
Killian wondered what he could say in that moment to make Kade feel better. Was there anything that would make him feel better?
Doubtful.
Pushing off the wall, Killian intercepted Kade’s pacing. He put a hand Kade’s shoulder and squeezed. After a moment, he felt Kade relax into the hold and then reach up to take hold of Killian’s wrist, squeezing back.
“There’s still so much I don’t know.”
“He knows that,” said Killian. “The test is to become an apprentice, not take over as Royal Healer. You’re not expected to know everything.” He gazed into amber eyes. “Breathe. Breathe.”
The air between them was thick as Kade closed his eyes and took a series of deep breaths, matching Killian’s own slow, intentional pace. Killian listened as the wild beat of Kade’s heart began to slow.
There was a newfound determination glinting in Kade’s eyes when they flickered open again.
“It’s just Hokda. He’s like two inches tall. You could so take him.” Killian grinned. “Whatever happens, fuck him, right?”
A surprised laugh bubbled out of Kade and Killian preened silently knowing he was the cause. Kade softened as he looked up at Killian. “Yeah. Yeah. Fuck him.”
“Fuck who, exactly?” The moment broke at the sudden appearance of Hokda peering up at them, a delicate eyebrow raised in haughty question.
Killian forced himself to remain where he was, even as Kade skittered away from him. There was a flush on each of their cheeks, as if they’d been caught doing something indecent.
Which they hadn’t been.
The entire exchange was completely innocent. Killian was only helping ease some nerves. That’s all.
Hokda wore his usual pristine white robes and gold jewelry, along with a twinkle in his eye that promised pain.
“And where were you?” Killian asked hotly. “Haven’t you ever been taught that it’s rude to keep your guests waiting?”
“Of course I have. I wasn’t raised in a barn, unlike some here.
” Hokda gave him a pointed look. “And I would hardly call you guests. If you must know, there were a few things I needed to prepare that I didn’t have the chance to collect last night.
” He shook the vials he held in Killian’s face, all four were varying shades of brown, suspiciously close to the color and consistency of mud.
Killian curled his lip.
Hokda’s answering grin was all teeth.
When they were all rounded into Hokda’s office, huddled around the tall patient’s table in the corner, Hokda on one side with Killian and Kade on the other, Hokda began.
“There are two parts to this examination, one practical and one written. You will take the practical first.” He gestured to a smaller, nearby table, covered in awful piles of things Killian had never even seen before.
He swore he saw an eyeball in there somewhere.
“For the last round of the practical examination, you will have access to everything in my personal stores, every tool, every herb, every ingredient. Nothing is off limits to you. However, you may not ask me what things are, nor what they do. I am not here to help you and I am not a resource. You are on your own. Do you understand?”
Kade said, “Yes.”
“If you fail or forfeit, I will step in to heal your patient. Do you understand?”
Kade faltered. “Heal my patient?”
Killian bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted iron.
Hokda looked delighted. “That is where you come in, Captain.” He patted the examination table. “Thank you for volunteering.” So much for mercy. “Remove your shirt and hop on up.”
Kade looked sick as Killian did as he was told. The table was bent up at a angle, so Killian was half sitting, half lying down, Hokda and Kade peering over him.
“If you fail or forfeit, I will step in to heal your patient. Do you understand?” Hokda asked again.
“Yes,” breathed Kade.
Hokda turned to Killian. “Do you need me to strap you down or can you stay still like a good boy?”
“Strap me down,” Killian growled. He didn’t trust himself not to actually go for the healer if pushed too far. He wouldn’t risk fucking this up for Kade because he couldn’t control himself.
As leather tightened across his chest, hips, and ankles, Killian tried not to panic.
His mind raged against being tied down so completely, without chance of escape, it reminded him of his time in chains in the dungeons.
It was only with ironclad control he forced himself still, forced himself to show none of the acrid fear that he could taste like bile on his tongue.
Resting his head on the hard table, Killian stared straight ahead, his jaw clenched tight.
“Right.” Hokda rubbed his hands together. “Your practical examination is made up of three parts, three different types of common physical injuries you may have encountered during your training elsewhere. You are expected to know how to handle these injuries before entering my service.”
“What are they?” asked Kade.
Hokda clicked his tongue. “Where’s the fun in that? You’ll see. Patience.” Kade trembled. “You may forfeit at any time, for any reason. Are you ready to begin?”
Kade risked a glance at Killian, his eyes wide and wet, but he squared his shoulders when their eyes met and he nodded. “Yes.”
“Perfect.” And then, to the surprise of absolutely no one in the room, Hokda pulled out a long, curved blade, it gleamed like it had been freshly sharpened. “Captain, darling, try not to make too much noise, yeah? Let your brother concentrate.”
Fucking Hokda.
Killian was going to kill him when this was all over.
Killian barely flinched at the glide of the silver blade across his stomach, the feel of it smooth as Hokda had a sure and steady hand.
Kade had turned away, not able to bear watching. Something Hokda reprimanded him for.
Gritting his teeth, Killian leaned into the pain, embracing it. The air was cool on the hot wound. Hokda hadn’t gutted him, but the cut was deep and long enough that it pulled and threatened to tear more with every trembling flex of Killian’s muscles.
Blood dripped down his stomach into the waistband of his trousers. Killian’s lips thinned.
Testing his restraints, Killian waited, ignoring the short back and forth between Kade and Hokda. They sure were taking their time, just fucking chit chatting while he was bleeding out.
Soon enough, he felt the warmth of Kade’s hands on his stomach and his eyes snapped open.
Kade hovered over him. “Breathe. Breathe. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”
“Aww,” mocked Hokda. “How sweet.”
Kade’s eyes hardened and then Killian felt the pull of his magic.
It stung all the way through. Kade’s en flowing through him, calling on Killian’s own to answer and stitch him back together.
It wasn’t warm or painless. He sighed when Kade’s hands lifted off of him.
He was both relieved that it was over, and dreading what undoubtedly worse things came next.
“Mm.” Hokda tapped his quill on the ledger he carried and scribbled something quickly. “It’ll scar.”
Kade flushed scarlet.
Killian had a harder time acting like the burns didn’t affect him. He grunted and groaned and—a bit ashamed to admit—whined high and long as Hokda dragged his hand across the same part of his stomach that Kade had just healed.
Hokda’s magic twisting, perverting his own en to work against the natural flow of their healing and bend the elements to his will, bursting each of Killian’s cells slowly.
The smell of burning flesh filled the room.
Hissing, Killian tensed, his muscles straining against the restraints. The leather creaked as it fought to keep him in place. It was a slow torture. The pain excruciating. The burning heat stripping away each layer of skin, one by one, leaving a charred, bubbling mess in its wake.
Kade twitched, like he wanted to reach out and take Killian’s hand, but decided against it.
Killian almost asked him to, wanting the distraction of Kade’s hands on him. But they weren’t alone, and that wasn’t why Killian was there.
Trembling, sweat dripped down Killian’s skin, but he felt cold. So, so cold except for the fire of Hokda’s hands.
“Alright. You may begin.”