Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Marcus stood with his back to the wall and his arms crossed over his chest as he stared at the door leading into the room. He heard the sound of water being moved, and pictured Fedra swirling it with her hand.
He dropped his gaze to the floor as he recalled the feel of the cool length of her silky hair as he’d bound it with a jade hairpin that Rhi had left beside the tub, along with a towel.
It had been many years since he had held a woman’s hair in such a manner, and it made his thoughts turn to the feel of her against him as he carried her out of the pod.
And again, when he walked her to the tub.
He found any and every excuse to touch her.
The more contact he had with her, the more he craved.
His brow puckered as he thought of the small scar on the back of her neck.
It was too low to have been where the needle had pierced her skull.
This was something different. It wasn’t just the size that seemed odd, but that it looked as if it had been caused by some sort of surgery.
It was just one more curious thing about her.
A flicker of the torches in the hall grabbed his attention.
He stared at the magic-based lights for several minutes.
The few outside her room had been acting up recently, and nothing that he or any of the other Kings had done had fixed the issue.
The problem seemed to be only in this section of the corridor and Fedra’s room.
So, they had resorted to candles. For now, it worked because she didn’t need the light to see, but they would have to change rooms once her eyesight returned.
Marcus slid his gaze to the door, recalling Con’s comment about not using magic around her.
Did he know something that he hadn’t shared?
That wasn’t like Con. If it were serious, he would say something.
Unless…Fedra was somehow affecting things.
Marcus frowned as he mulled over the possibilities.
If it was her, it might be related to her exposure to the pod.
After all, she was still weak and blinded.
It might be nothing more than residual side effects.
Then again, Con hadn’t been able to heal her.
Worry niggled at Marcus. He tilted his head to the side, his gaze boring into the wood of the door, as if he could somehow see within the room.
The only way he would learn anything is by testing his theory.
If she was disrupting magic somehow, then precautions would need to be made, and quickly.
He heard approaching footsteps and spotted Evander making his way toward him.
Marcus pushed away from the wall and met his friend halfway.
“The lights are still flickering,” Evander murmured.
Marcus dipped his chin in answer. “Have we confirmed that it’s only happening here?”
“I’ve no’ heard.” Evander’s keen eyes glanced toward Fedra’s door. “Do you think it has something to do with her?”
“We’re still uncovering things about the chamber, the pod, and those who put her there. There could be repercussions we’re unaware of as yet.”
Evander’s lips flattened. “Good point. I wanted to stop by and see how things were progressing with you.”
“She’s taking a mineral bath now. Sian says it’s paramount for her body’s recovery.”
“And her eyes?”
Marcus shrugged. “She’s only taken the second dose of medicine, and Sian doesna want to remove the bandages yet.”
“Has Con no’ tried to heal her again?”
Marcus glanced at the torches, his concern mounting each time he looked at them. “No’ yet.”
“Maybe he should.”
He shared a look with Evander, knowing his friend had come to the same conclusion he had. “I’m going to test a few things first.”
“I doona think you should do it alone.”
Marcus sighed. “If my magic is affected, having you or anyone else there willna make any difference.”
“We can still fight.”
They were assuming only magic was affected. Marcus took stock of his body. He felt fine, other than the overwhelming need to be near Fedra, but that had been there since before he carried her from the stasis pod. “How do you feel?”
“Fine,” Evander said with a crooked smile. “What about you?”
“The usual.”
“You would say that regardless.”
“It’s the truth.”
Evander grunted. “I’ll head to Con and pass this on to him.”
Marcus nodded and turned to retrace his steps to resume his post once more.
Time crawled as he waited. When the thirty minutes were up, he held out his hand and imagined a tray with some soup and bread.
All of it appeared without issue, but it took a half-second longer than it should have.
He probably wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t been looking for anything out of the ordinary.
Con and Rhi turned the corner, heading toward him, just as he was about to knock on the door. Marcus didn’t want Fedra to overhear, so he went to meet them.
“How is she?” Rhi asked, her voice low.
Marcus lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “I’m waiting for her to finish the mineral bath.”
“We spoke with Evander,” Con said. “Have you noticed anything else?”
Once more, Marcus glanced back at the torches near the door to see them flickering again. “Nothing discernible.”
“You think she could be disrupting magic?” Rhi asked, her brows drawn together in a frown.
Marcus twisted his lips. “I want to do a few tests.”
“That’s a good idea.” Rhi shot a quick glance at Con.
Marcus found it odd that Con hadn’t said more.
Rhi tucked her black hair behind her ear and asked, “How are you around Fedra? You’ve spent the most time with her, aside from Sian.”
“I’ve no’ noticed anything, but I also wasna trying to use magic,” Marcus answered. “What about you two?”
Rhi shook her head. “Same as you. I didn’t notice anything.”
Marcus slid his gaze to Con and waited.
Rhi released a resigned sigh and turned her head to Con. “You might as well tell him.”
“Tell me what?” Marcus said, instantly on edge.
There was a long stretch of silence before Con said, “I detected something after I attempted to heal her.”
“What?” Shock reverberated through Marcus. He thought back to that incident and searched his memories to see if he had missed some sign. “What did I neglect to see?”
“Nothing. I made sure you couldna,” Con replied.
Rhi shot her mate an angry look. “Even I didn’t realize anything was wrong until we were in the hallway and he stumbled.”
“Stumbled?” Marcus’s brain refused to believe what he was hearing. He was worried, angry, and confused.
Con grabbed Rhi’s hand and tugged her closer to him. “I’m fine.”
“Now. But you weren’t.” She swung her head to Marcus, her brow furrowed in a deep frown of concern. “He was in tremendous pain.”
Marcus searched Con’s face, hoping Rhi was exaggerating, but the fact that Con didn’t argue spoke volumes. “Pain?”
“It lessened the farther I got from her.”
Every King had experienced agony on hundreds of levels. They could be hurt, but their magic healed them almost instantly. That didn’t mean they didn’t feel pain. It simply meant their bodies reaped the benefits of power.
Rhi tilted her head to the side as she looked at Marcus. “I take it by your face that you’ve not used magic around her.”
He shook his head. “There hasna been a need.”
“We need to tread carefully,” Con said. “Fedra might be doing this on purpose, or it could be somehow tied to the stasis pod. Anyone who has magic needs to be mindful of no’ using it around her until we know more.”
Marcus stared at Con. “How bad was the pain?”
“It was significant,” Con answered after a pause.
Rhi brought Con’s hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles as they shared a meaningful look.
“I had planned to do some tests when I brought her food,” Marcus said.
Con nodded and met his gaze. “Before you walk into the room, you need to test your magic. First in the great hall, then a few places on your way back, as well as outside near her door. Finally, once you get inside.”
“I’d like to test my Fae magic, too,” Rhi added.
Con jerked his head to her, fear flashing in his eyes. “I’d rather you didna.”
“We need to know if it only affects dragon magic, or if it’s everyone’s,” she pointed out.
Con gently cupped Rhi’s face. “The closest you can test your magic is out here. I doona want you to do it inside, lest something affects the bairn.”
Rhi’s hands instantly went to her stomach. She was just beginning to show. She nodded in agreement, and tension melted from Con’s body.
Marcus didn’t like the idea of anyone being hurt. “I think it’s best if Fedra isna aware of what we’re doing.”
“Even if Sian’s medicine is working, the bandages still cover her eyes, so she willna be able to see,” Con said.
Rhi nodded as she bit her lip. “Her other senses will be heightened, though.”
“She didna appear to realize anything was amiss last time with Con,” Marcus said.
Con looked toward her door. “That doesna mean she willna this time.”
“I’m ready to get answers. Con, take the tray from Marcus,” Rhi instructed.
Once Marcus passed it to Con, Rhi teleported them to the city’s great hall. Thankfully, no one was around.
Marcus turned Rhi to face him. “How bad was Con’s pain really?”
Her expression fell as she looked away. “Enough that I had to jump him to our room. The pain dissipated a few moments later, and his magic returned, but I don’t know how he kept it from showing. I’ve never seen him like that.”
“Shite,” he murmured. “We’re already keeping Fedra isolated. It’s why she’s in that section by herself. That will make it easier to ensure that others are no’ affected by her.”
“That’s all well and good while she’s blind and confined to her room. But what happens if her sight returns? Do we toss her out into the world and let her fend for herself? Things aren’t exactly peachy out there, remember?”
Marcus ran a hand down his face. “First things first. Let’s test our magic so we know where we stand.”
Rhi’s outfit changed from jeans and a cream shirt to black pants and a gray sweater. “No change,” she replied.
Marcus thought about a peach and watched it form on the ground at his feet before he made it disappear again. “Same.”