Chapter 32 Healers and Hunters
HEALERS AND HUNTERS
After D&C, I message Kai that I’m going to watch Scarlet’s tidescast practice. I need some time to think. To breathe.
The stands are littered with fans—a mix of friends, family, and crushes. I sit alone, relieved for the noise.
Scarlet waves at me from the side, her joy tangible. I wish I’d thought to come sooner, though I doubt the Vestra will be okay with me continuing to come, at least not until my meeting with Lyra has passed.
For the next thirty minutes, I lose myself to tidescast, learning even more about the sport and team.
Their coach is gone today, in his place is Barnes, the team captain. He blows the whistle, bright and shrill. Scarlet rockets across the pool with a water orb in hand, her speed and grace worth marveling.
“Inside lane, Ravelle!” Barnes’s voice echoes off the high ceiling as they break into a new drill. “Use that speed!”
Cassandra follows a few feet behind Scarlet. She’s fast, but not fast enough.
Scarlet grins, like Barnes has given her the permission she’s been waiting for. She surges forward and then launches the orb—scoring.
Pride has me cheering as the whistle blares and a new pair head down the pool.
Scarlet beams.
Unease prods me when it’s time for Scarlet and Cassandra to go again, noting Cassandra’s eyes. I’ve seen that brand of cruelty before.
“You’ve got this, Scarlet!” I call.
Cassandra bolts down the pool on offense, but it only takes Scarlet a few seconds to catch up.
Cassandra elbows her, a move I know is legal despite the brutality of the sport.
Scarlet expects it, dodging the worst of the hit before striking at the orb.
Cassandra grips it with both hands, viciously tearing the ball through the air, using her elbows to carve out space, but once again, Scarlet predicts the move, and it barely grazes her before she uses her element to poke the orb free.
Cassandra shrieks. The surface of the pool shivers. So does my soul. A ribbon of water rises and drives into Scarlet’s shoulder.
Scarlet’s scream has me jumping to my feet. Blood covers her arm.
The whistle’s blown as shouting erupts.
I’m only halfway to the pool’s edge when Barnes has Scarlet out of the water, the gash on her shoulder has my stomach twisting with nausea.
“She should have blocked better,” Cassandra mutters.
Violence rocks through me, and that feeling of fire and ice in my veins has me flushing and too cold. For a terrifying second, I can feel the flames waiting beneath my skin, eager to answer.
I hold my breath, praying it stops.
My crystal link vibrates.
“I’m fine,” Scarlet tells Barnes, pushing his shoulder. “I just need to close the wound.” But I can tell she isn’t fine. Her breaths are too tight, there’s too much blood, and she’s still sopping wet, her hair clinging to her face.
My crystal link rings again.
My desire for vengeance takes a back seat to Scarlet’s pain as I make my way to her other side.
“I can walk,” Scarlet says stubbornly, trying to pull away from Barnes again, but the moment he shifts, her knees buckle.
I step closer, catching her weight.
“You need to see a healer,” Barnes says. “It went clear through, and you’ve lost a lot of blood.”
“I’m a healer,” she argues. “Give me five minutes. I’ll be fine.”
Barnes’s stare hardens. “You’re not getting back in the water until a healer signs off.”
Her shoulders tense. “You can’t do that.”
“I just did.” He turns away. “Cassandra, get out of my pool. If you pull shit like that again, you’re off the team.”
She blinks, wide-eyed, then scoffs. “It was a striking charm. It’s not my fault she didn’t move in time.”
“Bullshit,” Barnes growls. “Out.”
Cassandra lifts her hands in mock innocence. “In a game, you’d be congratulating me.” She turns, her gaze falling on me and then Scarlet, before she moves to the locker room.
Another flash of fire and ice race through my veins as I curl my arm around Scarlet’s waist. My crystal link rings a third time.
“You’re going to have to answer that,” she murmurs, leaning on me.
The moment she’s on the bench, Barnes kneels, drying her with his element. “Let me see your wound.”
My lungs remain too tight, my cindrel charged.
I sense Kai before he appears in front of me. That strange pull in my chest draws my attention to him.
His gaze rakes over me, and then Scarlet, sharp and assessing. “What happened?”
“A barbed striking charm,” Scarlet says. “I’m fine. I just need a second, and then I can heal it.”
“You need a healer,” Barnes argues. “If you do it yourself, you’ll be drained. You’ve lost too much blood. She hit a damn artery.”
Scarlet hisses as Barnes prods the back of her shoulder. He swears. “I can stop the bleeding, but I can’t heal the artery or the muscle.”
“I’ll take her to the healing center,” I say.
Scarlet shakes her head. “I can’t miss more practices.”
“I’ll mark it as trainers’ orders,” Barnes assures her. “Your minutes will be safe.”
“They’ll think you’re favoring me,” she objects. “I missed a full week.”
Guilt scrapes at my chest. She missed those days because of me.
“If you go back in there, your shoulder will be ruined for weeks,” Barnes warns. “Go heal. We’ll see you tomorrow.” He stands slowly, like he’s reluctant to move away.
Scarlet sways as she stands, but Kai scoops her up before I can move closer. I’m grateful but also confused and increasingly conflicted.
“Come on.” Kai pivots toward the exit.
“You need to call Griffin,” he mutters as we approach the glider. “He’s losing his fucking shit.”
“I think he’ll understand,” I say, tugging off my sweatshirt. “We need to put pressure on the wound. Shit—you do that here, right?”
Kai presses his palm against her shoulder. “Call Griffin. I’ve got this.”
I fumble to get my crystal link out of my pocket and find the right buttons to dial. Griffin answers on the first ring. “What happened?”
“Scarlet got hurt.”
“Are you okay?” His tone is urgent.
I feel like a live wire. Sick. Livid. Completely overwhelmed. “I’m fine.”
“Kai’s one of the best healers I know. Scarlet’s going to be fine.” As he says this, Scarlet’s brow smooths.
I want to tell him about all the blood. About how the gash is so big I could see through her. How my cindrel is clawing at my insides. None of that will help Scarlet, though. “I have to go. I’ll see you at ho—Mysthaven.”
I hang up before he can reply and scoot closer to Scarlet. “What can I do?”
“We need a tonic for the blood loss. Can you enter the address for Mysthaven into the glider?” Kai asks, his voice low and steady as he works over the wound.
I lean forward and quickly enter the address.
“I didn’t know you had a Water Element,” Scarlet says. “How in the hell are you healing this so fast?”
Kai grins. “Pretty impressive, isn’t it, since Air is my primary.”
Scarlet huffs, still showing a brave face, though she shivers. “I think arrogant is your primary. Lucky you, Bri.”
I’ve long suspected that all five members of the Vestra have all the elements like Daire and Griffin confirmed, but it’s one of the many things we don’t discuss.
“As long as he heals you, I don’t care what his primary element is,” I say, covering her uninjured side with my sweatshirt though Kai’s already dried her completely with his element. “Do we have to worry about shock? Infection?”
Scarlet shakes her head. “Trivial human concerns.”
Kai slowly pulls his hand away from the wound, revealing a golf-ball-sized scar just as we pull up to the gates of Mysthaven.
It feels like we wait forever for them to open, and even longer to make it down the long driveway. When we finally stop, I push the doors open. Kai bundles Scarlet into his arms, her face pale against his black sweatshirt.
Lief has the doors open, gaze assessing. “She needs some ironroot,” he says.
Kai carries her into the house, through the kitchen, and straight out the back door.
“What are you doing?” I ask, but my question dies on my lips, recognizing his intent as he heads for the springs.
Scarlet hums softly as Kai sets her in the water, but her eyes remain shut, her body too pale. She sways again.
I clamber in beside her, careful to avoid Kai. My shoes and clothes become sponges, weighing me down as I pull Scarlet against me.
Lief appears with a small vial of brown liquid that bubbles and fizzes. He passes it to me. “Be sure she drinks it all.”
“You’ll have to tell me if this tastes like soda,” I tease.
“It’s so awful,” she whines, her voice still too weak.
“I’ll find you a couple of tarts as soon as you drink it,” I promise.
“Dump it all in.” She tips her head back.
I pour the contents of the vial into her mouth.
She grimaces. Swallows, then coughs until she’s choking. “Hairy golem balls, that shit is awful.” But despite her objections, the pallor of her skin is already softening.
“I’m going to start healing the muscle,” Kai says, shifting closer.
Scarlet leans her head on my shoulder as Kai presses his hand to the wound, softly murmuring charms.
“I feel your power,” Scarlet murmurs, and it takes me a moment to realize she’s talking to me.
Kai’s gaze finds mine. “If it gets to be too much, we can take a break.”
“I’m fine,” I whisper, though my entire body is tense, terrified I’ll hurt one of them.
He continues healing her, but I note how his attention drifts in my direction every few seconds and how his shoulders remain rigid in a defensive position.
In less than ten minutes the wound is healed, leaving only a faint pink scar. Scarlet sleeps on my shoulder.
“She’ll be fine by tomorrow,” Kai says.
“Barnes said she’ll need a note.”
“Daire can forge it.” He moves to get out. “She needs to soak for a while. You should get changed and study.”
“I’m going to stay with her.”
Kai stares at me, and for a second, I think he’s going to object.
“I’m not as charged,” I explain. “I swear I won’t hurt her.”
He presses his lips together, seeming to weigh something. “There was another attack today. That’s why I showed up at the pool.”
My stomach drops. “Another one?” I’d assumed they somehow sensed my cindrel or intention to char Cassandra.
He nods. “It was over in Hyland, but more than once, they’ve done dual attacks, knowing we’re distracted.”
“Did they take anyone?”
“A male.” His voice is flat, matter-of-fact, but I see the tension in his shoulders.
My lungs feel frozen as I turn toward the surrounding woods and lake, imagining all the ways someone could approach Mysthaven.
“The wards are strong here. No one can reach you at Mysthaven.” It’s a promise. “I need to go call the others. See what they’ve learned.” He heads into the house without looking back.
I stare after him, trying to reconcile the male who just saved Scarlet with the one who’s been avoiding me.
My inner cynic questions if the wards are to keep me here rather than anything out, but after what he just did to help Scarlet, it’s harder to question him.
I release a tight sigh, reach for my crystal link, and start reading the book Holden assigned me today on Council ethics.
Scarlet slowly stirs as the sky begins to darken. Her eyes blink, slowly turning to me.
“How are you feeling?” I ask.
“Like I had a really good nap.” She grins, then tentatively stretches her arms, her shoulder, twisting and moving the joint.
“It’s good to know he’s a decent healer, since you like running after moonstags.”
I scoff, wishing I could tell her he was the moonstag.
“Thanks for coming today,” she says, voice softer, vulnerable.
“Has Cassandra done that before?”
“I should have blocked her. Normally, I throw shields up whenever she’s close because I don’t trust her, but I was trying to preserve energy for the scrimmage and underestimated how bloodthirsty she was.”
“Barnes should kick her off the team.”
“Veronica’s mom will only call in favors and get Barnes banned from the team,” Scarlet says, reminding me of the influence Veronica’s family has.
“We can’t let her get away with this bullshit.”
Scarlet releases a slow breath. “It’s total bullshit. But most political things are.” Her gaze sharpens. “Are you wearing jeans right now?”
I look down at the clothes I wore to school. “I was trying to save you from drowning.”
She grins. “I’m a water Elemental. I can’t drown unless my cindrel’s injured.”
I blink. Scarlet giggles, and like a switch is flipped on inside of me, I do, too. Laughing for relief. For friendship. For an Air Elemental who can heal wounds that aren’t comprehensible.
Hours pass in a blur of conversation and laughter as we devise elaborate revenge plots, poke holes in said plots, and then recalibrate until our conversation drifts back to my past.
“Do you ever think of your parents?”
The question catches me off guard. “Most days.”
“What were they like?”
It’s weird to talk about them in the past tense, but also not.
I’ve already accepted I would never see them again.
“They were… fine. My dad’s practical. The sort who doesn’t talk about feelings or emotions and hates anyone who’s different.
My mom was all about perception.” I laugh, humorlessly.
“Sometimes Lochlan reminds me of her with all the damn rules.”
Scarlet doesn’t smile.
“I never belonged,” I admit quietly. “They weren’t… bad people. Not always. I think they realized too late that having a kid wasn’t everything they expected. They wanted a perfect daughter, and I was the reminder that they didn’t get her.”
Silence sits between us, heavy with everything unsaid.
“My mom only brought me back because she had to,” Scarlet says.
“Sometimes, I wonder what would’ve happened if my dad weren’t arrested or if his parents were around.
Would she have left me there?” Her voice is soft, her face twisted with a false smile, like she wants to minimize something that clearly still hurts.
I wrap my hand around hers.
“Forget them,” she says, squeezing my fingers as she sits a little straighter. “It’s those who show up that matter.”
Her words settle deep inside me.
Before I can say anything, her crystal link hums from the edge of the pool. Everett’s name lights across the screen.
“I should take this. Let him know I’m fine,” she murmurs, looking almost relieved for the excuse to leave.
She slips into the house, leaving me with too many unanswered thoughts.
I wait, giving her the space. When I head inside several minutes later, my clothes soaked and heavy, I realize I’m not the only one carrying wounds from those I thought I could trust.