“The hell I don’t,” snapped Will. “She can be saved.” As his eyes studied Darla, he saw a nasty cut that ran from the woman’s forearm to the back of her right hand. Ugly black veins stood out around the wound.
“There is no cure for the poison of the Drak’shar,” intoned the stone-faced assassin, slowly drawing her own blade. “The Arkeshi know this better than any still living.”
It was obvious she intended to finish the job herself. Will glanced at Tiny and cut his eyes to the left, indicating the big man should try to flank Laina’s bodyguard, then he focused his attention on Darla. “Then your teachers need to do some research. Alchemy has long been able to cure the disease, if the curative is given quickly enough.”
“William, you need to leave her be. The king’s instructions were very clear, and Darla agrees with them as well,” warned the baron. His eyes were watching Will’s hands, where a new spell was forming. Though his words seemed to agree with Darla, there was an undertone of uncertainty in his voice, or perhaps hope.
Darla could see what Tiny was trying to do, and she began edging to one side, keeping her knife between herself and the massive warrior while she worked up her nerve to reverse the blade and put an end to her life.
Just wait a few seconds longer, thought Will as the spell came together. Then it was ready. Something in his posture must have given him away, for Darla flipped her dagger and made to drive it home. Tiny lunged, trying to catch her wrist, but she was too quick and dodged to one side—before slowly slumping to the ground as Will’s sleep spell took hold.
Will looked at his father, who hadn’t tried to interfere. “You believed me?”
“I just don’t want to kill her. My gut tells me you’re offering a fool’s hope, but I’ll take it. If whatever you’ve got doesn’t work, then I’ll still have to—” Mark Nerrow made a reluctant chopping gesture with his sword.
“A blood-cleanse potion can stop the change, if it’s given within an hour,” explained Will.
“And you learned this where?” asked his father.
“From someone who actually fought these things the last time they crawled out of the shadows. Can we take her inside?”
Tiny stepped up and lifted the Arkeshi. Darla’s small frame made her look like a doll in the giant warrior’s arms. The baron nodded toward the door. “Let’s take her to the front parlor.”
The entire Nerrow family followed them in, and Agnes eventually began shooing her daughters away to make room. Only so many people could help with one unconscious woman.
“We’ll need to wake her up to be sure she swallows the potion properly,” said Will.
The baron nodded. “Then you’ll want her bound.”
Agnes turned to her youngest. “Tabitha, run upstairs and bring down the spare sheets. We’ll bind her wrists and ankles with those.”
Her husband frowned at the thought of cutting up the fine linens. “We have some rope in—”
The baroness cut him off. “She’s less likely to hurt herself if she struggles.”
“But…”
Agnes glared. “She’s more than just a servant.”
Will stayed out of the argument, and in a few minutes a large bedsheet was brought down and cut into wide strips. Will’s father tied Darla into a cushioned chair while Tiny helped position the unconscious woman.
“Don’t you need to fetch the potion?” asked the baron as they finished.
He had already taken a moment to step aside and summon the blood-cleanse potion from the limnthal while the others were occupied. Will held it up for the baron to see. “I have it here.”
Mark Nerrow frowned. “You had that with you the whole time?”
Will allowed himself a smug look, hoping he seemed mysterious. “Apparently I did. Let’s wake her up.”
The sleep spell would ordinarily keep a person in a deep slumber for several hours, but it wasn’t an enforced sleep. Enough stimulation could eventually rouse someone, especially if the person applying it was as determined as Laina was. Darla’s eyes opened after a few minutes and slowly focused on her friend. Then the Arkeshi jerked slightly as she attempted to move, quickly discovering her bonds. “You can’t keep me like this,” insisted the former assassin. “You know that.”
Laina won the patient over with her usual brusque charm. “Shut up and drink this.” She took the potion from Will’s hand and unstopped it before holding it up to Darla’s lips.
Darla twisted her head away. “What is it?”
Laina’s tone grew hard. “Have you ever disobeyed me before?”
“No, mistress.”
“Drink,” commanded Laina once again. This time Darla acquiesced, grimacing slightly at the taste.
Will took the empty vial from Laina’s hand and dribbled the last remaining drops onto Darla’s wound before using a spare piece of the now-shredded bedsheet to work it into the cut. The Arkeshi made no sound, but he could tell it hurt her by the way her muscles tensed as the cloth moved over the injured skin. Once he was sure he had rubbed in the last of the potion, he took another strip and neatly wrapped her forearm and hand with a bandage.
Darla hadn’t said a word, but she finally spoke. “We need to see the wound to tell if it’s working.”
He nodded. “It will work, but we’ll check it every hour until we’re sure you’re better.” Will headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” asked Agnes, a look of alarm on her face. “It’s still dark out.”
Will glanced quickly at Darla. “Your sentry needs rest until she heals. Tiny and I will sit outside until dawn arrives.” His eyes stopped on Mark Nerrow for a split second as a bitter thought came to him. I wouldn’t want to wear out my welcome, after all.
There were only four hours left until dawn, hours that were made more pleasant when the baroness brought out a silver platter with sweet biscuits and hot tea. They enjoyed the refreshments, and Will studied the silver utensils. He needed to buy some silver and see the weaponsmith soon.
When the sun finally began to show on the horizon, Will knocked on the door before leaving. Tabitha answered, as apparently the others had finally fallen asleep from nervous exhaustion. As always, Will was struck by the warmth on his younger sister’s face. Her hair was tangled and her eyes puffy, but there was a spark of positivity in her that refused to be dampened by circumstances.
She squinted at the sunlight that was beginning to peak over the rooftops. “Sun’s up. You should come inside and rest.” Then she grinned. “Unless you’d prefer to cook breakfast first?”