Healer (18 page)

“Up here, Prince!”
Easton offered a hand, which Wisdom grasped and allowed
himself
to be pulled up to the bridge before he was overwhelmed. “Don’t need
ye
losing a leg as well!”

“We need to get off
the ship!” Wisdom gestured to his necklace,
then
swiped at a crab. “I can transport you all back to land.”

“A captain stays no
matter what!” Easton defended. “Remember that next time ye have something
attack yer clan! And what was that tune? Thought ye’d lull ‘em to sleep?”

“I called for
support!” Wisdom said, noticing the disabled crew member huddled against the
helm. Bare-chested, his own shirt bandaged the place of his missing ligament.
“The sea is not of my element. I need someone who either has the ability to
control water, or at least
knows
how to counter the
things that live in it!”

Wisdom checked on
Josephine’s position. The young man could be seen pacing within the crow’s
nest, calling out alerts as needed. The majority had taken higher positions. On
deck, crabs easily outnumbered those who still remained fighting.

Their efforts, however,
were futile. Shells scampered across water-strewn boards faster than the men
could move. Large pinchers easily clipped off hands and feet. One man’s
gurgling screams ended in a pile of thrashing red. Stained seawater sloshed
under their shifting weight as they clambered over one another. When Wisdom
looked again, all that was left was a fleshy carcass rolling about deck.

Yet the fight did not
stay on deck. While Wisdom and crew continued battling Shells trying to get to the
bridge, he could hear those down in the hold as well. It was not long before
Shells crawled back out, trailing blood behind them.

Even while fighting,
Wisdom kept his thoughts open to Josephine. A sudden change in thought alerted
him first before the crew.

Ripples from the water
drew Josephine’s attention, as did the prince’s. Darting over to the side,
Wisdom watched those once crashing waves against rock cease. Instead, it
swelled from something moving just beneath the surface.

At once, Red Shells scattered.
They dashed for the sides, clattering over one another to spill back into
water. As Wisdom contemplated the meaning of their hasty departure, the captain
congratulated him.

“Whatever ye did, it
worked!”

“Was’t
me.”
Wisdom eyed the continual
swell of water near the cliffs.

Something red diffused
the norm of gray-green. He checked Josephine’s thoughts. Alarmed at the lack of
activity, he probed the mind further. Only one word seemed to stand out.

“Does the word ‘king’
mean anything to you?” Wisdom turned to Easton, whose face suddenly paled.

“King Red Shells feed
on smaller ones. Don’t’ tell me you—”

A crash of wave
slammed into the ship, flinging some of the men back on deck. Having held on to
the railing, both Wisdom and Easton were able to keep their footing long enough
to witness a large, red claw thrust up from the sandy bottom. Both rock and
foam sprayed across the surface. It held a moment, a monument in comparison to
the smaller Shells. Then it slammed down, producing another dizzying wave that
tossed the ship about like a toy.

“Willing to rethink
that transportation now?” Wisdom asked in a menacing tone while attempting a
spell to keep the ship righted.
“Because if that thing hits,
we’re all dead!”

“
Get
the ship
moving, and we’ll be fine!” Easton said. “King Red Shells are
not as fast, even in water! They just sink to the bottom!”

“That’s where we are
now!” Wisdom held tight to the side while they felt the ship grind against
sandbar with each pounding wave. He could see bubbles popping along the
surface, closing distance to the ship.

It was coming.

Wisdom concentrated on
building up his magic. Between Josephine’s updates on the King’s whereabouts,
Easton ordered the men to start lowering lifeboats.

“Keep yer magic
charm!” Easton waved aside the prince’s offer to use the necklace. “A sailor’s
place is the sea! And we’ll use it even if it ends us! Josephine! Yer
grandfather’d have my head if ye don’t hurry up!”

The young man had just
swung over the edge to the rope ladder when the King’s massive claw shot up
next to the ship.

“As’yna!”
Wisdom cursed, unprepared at the sudden move.

He thrust his magic
toward the oncoming claw, knocking it back to give the men more time to jump
into the boats.

“Cut the lines!”
Easton ordered.
“Prince!”

Wisdom readied himself
for another blow.
I won’t be able to stop it!
As the claw came down once
again, he readied all his remaining energy.

A flash of silver and
black darted from the surface. Almost too quick to follow, it passed just
beneath the joint.

Wisdom waited. Easton
waited. On the rope ladder, Josephine remained transfixed on the stilled claw.

Then it collapsed.
Like a sliced column, the severed claw toppled into the water. Spray doused the
already dripping men while turbulence below sent the ship grinding against
sandy bottom.

“Josephine, get down
from there!” Easton cried when a second, smaller claw smacked against some of
the riggings. Its pincher tangled on the rope ladder. When it pulled back, the
rope snapped.

“Jose!” Wisdom dove
for his thrown friend, shifting in mid-air. The speedy change pained his body
as blood united both hawk and wolf forms.

Still, he was too
late. With the netting wrapped around the claw, it receded beneath the white
caps, taking the young man with it.

Wisdom let out a cry
of frustration and dove at the slightest movement.

The claw came back up
empty. No Josephine. No netting.

Wisdom ripped into it.
Strength molded with angered magic, dislodging half the claw. It was a careless
act, for the enraged crab flung him back toward the ship. Wisdom felt himself
shift the moment he slammed through the ship’s railing. Wood clattered around
him like the tears he wanted to shed for his friend.

“Wisdom!”

“Jose?” The prince
blinked several times. He had barely registered his own whereabouts when the
young man was by his side helping him up. Though dripping wet, his friend
appeared unharmed. “How..?”

“That’s what I was
thinking! How, right? But you’ll never guess who pulled me out!”

“Who?”

Josephine pointed to
the ship’s bow.

Still slightly dazed,
Wisdom cocked his head to reason with his vision. A solitary figure stood
overlooking the thrashing King. With both claws disabled, it backed away from
the vessel while the figure lifted an outstretched hand. It was not until the
ship began to gently rock that he realized it was being lifted.
 

“Tide’s coming back!”
Josephine grinned.
“Finally!”

“Not on its own.”
Wisdom never turned his gaze from the figure. “It’s being controlled.”

Lean in form, the
figure stood with back turned. A topnotch of long black hair draped down the
back of his turquoise garments, drawing attention to the hilt of a katana
sheathed at his side. Following the flow of what seemed to be an open-front
robe, Wisdom noticed a few loose tendrils quiver around the ears – and the tips
were pointed.

“Wait, that’s....”

A quick glance over
his shoulder revealed a sleek, oriental appearance. Dark eyebrows narrowed upon
noticing Wisdom’s unblinking stare.

Then he dove.

“You should have seen
him in the water!” Josephine chattered on about the encounter. “You couldn’t
even follow him, he was so fast! What do they call it? He had these fins, like
some type of fish. Is he your kind?”

“Close enough.” Wisdom
caught his breath. “That was a Water Healer.”

CHAPTER
5

If there was ever a
moment where Mr. Phine showed his grandson any affection, returning to the
docks was it. Everyone was all smiles up until the moment Mr. Phine came to his
senses, released his grandson from a bear-hug,
then
slapped him upside the head.

“What were you
thinking?
Going out there like that!”
He pointed to
the sailor who had lost his foot being carried out on a stretcher. “Come back
like that and I’d have yer head!”

Onlookers made room
for the groaning man as he was gently laid on the boardwalk.

“That’s when you call
me,” Wisdom answered for his grandson. One of the men removed the wrapping,
leaving a bloody stump where his foot had been severed. The prince then knelt
beside the man and extended a hand over the wound. Quick to answer, surrounding
greenery soon browned as their life-force waned. The giving energy gathered
where Wisdom’s palm touched, and soon a warm glow surrounded the missing
ligament.

Those closest watched
in astonishment while the light extended from under his hand. When it finally
faded, the sailor was asked to sit up. With renewed strength, the sailor stared
at his new foot.

“How you do you feel?”
Wisdom watched the man wiggle his toes in disbelief.

“Like I ain’t lost
nothing’
at all!” The man continued to stare until Mr. Phine
cleared his throat.

“Y’all know what a
foot looks like,” he said gruffly.
“On with ya now!
There’s work still needing to get done.”

With the ship’s
primary damage mainly claw marks up one side, a few busted railings and loose
rigging, Wisdom soon headed back to the Eastern Clan. He checked briefly with
the merchants in town before finding himself alone on a dirt path that cut
through the woods. After everything that had just taken place, the prince
relished the solitary sound of wind rustling overhanging branches across the
road.

Josephine will have
the ship together in no time.
He took
a deep breath, taking in the familiar smells of pine and oak. Occasionally, he would
get a whiff of salty air blown in from sea, reminding him of the strange Healer
called in to help.
An actual Water Healer! Wait ‘til Shy hears of this!

A hint of liquor
tingled
his nose. He paused, testing the air to pinpoint its
whereabouts.

With the breeze at his
back, he twitched an ear to confirm movement from behind. That’s when he turned
toward a shadowed figure stepping from the trees. Instantly, his eye was drawn
to the gold-striped dagger already between the man’s fingers.

Ears flattened in
annoyance.

“Are you lost,
Nathaniel?” Wisdom kept his tone deep with authority. “Sapphire’s the other
way. I suggest you go there.”

“Lossst?”
Nathaniel slurred. He took a step, stumbled,
then
regained his composure.
“Wha’da...wha’ya
sssthink?”

Used to the precise
skill of a trained killer, the prince was stunned. As the assassin clumsily
tried to flip the dagger, it slipped from his grasp and clanked next to his
boot. In his current state, Nathaniel did not notice that his fingers were
instead flipping an invisible weapon. It was not until he attempted to make a
pass to the next hand that he realized the dagger was missing.

“Ma-magic
you-ssher!”
He nearly fell over
when reaching down to retrieve it.
“Did-gee enjoy yer lil’
adven-chure at ssschea?”

Wisdom shook his head.
“Now I understand why. You certainly couldn’t make it without some type of
delay holding me back.” While he spoke, he continually checked his surroundings
for illusion, drawing energy from the sword contained within his necklace. At
each attempt, his eyes flashed to collect readings, though nothing stood out a
present.

Past encounters with
the assassin had meant Jenario was not far behind. Yet with
Osha’s
border protection spell in place, Jenario would not be able to cross as long as
he carried the dark horn.

“Last chance,” Wisdom
threatened. “Turn back.”

Nathaniel snorted.
“Mockkkeen me?”
Holding the dagger out, he gestured for the
prince to advance.
“Trrry mm-ma…mm-me.”
His speech
seemed to slow even more while attempting to put actions to his words. At each
effort to make a motion, the dagger slipped from his grasp. This in itself
infuriated the assassin to the point where he began blaming the prince for his
failures.

The prince flexed his
fingers. Magic boiled through his veins, ready at his bidding. Here stood the
very man who was responsible for his lost childhood – a drunkard. Hands
clenched at the memory of his mother, and her last words flooded his mind.

“One day you will
discover what you are, and where you came from.”

“You murdered my
family,” Wisdom’s tone lowered to a menacing whisper. “Bagged me up like some
animal, forced me from my home – ruined everything in relations with that mage
you live with! Even yourself, Nathaniel! Look at you. You’re finished.”

He moved before Nathaniel
could react. A quick
twist,
and the man’s arm dangled
uselessly at his side. Another
turn,
and he called the
staff from his necklace to deflect an upward thrust from the dagger.

“I’ll make you
suffer!” Wisdom danced effortlessly around his opponent. Coming in low, he
swept the staff under Nathaniel’s feet. There came a loud snap as it struck the
ankle. In an instant, the assassin was wallowing in agony on his back. “That
was for my mother!”
 

Wisdom stepped back, a
precaution that allowed the assassin to make his final comeback. Although his
sluggish body was slow on the draw, when the dagger was released, it was a
dead-on aim. At such a toss, the point of the dagger would have buried itself
in the prince’s heart. Yet Wisdom’s magic would have no such victory. Instead,
it threw up a barrier. Just as his hand lifted to deflect the throw, the dagger
zipped back to its owner.

Nathaniel made a
gurgling sound, feebly grasping at his throat where the dagger had embedded.

“For everything you
did to me.” The prince turned away from the writhing body.

It was hard to resist
his natural instinct to heal. Nathaniel had served Jenario as long as the
prince could remember. All the memories he kept hidden away, those of his
family and friends, came welling up in silent tears.

He turned to the body
only when he could no longer hear struggling breaths. Jenario’s right-hand man
finally lay pale and cold to the touch. Blood coated the ground around the
place of puncture. At a tug, the dagger came loose.

“I can finally say
I’ve avenged my mother’s death.” He held up the dripping dagger. Its gold
stripe down the center could still clearly be seen beneath thin layers of
blood. “Even though that’s not what I set out to do.”

After wiping the blade
in the grass, he transported both staff and dagger to the necklace,
then
stared down at the body. Nathaniel had curled himself
into a fetal position. One arm lay strewn over the dirt, the other at his
chest. This drew Wisdom’s eye to a glint of gold just beneath the shirt collar.

What type of
jewelry does an assassin wear?
With
no one traveling either direction, Wisdom felt comfortable enough to kneel
beside the body and draw back some of the fabric.

The chain was nothing
fancy. A similar look to the one Ashpin wore intensified his curiosity to
extract the remaining length. What he discovered was not only a matching piece,
but a sudden fear.

“Is this..?” He
thought back to Lord Gracie’s response about Ashpin’s father.

“I’m afraid the
Agecroft name is carried only with you now.”

“This can’t be....”

The chain was long
enough to slip over the assassin’s head. As he slowly stood, he studied the
charm. Over and over, the words of Lord Gracie swam through his thoughts.

There’s no telling
how many lives Nathaniel claimed over the years. He could have easily slain
Ashpin’s father and kept the necklace as a trophy. He couldn’t actually be –
does Lord Gracie know?

He tucked the necklace
in a pouch,
then
lifted a hand over Nathaniel’s body.
Nature immediately responded to his request, trembling around the fallen human.
As earth caved in, the body began to sink until it could no longer be seen.
When he clenched his fist, the hole closed.

He relaxed his
hand,
The only remnants of the assassin were the necklace
and dagger.
 

If
Nathaniel is related….

He returned to the
clan at a brisk pace, pausing briefly at the gated entrance. On either side of
the gate was an engraved W, signature of the prince’s residence within the
Eastern Clan. Just past the entrance, the front yard was alive with servants
moving about. The smell of fresh linens being washed imbued the air, and he
waved to the ones that noticed his arrival.

“Everything well this
morning?” Glory met him just outside the door holding an envelope.

“Nothing I couldn’t
handle.” Wisdom forced a crooked grin.

“Oh?” Glory’s radiant
expression eased the building tension of his recent discovery. She came close,
her intoxicating scent sending waves of excitement through him.

Not now!
He begged his own body to reason to the situation at
hand,
then
looked down when she slipped the envelope
between his fingers.

“This just arrived for
you.” She swept her long, wavy hair back over a shoulder. Her scent grew
stronger.
“Said to have it ready as soon as I saw you.”

“Who’s it from?”
Wisdom swallowed nervously, trying to keep control of his body’s desires. He
flipped the letter over to inspect the seal – Luxor. “I’d…better see to this,
then. Thank you.”

About to head inside,
she stopped him with a hand to his chest. At this, temptation was too much. The
taste of her lips to his was too great a chance to pass. Their tongues swirled
together in a dance from one mouth to the other until, temporarily satisfied,
they slowly pulled apart.

On second thought,
I needed that.
Wisdom relished the
moment, putting aside his stressful day to focus on a thing of beauty at his
side. When an ear perked at the sound of faint giggling, he turned to their
audience of several servants with a look of disapproval. That sent them
scurrying back to their current duties.

“I love when you do
that.” Glory’s gentle touch to the tuft of fuzz on the tip of his pointed ear
sent another shiver of excitement. “Any other plans for the day, or shall
we...spend the rest of the evening to ourselves?”

Wisdom pulled her
close, taking in the sweet fragrance of her hair. He lightly kissed the top of
her head.

“As much as I want you
in my arms, I need to see what Lord Gracie sent first.” He held up the letter.

Glory pulled away with
a playful grin. “Nothing you can’t handle, right?”

With smirk, he nodded.

“Good.
‘
Cause I’ll be waiting.”

Alluring
as always.
Wisdom forced himself to turn away. He nearly bounded
up the stairs to his room, though he kept his composure as long as others were
around. His desires were ablaze to be with his chosen mate. At the same time,
his nerves were on the brink of shattering. A letter from Lord Gracie was too
coincidental. He almost guessed at its contents while unfolding the parchment
to read its bold writing on a fairly vacant page.

Nathaniel Woodston
WAS Nathan Agecroft.

His
hand shook, paper crackling softly until he crumpled it and tossed it in the
fireplace.

“He knew.” Although
the weather was fair outside, he felt cold. He lit the paper on fire that had
come to rest on top of some already placed logs. It withered away until only
Lord Gracie’s words remained, black ink curling within ashes.

Wisdom jabbed it with
a poker, destroying what was left of its legibility.

“I can’t tell Ashpin
this. Not now.” His eye trailed over to the mirror in his bedroom. Hoping to
gain feedback, he waited to see if his reflection responded in any way. When
none came, he sat back and sighed.
“First the thing at sea,
now this?”

Digging into his
pouch, he removed the necklace. He studied the small charm and stepped out onto
the balcony for more light.
Is it really the same?

Wisdom’s eyebrows
narrowed, and his gaze shifted to the garden out back. Stepping around to the
side so no one would notice him as much from the front yard, he clenched the necklace
in his fist. “I should not have to answer for Jenario’s mistakes. I should not
be responsible for this!”