“My queen,” they said, bowing.
“Has this ever happened before?” I asked.
Miha shook her head. “Aufhockers never come out during the day.”
“Even beneath this sky?” Killian asked.
“They are nocturnal,” said Isac. “They wake at sundown.”
We were all quiet as I scanned the town once more, pausing to stare at each large mound of black fur. A part of me did not trust that any of them were dead.
“We have to burn them,” I said.
Everyone, even the animals. Like many of Asha’s monsters, an aufhocker bite just created more of their kind. I ground my teeth hard, ignoring the dizzying pain in my own arm.
“You must return to the castle,” said Killian. “We can care for the wounded and the dead.”
“Killian is right,” Gavriel said, and he turned to look west, where the sun sat in the sky, bright and red. “Our king should arrive soon.”
I did not argue because there was nothing I could do. My back burned from the monster’s claws so I could not bend, and even if I tried, I could not pull or lift with my arm and its angry bite. Also, I did not think I could walk the distance.
“I will find a horse,” Gavriel said, and with a bow, he left to search. Miha and Isac began to gather bodies, choosing to begin with the aufhockers first.
“Are you sure you are all right?” Killian asked. His gray eyes were stormy, and I thought about how he had begged me not to come.
“I will be,” I said.
He studied me, silent, and then said, “I know you wish to lead by example. I know you wish to protect your people, but battle isn’t the only way to fight for them.”
I did not respond, did not really wish to speak at all, and it seemed that he did not wish to hear an answer, because he left, crossing to kneel beside a woman who sobbed over the body of a man.
Gavriel returned, leading Reverie, and my heart rose seeing that she was okay until I came around to mount her and saw four deep, bleeding gashes on her hip. I met Gavriel’s gaze.
“Will she be okay?”
“So long as her wound does not become infected.” Then his eyes fell to my arm. He frowned deeply but did not comment on it. “Can you mount on your own?”
I did, though the movements jarred my back and arm. Once I was firmly seated, Gavriel kept hold of the reins, leading Reverie up the steep hill to the Red Palace.
We did not speak, not until we were in the crowded courtyard. Tanaka was among those gathered. He looked older, angrier, his mouth set in a hard line as he glared at me. I threw my foot over and slid off my horse, surprised when a set of hands grasped my waist before my foot could touch the ground.
I spun, facing Gavriel, who dropped his hands to his sides.
“My apologies, Your Majesty,” he said. “I only wished to help.”
“If I wanted your help, I would have asked.”
He held my gaze and then nodded. “My queen.”
I left the courtyard, passing Tanaka without a glance, and headed to my chambers. On the way, I passed Violeta, whose eyes widened with shock at my appearance.
“I need a bath brought to my room,” I said.
“Right away, my queen,” she said and fled in the direction of the kitchens.
Once in my room, I began to peel off my ruined dress. Parts of it stuck to me, dried in the blood that covered my skin. I pulled on a robe, and while the fabric was soft, it felt uncomfortable against my wounds.
It did not take long for Violeta to arrive. A set of servants positioned the bath near the window as usual, and then they took turns filling it with steaming water. When they were finished, Violeta lingered, and though she was quiet, I could feel her eyes on me.
“Do you need anything, my queen?” she asked.
“I’d like to be alone,” I said.
“Of course,” she said, and as she made her way to the door, I spoke.
“Thank you, Violeta.”
When the door closed, I shed the robe and lowered myself into the hot bath, gritting my teeth as the water burned my wounds. I focused primarily on the bite on my arm, scrubbing the marks with soap despite the pain. The redness had now spread from the marks, consuming my entire forearm. It was swollen and tender, the slightest pressure sending a wave of nausea roiling inside my stomach, which only served to make my anxiety worse.
There were always consequences when monsters bit or scratched—infection often set in quickly, and the longer it was allowed to stay in the blood, the more dangerous it became. Sometimes it created monsters, sometimes it killed, and while I knew Adrian could heal, was there a point when it would be too late?
There was a knock at my door, and before I could speak, Ana entered. Though pale, her cheeks were flushed, and she looked frustrated. As Adrian’s cousin, she shared his features—pale hair and skin and the same eye shape—though their coloring, while striking, was different. Ana’s eyes blazed green and looked hard at me as I sat in the rapidly cooling water.
“Gavriel tells me you are injured,” she said.
“Yes,” I said. It was not as if I were trying to hide it.
Ana crossed the room, her eyes falling to my arm.
“You were bitten,” she said and fell to her knees beside me, demanding, “Why did you not say anything?”
I stiffened, preparing for her to touch my arm, but she didn’t. She only stared.
“We both know there is nothing you can do,” I said, and Ana met my gaze. Perhaps that was why she was angry, because she had no control here.
She pressed her hand to my forehead.
“You are feverish,” she said and then rose to her feet. As she did, she gave a sharp inhale, and I knew she had caught sight of my back. “You must let me treat you,” she said. “Let me do something until Adrian arrives.”
“Do whatever you wish,” I said. “But I will greet Adrian at the gates.”
“He will be furious,” she said.
“He always is,” I said, and she shook her head.
“You have never seen his fury,” she said.
I rose from the bath and dried off, lying naked on the bed, back exposed, my arm extended to the side. I tried to prepare for the pain of her treatment but could not stop from curling into myself when she began her work, starting with the medicine she poured on my arm and back. The odor was sharp and foul, and I groaned, burying my face in the covers. After, she smoothed something thick over each wound and wrapped them.
When she was finished, she pressed her hand to my forehead again. I avoided her gaze, not wishing to see her concern. As she cleaned her hands on her dress, she spoke.
“I do not know that anything I have done will slow the infection,” she said. “We will have to hope Adrian can.” Ana left with instructions to wear something loose. “And take off the binding as soon as you are able.”
Outside my robe, I only had one loose gown and it was white. The neckline hung off my shoulders, embellished with crystals. The sleeves were like wings, covering my arms and the bite, which had gone numb since Ana’s treatment. Once I was dressed, I headed downstairs to the great hall where the wounded had been taken. Ana had begun her work and moved from patient to patient.
They lay beside one another, row upon row, all in various states of unease. Some moaned in pain, others were unconscious, and all the wounds were horrific. I paused before one, a young boy who writhed on the floor, his face swollen and red with the bite of an aufhocker. The woman beside him was still, though breathing, her shoulder mangled, but I could not tell if it was from teeth or claws. A man sat propped against the wall with his bloodied leg stretched out, a thick flap of skin and muscle splayed open on the floor.