A Draught of Ash and Wine by Kristin Jacques

Author:Kristin Jacques
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781648982866
Publisher: City Owl Press

CHAPTER TWELVE

Whatever magic their unusual host channeled, it took an immense toll on their body. They slumped into Johnathan’s chest, their lids blinking heavily as they struggled to remain conscious. Their brown skin paled from the strain. Katherine kept pace beside them, dabbing at Merry’s face with a dry cloth.

“You shouldn’t have let them push you like that,” she scolded softly.

Merry shuddered. Their teeth chattered as they tried to burrow into Johnathan’s warmth. “If I failed to answer all their questions, Alazar would have forced me to do it again.”

“I hate him,” Katherine hissed.

Johnathan couldn’t blame her. He tried to keep his arms steady, Merry’s face flushed with pain at every bump, though he didn’t make a sound. Between the magic and the shift that followed, their host was a wreck. “Where’s your room?”

Merry shook their head. “The conservatory, bring me to the conservatory,” they gasped.

Johnathan hesitated. “The garden?”

“Yes, I need—” Merry swallowed convulsively. Johnathan didn’t wait for further explanation, moving fast as possible without jostling his passenger. Katherine streaked ahead of them. They arrived at the conservatory in seconds, where Johnathan eased Merry into a reclining chair near the work bench. Sweat limned their upper lip, their dark hair plastered to their forehead.

“We’re here.” Johnathan gave their shoulder a gentle shake to rouse them. Merry sat up with a groan, dragging themselves to the workstation in slow laborious movements. Johnathan hovered, worried their host would crash to the ground before they managed to fix whatever remedy they came here for. Where had Katherine disappeared to? He thought she meant to meet them here, but she was nowhere to be seen. “Is there anything I can get you?”

Merry fixed him with a glassy eyed stare. “Stay with me. Please. In case I keel over.”

It was a simple request that made him wonder how many times Merry had to do this alone. Was Katherine not a permanent fixture of the Estate? He watched, and when their hands shook too much to manage grinding the ingredients, Johnathan gently took the pestle from them to finish.

“The same wine as before?” Merry nodded. Johnathan located the bottle and poured the wine into a fresh glass before he added the ingredients. He gave it a swirl like they’d done earlier. Merry watched him, an unreadable expression on their face when Johnathan handed them the glass.

They drank deeply; whatever the contents, the shaking subsided almost immediately. Merry set the glass down, easing back into the chair, their hands resting on their abdomen.

Their color improved by the minute. “Do you want me to go?” Johnathan asked. He itched to return to Vic, though he knew his presence would do nothing but make the other man worry. Especially if Katherine wasn’t there.

“Not yet, please. Not until Katherine returns,” said Merry, their voice still hoarse, exhaustion heavy on their countenance. Their head lolled to the side, meeting his gaze. “You are kind. Far kinder than I expected.”

Johnathan frowned. “Expected for what?”

“For my replacement.”

The sentiment didn’t fill him with the same level of venom.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.