Light of the Radiant (The Reckoning Book 2) by Matthew Ward

Author:Matthew Ward [Ward, Matthew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2016-11-28T08:00:00+00:00

Seven

I have only the haziest memory of what followed. There were fragments of dark and light, of faces and voices, and of whispered conversation. I've no doubt some were figments of restless dreaming, or of nightmares brought on by fever. Constans' presence in some remembrances indicated as much. The nightmares were ill-inclined to leave me alone even as I slid into death, or so it seemed.

Arianwyn was there, of course. Sometimes her face was tear-stained. At others it was resolute, impassive. Others came and went with the darkness crowding my vision, all of them staring down with pity or concern. Torev was the only exception, for I have no recollection of seeing him wear anything but the most jovial of expressions.

At last, there came a time when the veil slipped fully from my sight. I didn't believe it to be so at first, for I was afraid that if I allowed myself to hope, the illusion would vanish. But the light did not fade.

I lay in my bed at the embassy, warm sunlight streaming in through the window. And there, at my bedside, smiling down at me, sat Arianwyn.

"Welcome back," she said with a smile. "We were worried about you. I was worried about you."

I traced the outline of my scalp wound. It throbbed at my touch, and I quickly snatched my fingers away.

"Don't worry," Arianwyn said. "You've a thick skull. What few brains you had are still intact."

"How long have I been asleep?" I croaked from a parched mouth.

"Ten days, on and off."

What? I hauled myself upright, or at least I tried to. Halfway there, my arms lost their strength and I fell back.

"Take it slowly." Arianwyn helped me prop myself against the headboard. "We gave you what food we could when you were lucid enough to eat, just as the servants have done what they can to keep you clean, but you're bound to be terribly weak."

She wasn't wrong. Even though they weren't carrying any weight, my arms trembled. "I can't believe it's been so long," I said distantly.

Arianwyn took a jug from the beside and poured some water into a mug. She offered it to me, and I took it with shaking hands. Thankfully, I managed to drink a few mouthfuls without dropping it. Managing that simple act made me feel much better, as did the taste of the water itself.

"You were lucky it wasn't longer," Arianwyn said. "Your wound was poisoned – akra root." Her lips twisted at the memory. "The embassy physician missed it entirely. You were just getting worse and worse. I thought, well, I thought you were going to die." She looked directly at me, and for the first time I noticed the red circles around her eyes.

"Why didn't I? Has Zorya returned?" The sentinel was a savant of the healer's art. If anyone could have brought me from the precipice, it was she.

"No." Her eyes flickered with concern. "There's been no sign." She shook her head. "Actually, it was Karov's personal physician."

"Karov?" I asked with a mixture of surprise and alarm.

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