“Don’t worry, Quain. If you do something stupid, I’ll let you suffer. Pain is an excellent teacher, and even you can be trained to avoid acting dumb in the future.”

“Nice!” Loren high-fived Danny.

As Danny and I walked over to the patients, I asked, “Where did you learn that?”

“Noak. They’re not big on coddling their people. If a tribesman could heal on his own, Noak believed he should and that I should save my energy for a more injured patient.”

That sounded familiar. I glanced at Ryne and Noak. They appeared to be deep in discussion, but Noak caught me staring. An icy finger slid down my spine. That was the third time that had happened. Was it my imagination? Or was it his ice magic? A strange uneasiness swirled inside me as if Noak could read my thoughts and emotions. What had he meant that I was bound to Kerrick?

Too many questions without answers. And the thought of asking Noak... Not palatable. I returned my focus to Danny.

After I introduced him to my staff, they stared at him in wonder.

“Another healer? Why, that’s wonderful!” Ginger said.

“You’ll be such a big help, especially when Avry decides to dash off on some crazy mission again,” Christina teased.

I showed Danny where we kept the supplies and explained how we decided on the type of care—magic or medicine or both. We stopped at the first patient, Private Caleb.

“Tell me what you find,” I said to Danny.

Danny touched the young man’s hand. “His left wrist is broken and he has a stab wound on his upper right thigh.”

Suddenly lightheaded, I grabbed the edge of a cot to keep from toppling. Yes, I’d known he had healing powers, but just like Danny had said before, I didn’t truly believe until now. Relief bubbled up from deep inside me and I felt lighter. No longer was I the only healer in the Fifteen Realms; the pressure eased just enough for me to draw a breath without that tight band of worry constricting me.

Not that the worry would ever leave me. Danny was only thirteen years old and I would make sure we didn’t heap lots of pressure and responsibility on his thin shoulders like Flea. Understanding hit me hard, and I groped for the cot’s edge again.

Poor Flea. He’d been grappling with this new power, trying to understand it and there I was, pressuring him to experiment to use a magic he didn’t even understand. No wonder he’d refused. I’d been such an idiot.

“Avry, are you all right?” Danny asked.

I straightened. “Yes, fine. Let’s continue.”

Danny touched each patient, accurately reporting illnesses, fractures, and injuries. Then I led him to the cavern with the plague victims.

He stopped at the entrance. “They’ve been poisoned with Death Lily toxin.”

“Why do you think that?” I asked.