The other dancers blurred by. When Tohon finally stopped, we stood in the garden. My head kept spinning. Tohon hooked his arm in mine and walked me along the stone paths. When my vision cleared, I noticed the once-manicured bushes and plants were now overgrown and wild. Weeds grew everywhere.

Tohon tsked. “Such a shame. Look what happens when the gardener is gone.”

“Kerrick’s not gone.”

“Then where is he, my dear?”

Cold drops struck my face. Water ran along my jaw. The sound of sizzling matched the steady shushing of rain. I groaned and opened my gluey eyes. The others stirred, as well. Darkness remained. Smoke billowed from the wet embers.

“Ah, the joys of camping,” Quain said. “Waking up in a puddle.”

“Yeah, sure, it’s a puddle,” Loren teased.

“Grow up.” Quain pulled his hood over his bald head.

“I’m not the one with the puddle.”

“That’s enough, gentlemen,” I said. Every muscle in my body ached. I clambered to my feet. Rain dripped into my eyes. I yanked my hood up. Icy water splashed down my neck. Lovely.

“Welcome to the rainy season,” Odd said. He swung his cloak around his broad shoulders.

Quain peered into the dark sky. “I told you the weather last year was unusually dry.”

“And how does that help us now?” Loren asked.

I ignored their bickering. My thoughts returned to my nightmare as Odd gathered his squad and prepared to leave. Tohon’s magic couldn’t be inside me. Could it? No. I’d never heard of such a thing. Then again, that shouldn’t be a surprise; my knowledge of the other eleven types of magic was limited. Perhaps it was mentioned in Ryne’s book about the various magical powers. I’d have to ask the next time I saw him.

The rain continued as we traveled back to the infirmary. The darkness turned into a grayness. The sound of raindrops striking the leaves interfered with our efforts to match the noise of our passage with the forest’s song. We stopped often to listen for intruders or signs of an ambush. At each stop, I touched the greenery without thought, seeking Kerrick’s magic. Nothing.

While I understood the need to be cautious, my frustration over our slow speed grew as the day progressed.

It was close to midnight when we arrived. I grabbed a few supplies and headed to Yuri’s cavern, ordering the others to remain behind. Flea slept on his bedroll, blocking the entrance.

He woke the instant I stepped over him. “Did you find a Peace Lily?”

“Yes, and it gave me its serum.” I placed everything on the floor so I could take off my dripping cloak and toss it into a corner with a wet plop.

“Do you think it’ll work?”

I pulled the blue sack from my pack. Was there even enough inside to save the patient? “I’m not...sure.”