Daughter Of Twilight (Complete)

Chapter Thirteen

We hurried down the corridors, following the men. Lilith had tried to convince me to stay in my room, but there was no way in Hell I could sit there and rest while Isaac was suffering. I ignored the dull ache in my leg and my stomach twisted into knots as we neared Isaac's room.

Please let him be okay... We reached his door, and Lilith paused. She looked at me, conflicted. I knew she didn't want me to see what was on the other side of that door. The suspense was slowly killing me. It can't be that bad... Can it? I gave her a determined look, and she gave in.

With a deep breath, Lilith opened the door. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. My heart sank into the pits of my stomach.

Dark red blood stained the white sheets of his bed, as well as multiple towels strewn across the floor. Books laid half-haphazardly in a pile on his desk and notes with various pictures of herbs. The healers didn't know what they were doing. Panic sank deep into my soul as I looked back at Isaac. He laid as still as a statue on the bed. His body was covered in bandages and drenched in sweat. The dressing on his shoulder had soaked through but something about it didn't look right. Getting closer, I noticed the veins down his arm had turned black along with a part of his shoulder that wasn't covered.

"They were attacked by Raven Stalkers." Lilith wavered, relaying what I had told her to the healers. She walked up to Isaac and sat next to him, brushing the wet hair from his face. "My poor boy..." Tears streamed down her cheeks as her face contorted in sorrow.

I turned to the healers. "Isn't there anything you can do to stop it?"

The healers frowned, and one of the elderly men stepped forward, his wrinkled face looked up at me with regretful eyes. "Raven Stalkers are incredibly poisonous. Their venom seeps into the body and kills everything it touches. Since the bite is on Isaac's shoulder, it's only a matter of days before it reaches his heart. What we can do is end his suffering," he stated grimly.

My heart stopped. "No! No, no..." My knees buckled. The man helped me to the chair next to Isaac's desk. "Is there no anti-venom? No magic to cure it?"

Lilith cut in. "There used to be a spell. Years ago, there was an outbreak in Bellanshire. My guards and I fought and killed every last one that had fled the forest. So many people died but with the help of another Magi, we managed to create a spell to pull the poison out so that healing herbs could fix the damage."

"What's the spell? Surely we have time to perform it?" I asked frantically. There was a way to save him!

She cried harder and shook her head. "All copies were destroyed in a raid on the cathedral! The occultist destroyed every last page and all research regarding it and they stole the book I had in my private study."

Anger replaced sadness. I had heard enough about them. They terrorized this beautiful country and for what? What reason could they possibly have? Lilith stood, quickly wiping her tears as she composed herself. Her face hardened and a fire burned in her eyes. Her hands glowed and I watched in awe as Isaac was lifted from the bed.