The Archer (A Tale Of Heroes & Demons Book 1)

Chapter 59

He should have seen what Lilith was earlier. He was blind. A blind fool.

Anger curled in his veins and licked across his body, beating beneath his skin like an unheard drum. Throbbing, boiling rage. Towards Demonica, Lilith, and himself for not preventing it.

Another life on his hands.

After taking a ragged breath, he turned towards the horizon. His thoughts cleared. He knew what he needed to do.

They said they needed a weapon to kill Demonica. His would have to do.

***

Katherine pressed her ear firmly against Caedmon's chest. "He's still breathing." From the corner of her eye she could see the others sag in relief. As she lifted her face and scanned his injuries, the training Netta gave her began to override any panic.

Although he was somehow alive for the moment, he was not going to survive much longer, not with the severity of all the things wrong.

She lifted a hand and cupped his cheek, ignoring the gritty blood now plastered against her hand. Her head lowered and she spoke lowly. "He doesn't have long."

A strong hand grabbed her shoulder and ripped her around. She was not prepared for the fire she saw in Orelius's eyes.

"What do you mean?" he demanded. "You have your magic, why can't you heal him?"

Her heart crumbled slightly. "I—I can't."

"You got us down here, stopped a golem, and did only the gods know what else, and yet you can't even heal some simple injuries?" He took a step back, his face twisting in disdain. "What use is a witch if you can't do simple things?"

"It's not that simple." Katherine shook her head.

Saege stepped forward. "Yield, thief. You cannot judge things you do not understand. Simple injuries can be healed with natural magics, but this...I'm afraid Katherine is correct. His injuries are too far gone to be healed naturally." She stopped, and her head tilted to the side slightly. "But, perhaps..."

Katherine shuffled over slightly to allow Saege the space as the guardian came to kneel beside Caedmon. Sage's hands moved skilfully across the man's form, pressing and testing. "Yes," the murmured, "perhaps..."

Her hands lifted to the locket around her neck and unlocked the clasp. The tiniest of blue flame licked across the finger she held up to it before she once again slammed the locket shut. It danced and curled as though alive.

The world stilled around them as Saege lowered her hand towards Caedmon. The small flame leapt from her hand towards the prone figure below. Then it spread.

The flame seemed to feed off the injuries, growing and swirling around Caedmon, eating and healing whatever injury it met. It grew brighter and hot as time passed, but left no burns in its path.

Finally, Katherine had to stumble back from the heat. The flame grew in its intensity until she had to look away.

An unknown amount of time passed before the light faded. It felt like an eternity, with the blue light falling across them. When it faded, it was clear it had performed a miracle.

No longer was Caedmon a broken form on the stone plain. No, he was...healed. Katherine leaned forward and place a hand on his chest. She turned a concerned glance towards Saege. "His breathing is still weak."

"The flame can only heal the external injuries. Perhaps there is something internal?"

Katherine turned back towards Caedmon's face. Although it no longer looked swollen, the blood and dirt caked around it left little doubt of where he just sat. Her hand drifted towards her belt and the herbs.