The Winter

Chapter 22

Would this be what life would be like if Hati and I had our own pups?

When a loud bang did rattle the walls, I flew upright to see the door of Hati's bedchamber flying open and Caldar standing in the doorway, out of breath and grim faced. He hesitated when he spotted Hati with the pups on his lap, and averted his gaze as I slid from the bed to throw on a dress. . .because I knew. I knew that look. And my stomach clenched as I waited to hear the news.

"You need to get to the Healer's wing, now. Both of you. There's no time to explain. Go."

Hati picked up my brother and sister and sat them each on a chair. "Watch Eabha's siblings."

"What?" Caldar shook his head and started backing out the room. "No. No, I'm not good with pups."

"Then take them with you to find Oighrig or Fionnlagh."

He had no choice. Hati and I were already rushing out the door with no idea what horror we'd be walking into next.

One day. Could we not have one day?

The stone floor was cool against my feet as I tried to keep up with Hati's longer strides. I was still heavy and foggy with sleep, the torches lighting our way nearly blinding me as I blinked bleary eyes and stretched muscles in an attempt to wake up. When I began to lag behind, Hati reached out for my uninjured hand and gripped it tight, yanking to pull me to his side. Tired pack members straightened as we stormed past, and their surprise was a relief. It meant whatever had happened during the night hadn't spread in rumours yet.

"Someone must be hurt," I murmured, looking up at my mate's face, his jaw clenched.

He didn't reply to my assessment. His determined steps slowed as we reached Eirny's territory, the air thick with sweet smelling smoke, and the sound of hushed whispers. I could hear movement in the room at the end, the room used for sick and injured wolves to convalesce, which only confirmed my guess.

The world moved in slow motion as we entered.

Astrid stood at the end of the very bed I myself had woken up in once, the sleeves of her tunic rolled up and her fingers covered in a green paste, as if she'd been helping her mother grind and sort herbs. Whatever help they'd attempted to give the wolf Eirny leaned over, it had been for nought. I could hear no rasping breaths, no heartbeat, no signs of life coming from the body on the bed.

Eirny turned, red faced and sighing, lavender eyes falling to the floor. "I did everything I could."

No. It couldn't be. Not someone else. Sköll had promised.

Eirny stepped away and the male on the bed looked like something from one of my nightmares.

He didn't look like himself.

She'd closed his eyes, eyes so swollen and red they barely looked like eyes anymore. The skin of his face was a bruised purple, blotched in red with lines of blue, his puffy lips a darker purple still with traces of foam Eirny hadn't managed to wipe away. If it weren't for the familiar finery of his clothes, the trim of fur at the hem of his coat, and the sturdy leather of his boots, I might not have seen the features of his distorted face that told me who this was. Even his scent was changed, sour with death and acrid with some unknown scent.

"Eitr," Hati said after a sharp sniff. "Poison. A tactic I'd put down to our spy."

"Ingrid is going to be devastated." I choked, moving to Gerlac's deathbed to take one of his hands in mine, pressing it against my cheek.

Hati tried to pull me away. "You shouldn't touch him."

"It's alright. It can't be spread by touch now." Eirny pat his arm and looked up with a stricken expression. "I'm sorry. If he had been brought to me sooner, if I'd had more time to find out what poison had been used-"