First Apprentice

Chapter 24 Part 2

"Where?" he asked warily.

Given their condition, I didn't blame him. "I have quarters set up inside the cave. Freshwater, temperature control, and impervious to the storm that's about to hit."

"And there's room for us?"

"It will be a bit tight, but doable."

"Why should we trust you?" the woman beside him asked.

I glanced at her, noting her exhaustion. If she didn't get off her feet soon, she'd join the other three.

"Maria," the leader said before I could answer, "I don't see how we have much choice. We either stay out here and die from exposure or we take the apprentice here up on her offer and hope she delivers." His tone gentled. "Mael, Tara, and Li can't wait. They need whatever help we can get them. If it means trusting her, then so be it. Lead the way, apprentice."

Eyes bored into my back as I wove my way through the crowd and into the cave. I stopped ten steps inside in front of four basalt cubes laid out in a square and turned back to the small crowd. "It will look like I disappear, but my hand will still be visible. One at a time, take my hand and state your name. I will grant you a one-time admittance through my wards. Be warned. Should you attack me inside the wards, the wards will kill you."

"What constitutes an attack?" a man called from the back.

"Intent to kill or permanently maim," I said. "You can dream about stabbing me all you want so long as you don't act on it." I pointed to three who appeared healthiest. "You three first. Then I'll bring your wounded through." I glanced at their leader for confirmation. He knew far more about the situation than I did.

He nodded once in agreement and beckoned to a false Dracon lord standing near the back. "Tylar, line them up with the most serious cases in the front." Tylar's eyes shifted into gleaming sapphires. He tilted his head and stared at me for a long moment before baring the left side of his neck in full salute. As he began directing people into position, I backed into my study and stopped when I spotted my sewing machine out of the corner of my eye. I beckoned my fingers for the first person.

An ice-cold hand grasped mine. "Stefan," a man said and then I pulled him inside. I repeated the process for Gervais and Brian.

A firm hand pressed another set of fingers against my palm. "Mael," a voice whispered. His hand shook like a leaf caught in a gale and his pulse fluttered under my fingertips like the dying bird I once found outside my window.

I stuck my other hand through the entrance and grasped his forearm, steadying him as best I could. Pity I couldn't bring two people through at once, but I disabled that feature after Joel's warning. "Take them to my bedroom," I said. "Just walk around the wardrobes and you'll see the bed. There's a trundle under the bed and a spare mattress in one of the wardrobes."

I kept both as insurance. If the worst happened and Grandfather's manor was no longer safe, Grandfather could stay inside the subplane with Uncle Manfred shielding him while Endellion or I took them both through the gates. In theory, it would serve as an additional buffer. By how much, I had no idea. Endellion wouldn't let me test it.

"If you need to, push the furniture against the walls to make more room. Get them comfortable then come back here in case someone else needs help," I said as I handed Mael off to Stefan.

After Tara and Li passed through, I settled into a pattern.

Pull through. Count to five. Breathe. Repeat.

When I brought person twelve, Maria, inside, she swayed on her feet. I grabbed her elbow and steadied her until one of the men wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her to my sewing chair. My bed ran out of space early on.

Once I began bringing in people who could still walk and talk coherently, I jerked my head towards the kitchen area. "If anyone feels up to it, there's a curtain hanging on the wall beside the stove. Behind it, there's a preservation chamber, containing three deer and a cask labeled boar's blood. Move the cask into the kitchen, but don't open it. Start butchering the deer. We'll need them before the night's out. Don't push yourself though."

This was desperation, not trust, I reflected as I pulled another person inside. The backstabbing and infighting everyone warned me about might exist in another situation. Not here, not now.

Twenty-nine. One more.

I brought their leader inside. My respect for him rose another notch when I realized he waited until all his people were inside. I turned, getting my first glimpse of my overcrowded study. It wasn't made for this. Luckily, I enlarged it a few months ago or there wouldn't be enough room to sit.

In the back, one of the Dracons — ten or thirteen in total, I couldn't remember at the moment — ran his hands over the seals marking the permanent entrance to my sealing chamber. Another idea sparked to life.

"A seal testing chamber," I called out after verifying he was one of the few healthy ones. "Grab some chalk from the desk. Top drawer on the right. Go inside and draw some temperature control seals on the walls. It will take a few hours to warm up, but it will give us more space." A little, but not nearly enough. "Now, does anyone have any healing experience?"

"Li," Maria said wearily. "I believe he's lying on your bed."

"Pair up then. Healthiest with the least," I said as I dropped the wards hiding my bath. Must have forgotten to lower them this morning. Focus on the present, I reminded myself. "Purification seal is carved around the tub. The seal on the lip of the tub fills it; seal on the bottom vanishes the water. Herbs are in the washstand. Someone keep track of who's finished the ritual. Pen and paper are in the top left drawer. Push your magic into the pen to start the ink flow. A second pulse cuts it off. The towels will automatically dry when they're hung on the rack. Sorry, but I only have two. I also need someone to collect any cups or spoons because I have exactly three each. We can make do without the spoons, but drinking vessels are a must. All the water is safe to drink. Toilet's behind the screen. If anyone has experience making cruju, I'd appreciate the help, but only if you're able."

"I think we got that, Alannah-dae," their leader said with a soft chuckle. He inclined his head, mimicking my earlier gesture to him. "Devadas," he said, introducing himself for the first time. "I've made cruju many times. Will your magic suffice?"