The Gift (Rabiah book 1)

Chapter 18

The healers deposited Tristan gently in the big bed. They were checking his eyes and tongue and listening to his chest when Alexander rushed in. After a quick conversation with the other healers he approached Rabiah.

"Why is it that Tristan is alive but his parents are dead? Did you do anything? Did you try to heal him?"

"No. Tristan told me he had taken an all-purpose antidote before he was hit."

"Why did he do that? Did he suspect this would happen?"

"No. He was afraid Lydia would try to give him a love potion, which she did. I don't think the antidote worked against it though."

Alexander shook his head. "No, it wouldn't. I made the antidote. He didn't tell me what it was for. Love potions have entirely different properties from poisons or other things created with 'hate' if you want to think of it that way. You say he swallowed a love potion? What happened?"

"He started paying a lot of attention to Lydia, then I got him to look at me. He came to sit by me on the other side of the table. I don't think the dart was meant for him. I think it was meant for me but it missed and hit his arm."

"It didn't hit his neck like it did his parents'? We think the poison works by stopping their breath."

"The assassin said it was 'Instant death'".

"The antidote I made is not known to work against instant death. In fact, no antidote is. Perhaps it worked because he swallowed the antidote ahead of time."

"Or maybe it was the love potion," Rabiah suggested.

"Mmm." Alexander glanced over at Tristan. He appeared to be sleeping peacefully.

"Will he awaken?" Rabiah asked.

"I don't know. His heart is beating strongly and his breathing is fine. What do you sense?"

"He feels strong."

"All we can do is wait then. I'll give him more of the antidote just to be sure. I'll have to mix more first."

Rabiah nodded. The healers were done checking Tristan over so she went to stand next to the bed where he lay. His hand was warmer than his father's had been. She leaned over and kissed his forehead, then lay her own against his. 'Tristan, can you hear me?'

She didn't receive a message in return. She went deeper into his consciousness. His mind wasn't dark as it had been when he was unconscious by the river. There were flashes of consciousness amid twirling darkness. He was fighting to wake. She dived deeper into his being until she found his light. It still shone brightly. 'Tristan?' His face tilted up suddenly and he was kissing her. He was sharing something with her. Something bubbly and happy. She sensed something else too. There was something dark and dangerous, but he kept it to himself. A sense of giddy recklessness washed over her. Tristan's arm went around her waist and suddenly she was lying next to him. She ripped off the tiara that was poking her head and tossed it out of the way, then eagerly kissed Tristan back.

"Rabiah! What are you doing? Rabiah?"

Someone pulled her away from her love. She blinked up at them.

"Rabiah. What are you doing?" Owen asked.

She was having trouble focusing. "He kissed me." She tried to roll back over to Tristan who was reaching for her.

"Tristan, can you hear me?" Owen asked. Tristan didn't respond but he did find Rabiah's arm and began running his hand up the length of it.

"What's wrong?" Alexander asked, coming up to the bed.