Skylar was sitting next to her daughter's bed, holding her little hot and sweaty hand tightly. The room was small, but it no longer felt cosy and friendly. The little tables were covered with herbs and potions and all kinds of medicine they must give her to keep her alive.
It's been three days already since Thalia fell sick, and they were no closer to finding the cure. The healers quickly determined that her current state is undoubtedly the work of poison, but what kind was still a mystery. It was nothing anyone had seen before, and no medicine seemed to work. They got her stabilised, but it was hard to tell for how long.
Skylar barely slept, and she didn't leave her daughter's side for a second. She was in a fever-like state, waking up from time to time, only to call for her parents and to fall back into restless dreams.
Sky felt as if the whole world crumbled on her head. She could barely breathe as if tonnes of stones were crushing her chest every time she tried to suck in the air. The helplessness was killing her from the inside. She could only sit here, holding Thalia's hand and watching how her little body was fighting some impossible toxin.
The door creaked, and sure footsteps barely made a sound on a plush carpet. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder.
"Sky, you need to rest," Gawyn said gently.
"I can't. What if she wakes up? What if she calls for me, and I'm not here?" she asked, her voice breaking and eyes filling with tears once again.
"I'll be here. If anything happens, I call for you."
"I'm not leaving her!" she protested.
Gawyn sighed. "How about we make a bed here in this room for you. Will you rest then?"
After a moment, she nodded.
Gawyn kissed her head. "I'll see it done."
"Is there any news?" Skylar asked before he left.
He paused at the door, and his shoulders slumped a bit. "Nothing yet," he replied, not looking at his wife. "But I'm sure we'll find something soon."
"We have to," she whispered. A lone tear slid down her cheek while she brushed sweaty hair from her daughter's forehead.
***
Skylar was sitting in a council chamber, mindlessly fidgeting with her fingers, her thoughts still at her daughter's bed.
"Can you please surmise what we know so far, Gawyn?" Aliyah said. She loved her niece dearly, and she was just as horrified by the situation as Thalia's parents. She looked exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes.
"We know it's poison and that Thalia was explicitly targeted. No other child suffered."
"Has anyone seen the person who was handing sweets?" the Queen questioned.
"Yes and no. Many people saw him, as a man, but everyone describes him differently as if they saw several different people," Gawyn said. "I think it is safe to assume that some foul magic was involved.
"Magic? Like, Blighted Lands kind of magic?" asked Aurora. "Are you certain?" She arrived at the capital the day before to support her sister in this challenging time.
"Not completely. But just before Thalia fell sick, I spotted some very suspicious-looking stranger on the market. I'm confident I saw the markings of the sorcerer on their hands. I would pursue them, but then Thalia fainted, and I had other matters on my mind."
"Have anyone else seen the sorcerer?" Aliyah asked.
"Not as far as I know. But the guards are searching the capital as we speak. If they hide in some hole in the city, we will find them. And we will get answers."
"But why would they target Thalia? She's just a child!" Aliyah clenched her fists.
"I suspect some nobles were involved." Gawyn huffed bitterly. "What better way to inflict the pain than to strike at an innocent girl?"
"You think it's revenge?" Aurora asked.
"Revenge, or only a prelude for what's to come." He turned to Aliyah. "We have to double your guards. If my suspicions are true, it's only the beginning. They may use the chaotic state we are in to strike at you and try to get the throne."
Aliyah raised her chin. "Let them come. I'll gladly welcome those scums who poison a child to get to me. And I' would gladly show them what I think about such degenerated methods."
"I agree with you, but don't take it too lightly. It's the Blighted Lands' involvement that concerns me the most. They haven't made any move for over eight years. But now, one of them is in Eagepoint, clearly aiding yet another feud between our people. They must have some stake in doing so."
"It is concerning, yes," Aliyah mused, tapping her fingers on the table. "What about the cure? Do we have any news on that front?"
"None so far." Gawyn sighed. "We received a word from Torringland, but their healers are just as at a loss as ours. No one seems to know how exactly that poison works and why all known antidotes are useless against it."
"So, what else can we do?" Aurora asked, gently rubbing Sky's back. Her sister was staring mindlessly at the table, not listening to the conversation.
"I sent pleas across the Calm Sea, but it will take a while for it to reach other kingdoms. Also, I wouldn't put much faith in their willingness to help us. We never have much contact with them."
"We need to ask her," Skylar said suddenly as if she just woke up from a trance.
"Her?" Gawyn raised his brows.
"The Spirit of Magic," she said and straightened her back. "If the poison indeed came from Blighted Lands, she might have a way to cure it. Or at least knows how to do it."
"At what cost?" Gawyn asked, his tone sharper than a blade. "We agreed never to seek her help again."
Skylar jumped to her feet, slamming her fist at the table. "Is there a price too high to pay for the life of your child?!"
The room fell silent, and no one looked Skylar in the eyes.
Finally, Gawyn sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "No, there isn't."
"Then let's not waste any more time."
***
Skylar sat in Thalia's room, holding a little wooden box in her hands. She promised she would never open it again, no matter how dire the need. Because the last time she did, she almost died. And yet here she was, getting ready to ask for the impossible once again. But, just like eight years ago, there was no doubt in her mind that she would do whatever was necessary to save her daughter.
"Are you ready?" Gawyn asked.
They had not contacted the Spirit since the battle, even when their bodies started to show the first signs of strange afflictions. They knew that sharing one soul would have consequences sooner or later. But this was different. It was no longer only about them.
Skylar looked at Thalia's motionless form. Her skin was ashen, and there were deep dark circles under her eyes. Her breathing was slow but steady. She looked so fragile and helpless. Sky's heart broke every time she looked at her in this state. She was such a lively child, full of energy and always ready for mischief. To be reduced to this pale shadow of a person was unthinkable.
Skylar turned back to the box and lifted the lid. Her hand trembled slightly. Inside, a big yellow gem lay on the velvet midnight blue cushioning, its many facets sparkling, reflecting gentle candlelight. She picked it up, and Gawyn covered her hand with his.
"Together," he said, and she nodded.
"Spirit, can you hear me?" Skylar answered hesitantly.
There was silence. They waited, but nothing happened. Gawyn raised his brow.
"Spirit, are you there?" she tried again.
No response. Nothing but quiet night around them and Thalia's slow, steady breath.
"Maybe the gem is not working anymore?" Gawyn asked.
"It's awful time for it to break." Sky's annoyed voice resembled a growl. "I know you can hear me, Spirit!"
"I did not think you would ever call me again," said a small voice behind them, making them both jump in surprise. A spark of light broke away from candle flames and hovered in the air at their eyes level.
"You're here!" Skylar gasped, standing up abruptly.
"You called, did you not? Why are you surprised?"
"We need your help," Gawyn said, joining Skylar.
"I can do nothing about your condition," the Spirit said reluctantly. "I warned you that splitting your soul in half would have consequences."
"We don't need help for us," Skylar explained and took a sidestep, gesturing to the bed. "It's our daughter. She's been poisoned with something that we believe came from Blighted Lands and dark magic. Can you help her?" She tried to keep her voice from shaking, but it sounded weak and desperate even to her.
The spark slowly floated towards Thalia and hoovered over her motionless body for a few moments, the light pulsing in the rhythm of the girl's breathing.
"That is something I've never seen before," the Spirit said, her voice weak and distant.
"What do you mean?" Skylar asked eagerly.
"This is what this new, odd sensation was," the voice continued, ignoring her. "I did not think something like that was possible."
Skylar opened her mouth again, but Gawyn silenced her with a gesture.
The Spirit continued, "There is a darkness in her blood now, but it's not a simple poison. It's like a parasite feeding off her life and draining any traces of magic from her."
"What magic?" Gawyn asked, raising his brow.
The light floated back to the centre of the room, hovering a foot away from their eyes. "Every creature born of this earth has traces of magic in them. That is what life is –small particles of magic connecting, mixing with other elements and blossoming into life. It is in the soil, plants, animal, and it is also in humans."
"But that doesn't make sense," Gawyn protested. "Years ago, the Blighted Lands ambassador told us they were not interested in our people, just the land. They were syphoning the magic off the grounds, not people."
"Because it is easier this way. The amounts present in humans are tiny, and it needs to be distilled, and separated from other elements. I did not even think it was possible. And yet..." the voice trailed off.
"And yet what? Sky asked, dreading the answer.
"That's what happens to your daughter. The Dark Ones somehow found a way to put a part of their being into that poison. It seems that the magic that is drained out of her is feeding them."
"But they are hundreds of miles away! How is that even possible?" Gawyn asked. A hardly contained anger shook his voice slightly.
"That is a work of some very dark magic. I cannot tell you how it works because I do not know that."
"Can you cure her?" Skylar said before Gawyn could ask another question. That was their main aim in talking to the Spirit. To get help for Thalia, not to figure out how the poison worked.
"I cannot," said the Spirit quietly. "I am sorry."
Skylar gasped and fell back on the chair, hiding her face in her hands. Her breath caught in her throat, and dark sploshes covered her vision. She was sure the Spirit would help them – it was magic itself. How could she not be able to cure this dark magic poison?
"There must be a way," Gawyn insisted. "You said this thing works like a parasite. Can we not get it out somehow?"
"Not at this stage. It's already spread to the child's whole system. Removing it all would be equal to killing her."
The silence fell. Gawyn's jaw was clenched, and his brows knitted while his mind was searching for all possible solutions, not willing to accept no as an answer.
"You said the Dark Ones are feeding off her magic. What if we find and kill them?"
"That should work," said the voice hesitantly. "But how would you know who to slay?"
"I'll kill all of them if that's what it takes," Skylar said.
"Maybe you won't have to," Gawyn replied. "I'm sure there is one still hiding in the city. My bet would be on them. They were on the scene when Thalia got poisoned. If we find them, we'll either have a solution right away or get more answers. Finding that sorcerer is our imperative now."
"You should act swiftly. I sense the working of this poison spreading already, and not only in this city."
Skylar looked up in surprise. "What do you mean, spreading? How? Is it contagious?"
"Yes and no. It's the product of dark magic, so it is hard to say anything for certain. But I can sense more lives succumbing to it as we speak."
"But we haven't heard about any other victims-" Gawyn protested but was interrupted by the knock on the door. The spark glimmered and disappeared.
Zachariah opened a door a fraction. "I'm sorry to disturb you, my lord, but we got a word from the palace. Something has happened, and the Queen called for immediate council."
Skylar and Gawyn exchanged worried glances.