Jes wasn’t sure how long had passed when she awakened again. There was daylight and she was still on the couch. Her mother had left at some point, but covered her with a warm quilt in her absence. She could still smell burned flesh and her mouth tasted like blood. The pain was like nothing she had ever experienced before, it washed through her whole body, focused on the right side, and even lying still on her back on the couch she could barely stand it. The very idea of getting up or moving seemed so far beyond her capabilities.

As she was taking stock of her body she realized that nearly half of it was covered in bandaging. Her eyes were slow to focus, though they had been open since she awakened. One of them was covered by white gauze. Rowdy laid his head gently on her left arm and though she wanted to pet him, she couldn’t bring herself to move. He emitted a low and plaintive whine.

“You’re awake.” It was Hadrian’s voice, from the chair her father had always sat in.

“Mmm.” She didn’t even open her mouth.

“You are in great pain, I imagine.”

“Mmm.”

“I have a potion.” He began, his voice sounding surprisingly unsure. “It is not a terribly strong potion. It will not cure you fully. It may not even work on you, given the lack of magic in your world, but I am willing to give it to you if you would like to take the risk.”

“Risk?” She croaked, barely a whisper.

“If you drink it, it will work on your inside going out. If you apply it to your skin it would work from the outside in.” He explained. Jes could hear his thick nails tapping on a glass jar. “I believe that you should drink it, since the lightning seems to have burned you from the inside.”

“Mmm.” She encouraged him to continue.

“The healing will stop when the potion has expended itself, but you will feel every bit of it all at once. There will be pain. If you have broken any bones, they may repair themselves incorrectly. If infection has already set in, it may become worse.” She heard him shift his weight in the chair, behind her head where she could not see. “It may slow the healing of the rest of your wounds.”

The laugh that escaped her was nearly humorless and cut off with a pained moan immediately. “Why?”

“Why what? Why use them in the first place? Because they are better than dying when there is no healer present. Because it can give you one last chance at triumph.” She heard him shift again, perhaps her question had made him uncomfortable. “Why am I offering my potion to you?”

He was silent for a long while and she began to think he would not answer. “Why have you offered me the hospitality of your home?” Again there was a moment of silence. “I was with the army that pursued the Azmaelan Empire until they were so desperate to escape us that they ripped a hole in reality and entered your realm. I feel somewhat responsible for what those kellish bastards have done to your world.”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Mmm.” The sound was thoughtful as it escaped her. He had said there would be pain. How could it be worse than what she already felt? The potion might not even work on her, given the lack of magic in her world. It may work differently on her, if it did work. Even if it worked, he was certain it wouldn’t cure all of her injuries. She thought over the options and consequences for a long time and Hadrian gave her the silence to do it. She could occasionally hear him moving behind her, but for the most part he just sat with her while she thought.

“Where?” She asked at last.

“Where are the others? Your mother is in the barn, tending to the stock and Rock is digging in the pasture.”

“Dig?”

It was Hadrian’s turn to humm out a breath. “Perhaps I should not have said. The horse that was struck. It did not survive.”

A humorless laugh escaped her again as tears filled her eyes, leaving a burning sensation behind as they trailed down her cheeks. “Yes.” She struggled to speak the word, it seemed harder suddenly.

“Yes, you will drink the potion?”

“Yes.” She repeated, more clearly.

“I will assist you.” He rose to his feet, she could hear his heavy tread as he crossed the small distance between them, he was wearing the same clothes he had been wearing when they first met. The same serious expression in his red-brown eyes as they regarded her solemnly. “You are certain?” He asked, his large lower fangs making the ‘s’ hiss.

“Yes.” She tasted blood this time when she spoke.

He knelt down next to her, his large hands gentle as he lifted her slightly, getting her in a position where she could drink. For all his gentleness, the pain that wrenched through her ripped a scream from her. Blood welled in her mouth and she spat into the handkerchief he offered. “This will hurt.” He reminded her as he gently tucked her unruly curls behind her left ear. “Scream if you must, but try to remain still. I will hold you down if necessary.”

“Still?” She barely managed to gasp the word through the burning within.

“You will heal better if you are still.” He lifted the uncorked bottle of lavender liquid to her lips. A strange and bitter smell assailed her nose, overriding the stench of burned flesh and hair. As he tipped the liquid into her mouth the taste exploded on her tongue. It was all she could do to swallow. The liquid was thick, slimy, and cool. It tasted like someone had boiled gym socks in chicken stock and added flowers. It was indescribable. It was awful. It was all she could do to keep it down.

The vial empty, Hadrian laid her back against the couch cushions. “I will hold you down if needed.” His voice was soft as he knelt next to her. She could read the concern in his eyes.

She opened her mouth to reassure him, still struggling against the taste that lingered in her mouth. Suddenly, her eyes flew wide, the one visible iris rolling back in her head as she screamed. The scream itself was agony, she could taste the blood it brought to her mouth. Worse was the burning pain in the center of her. It was like being struck again, when she was already in so much pain. Agony filled her, blazing along what felt like every nerve in her body. She could barely breathe. Her lungs felt as though they were being shredded, along with the rest of her. Thin burning blades were tearing her apart.

She could feel Hadrian’s strong hands on her shoulders as she tried not to thrash. He held her down with gentle force, trying not to do more damage than had already been done. Her hair was damp with sweat, it seemed like time paused between one scream and the next. Drawn out in a red haze.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of screaming pain, it began to ebb. She felt weak, drained, but the pain was now at a manageable level. She closed her eyes, her breathing shallow and quick but beginning to settle.

“I would ask how you feel,” Hadrain said as he let her go and sat back, “But I imagine you do not yet know. Rest, it is the best thing for you.”

She didn’t respond, instead giving herself over to a healing sleep.