as she talked, searching for the worst of the wound.
“Did you win your seventh round?” I asked, hoping to keep her talking. The more she talked, the more distracted she’d be.
Rhalys snorted. “No. After you killed Yraceli and left, the Prince was… well, he was in a black mood, I’ll say that. He didn’t seem to care about the arena at all.”
“Mmm.” I made a noncommittal noise, finding the tears in her muscle. Whoever the Traitor was- I was sure it was one of Mammon’s men- he’d cut so deep it was a miracle she hadn’t bled out already.
I let the white fire dance forward. It seeped under her skin, illuminating my fingers, and began its work.
Rhalys winced. Clearly my magic was unpleasant to others, even if Lucifer could withstand it without pain.
“So, one day he came in,” she gasped, her jaw tight. “He said any one of us that wanted to leave was free to go, right then and there. The contract would be broken without repercussion.”
Her hands trembled, and claws grew from her fingertips. She dug them into the mattress, beads of cold sweat growing on her face.
“Just a little longer,” I assured her, even though it was a lie. Her leg had been mutilated.
“I wanted to come home.” Tears leaked out from her scrunched eyelids. “I was tired of fighting. Tired of getting painted up, tired of losing… so I broke my contract and came back. I’m worth more here at home, I was planning on joining the Silverthorns… Until this, anyways…”
I dared to reach out and brush her hair. “You’ll be healed perfectly fine and still worth everything. Just hold tight.”
Rhalys nodded. She began rambling as I did the rest of my healing, talking aimlessly to keep her mind off the pain. At one point I was treated to a very long, detailed, and praise-filled speech about the qualities of Asmodeus’s cock, which I could’ve gone a whole lifetime without knowing.
The white fire of my healing magic was nearly burned out as the last of Rhalys’s torn skin began to knit itself together. A cold sweat had broken out across my own forehead as I focused all of my energy on making sure everything came together right, even as the fire guttered and threatened to die.
By the time the last healing flame had burned itself out and vanished, leaving my hand trembling and empty, Rhalys’s haggard breathing had evened out and the lines on her brow had slowly smoothed.
“Take it easy,” I said, swiping at my face with my forearm. All of me felt a little shaky, like I’d pushed too much, too soon.
The succubus who’d brought me to her was nowhere in sight as Rhalys slowly sat up. She moved her leg stiffly, but she managed to get upright and move both of her legs off the bed without gasping in pain.
“I hope Asmo paid you well for this,” she said, gingerly rubbing the bandage that was no longer necessary.
I managed a tight smile. “Oh, he did. I would’ve done it anyway, after he gave us help.”
Rhalys opened her mouth to say something else, but her gaze moved over my shoulder and her eyes widened. “Lady,” she murmured reverently, before shutting her mouth with a snap.
I looked over my shoulder, praying there were no more unpleasant surprises.
A new succubus glided down a set of stairs into the center of the ward. She was tall and draped in sheer white veils from head to toe, providing only slight glimpses of the perfect face and body behind them. The muted glint of gold flashed on her long horns and claws, and a lion-like tail swished behind her as she walked.
At first, I thought the clicking sound she made was from wearing heels, but I looked down and saw slim legs ending in gilded cloven hooves.
I immediately knew this was the High Priestess I’d come to find. All of the succubi in the makeshift infirmary nodded to her as she passed, moving like a deadly specter among them.
I stood up as she approached, wishing I could read her expression. The veil moved back and forth, hiding her features as effectively as a shroud.
She extended one clawed hand to me, palm up. I looked at the trap of her golden nails, my stomach churning with nervousness, nausea, or maybe both.
“You came for answers.” The High Priestess’s voice was smooth as silk, almost lyrical, but edged with steel.
I nodded, and finally reached out and placed my hand in hers. “I’m