The Frozen Prince (The Beast Charmer #2) - Maxym M. Martineau Page 0,116

bed and then turned my focus to Gaige. How he was still standing was beyond me. The weeping wound across his abdomen had started to emit a sour odor, and I frowned. Infection. And judging by Kost’s worried look, he knew it too. He stood close by with Felicks cradled in his arms, the purple orb atop his head swirling every two minutes with a new predication for Kost to decipher. I hoped he’d give Kost some relief. Proof that Gaige would be okay, even though Felicks hadn’t been able to seal the gash, and whatever was in that venom was wreaking havoc on Gaige’s insides.

Uma took one look at his laceration and blanched. “On the cot. Now. Take off your shirt.”

He stumbled as he made a move toward the bed, and I instinctively reached out and steadied him. With a wordless grunt, he allowed me to shoulder his weight and ease him onto the cot. Then, we peeled off his tunic. Even though he wasn’t a member of Cruor, he needed help. He wouldn’t be the first Charmer I’d gone out of my way to aid. Cutting a quick glance Leena’s direction, I offered her what I hoped was a reassuring nod. She couldn’t even muster a smile, and my heart tightened at the sight. She stood in the open doorway to the hall, face ashen and tears barely reined in. Beside her, Raven was a statue. Her once-fiery eyes had lost all light, and her faraway stare targeted nothing at all. Exhaustion. Despair. Loss. All emotions I recognized only too well.

The pang in my chest deepened, but I pushed away the thought of him and pulled my gaze back to Gaige, then to Uma. “What now?”

Deft fingers hovered above his wound, and Uma grimaced. “I’ve never seen this before.”

“It’s Yimlet poison.” Gaige’s voice wavered as a tremor claimed his body. With a shaky hand, he wiped beads of sweat away from his damp brow. “You’ll need to douse it with mimko extract. That will stop the spread.”

Without waiting for Uma’s instruction, I turned to the cabinets lining the walls and pulled them open. Scoured the wooden shelves and read label after label until I came across a small, green vial. I snatched the concoction and hurried back to his side. Kost edged closer, and Felicks let out a worried bark.

Kost dipped his chin toward his beast. “Will Felicks be able to seal it up once the venom is stopped?”

“No.” Gaige moaned weakly. “The Yimlet’s poison permanently alters whatever it touches, making it immune to any other beast’s magic.”

“We’ll stitch you up manually, then.” Uma turned to the tray brimming with equipment and picked up an already-threaded needle, then reached for something I didn’t recognized lying in a silver basin covered with a thin layer of water. Gently, she snared what appeared to be a leathery piece of parchment between her forefinger and thumb. “Burdyuk leaf. I’ll graft it to your skin, and it’ll dissolve once you’ve properly healed. First, the mimko extract. Be prepared for it to sting, but it will numb the area afterward.”

She nodded toward me, and I uncorked the vial. I didn’t know much about mimko extract—the herb in question was only ever used among healers—and the pungent, spiced scent that assaulted the air made almost everyone in the room gag, save myself and Uma. Even Leena and Raven, the farthest from the cot, sputtered. Kost visibly retracted, and Felicks buried his face into his chest to hide his snout.

Calem slapped his palm across his nose and mouth. “Get on with it.”

“Best do as he says. Go ahead, Ozias.” Uma gestured to the wound with her needle.

I gave Gaige a weak smile. “Sorry about this.” And without any further warning, I splashed a heavy amount across the laceration, coating it as thick as I could to stop the spread of venom. Gaige cursed so loud, my ears rang, and he white-knuckled the sides of his cot. Steam formed where the extract met his flesh, and a hair-raising hiss punctured the air. Gaige jerked uncontrollably, and Kost pressed a firm hand against his chest to hold him in place. Finally, the sound subsided—along with Gaige’s colorful language and thrashing—and he slackened against the bed. Slowly, Kost studied his face. His fingers lingered a moment too long…until he seemed to realize what he was doing. A blush touched his ears, and he took a definitive step back, giving Uma more room to work. She acted quickly, gently