Prince of Spies - By Bianca D'Arc Page 0,11
Their energies met and meshed, concentrating healing energy on her poor, abused wrists, but oddly, it wasn’t draining. Not much anyway. And her own energy seemed to be working on her injuries, which it never had before.
“What’s happening?”
Nico pulled back, letting her wrists go with a broad smile. They were healed. Completely healed for the first time in months.
“I thought this might work.” He blinked with fatigue, but she couldn’t see the bone-weary tiredness that always came after she performed a healing of this magnitude.
“What did you do?”
“It’s something that happened to me only once before. Riki, I’ve never been a strong healer, but when your mother was hurt, I tried to help and her energy rose to direct me, just as yours did a moment ago. Kelzy said it’s our blood recognizing each other. I would never have managed this level of healing on my own, but with your energy to guide me, it was possible.”
“I’ve never been able to heal myself before.”
Nico shook his head with a sigh. “Most healers can’t. You probably still won’t be able to do so, but if we mesh our energies, some of your skill guides and amplifies my own power. At least, that’s my guess as to what happened.”
“You did this with my mother, you said?”
Nico stood and tossed the rock away. “I did. She’d been clawed by a dragon, accidentally of course. Kelzy felt terrible about it, but it was the only way to save your mother’s life. At the time she was clinging to the top of a tree with a horde of skiths circling below. Kelzy had to grab for her, but it’s hard to be accurate with such sharp talons. She saved Adora, but wounded her in the process.”
Riki still couldn’t quite believe he was talking about her mother. Her mother! Alive and living in Draconia, reunited with the dragon from her childhood. It was a dream come true, and Riki was almost afraid to believe she might also be reunited with her mother and sisters—if she and Nico made it out of Skithdron alive.
Riki marveled at her healed wrists as she drank a bit more water from the flowing stream. Distracted by a whooshing sound, Riki turned toward the small pool off to her right. Nico smiled over at her, his face so handsome, it made her stomach clench.
“Your bath is ready, milady.”
Riki stared mutely, unable to move, until Nico came to her and lifted her by the shoulders.
“Are you all right?” His tone was gentle.
Riki nodded, unable to form words to express the feelings inside her. Confusion, fear that this moment of freedom wouldn’t last, thankfulness to this wonderful, perplexing man, and much more churned within her.
Nico put his arm around her shoulders and guided her to the small pool. Incredibly, she could see little tendrils of steam wafting off its surface. He had somehow used his dragon magic to heat the small pool of water.
“It’s warm now and will stay that way for a while. I suggest you hop in if you want to bathe. I’ll turn my back if you like, but I won’t leave you. Not even for a moment.” He surprised her by placing a chaste kiss on her temple. “I won’t let anything harm you ever again, Arikia.”
The whispered words and the way he said her name caused a tremor to course through her. He let go and turned away, leaving Riki to decide her next move. The steamy water called to her and she realized she hadn’t bathed properly in far too long. Not even bothering to remove her thin dress, she stepped into the small pool and immersed herself in the shallow water.
It was heaven. Riki just lay there for a few moments, floating, allowing the warm water to surround her and warm her. Flying atop a dragon in the dead of night had left her chilled through and through, but she would never complain. The cold flight meant freedom and that was too precious to complain about.
After a few minutes of warm bliss, Riki looked around to find a plant she was familiar with from her youth growing along the pond’s edge. Scrubweed, it was called. It didn’t lather like soap, but the sinuous blades, when wound together, made an excellent sort of sponge and emitted a slippery substance that cleaned almost as well as soap.
Looking to make sure Nico’s back was turned, Riki pulled the wet dress over her head, letting it soak in the water for