Once they got through the entrance, the camp became madness.

  Those assigned as healers pulled apart her team before Everyn could react, before she could tell them what they needed to know.

  Her objections went ignored as fellow alchemists and conjurers flurried around her.

  Ryala would be furious when she realized Ev revealed her secret, but that was better than death. Being taken off the team was better than her children losing one of their mothers. It had to be.

  Though everything she tried to say fell on deaf ears as her pantleg was cut and peeled away from the mangled flesh of her leg. She noticed too late as the syringe of sedative that had unknowingly pierced her wrist was emptied into her veins.

  Her mind returned to function faster than her body. The brief paralysis of the sedative potion couldn’t be shaken away fast enough.

  How long has it been?

  They had to know that however they were trying to help Ryala at best wasn’t going to work, at worst may kill her.

  The unfortunate realization that her legs didn’t have full feeling struck too late as she collapsed to the floor.

  “Hey!” A young mage, far younger than herself, fluttered over frantically. “Be careful!” Her small voice was sharp as a whip. “You shouldn’t be trying to move yet.

  “I need to tell them about Ryala,” Her words came out muddled as the small girl attempted to help her back onto the table to no avail.

  “It’s alright,” She assured. “Cora told us the wolves were sick. We know about the Lycostoxin. We administered the antitoxin. It’ll be fine.”

  Everyn shook her head, “No, You don’t understand. You’re going to make it worse.”

  Her lip quivered as Everyn’s voice raised, “Everything was done right. Mari measured the dosages.” She raised her com-gem to her lips. “Can I please get some help in here? Everyn’s out of bed.”

  “The dosage doesn’t matter,” Everyn barked. “Ryala’s not just Aldrian, she’s a Belhana! Do you know what that means?”

  The young girl's eyes widened, “They wouldn’t have let her on your team. They wouldn’t have let her join the war effort.”

  “She hid it,” Everyn snapped. ”Now go tell the others to stop trying to help her! Now!”

  The girl listened, flying to her feet and running head on as people came to her summon.

  “What’s going on?” The man at the head of the small group demanded as he caught her.

  “The other one they brought in! They have to stop working on her! Move!” She shrieked in a voice far louder than she’d previously exhibited.

  The man stepped out of the way, let the girl zip past and out of sight.

  “Help me up,” Everyn ordered. “I have to go with her.”

  Everyn was confident this girl would deliver the message, but what she wasn’t sure of was if people would listen.

  It was both surprising and fortunate the girl knew what Ryala’s condition meant, not many would in this region.

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  Separated by two continents, Aldrians rarely ventured to Verdiante and Belhana would certainly not dare the trip.

  Everyn couldn’t be confident her people would take the warning seriously.

  “You need to rest,” The man replied, as he and the other two helped her back onto the bed. “Let the antitoxin work. Let your body recover.”

  “I will, I promise,” She stressed. “But first there are some things they have to know!”

  “Nata can tell them just fine,” He said firmly.

  “I need to make sure they actually understand!”

  The man on his right piped up, “If she keeps trying to move on her own, she’s going to tear her stitches. What’s the difference if she rests here or with her teammate?”

  “There’s no difference,” Everyn agreed. “Right? Rest is rest. I’m already awake, what does it matter where I recover?”

  The first man rolled his eyes dramatically, “If we take you to say whatever it is you want to say, will you actually properly rest there?” He questioned through gritted teeth

  “Yes,” Everyn quickly agreed.

  So long as she made them understand she would rest as stupidly long as they wanted.

  He let out a long exhale, “Fine. We can bring you there, but you will not be moved again. Understood?”

  “Yes, fine, understood.”

  Whatever will make them act faster.

  Getting to the very nearby room was a tedious, humiliating hybrid of support and being carried as her numb legs refused to stay under her body.

  But whatever, she would have time to be embarrassed later. Now there were more important things.

  “What the hells are you doing?” Mari, one of the senior Mages demanded as they appeared in the doorway of the bustling room. “Out, all of you! Now!”

  Nata was trying futilely to get the swarming mages to listen as they dashed frantically around the room, tending to what Everyn could only assume was Ryala behind the bulk of bodies, but her voice was too small among the cacophony.

  “ No!” Everyn pulled out of the arms of the supporters, clinging to the cavern wall that served as the doorframe. “All of you need to stop everything you’re doing right now! Stop trying to help!”

  “Out,” Mari hissed. “Take her away from here now,” She ignored Everyn completely, focusing solely on the mages that brought her here. “I already have enough problems to deal with.”

  Everyn reached out, snagging the arrogant mage by the side of her collar, “No! Listen to me, right now! You have to stop working on Ryala. Everything you do will only make things worse! She's an Aldiran Belhana!”

  Mari pried Everyn’s hand off her, “If that were true we would know.”

  “I’m telling you know,” Everyn spat. “So now you know! Stop touching her! Back away! Every contaminate major or minor has the potential to kill her. So move away before she's infected beyond recovery!"

  Everyn could see the wheel turning behind Mari’s eyes as she absorbed her words, “All men, out of the room now!” She finally ordered.

  Her demands were obeyed shockingly quickly as everyone who couldn’t see beneath Ryala’s headwrap vacated the room. Soon the room contained only Everyn, Mari, Nata, and two younger medics.

  On the table, Ryala’s skin was grey, her shirt had been cut away revealing the only part of her with any color, the angry red lesions of what was once the wolf bite, but was now so swollen they didn’t even bleed. Thick yellow ooze seeped from the barely sewn skin. The edges of the wounds were nearly black with flesh that necrotized too quickly.

  Everyn's heart fell into her stomach. Was Ryala even alive in there?

  One of the younger medics helped Everyn to a nearby chair as Mari spoke, “If you’re lying for Gods know what reason, you may have killed her yourself.”

  “I’m not lying,” The strength in Everyn voice fell away the longer she stared at Ryala’s still form.

  Mari untucked Ryala’s headwrap delicately, pulling it away from her ears.

  The tattered fabric slipped from her fingers as she saw the five piercings, five precious stones, five wives. Though that wasn’t what Mari was looking for.

  Then Everyn saw a mark she never noticed, painted onto the back of Ryala's ear in permanent ruby stain, a single word written in the Aldiran language. Everyn could guess what it meant as Mari let out a small squeak, quickly recovering Ryala’s ear.

  She turned back to Everyn and the others, “Nata,” She said, her voice dry as sand. “Tell wherever you can not to touch this woman again.”

  Nata nodded quickly lifting her gem to begin the transmission

  “And Everyn,” Mari looked at her with wide eyes. “What can we do to fix this?”