Page 52 of The Prince's Sacrifice

Wavilon reached out and clasped Tor’s hands carefully. After a moment, he grimaced, and looked sharply up at Pel.

“What happened?”

Pel guessed the man had heard some sort of rumor, but it made sense to get an accurate accounting before healing Tor. Pel tried to explain as succinctly as he could: the landslide, the two massive shields that grew steadily pinker—and then the blast of pure white magic at the end that had allowed Tor to get them free.

He didn’t need the expression on the other man’s face to tell him that this was definitely not normal, but he’d sort of been hoping for a prosaic explanation. After all, it wasn’t like Pel was the most magic-savvy person out there.

“I don’t have an explanation for what occurred,” Wavilon admitted, “but this definitely feels like magical exhaustion. A boost from my magic should ensure that High Prince Torex recovers more quickly.”

“Please,” Pel said, throat tightening. “Anything you can do to help would be so appreciated.”

Pel couldn’t express what three days with an unconscious Tor had been like.

Wavilon gripped Tor’s hands more firmly, closed his eyes, and did… well, absolutely nothing, as far as Pel could see, but after several long minutes, his shoulders dropped, and he opened his eyes.

He smiled gently at Pel. “There. The imbalance is not so dangerous now. With my magic in his system bolstering his own, he should make a full recovery within a week or so, just as someone would with a physical ailment. However, he will be weak and continue to need to rest even when he regains consciousness. That should be later today or tomorrow.”

Pel was glad he was sitting on the bed beside Tor, because he felt suddenly like his limbs had turned to jelly, the relief overpowering.

“Thank you so much!”

Wavilon eyed him critically. “What about you, Prince Pelun? How are you feeling?”

Pel waved this aside. “Oh, I’m totally fine. Just sleep-deprived and rattled across the realm in a cart, that’s all. I’m guessing you gave a lot of magic to Tor, and I’m so grateful.”

Wavilon continued to examine him, but finally said, “Please make sure you eat and drink. Once High Prince Torex wakes naturally, he can begin to eat as well. Lots of liquids to start. I’ll have something sent up.”

“Thank you so much, Healer Wavilon,” Pel said earnestly. “This means so much to us.”

Wavilon bowed and retreated.

Pel reached out and clasped Tor’s hand again. If it wasn’t his imagination, Tor already felt a little warmer, like his body was getting closer to a normal state.

Pel was still sitting there when the door opened once more after barely a knock. Pel was totally ready to tell the person off, but it was Bavil. He was limping faintly, and he had a weird look on his face.

“Did you tell Father to shut up?” he asked.

“Tor needed a healer,” Pel said shortly.

Bavil’s lips curled up into a sudden grin. “I’ve wanted to do that for years.”

Pel found himself grinning back helplessly and letting out something that was almost a giggle.

It had been a very trying few days, all right?

Bavil continued, “How’s Torex doing?”

Pel explained about the magical exhaustion and Wavilon’s positive prognosis.

“The rants and rumors are so wild, I knew I needed the real story. What happened?”

“Pull up a chair,” Pel said, waving.

He wasn’t leaving Tor and the bed, and this wasn’t a quick explanation. He still wasn’t entirely certain how he felt about Bavil, but Tor seemed to trust him, and Pel had maybe been seeing more of the brother he used to have.

Besides, they could use all the help they could get at this point, because the goddess knew King Forex was unlikely to be swayed by any explanation.

Bavil’s eyebrows rose higher and higher the more Pel explained, and by the end of it, he was looking at Tor’s unconscious form with even more respect.