Chapter Text
Of course the day had started out quiet. They always do, the days that turn out in the end to be the worst days of your life. The patrols had been quiet for once, with no recent attacks on the border, and the tension amongst the council was lower than it had been for ages. The prickle of unease that seemed to live in my gut these days, however, was particularly active. Like the hair standing up on the back of your neck when you feel someone watching you, or the way you can feel the change in the air before a storm. It was like some part of me knew that the new life I’d been building was about to be upended.
And then it – and a full riot of dragons – came crashing down around us. I’d had precious few moments of warning from one of the lookouts before the riot was upon us. Xaden had crash-landed into Aretia more than a few times, so it wasn’t the sight of him and Sgaeyl – or even the sight of what looked to be a limp rider in his arms – that made my heart stop. It wasn’t the first time Riorson brought me a gravely wounded rider, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.
What made my blood turn to ice was the sight of Naolin’s, now my sister’s, dragon. Riderless.
The realization has me breaking into a sprint, the only thought in my mind a screaming echo of no, no, no. My world narrows to a point. I hope against hope, against logic, that there’s some other explanation, but the rising nausea in my gut tells me all I need to know.
Xaden practically tumbles down off of Sgaeyl, his usual grace forgotten in his desperation. I reach him in a few strides and find my worst fears confirmed. Violet hangs limply in his arms, pale as anything and looking….
I reach out, pushing her hair aside as I search for her pulse. My own heart pounds in my ears as I focus, blocking out everything until I feel the faint beats underneath my fingertips.
“What happened? I could be whispering or yelling, I can’t tell over the sound of ringing in my ears.
“A venin with a poisoned blade stabbed her.” Xaden’s voice is rough with fear.
She was supposed to be safe. All I can think from the moment I tear Violet’s body from Xaden, throughout my sprint to the healing chambers, is that she was supposed to be safe. Everything I – we – sacrificed, and keep sacrificing day after day, is so that our loved ones can one day be safe. I try to tamp down the rising panic sending my heart rate through the roof and making my hands unsteady. It’s not the first time I’m mended Violet, not by far. It’s also not the first time I’ve mended someone on death’s door. But I’d prayed to all the gods I wasn’t even sure I believed in that I’d never been in this scenario with her.
The panic is an albatross, crushing my chest as I fight to regain my control. Even with Violet, I’ve never had an issue with keeping my cool while mending. But now, as I swear I can feel her life slipping through my fingers, it’s a race against both time and my own terror to save her.
“It’s okay, Vi. I’ve got you, I’m here. It’s going to be okay.” I don’t even know when I started talking, but it forces me to steady my breathing enough to focus on saving my sister’s life. She’s never needed my reassurance, not with the pain she grits her teeth and bears every day of her life, but it’s never stopped me giving it. I try to stop my mind from thinking about how I also want her to hear my voice again, just in case. I’m snapped out of my reverie by the door to the chambers shutting as Xaden comes in behind me, pale as a ghost.
“How long has she been out?” I toss over my shoulder at him as I work to expose the gruesome wound sapping the life from my sister. It’s a deep laceration, oozing black, tainted blood. Fuck.
“Hours,” Xaden manages, voice shaking. “Her pulse has been fading for the last hour or so.”
If I’m not mistaken, it’s slowed even from the time I first took in minutes ago. I bite back a curse as I realize the extent of the damage. “Her blood,” Xaden whispers, unnecessarily. I fight to keep from recoiling as I take full stock of the blackened blood oozing from her wound.
“Hold on, Violet,” I murmur down at my sister. “Just keep fighting. I’ll do the rest.” I see her brow furrow slightly in pain, and my heart clenches. As much as I wish she could hear my reassurance, to know that I’m here, the thought of her being able to feel this pain in the depths of her unconsciousness is too much to bear. “Just breathe, Vi. Just breathe,” I remind her, just in case she can hear me. I send up a quick prayer that she truly can’t feel anything right now, that she isn’t in the hell I’m sure she is. Tears prick at my eyes, emotion threatening to overflow. For all the times I’ve wished I could see her again, gods, not like this. I take a few steadying breaths to even out my panicked breathing, and ground myself in my power. A rush of warm, reassuring energy rises under my skin. The second I start drawing away the poison from her bloodstream, I feel it. Heavy, sickening, toxic waves wash over me as I leech the poison away as quickly as I can. Whatever the venin had access to, it's stronger - and deadlier - than most poisons I'm familiar with.
Time passing is marked only by heartbeats and breaths – mine strained, Xaden’s panicked, Violet’s shallow. I can feel myself growing weaker as her blood starts to become progressively redder, and the familiar mending energy erupts into a screaming, burning pain. I fight back the nausea and the scream on my lips as I realize how close I am to burning out, and how close Violet is to leaving this world. My entire being vibrates with barely constrained energy, fighting to bring my sister back from the edge. She’s on the brink of death, and I don’t know if either of us will make it through this.
“Brennan-“ Xaden must sense it too, but there’s nothing to be said, nothing to be done but to keep going. I finally draw out the last of the poison and stumble back on my heels as my vision tunnels. Xaden puts a hand on my arm, thought whether it’s to steady me or him I couldn’t say. I take another deep breath, trying to control the overflowing power but feeling it whip wildly through me. Sweating, shaking, I manage to wrest back enough control to messily close the gaping wound in Violet’s side a heartbeat before I stumble backwards, collapsing as Xaden lunges to catch me.
“I’m fine,” I manage, tears choking my voice despite my best efforts. I’m not, but it doesn’t matter. The room spins around me even as Xaden helps lower me to the ground. The darkness takes hold before I even make it there.