Emerald's Fracture Read online

  “Where is the way blocked?” Healer Juliers’s voice brushed across her ear from far away.

  “Her nose and throat,” Natalie replied. She adjusted her hands. “And a bit of her lungs.” She adjusted her hands one more time to ascertain if there were more blocks, but her energy flowed very clearly into Emmeline, except to the places she’d listed. She put her hands in her lap, then turned and sought her teacher’s approval. Juliers pinned her with an intense, speculative gaze. Captivated, Natalie stared back. Healer Juliers blinked, the spell broke and he turned to the rest of the class.

  “Fantastic,” he said. “Next?”

  How Juliers had haunted her dreams since that first class. How ironic, on her first day of class with him, he may have unwittingly given her the answer to help the man plaguing her now. What would have happened in that first Naming class if he’d left her hands on hers and they’d sent their awareness into Em together instead? And, would it still have worked if one party was missing the lower part of one arm? Her fingers itched for the pages of a book. She needed answers.

  Natalie managed to get to the library around twilight that evening after her rounds in the Abbey hospital. Pushing open the large, wooden double doors, she entered her second favorite place on the Abbey grounds.

  The Abbey library was a horseshoe-shaped, two-level structure on the eastern side of the transepts. It had plush red carpet and shelves of dark mahogany from floor to ceiling on each level, packed to the brim with tomes on all subjects from Healing to the history of the Isles. Worn mahogany tables and overstuffed red chairs allowed library visitors a comfortable place to sit and research topics of their choice.

  She perused the stacks, gauging the best place to begin. She clutched her Healing diary to her chest as she scanned the titles on the shelves. She’d started keeping her Healing diary when she was a first-year, writing odd bits of class notes and excerpts from books she hadn’t wanted to forget. Five years later, various bits of knowledge stuffed the well-worn book to bursting, and Natalie took it with her nearly everywhere she went. She’d read her notes from cover to cover looking for anything about Healers Naming together and she hadn’t found a thing. Time to see if she could add more to her diary.

  Deciding the Naming books were the logical place to start, she went to those shelves and scanned the titles on the spines. She selected a likely title, sat down on a chair nearby, found a promising chapter and began to read, one foot absentmindedly rubbing Jake’s belly.

  An hour later, the stack of discarded books next to her wobbled precariously, her patience with pompous authors and their ability to write long, dull tomes worn quite thin. Natalie rubbed her eyes and carefully lit the lantern on the table next to her. Hands braced on her back, she paced while searching the worn leather spines for another title. An Illness by Any Other Name by Healer Nestor Scroop stood out. She laughed, shrugged and pulled it off the shelf.

  “Have you found anything?” a voice asked quietly behind her, making her jump.

  The shadows cast on Jules’s face by her lantern aged him several years.

  “No,” she replied. “Other than a rather pompous lot of dead old men droning on and on about things we both already know.”

  A grin ghosted across his face, and he sat down in the chair next to hers. “Is there nothing for it then?”

  “Well, I had an idea,” she ventured.

  He cocked a dark eyebrow. “A brand new Healer outsmarting the pompous, dead old men?”

  “If they’d been smarter, they would’ve written less dull books,” she retorted, this time making Jules laugh out loud.

  A sense of lightness filled Natalie at the deep sound. Could they actually get along?

  “If I’m correct, when you try to Name with one hand, you only get about half of the mental input you used to, yes?”

  Jules grimaced. “Yes. The images of patient’s bodies in my head are severely blurred, no matter how hard I work to bring them into focus.”

  Natalie nodded and sat next to him and faced him. She held her left hand out, palm up. “I’d like to try an experiment. Put your hand above mine.”

  Jules frowned at her, his hand rubbing the stubble on his chin.

  The silence stretched on, but Natalie kept her hand out as if trying to coax a bird to take seed from her palm. Jules stared at her hand, his expression unfathomable. At last, his hand dropped into his lap, then he lifted it and hovered over hers.

  A pulse of energy snapped awake between their two hands. Natalie closed her eyes as the connection between them sparked and grew. The intensity spread up her arm and through her whole body. When laying hands on others, she’d often felt something in return, but never on this scale. Her whole being filled with intense light; she felt as if she could heal the sickest person, raise the dead, or even fly right off the ground if she held her arms out.

  She opened her eyes; she and Jules had clasped hands as their shared Healing connection had brought them nearly nose-to-nose. Her heart ached at the pain and longing etched on his face, and suddenly, his pain—physical and emotional— became her own. Their connection was incredible—and taxing.

  “Jake, come,” she rasped. Her dog got up from his sleeping place and walked over. She put her free hand on Jake’s head, closed her eyes again and imagined their joined energy going into Jake.

  “Jules, can you feel where the light won’t go?” she whispered. Her back itched where sweat trickled between her shoulder blades. “Jules. Focus on Jake. I have my hand on his head, can you see him? Where won’t the light go?” She opened her eyes and saw Jules had his closed, concentrating. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead and his head was cocked to the side.

  “His front right shoulder?” Jules inquired.

  “Yes,” Natalie crowed and let go of both Jules’s hand and Jake’s head, slumping back in her chair. Panting, she pushed her damp hair out of her face. “He has arthritis in his front right shoulder. It bothers him more at the end of the day.”

  Jules leaned back in his own chair, wiping the sweat off his face with a handkerchief.

  “It worked,” she grinned. “I wasn’t sure it would … but it did. You could Heal again. We could try to treat a person, someone with something simple like a cold or an ear infection. If … if you wanted.”

  Jules rested his chin on his palm. “We’ve done one test. And I’m not even sure what we did, Natalie.”

  “We combined our magical energies with the Isle’s ley lines. I haven’t been able to find any supporting evidence in these books, but I believe when we combine our magic together, it makes up for the loss of vision, if you will, that you experience with the loss of your hand. If you think about it, it’s a new way of Naming entirely since it only requires one hand on the patient.”

  Jules considered this. “I think I see what you’re getting at. But I think it needs some fine-tuning. Look at us. We’re sweating like pigs and I’m sure I could eat the Royal Palace out of house and home. If we’re going to do this, we have a lot to figure out.”

  Bloody realist. Sweat soaked her own clothes and she could probably eat five of her mother’s apple pies without batting an eye. Yet, she also felt like she could take off, fly around the Abbey, and then land and run to the nearest town and back. She jumped out of her chair and paced back and forth.

  “So we need to practice a lot and test thoroughly.”

  Jules nodded. “But first, we eat.”

  Chapter 5

  R

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  fter stopping by the kitchens, where they ate enough to feed four horses, Natalie and Jules returned to the library to experiment with their newfound connection. Trial and error led to several discoveries. Jules figured out he was transferring too much energy to Natalie. By slowing his energy flow into her, their partnership became less tiring for him and left Natalie feeling more stable, rather than like a firework about to explode. They learned holding hands, rather than hovering her hand above his, resulted
in Jules having the best ability to “see” the patient’s energy, though their patient, the long-suffering Jake, trotted away after the eleventh experiment.

  “I think it’s time to stop,” Natalie yawned, observing her dog’s retreating backside.

  “I think you’re right,” Jules replied with a yawn of his own and stood up, stretching. “Best put away this cartload of books you pulled out first.”

  Natalie took a book and whacked his shoulder with it. “Careful, Healer, or you’ll need some Healing.”

  Jules chuckled, but then his face became serious as he turned to take the book from her. They stood, her hands on one end of the book and his on the other. “Thank you. I’ve been a bit of an ass these past few days. I’m surprised you helped me at all.”

  Peering up at him, Natalie attempted to gauge his sincerity. Her heart softened at what she saw. His hair, normally so carefully groomed, was a mess and his jaw had dark stubble showing. Was it harder for him to shave with one hand? In how many simple ways was he still trying to adapt to being an amputee? Surely he still struggled with many mundane tasks.

  Yet his eyes, shadowed with grief when he’d found her earlier, shone with life now. Of everything they’d accomplished during their experiment, seeing him look optimistic was, to her, the greatest achievement. The overwhelming urge to reach across the small distance separating them and touch him swirled in her stomach.

  Taking a deep breath, Natalie let go of her end of the book and turned away to get the next one. “Thank you for apologizing. But don’t thank me for solving anything yet. Let’s see if it works on more than just my dog, first.”

  Rather than make her usual hospital rounds that afternoon, Natalie entered the cacophonous Abbey animal sanctuary with Jules. Snakes and other reptiles had a warm room with a cast iron fireplace, whereas birds and small mammals each had a room with separate indoor and caged outdoor sections for those animals well enough to partake of it.

  The sanctuary was the domain of Healer Euphemia Bowers, a short, stout woman whose scowl made Natalie wonder if the Headmistress had been lying when she’d given her approval for her and Jules to practice their new technique on the animals there. They found Healer Bowers bent over an injured fawn in the treatment room.

  “Hullo,” Healer Bowers grunted. “Gayla said you’d be coming.”

  Unable to bear the awkward silence that followed, Natalie said, “Uh, yes. Do you have any animals on which we could practice Naming?”

  “The rabbits and turtles might be best. Don’t get in my way.”

  Natalie and Jules hastened out of the room and, after a few wrong turns, happened upon the small mammals’ room. Large ventilated boxes with straw bedding each contained one injured rabbit. Natalie spotted one brown fellow lying morosely on his side.

  Natalie took a breath to steady her nerves. “Ready?”

  Jules nodded, his face inscrutable.

  Closing her eyes, she clasped his hand and they established the correct balance of energy. Natalie opened her eyes to find Jules’s gazing at her intently. Mesmerized by his emerald eyes, she instinctively pulled him toward her until his forehead rested gently on hers. His breath brushed across her lips and Natalie’s knees nearly gave way as their energy went out of control. She closed her eyes to reestablish it. “Sorry,” she muttered. “Ready?” she asked when she’d found equilibrium again.

  “Yes,” he croaked.

  She reached her free hand into the rabbit’s box. The creature looked at her but didn’t move. Not a good sign. She placed her hand on its back and exhaled. Light flowed from them into their small patient. She closed her eyes again as her whole body suffused with warm energy and her entire being thrilled at being part of something new and magical. She brought her awareness to the rabbit, his body taking shape in her mind.

  “Jules,” she whispered. “Can you see the rabbit now that I’m touching it?”

  “Yes,” he squeezed her hand.

  “What do you see?”

  “His back is hurt. Not broken, but the energy flow is interrupted along the muscles that support his spinal cord. I’d say severe back muscle strain—maybe an injury from a predator?”

  “That’s what I see.” With care, she lifted her hand off the rabbit, thanking it mentally, then she gently let go of Jules’s hand and opened her eyes and beamed at him.

  “That was good, but we need to do more.” Jules turned and strode out of the room, green cloak swirling behind him. Natalie rolled her eyes and followed.

  Natalie struggled to keep her eyes open as she ate dinner with Em that night. She made sure there were no extra chairs at the table, as she was sick to death of a certain Healer she’d spent all afternoon with. Their only company was Jake, head resting on his front paws under the table, alert for any falling objects.

  “I swear to the Goddess, Em,” she said, stuffing mashed potatoes into her mouth, “we must’ve Named every bloody animal in the sanctuary. Healer Bowers nearly turned purple. The looks she gave us most likely melted the walls behind us. I should check to be sure all the sanctuary walls are still there.”

  Em grinned. “But did it work?”

  “Of course it did. It worked from the first moment we tried it.” Natalie blushed at the memory. “It’s taken some practice—”

  “Just what sort of practice?” Em arched an eyebrow.

  Natalie threw her napkin at Em. “The kind where I nearly took a dagger and stabbed him repeatedly because he just wouldn’t believe it. He insisted we try and try again, even though we got it right each time. We even found some things Healer Bowers had missed. That went over well.” Natalie shoved a forkful of chicken into her mouth. “I wanted to try Naming and treating some of the patients here in the Abbey hospital. But he disagreed, saying those patients are often in critical condition. I rather think getting back into the swing of things here with other Healers around would be good. Build him some confidence, you know? So we parted ways badly. Again.”

  “Well, you certainly do have a way with men.”

  “Thanks.”

  Em jabbed her fork at Natalie. “Lucky me. I don’t have to listen you mooning about him anymore. Now I just have to listen to you gripe about him.”

  Natalie picked at her food. “He is very much changed.”

  “War does that to so many. We Healers are often the first to see.”

  “He was so confident and sure of himself when we were students. It’s hard to imagine that man changing. Being torn down and remade into the man who came back. What he must have experienced … I can’t even begin to imagine. I try to keep that in mind when I’m with him, but it’s like he blames me for it all. Or at least takes it out on me. I get angry right back; I can’t seem to help it.”

  “Maybe being a Healer again will help him.”

  “I honestly don’t know. But I need to go to bed. I’m exhausted.” Natalie said goodnight to Em and stumbled back to her room.

  That night, a knock on her door woke Natalie from a restless sleep. It was Headmistress Gayla with a report of a seriously ill man in the hospital. All the night shift Healers were busy with battle-wounded soldiers, so the hospital needed extra staff. Natalie got dressed, grabbed her herb satchel, called Jake and strode down the hall.

  “Natalie,” Gayla called after her. “Why don’t you wake Healer Juliers and try your new method of Naming? I hear from Healer Bowers that it’s rather successful.”

  Natalie froze and resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. “All right,” she was proud when her voice sounded almost neutral. “Where is his room?”

  “Downstairs,” the Headmistress replied. “It’s right under yours.”

  Natalie gritted her teeth. Might as well do it. She was the one who thought a hospital case was the best to start with, after all. She traipsed down the spiral staircase and wandered the lower hall, reading the nameplates until she found Jules’s room. Nothing for it. She took a deep breath and knocked. She stepped b
ack from the door, fiddling with the handle of her herb satchel.

  The door to the room swung open and Jules stood there, disheveled from sleep, wearing only trousers and his dark hair a mess. The candlelight from the hallway spilled across the well-shaped planes of his chest.

  Oh, dear. Natalie clenched her fingers tighter around the handle of her satchel lest she reach out and brush her fingers along his bare skin.

  “Natalie, are you all right?” Jules said when she didn’t say anything.

  Natalie blinked, cheeks flaming. She snapped her mouth closed—holy Goddess, had it been open? “Yes. Yes, sorry. There’s a seriously ill man in the hospital. The Headmistress would like us to treat him.”

  Jules ducked his head and ran his fingers through his hair.

  Will he do it? Does he believe in us enough? Does he think we have enough experience to treat this patient?

  After what seemed an eternity, he shrugged. “I guess we might as well.”

  Chapter 6

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  he Headmistress led Natalie and Jules to the first patient they would treat together, a barely conscious man whose pallor matched the sheets upon which he lay.

  Natalie took the patient’s wrist and felt his pulse. “What do you know about him?”

  “He started feeling lethargic and sick yesterday around mid-morning and he had trouble waking earlier this evening.”

  Jules felt the patient’s forehead. “No fever. What is his name?”

  “Malcolm Bartlett,” the Headmistress replied and left them to their work.

  “All right, Malcolm. Let’s see if we can get you well again.” They began by examining the rest of his body for any other symptoms.