The man didn't meet her gaze as he spoke. “Once the shadow marks set in, there's nothing to do.”
Triton dismissed the old healer. “How did no one realize it was the Shadow Sickness?”
Theia sat next to Araxie wrapping her arms protectively around her. “The sickness is setting in faster than it should. We don't even know how Araxie was infected.”
Araxie cleared her throat. “It was at the reef. But I felt fine when I woke up. Others have been healed from this though.”
She’d heard the tales from Calder of knights at the abyss that had been infected well before he’d ever met Theia.
Shaking her head, Theia said, “It all depends on how strong the cursed poison is and when they get treatment. Even then a rune made by Trite would take a long time to burn out the poison. Everything we know about the curse of the Shadow Sickness doesn't quite match what is happening to you. These past years we've made so much progress to slow it down, been able to contain it if caught early enough so soldiers don't die. The shadow marks should take months to appear, not days. It's like your infection has been accelerated somehow, without ever leaving an open wound.”
Triton interjected, “Could she help Araxie?”
“I don't know,” Theia said slowly getting up. “We don't even know where she is or how long it would take to get her here. Even if she got here now, it would take weeks to make rune ink strong enough to fight the poison. I don’t think we have that long.”
Calder put an arm around his wife to comfort her. Araxie didn't like the jealousy that burned inside her as she looked at the bond between them. Heat rose to the surface and she picked up the cold rag once more to place on her neck.
She looked at the others in the room. Her father's usually regal posture was missing as he slumped in a chair. His hair mussed as if he'd been running a hand through it absentmindedly. Mar stood in a corner, quietly staring at the floor as if he hoped they'd all forgotten about his presence. The triplets and Alea had red rimmed eyes as they sat on mismatched chairs pushed against the far wall.
Proteus was the only one who would meet her gaze, but he looked so tortured she had to look away.
“How long?” Araxie asked.
“I don't know,” Theia said quietly.
Amarine cleared her throat. “There are places that contain magic—”
“We're not putting her in a cell,” Aaralyn interrupted.
Amarine frowned at the youngest triplet, then looked at Theia. “The Shadow Sickness originated as a curse. I've been reading about that scanner you made. . .”
“Out with it,” Triton demanded.
“The scanner blocks magic,” Theia said. “It might slow or stop the spread of the sickness for a time.”
Araxie, Triton, Proteus, Theia, Calder, and Mar went to the Prison together. Her other sisters wanted to go too, but Triton rejected the idea. He wasn't happy with Theia joining them, but since the scanner was her creation and because she was a talented healer, she was the best one to have using it on Araxie. Calder of course wouldn't let Theia go to the prison on her own. So here they all were.
The room with the scanner was set up like it had been before, only this time Araxie had to go through it too. She wasn't looking forward to it, but she didn't have another option. Whatever darkness that had sprung up during the graduation ceremony had tried to consume her. It had wanted her to strike and lash out at everyone and everything like a wild animal.
Guilt popped up every time she looked at Calder and saw the scab on his face where she'd scratched him earlier. Mar even seemed to hold back his usual biting remarks when he saw the evidence of Araxie's anger. Mar had been less annoying since she'd woken up after visiting the reef, perhaps pity held his tongue.
Theia gave a nod and Araxie moved into the scanner.
Bright orange light washed over her like a cold wave. A cold that burned as it rippled across her skin before seeping into her. The cold moved through her limbs, her tail, and she felt the darkness in her shift in response. It raged against that cold in a surge of blinding anger. It felt like a battle as old as the stars waged inside her between the hot and cold. A battle where time had yet to determine a victor.
Then Araxie could feel the cold winning, and the darkness turned into a mere shadow that settled in her chest like a stone.
The light stopped and Araxie moved out of the scanner.
“How do you feel?” Theia asked.
“Better.” Araxie answered honestly. The anger that had boiled within her since she'd awoken after the reef now felt like a simmer.
Her father looked hopeful. “It's gone?”
Araxie shook her head. “I can still feel it inside me. But it's like it's been put into a box.”
“I've only put a bandage on, it might last a month.” Theia added.
Proteus chose that moment to speak. He'd been quietly observing everything until now. “Perhaps we should see Riva. After all she's the one who created the sickness, maybe she can provide a cure.”
“Absolutely not.” Mar argued. “How could you suggest the royal family put themselves in such danger?”
Calder jumped in. “Not everyone needs to be near her. Perhaps only Proteus since he suggested it?”
“It's my life, I'll speak to her.” Araxie moved towards the door, but Triton stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
Her Father gazed down at her with worry in his eyes. “We'll both go. Proteus led the way.”
They were quiet as they wound down the white halls towards that cell. The hallways were brighter, and lacked the shadows she'd seen on her first visit. She supposed that the knights must have changed something after her visit over a week ago. When they came to the doorway to Riva's cell, they paused.
“Let me ask the questions,” Proteus said.
“No.” Triton nodded to the knights and they parted the tentacle curtain.
Araxie shivered as she entered the room. The darkness in the cell swirled lazily and Araxie wished to see through it to the witch that created the sickness.
“Riva,” Triton said coldly. “We need to talk.”
The voice that answered was more hiss than words. “Did you misss me, King? I've thought of you all these yearsss.”
“Undo this curse, Riva,” Triton demanded.
Silence answered.
“Riva.” Triton nodded to Proteus.
Proteus moved to the wall just outside the runed ring. He placed a palm on a stone, and the tentacles covering the bars shifted to the side. His hand moved to another stone, and a shockwave was blasted through the cell.
Araxie braced for a scream, but there wasn't one. The shadows dimmed, but there was so much darkness inside the cell she couldn't make out what type of creature Riva was.
“Again.” Triton ordered.
Another blast filled the cell and then everything exploded. The stones around the cell burst outwards. Triton covered Araxie with his body as the rocks rained down around them. In moments Knights were flooding the room. The three of them were scraped, and would have bruises, but otherwise they were unharmed. But the cell, the explosion had left nothing.
“Find her body.” Triton commanded, and turned to Proteus. “Take Araxie and Theia home. Now.”