The Healer and the General

Part 15

Eric found his mate asleep in the healer's tent. It was the third time this week. Her work had increased when some unknown sickness had spread through camp two weeks ago. It affected almost all the children, but none had died yet, thanks to her. Demi usually stayed here at night, to keep an eye on the sick, but always fell asleep. Eric put a blanket around her when she shivered, then went to stoke the fire.

It had been exactly three weeks since Demi got here and it had gotten colder, especially at night. The furnaces were now always going. Eric and the other's in camp had finished a couple of houses and tried to get Demi to move in, but she refused, saying that she would only take a house once every family with kids had one. Children were definitely her weakness. Eric would always catch her playing with them during dinner, breakfast, and other random times when she wasn't busy.

Demi woke up every night at least once from nightmares, but never mentioned them the next day. Eric would've tried to comfort her, but was waiting for Demi to reach out to him. She'd yet to notice the bond between them, but she probably wouldn't until they were mated. The thought of mating brought Eric back to reality. Demi had been a slave for eight years, he doubted that she wanted to tie herself down anytime soon. But Eric was prepared to wait until she was ready, he'd keep his instincts in check till then. As long as Demi allowed him to be near her, he'd be happy.

Eric had also failed to ask her about the strange metal that made up her shackles. He'd had multiple opportunities, but let them go because he didn't want to do anything to remind her of Ura. Most of their prisoners had been sent to the capital to face punishment. They'd have a trial, but it was going to be anything but fair. People are pretty biased against the southern fae, so they'd most likely die. Any prisoners that weren't sent to the capital were executed here.

It wasn't something Eric enjoyed, but it needed to be done. He leaned down and kissed Demi on the forehead. She stirred but didn't wake. He left and met the twins outside the healer's tent. "Make sure Demi doesn't leave tomorrow morning. She doesn't need to see the flogging." That was another thing Eric hated doing, flogging. He had seen the scars that were on Demi's neck and went down her back and had guessed enough about where they had come from. Demi didn't need a reminder of where she had been stuck for eight years.

The twins nodded, promising she'd either be out of camp or in the tent.

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Demi woke up with a terrible crick in her neck. She had fallen asleep in the healer's tent yet again, though with the children in here she didn't want to leave. Eva and a lot of the other women and females tried to help out with the sick children, but until Demi could figure out what was making them sick she didn't want anybody in here but her. If it spread things could go from bad to worse very fast.

The sounds of somebody groaning dragged Demi out of her thoughts. It was one of the kids. She quickly got up to check on them. It was the youngest kid that has gotten sick so far. Her name was Rai and had been one of the first sick.

"Hey," Demi started in a soft voice. She picked up the bucket and handed it to Rai when she started to look a little green. The girl instantly took it and puked. Demi wasn't exactly sure what to do, so she just started rubbing the child's back soothingly. When Rai finally finished, Demi handed her a cup of cool water.

Rai began to cry softly. Demi guessed that she knew whatever was happening wasn't going away anytime soon. "I know, I'm sorry." Demi didn't know how to comfort her, but she did her best. "Shh. It's okay. Don't worry."

"When will I get to go home?" That was a great question, one she couldn't answer.

"Soon, I promise. But first I need to know what made you sick. Do you remember doing anything unusual before you started feeling unwell?" Demi had narrowed it down to either food poisoning of some kind, or a possible virus.

The little girl took a second to think it over, but before she could answer, yelling and crying interrupted her from outside. "Don't move. I'll be right back." Demi went to go investigate. She reached the flaps and saw the twins standing there. Both of them looked troubled but didn't go investigate the noises.

"Good morning," Parker said. He tried and failed to smile, "Want to go collect herbs?" Demi couldn't believe him.

"What are you two doing here?" Demi asked, slightly annoyed. She had enough herbs to get her through three winters at this point. "And why are you blocking me." She tried to look over their shoulders to see what the commotion was, but they were so damn tall.

"No reason, we just thought you could use more herbs, for the kids," Logan said to back up his brother. It was a cheap shot bringing the sick children into this. But it worked, at least before she heard a familiar sound and a scream. Fear raced through her, though it had no reason to. Her mouth instantly dried, as did her throat. She knew that'd she'd gone completely still, the kind of still that only fae could achieve.

"Get out of my way." Demi pushed past them, but Parker caught her arm.

There was warning in his eyes, and what seemed like desperation, "You don't need to see that." Demi didn't care what he thought. She would do what she wanted, she was no one's to command, not anymore.

"Let go of me." She said with calm confidence. Parker instantly loosened his grip but didn't let go. Demi gave him a withering look that she didn't know she had in her. Logan pulled Parker's arm away slightly shaking his head.

"Don't say we didn't warn you." One of them said as Demi walked off toward the sounds of a whip hitting skin. On the edge of camp, a crowd had gathered. None said anything, though someone was screaming and crying. Again Demi heard the sound of a whip and a scream. She pushed through the crowd aggressively and her hands had begun to shake, but Demi didn't notice. When she finally broke through, she saw a man tied to a post with his back exposed. He had probably been standing at one point but had lost the strength. A woman was being held back a few feet away, she was the one screaming.

Demi's blood ran cold. She started shaking. How many times had that been her on the post? For a moment she was no longer in camp but was in Ura. The whip was spiked with metal shards, and no amount of clothing could protect her. And there was Elena, smiling as Demi bled. It would take weeks to recover, and nobody would help her. Again and again, the whip came down on her back, never stopping. Then Demi blinked and she was back, but she could still feel the blood running down her back.

Demi spotted Eric at the same time he spotted her. He began to come closer, but Demi again pushed through the gathered crowd. How could they watch this? At least none were laughing, as they did in Ura.

Suddenly, Demi couldn't breathe. She couldn't get enough air down into her lungs. Her eyes landed on the forest and she ran. Not considering if someone would follow or not, she kept going. Images ran through her mind so fast. She was ten and it was the first time Demi felt the bite of a metal whip. Then she was twelve and her mother was dead, after that it was the beating she received for losing her first patient and every one after that. They kept going and so did Demi until she tripped over a root and fell.