Ella blushed and looked away. The atmosphere in the room became uncomfortable. She was suddenly incredibly conscious that there was only one bed, and that they would most likely be sharing it. Her heart started to race.
Calming herself, she took a quiet breath, fixing her attention on Killian’s wounds. She took a rough piece of caustic soap and lathered it up in the water. Without a warning, she began to rub the lather against the wound in Killian’s back with a rough wet cloth.
"Aaah!" Killian cried in pain.
"Don’t be a baby," Ella said, smiling. She was starting to enjoy herself.
Some yellow pus and small bits of dirt came from the wound. It started to bleed again, first the black blood of infection, followed by fresh red blood.
"Good," Ella said. "I think I’ve cleaned it. Can I trust you to clean the wound on your thigh yourself?"
"Yes, mother," he smiled.
Ella prepared the bandages while he washed himself. She turned her back while he dried himself and covered his body in strategic areas, and then she dressed the wounds on his thigh and back.
Ella refilled the bath and hung up the blanket while she bathed. No, she didn’t trust him, not one bit. The water turned from clear to dark brown as the grime of the hard march came away. Lord of the Sky, it felt good to be clean again. She spent a long time brushing her hair, running a comb through the tangled knots until it shone like spun gold. She dressed herself and removed her protective curtain.
Killian lay on his stomach on the bed, wearing only leggings. His legs and arms were sprawled in all directions. He had locked the door and put the key in his pocket, but he was fast asleep.
She looked down at him. The creases of care were smoothed from his face in sleep. He seemed younger. His fiery red hair shone in the soft shifting light of a candle.
Ella walked to the corner of the room to replace her comb in her satchel. She stopped, pausing. Next to her bag was Killian’s.
She looked up at him. He seemed fast asleep, his chest rising and falling evenly. Ever so gently she opened the bag, unfastening the buckle and withdrawing the tongue. It was right in front of her, the green cover reflecting the light. The Alturan Lexicon.
She withdrew the book, it was strangely light. She opened the cover and began to read.
~
THE light flickered and dimmed. Ella looked up. It was some time later, she had lost all track of time. The candle had burnt down to a stub.
Killian lay on his side, his head propped up on his elbow. He regarded her seriously.
"I… I just wanted to read it," Ella stammered.
"I know," he said. "I was watching you. Your eyes were lit up. You seemed so intent. I didn’t want to disturb you."
Ella stared into the distance. She had only just begun, but she knew the knowledge in this book was more than she could ever encompass in a lifetime. She was starting to believe that Killian must be right, that the Lexicon wasn’t an isolated text, it was meant to be part of a greater whole.
And now she knew that Miro had been right, so long ago. A Lexicon could be destroyed. Essence had an opposite.
Ella knew the knowledge was beyond her current level of understanding. But she had also built on feelings, small elements of intuition she had frequently experienced during her studies at the Academy. With time, she was sure she could develop her ability further than had ever been imaginable before. Her intuition — the things she understood without quite knowing why — was explained and expanded in the Lexicon. Here was the power to unlock her potential.
Ella closed the book. Uncertain for a moment, she left it sitting on her knees. There were still so many questions in need of answers.
"How did you do it?" she suddenly asked.
"Do what?"
"All of it. The essence, it didn’t harm you at all, did it? The Crystal Palace — you got through every defence the High Enchantress had made, and I know how good she is. You went through the palace holding our most important possession yet not one guard saw you."
Killian sighed, "Do we have to talk about it?"
"Yes. First, the essence, why didn’t it hurt you?"
He shrugged, "The fact is, I don’t know. The templars discovered it when I was in Stonewater. My body works differently."
"It’s amazing, do you know that?"
"I guess."
"The Crystal Palace, though. How could you walk right past so many people? I heard them say you were naked, that you were like a ghost. How is that possible?"
"Stealth and invisibility are nothing new."
Ella nodded. "We enchant our bladesingers’ armoursilk with something called shadow. When they activate the sequence, the armoursilk bends the light around their bodies. It’s not perfect though, you can still see the runes glowing slightly and you can see their faces and hands, anything that’s not covered by the armoursilk. I’ve never heard of perfect invisibility, and I know you weren’t wearing a suit of some kind. And I should know — we are the enchanters."
He shrugged, "It’s my secret, isn’t it?"
Ella could tell he was withdrawing again. She noticed his hand go to the amulet around his neck.
"It’s not anything to do with that amulet, I know that much."