Chapter 29: Sena - Fated to the Night King

"Now, this will hurt, but only for a moment. Taking a sample of blood is minimally invasive, but necessary. And I promise you that it is necessary. Monitoring the condition of your blood will allow us to see how your healing is progressing. I have the original samples we made when you were first here. That is our starting point for comparison. I believe we'll see a change quickly."

"What would be the cause of the change? I thought you hadn't started treating the Silver Sickness yet." I looked between the healer and Alkan, not mistaking the guilty look Danvers had. "I won't do this if you refuse to be completely honest with me."

Alkan shrugged and pointed to Danvers, who let out a sigh. "I haven't specifically been treating your Silver Sickness. In that you are correct." I didn't like the emphasis he placed on the word specifically, as if being specific about the treatment or not mattered." He stepped closer to me, eyes imploring. "I believe the healing tonic I used to treat the injuries you sustained have had a positive effect on your illness as well. While healing your injuries, I believe it should have also affected the progression of the illness and the markers we can see in your blood."

"Your healing tonic, what exactly is in it?" I hated feeling suspicious of his motives, but blind trust in someone I barely knew was a hard thing for me to offer.

The healer hunched, looking uncomfortable. "There are many ingredients, all with different levels of efficacy based on the proportions mixed. I vary those based on the illness or injury, as well as the patient. It's a very individual process."

"It's fine, Danvers." I was surprised when Alkan broke in, making the older man deflate. It must have been clear to all of us that his attempted deflection was only making the situation worse. "You can tell her."

I waited, sure that if nothing else, Danvers wouldn't refuse a specific order from his king. And more than that, from his friend.

Finally, after seconds of silence that stretched long enough to make me question whether he would do as instructed, Danvers met my eyes. "The base of the tonic is always the same. We use Alkan's blood."

Cold flashed over me and I may have wavered on my feet. His blood? I'd been drinking his blood since my arrival? I had a terrifying thought that he could've been controlling me this whole time. Was that what he'd done? Used his power to compel me to do as he wished? To agree to work with him on a possible cure?

"In our defense, Istakarran blood does have significant healing properties. Alkan donates regularly so we have a steady supply on hand. It wouldn't be sufficient if there was a mass casualty incident of some kind, of course, but for the illnesses and injuries we commonly see, it has served us well. The people of our court are as healthy as they've ever been."

His voice trailed off, and I found myself swaying on my feet. "How long?" I asked, my voice a cold sound I almost didn't recognize. "How long have you been compelling me to do your will?"

Danvers made a sound of disbelief, but my focus was solely on Alkan. Would he lie to me now?

"I swear to you, Sena, I have not. Since you've arrived here, I've refused to force you to do anything you didn't wish to. Every decision, every choice you've made, it has been yours alone."

Something in his statement rang true, and I felt a pulse in my chest that made me rub my hand over the skin above my heart. "But you could have?'

"Does ingesting my blood give me some kind of control over others? Yes. It can. It does. But that's not power I choose to exercise. I've been the one forced to do things I didn't wish to do in the past. Hurt people I cared about when I wasn't able to stop myself. That's a horror I refuse to inflict on anyone else. No matter how distasteful I might find their company."

Valmont. I knew that's who he was referring to. He wouldn't even use compulsion against that man.

It spoke of a code of honor Alkan had; most did not. If given the ability to override the will of others, so many leaders would seize that chance. The advantage it would give them was profound. To choose not to, told me more about Alkan's character than all the time I'd spent with him since his pronouncement that I would serve as his Source. It also gave me a glimpse of the pain he carried from his own past.

Danvers broke the tension in the room by stepping into my view. 'It truly is only meant to help, Miss Sena. Healing is my gift and I would never tarnish it in such a way. If you wish to no longer be part of this, I understand. But I must tell you that I believe, with all my being, that we can find a cure to the Silver Sickness with your help."

Alkan didn't say anything and Danvers simply stood in front of me, waiting for my decision.

"Our agreement still stands?" I asked Alkan, fear living alongside the hope I had. "You won't compel me to do anything against my will?"

"It stands. It's a promise I will not break." The words were like gravel, low and rough. "And I won't break it even if you choose to walk away now. Even if you opt not to work with Danvers on this healing process."

I believed him. It was a surprise to me, but it was the truth. I trusted this man, the one who I'd been told for years was my enemy. I could judge him only by the way he'd treated me to date, and even when given an opportunity, he hadn't cast me out, hadn't forced my hand or required anything of me I hadn't been willing to give.

That was all the answer I needed.

"Fine." I pointed to the tools he'd laid out, ready and waiting to draw my blood for examination. "I'll do it. But I want to know everything you learn from it. Every single bit."