Page 79 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume Two

King Alric’s expression softened as he turned to Lisette. “And your clan’s specialty was never healing. You were forced to learn things on the fly under the worst of circumstances. Your hard work and dedication have kept us all alive for five centuries.”

The older mage nodded and swallowed audibly. “Thank you, Alric, but look at what he’s already managed in twenty minutes. I feel like beating my head against a hard surface. Sora, you’re a miracle worker.”

“I’m hardly that, but I thank you for the sentiment.” Sora grinned at her, his chest puffing up a bit. He’d barely done anything to really help King Alric yet, and already he felt such a sense of accomplishment from their reactions. “King Alric, I can honestly say your clan has become very dear to me. I’m happy to help you and excited to provide you with more tools. Lisette is far too amazing to ever feel that she might be lacking.”

“We are blessed to receive any help you can give us,” Lisette replied with a warm smile.

Sora mixed up the next potion he needed for the rotator cuff, glancing up now and again to study that dark head of hair, the injuries he couldn’t immediately treat. He thought of what it must have been like, five hundred years with no option but endurance. And it was all so pointless. Any healer worth his salt would have been able to mitigate this damage right from the beginning. The very healing ability that his clan took for granted.

And King Alric hadn’t even thought to ask for help because he was past hoping at this point.

It saddened Sora, it truly did. He felt like he’d made a huge contribution to this clan by reaching out to this good king. These people didn’t have a single healer to call their own. And wasn’t that a sad state of affairs, when his clan had many? Sora knew some of them would come to Burkhard to help, but for how long? There wasn’t a dedicated timeline, not yet.

Wouldn’t Sora’s abilities and talents be better used here?

He shook off the thought, as he couldn’t be distracted right now.

“Alright, hold still, please. Just one good swipe, and then we’ll let that settle in for a while. Good. Now, let’s call up my father and tell him he’s got a challenge to tackle with me. That should go over well, as he likes nothing better.”

Cameron asked anxiously, “How are you feeling, love?”

“Better than I have in years,” King Alric admitted freely, a broad grin on his face. “I literally can’t wait to see what else Sora is going to do.”

Cameron pressed in for a quick kiss, tears of joy in his eyes. “Good. And me neither. Sora, wow us.”

“Oh, I intend to.” Sora winked at them both, already calling his father on the phone.

Ryu answered with an absent sounding “Yes, son.”

“Tou-san, want a challenge of the healing variety?”

“Oh? Did you find something fun?”

“Five-hundred-year-old compressed c-spine with nerve, muscle, and tendon damage. I could use a little assistance for surgery.”

“King Alric?”

“That very one.”

“Oh, you can bet I want in on this. Where are you?”

“Sitting with the man himself in Mage Lisette’s workroom. Do you know where that is?”

“I do, indeed. I’m coming right up. Don’t you dare tell your mother about this! She got the last challenging case. It’s my turn.”

Sora chuckled, shaking his head. His parents really were a trip some days.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Sora nearly jumped when North jogged up beside him in the long, empty hallway, a strange grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. He’d not spent a lot of time with the mage, but he struck Sora as a sweet, outgoing person who’d spent too much time suppressing his true self. He’d been reserved on their first meeting, but with each encounter, he seemed to open up a little more. His mate, Warin, was good at drawing him out.

“Hey, Sora. You busy?” North started.

“Not at the moment. Is there something I can help you with?”

“Nope,” North replied, his grin spreading even wider. “I was just wondering if you were up for a little adventure.”

“Really?”