The Battle of the Trees - Sword, Ring, and Crown Book Two

Chapter Thirty-Two

Adrian and Dominic followed Luke into an opulent bedroom, where he laid me on a fancy bed.

"Hey, no... at least take off the bedspread before laying me on top of it!" I arched my butt up, trying to save the expensive-looking material.  I think they used actual gold threads in the bedspread. It was a heavy burgundy velvet with golden roses.

"He can buy another one," Luke said as he took a wet cloth someone gave him and began wiping the dirt off my face.

"Let's get her out of these dirty clothes; she might get sicker being in them," Dominic said.

"We have moved her so much as it is." Luke stroked my hair as he released it from my bun to make me more comfortable. "Let her father check her before we do anything else."

Luke fussed with me a few more seconds before he straightened. "I need to talk to Venetto about security. Our strategy in keeping her safe has been more haphazard than a box of verelins."

"Verelins?" What was Luke talking about?

"They look something like star moles but are more like rats as they can see. They use the tentacle-like structure on their nose to eat energy in the air. " Luke explained.

"Oh." Those didn't sound as cute as the carbunclo I saw.

After Luke left, Adrian looked at me with a frown of concern, "Why haven't you just done the thing you always do when your health's in danger, Ace?"

Good question. It was never a conscious act before. "Don't know, Adrian."

He knelt on the floor beside me and closed his eyes. "I am not sensing anything peculiar in your thoughts. Do you feel like snacking on anyone?"

I thought about it. "No... I feel like throwing up, and I have a headache that makes me wish I didn't have a head."

Adrian placed his hand there, then pulled away quickly. "You're burning up, Matt."

My father barged in and began to take command. ""Everyone outside. I need to check Madeline. Astra! Losunan! Change her into something I can more easily examine her in."

Dominic placed a protective hand on me. "I want to stay. There isn't any reason why I can't help change Madeline's clothing."

"Yeah, we're her husbands. That should mean we can help." Adrian glared as he also laid a hand on me.

The Straif made a tsking noise. "There is. I will need to drag the equipment in here since she is not stable enough to move to my lab. That will crowd this room and you will be in the way. So, get out."

Dom left, but not without giving me a worried look. "I'll be just right outside, Matty. Scream if you're in danger."

Adrian was more reluctant. "She's burning up. If you make her worse, immortal or not, I'll figure out how to end you."

My father scoffed and waved his hand at the door. "Out."

"Okay, fine. Matt, I'll be monitoring your thoughts. Just think it, and I'll come running

I didn't really want themm to go, but more and more equipment was being wheeled in, which did indeed crowd the room.

Once everyone but my father and the Lunantisidhe was outside, the tiny fae dressed me in a more comfortable shift dress that buttoned down the front. Then my father began to check on me using various odd tools.

One looked rather like one half of an abalone shell, which he was pressing against my arms, legs, back, and chest. Sometimes it would glow, and he'd click his tongue. Next, he placed a white stone on the crown of my head, then clicked again with irritation at what he saw. He pulled a machine over that looked like a chest of drawers with glowing lights attached to the top of it, and dials on each row. He waved an attached wand over my body, then set it down with a bang.