The Last Daughter of Elysia

Chapter 18

Morgana gaped at Aelys. "You must be mistaken."

"I'm not. I know what it smells like, and aconite flowers are purple just like this." Aelys shook the bottle.

Morgana stared at the swirling elixir.

"Aconite is deadly to fae and humans. It should've killed you instantly."

Numbness washed over Morgana. "That doesn't make sense."

"Who brings this to you?"

"The healer."

A thick silence fell.

"Maybe the healer mistook aconite for verbena, both flowers are purple, and verbena has healing properties... No wonder you've been so ill."

"But the elixir has always made me ill."

"It must be something else making you sick. No human could survive that much aconite."

"What am I supposed to do? If I don't take that elixir then I'll die." Tears stung Morgana's eyes.

"Just drink the healing tonic I've given you and I'll take this back to the healer. We'll figure something out." Aelys placed a hand on Morgana's arm. "The healing properties in the tonic should slow any damage from Elysia's magic." She pasted a smile on her face and tried to change the subject. "Maybe after you drink the entire jug you'll be well enough to attend the Summer Ball tomorrow."

"Are you serious? I don't care about a stupid ball. I'm worried I'll die if I don't take the elixir!"

"Well, I'm worried you'll die if you continue to take it. Look at you." Aelys gestured over Morgana's bedridden form. "It's clearly poisoning you."

Morgana didn't know what to say.

"Anyway, a ball would be the thing to cheer you up. Mother was disappointed that you didn't find a suitor at the last ball."

"Oh my Goddess, finding a suitor is the last thing on my mind. Plus, I hated the Spring Ball. I bet this one is going to be just as terrible."

Aelys laughed. "Come on, they're not that bad. And you can socialize with me this time."

Morgana smoothed down her bedspread. "I suppose that's true. But only if I'm well enough to go."

"Well, if you keep drinking that tonic then you should be. I'll take this elixir back to the healer and see what happened." Aelys glanced at the bottle in her hand. "I really hope Matthias just made a mistake."

Later that afternoon a harried Aelys returned to Morgana's bedroom, slamming the door shut and locking it behind her.

"What is it?" Morgana placed her half-eaten chicken sandwich down. There was a silver tray on her lap with a bowl of vegetable soup, and a small plate of vanilla ice cream drizzled with berries.

"You look better." Aelys noted Morgana's bright eyes and pink cheeks.

"This is the best I've felt in ages. I'm able to eat now, I haven't thrown up at all." Morgana grinned. "Your tonic is a miracle, you should seriously think about becoming a healer."

"Yeah, well I don't think it's just the tonic." Aelys's mouth was a grim line. "When was the last time you had the elixir?"

"Yesterday morning. I was supposed to take some today, but you took it away."

"Don't you ever take that elixir, ever again." Aelys's gaze was sharp.

Morgana's gut churned as if she'd swallowed a clump of worms. "Why?"

"I took your bottle to the healer and told him I smelled aconite in it." She began pacing. "He said that I was mistaken and that there was no aconite in your elixir. Then I asked to see the recipe for it and Matthias said he does it from memory. But just as he said that he placed this book in a drawer and locked it." Aelys stopped pacing, eyes flashing. "I bet that book is where the recipe is and that Matthias has been poisoning you."

"What? Why would the healer try to poison me? That doesn't make any sense."

"I don't know. But you shouldn't be alive after drinking that much aconite. I want to find out why he's doing this. We need to get that book for evidence and collect any future elixirs he gives you. I've already stored the other one in a locked box, that way I can take the book and elixirs to Captain Flynn and have him charged. I've already thought of a plan." Aelys's eyes lit up as if she were going on a trip to the Undine Islands. "During the Summer Ball when everyone is too busy to notice us, we should break into the healer's chambers and steal the book."

Morgana placed the silver tray of food onto her bedside table. "But the elixir has worked. My body hasn't been destroyed from Elysia's magic even though it's made me sick."

"But it's weird, don't you think? Why would Matthias lie about the aconite? He's hiding something."

It just didn't make sense for the healer to poison her, and if aconite was as fatal as Aelys made out then surely Morgana would be dead by now. "Are you sure you smelled aconite?"

"Yes. I'm trained in the healing arts. I know what it looks like and I know what it smells like."

"Did you see any aconite in his chambers?"

"No. He must store it somewhere else."

Morgana wasn't sure if Aelys was right or not. "It is strange that I'm always so sick after taking the elixir. If there was poison in it then that could explain why..."

Aelys raised her brows. "See."

"Okay, we'll break into his chambers during the Summer Ball and if we find the aconite and that book-"

"Which I'm betting has the elixir recipe in it-"

"Then we can have him charged for poisoning me."

Aelys grinned. "Good. Matthias won't know what hit him."

Later that night a horrible nightmare interrupted Morgana's dreamless sleep. It wasn't just any nightmare. It was a memory from her childhood, a memory she'd long forgotten.

She was a child in the nightmare, sitting in bed, freshly roused from slumber. Embers rained down on her like fallen fireflies, burning holes in her blankets. Flames crackled and ate the straw ceiling, the wooden beams darkened and heat seared her face. Thick black smoke filled the air, and Morgana coughed, chest heavy. Tears stung her eyes as fire crept down the walls. At the end of her bed was Damon, a grey hood covering his hair. His face was hard as if he were carved from marble.

Morgana blinked and suddenly she was outside, lying in the grass, gasping for clean air. A cool welcome breeze kissed her skin. And Damon stood next to her, the great inferno flickering over his face, casting shadows along the grass. Her parents screams rose from the cottage like the clouds of smoke rising into the night sky.

"Mother, Father!" her child's wail was consumed by the fire that devoured her home. Heat roared, glass popped and shattered. An awful silence descended and in that moment Morgana knew that they were dead. She couldn't do anything but sob. It seemed like an eternity passed, where all she could do was cry and stare at the fire that had destroyed her home and her life.

There was movement inside the flames, and Morgana's sobs died. A hooded figure emerged from the fire, unscathed, shielded by earth magic. It was King Erik.