Crown of Blood

1.2.|| Crown of Blood

"I want you to try and heal Trix," Jinx said the moment the heavy doors closed behind Jazz.

Cage blinked. He had not expected that. "You know I offered."

"Yes, I know, that's why I'm asking again. I know Jazz said no, but it's been much too long and the priests have failed. We need to try something else."

"I take it that the priest of Tyr Dorna gave up, too."

Jinx nodded, and there was a glint of tears in her eyes. Cage turned away, gritting his teeth together. He'd hoped that the priests of the god of sailors and fortune or of Dam Suna, the god of health and prosperity, would know what to do to bring Trix out of his slumber.

"Yes. There is nothing any of those charlatans can do for him."

"I wouldn't call them that. Priests are known to have healing abilities."

"It's still magic, Cage. A magic much weaker than yours." She looked ready to blow fire out her nostrils, which, given her powers, was entirely possible. "And yet they claim it is not magic."

He nodded. He'd offered to heal Trix the night they'd been thrown upon the shores of Valona by Cecille once their ship sank. Back then, Jazz had forbidden it, claiming that Cage needed to keep his wits about him and that delving into Trix's mind might drive him insane.

The situation hadn't changed. Cage needed his wits even more than before, which explained why Jinx had asked Jazz to leave.

"You know I want to do it, Jinx."

"Then why don't you?"

"You know what Jazz said, what he thinks about it. The danger he sees."

A muscle twitched in Jinx's jaw, but she kept her serene expression. "Jazz is sometimes wrong."

Cage hadn't seen that yet, but Jinx had been with him longer. "And what if he isn't this time?"

"Cage..."

"You know I want Trix to wake up. I really do. Especially because I still feel this is my fault. But if Jazz is right..."

Jinx crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, a pout on her face. Cage would have laughed at her childish behavior, but he could see the pain behind her eyes, and he shared it, too.

"I hate this," he whispered. "All of it. This fucking crown, the fact that I suddenly matter and it feels like my life is not my own... I..."

"I know you," Jinx said, turning to him. "I know you want to do everything right." The words carried an expectation which weighed a ton. "But even you can't do everything. Jazz should know that. And you'll always have to choose what is more important." She squeezed his shoulder and made her way out.

Left alone, he glanced at the map again. The pressure upon him was immense, but Jinx's words managed to shed some light through the darkness. Even with the cursed crown, some things were still more important than others, and with an entire kingdom to rescue, it was easy to lose perspective.

But duty didn't mean he needed to forget his friends and who he was truly loyal to. A sense of excitement grabbed hold of him as he took the crown, placed it on his head, and exited the council room. After days of torment, he finally felt like he could be useful again.

All guards along the walls knocked their heels together and presented arms as he passed. The gesture, though common, made his skin crawl. He knew most of them, even if they'd likely forgotten the young man who used to share crude jokes with them and brawl after a night of too much ale. Those days were over. Now the crown was heavy over his brow and it turned most friends into subjects.