[Legacy of a Martyr #2] Liberation from the Masquerades (A Key Keepers novel)

Episode 59: Haughty, Little Laugh

T and I woke Eni soon after I got back from discharging the excess flames, I hadn't realized I'd built up. We needed him to eat since he hadn't done that today and he'd need the strength to help him recover.

We fed him some of the soup Marshall bought during his grocery run. Oh, yeah... I'd have to text Sebastian thanks for giving him a ride home. It could be an utter nightmare to carry groceries in the rain.

Eni didn't seem to have much of an appetite, but we were happy he took the food at all. It gave him a little bit of much needed energy.

I was about to get him a fresh washcloth when I thought to ask, "Do you want to take a bath?"

'Too hot...'

"I don't mean a hot one." I smiled. "A cool one."

T kissed the top of his head. "You might not remember this, because you were so little, but you didn't feel good one day. You were too hot. Your caretaker and I brought you to a stream. Your caretaker held you in the water while I sprayed you with gentle water. It made you happy even though you felt so yucky."

'Bath, please?'

I let the girls run the water because I didn't want to send him into shock or make his fever worse than it already was.

Anyway, T was keeping watch since we didn't want anything to happen. I used this opportunity to talk to Noelle in the hallway.

"Is there really nothing else that we can do for him?"

"There is one thing we could try, but I don't know if it's worth using it on him."

I was probably staring at her given the sweat on her face. "Fever-reducing medicine, but like I said, I don't know if it's worth it." She gritted her teeth. "If the taste bothers him too much, he will probably only take it once. Even then, it won't affect the powers aspect."

"But, it's something, Noelle." I felt my flames pooling in my hands. "You are the one that said this would be a regular cold if not for our last Lock battle."

"I stand by what I just said, Key Keeper." Noelle stood up straight. "Science from a world that doesn't take magic seriously cannot hope to influence it. This world's medicine likely won't do much of anything."

Was it really not worth a shot? I couldn't stand to see my baby brother look so sick. I wanted to do whatever I could to make it better.

"There must be a charm or a healing power you could try."

"I don't know any charms that could help treat a fever. I could heal him, but it won't be an instant fix."

I was struggling to keep my voice steady. "I know that."

"Whenever I used them on your injuries, they didn't heal overnight. You still needed to heal afterward."

"I know that, Noelle. I just want to help my little brother."