Pure
Chapter 33: The Maiden’s Decision

Maigred let out a breath. Finten was tucked into Maigred’s bed sleeping peacefully. His infection was lanced, his wounds were cleaned and bandaged. His fever was still raging, but it seemed to have come down some. “Thank you Sinead, you’re getting really good at this.”

Sinead smiled at Maigred “I have a good teacher.”

Maigred smiled back and squeezed Sinead’s shoulder. “Keep an eye on him. I’m going to take all this downstairs, I’ll be right back.”

Sinead gave a quick nod. “Take the water down and I’ll gather everything else for you to get when you come back.

Maigred nodded. She lifted the heavy pot of blood and puss contaminated water, and carefully carried it down the stairs.

The breakfast rush was over. There were still a few customers scattered around the dining room, but it was mostly empty. Eoghan was clearing tables and wiping them down. Maigred smiled at him and went towards the kitchen. She was just coming around the edge of the doorway when she froze. Cathal was standing in front of the work table, a long knife in his hand. He gently slid the edge of the knife blade over the skin of his forearm. Maigred’s chest constricted. Where is Aoibh?

Small beads of blood welled up along the shallow cut. Cathal’s eyes were fixed on the cut, he slowly exhaled, his shoulders relaxing.

Aoibh walked up beside Cathal.

Cathal’s head jerked up, startled. “I- I’m sorry, Aoibh.” Aoibh reached up and took the knife out of his unresisting hands. His shoulders shrank inward. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I wasn’t…I just needed- I’m sorry.” He mumbled.

“Shh,” Aoibh said softly. “Let me bandage this.” She led Cathal away from the table and Maigred lost sight of them. She could hear Aoibh’s voice murmuring softly.

Maigred went back and sat at one of the empty tables in the dining room. She wanted to give them a moment before she came into the kitchen and she needed to calm her beating heart. She was surprised by the way Cathal had reacted to Aoibh catching him cutting himself, and frankly by the way Aoibh had handled the situation as well.

Usually when Maigred caught Cathal in the act he was very non-responsive, but he had immediately apologized to Aoibh. They must be closer than she thought.

Maigred knew that sometimes the need to harm himself overwhelmed Cathal, usually he would lock himself in his room whenever he felt the urge coming on. But sometimes he did hurt himself. Maigred had always worried over what would happen if she wasn’t there to stop him. From the way they had interacted, it looked like Aoibh had caught him in the act before.

Maigred wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Did that mean she wasn’t watching her brother closely enough?

Maigred took a deep breath and got back up. She lugged the pot into the kitchen and to the back door. Cathal was sitting in one of the chairs in the corner rolling his sleeve down. Aoibh tucked something into her pocket.

“Open the door for me, please.” Maigred asked.

Aoibh opened the back door for her and Maigred went out, wondering if Cathal would be upstairs locked in his room before she came back in. But after she emptied the pot, washed her hands and came back inside, Cathal was still in the kitchen, clearing off the worktable.

“How did breakfast go?” Maigred asked, her eyes fixed on Cathal.

“It went fine. How’s Finten?” Cathal asked in a low voice.

Maigred continued to study Cathal as she answered. “His wounds are cleaned and bandaged. I’ve given him a sleeping draft, hopefully things will take a turn for the better.”

“Finten’s men came by for breakfast.” Aoibh said. “They were expecting to see him here. I told them that he wasn’t doing well, the scratches on his arms had become infected and you were doctoring him. They wanted to go up and see him, but I told them they would have to wait till later. Cathal seemed to think that keeping busy would be the best option for them, so he took them out to work. They will probably come back this afternoon or evening hoping to see him.”

Maigred nodded. “They didn’t have any idea that he wasn’t feeling well?”

“No. They were surprised to hear it. They had thought that maybe he’d been out in the wilds early this morning. He didn’t go out last night and he’s been going out pretty regularly this last week.”

Maigred nodded again. “I’m going to send Sinead down to eat breakfast.” She went out of the kitchen and slowly climbed the stairs. She went into her room and sent Sinead downstairs along with the rest of the used supplies to be thrown away, or washed.

She sat down on the edge of the bed, and felt Finten’s forehead. He was still so hot. She frowned. She didn’t know if the treatments she would normally give a human would work the same way for a tarasque. Usually for an infection she would let a fever do its work, she figured that since a tarasque was connected strongly to fire, that letting the fever run its course for Finten would be fine, but she also knew that Finten’s balance was precarious. If she let his fire powers run free, would it throw him out of balance?

She heard Cathal coming down the hallway. She looked up when he stopped in the doorway. He was carrying a bowl of porridge. He stepped into the room and held it out to her.

“Oh, thank you.” She took the bowl and started to eat. Cathal stood at her side, looking down at Finten for a long moment. Maigred was just about to ask how he was doing when he said quietly, “You should use your powers to heal to him.”

Maigred blinked. “What?”

Cathal turned his serious gaze on her. “You should use your powers to heal him. No one else knows how sick he is, no one would know except Finten and he wouldn’t tell anyone.”

“What makes you think that I have any powers?”

“You used them to save my life.”

Maigred frowned. “When?”

“The first time I tried to kill myself.” His gaze was steady.

Maigred shook her head. “No…I just sewed your arm closed and prayed.”

Cathal shook his head firmly. “You used your powers. I know what it feels like when you use your powers. I don’t think you realized you were doing it, you were still out of your mind fighting Hadeaon’s poison, but you used your powers. I don’t know how you still had them but you did. I’m sure you could still use them, you just have to try.”

Maigred swallowed. “You’ve known, all this time?”

He nodded.

“I didn’t know I still had my powers until just a few days ago. All this time, I thought my powers had been taken from me by Hadeaon.”

Something dark passed quickly over Cathal’s face. He bowed his head. “I’m sorry. I should have said something a long time ago. I just…I didn’t know what good it would do.”

“No, you’re right. It wouldn’t have done me any good.” She turned her gaze back to Finten and swallowed. But why do I need to know now? Was it possible that she and Finten could really become a bonded pair? That the gods would empower them to fight Hadeaon?

She stared down at the broken man sleeping on her bed. It would be impossible for Finten to fight Hadeaon. His scales, his main source of protection against the wyrm were gone. But it should also be impossible for Maigred to have her powers. Maigred’s frown deepened. To even imagine that the gods could use either of them was preposterous. But Maigred still had her powers. Who was she to question what the gods could or could not do?

Maigred swallowed again. The only way the gods’ power could come through them, the only way they could bond was if both she and Finten believed, and gave themselves wholeheartedly.

She squeezed her eyes shut. The plan was to leave, not to stay and fight. I won’t give my daughter up to that monster!

But the gods hadn’t asked her to give her daughter, they had asked Maigred to give herself- to Finten.

Maigred opened her eyes. She stared at Finten. Yes he was a broken man, but he wasn’t evil, and he wasn’t a coward. He was a good man who loved his people. He was a man who would not give up, no matter how dire the circumstances got.

She laid her hand on his arm and shut her eyes, she felt for the edges of her power. It came roaring into her control with a suddenness that caused her to gasp. She could feel power vibrating through her body, through her arm, into Finten’s body. She could feel the answering shudder of power in his own body, a very different kind of power from her own. She calmed herself and allowed his power to reach into her. The two contrasting powers seemed to be warring against each other, hammering and shaking against each others’ very different forms. Then they found their place in each other, twining together and becoming one. There was absolute stillness for one brief second, Maigred felt full and complete, as if every part of the earth existed inside her own body; then like a wave it washed out of her and into Finten.

He shuddered violently and released a breath as if he’d been socked in the gut. Then his entire body relaxed and his calm breathing resumed.

Maigred reached up and felt his forehead. His fever was gone.