Blood Healing: The Healers of Meligna, #2

By K. J. Colt

Banished to the healer city of Meligna, fourteen year old Adenine must adapt to the strange customs and fickle personalities of its citizens.

The Queens have but one goal: to create a perfect city. But when Adenine pulls at the loose threads that bind the city together, what she unravels shocks and angers her.The populace is brainwashed and delusional.

When Jemely, her loyal friend, becomes a victim, Adenine takes a stand against the Queens. But Adenine has no power, and her strong ideals injure the few friends she has. When she stumbles upon the Queens' most shocking secret, she risks everything to save the lives of those she loves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: K. J. Colt
• Release date: Sep 2, 2013
• ISBN: 9781498950947

Book preview

Dedication

A writer’s work requires refining, and without the support of enthusiastic readers, friends and professionals, that refining would never occur. So I’d like to say a big thank you to Ryan, Lynn and her team, Maike, Amber, Vidar, Louise, Lee, Scott, Glendon and Tabatha.

Never fear, there is a list of the cast and characters and a map of the world on KJColt.com

Chapter One

The loud and jolly celebration of my fourteenth birthday two nights prior still rang in my ears like a haunting song. The party had been wonderful, but the undercurrents of sorrow and grief lingered like a persistent cough. Snow fell, making the road to Meligna city in North Senya an obstacle course for my horse as it stumbled over hidden rocks and branches.

Winter had encrusted every tree, shrub, and rock with ice. My loud thoughts disrupted any silence that the insulated wilderness might bring. I feared what awaited me. I feared never returning home again. I feared that Klawdia, the Ruxdorian woman who’d protected me, would die at the hands of her people.

My bottom and inner thighs ached. We’d stopped only to rest for a few hours at a time, and I knew we drew closer to the city. Around me, branches snapped under the weight of layered snow.

The dazzling white of the landscape reminded me of my parents’ spotless tunics that they wore to Old Bow four years ago, a time when I was happy and Father was alive, when I knew nothing about the world outside my house. I had left everything I’d ever known—not by choice—to become a healer in the city stolen from my king twenty-five years ago by four healers called the Queens. Dressed in a bright red robe with golden trimmings, Healer Euka, the Queens’ ambassador, led our party. I glared at the back of her head. She was responsible for my current predicament.

I turned to observe my friend Jemely on a horse behind one of King Erageo’s personal royal guards. The king was the one who had forced me to Meligna against my will so I could spy on the Queens. Jemely’s cape covered the horse’s rump, and the hem flicked against its hind legs. Jemely faced the woodlands. Since the trial in Juxon City, she’d grown quiet and withdrawn, like a snail retreating into its shell. On the morning of our departure from Borrelia, I’d looked out through Mystoria’s window to see Jemely and Healer Euka entangled in some confrontation. Healer Euka had stood straight, arms crossed, head held high while Jemely spoke angrily. When Jemely had finished, she’d turned to walk away from Healer Euka, but the ambassador took a step forward, grabbed Jemely’s shoulder, and spoke several words that made Jemely spin around in shock.

Jemely had stood there frozen like an ice sculpture, eyes wide, lips parted, and when finally she reacted she brought her hands together and begged. I yanked open the front door of Mystoria to join them, but Healer Euka spotted me and scurried to join Bikat and Hawrald, our guards, in the street. Upon asking Jemely about their conversation, she’d shouted at me to mind my own business. Jemely had a volatile nature, so it had seemed normal for her to yell, but slowly she had grown withdrawn and troubled, a heavy cloud filled with worry and hopelessness.

Now, when I tried to get her attention or meet her eyes, she merely thinned her lips and turned away. Her emotional absence made me feel alone with my gloom. I longed for Mother’s optimism.

Jemely adjusted her seat. I watched, hoping she’d turn my way and smile or do something that was quintessentially her. Instead, she moved back beyond the edge of the saddle. Suddenly, she pushed herself over the horse’s rump, rolled on the ground, got to her feet, and bolted into the tree line.

Bikat, her guard, yelled, ‘Halt! Come back!’ He yanked hard on the reins, turning his horse toward the trees. Jemely’s brown cloak disappeared behind thick trunks and mounds of white.

‘After her!’ Healer Euka yelled, kicking at her mare’s ribs and galloping toward the forest. She didn’t see the fallen log, and her horse skidded to a stop, throwing Healer Euka into a large pile of soft snow. ‘Ugh!’

Without warning, laughter burst from my mouth, and she shot me a reproachful glare. I quickly shoved a hand against my mouth and bit my lip. Hawrald, my escort, dismounted and landed knee-high in wet snowy slush. He groaned, and his rough eyes snapped to Bikat’s. They gave chase, drawing their swords at the same time.

My horse’s reins had gathered high on its neck. It lifted its head and angled its ears toward the commotion. I leaned forward and scooped up the leather straps. Healer Euka, wet and dishevelled, stomped back to remount her mare. I realised I had a window of opportunity to escape. I could ride my horse south back to Borrelia. I was certain Healer Euka wouldn’t follow me.

But I simply couldn’t leave Jemely alone. I darted my eyes back to the forest and watched the guards disappearing amongst the trunks. One part of me hoped she’d get away, but I knew it was a long way back, probably a three-day walk, and Jemely had no provisions.

Faint shouting travelled on the breeze. ‘Halt, Halt.’

Twigs snapped, snow crunched, and Healer Euka gave an impatient sigh. I glanced at her glowing, golden eyes, which fixated on the distance.

She turned to me, a smug expression on her face. ‘A loyal friend but a weak heart. You can do better than her.’

I wanted to jump from my horse, pull her to the ground, and thrust her elegant face into the snow. Just then, three dark figures moved toward us from the trees.

Jemely was thrashing and shouting, ‘Let me go. Heartless dog! Who do you work for, eh? King Erageo or the healer whores? If you had any loyalty to your people, you’d let me go.’

The soldiers ignored her cranky utterings and continued dragging her back. I smiled; the fight remained within her.

‘Tie her up. Make her walk behind,’ Healer Euka ordered.

‘No, don’t,’ I said. ‘She’ll behave. Won’t you, Jemely?’

Jemely twisted about. ‘By the stars, I will not!’

What was wrong with her? One moment, she seemed downcast, and the next, she acted like a wild, angry bear. Healer Euka nodded at the guards, and they brought her to the horses and attempted to fasten her wrists with rope. Jemely scratched and kicked so much that they grabbed her limbs and pushed her to the ground. Bikat kneeled on her spine while Hawrald held her face in the snow.

‘Don’t hurt her,’ I squeaked.

The guards looked over at me. Jemely used the distraction to rotate and sink her teeth into Hawrald’s upper thigh. He raised his hand to strike her.

‘No, Hawrald!’ I leaped from my horse, landing on the soldier’s back.

He twisted and turned, trying to throw me off. Crack. His elbow accidentally smacked against the bridge of my nose. Drops of blood splattered, turning the white snow pink. I clutched at my face.

‘Adenine.’ Jemely peered up at me between strands of wet mud-coloured hair.

Hawrald tipped my head back and pulled a piece of cloth from his breastplate. He pushed the material against my throbbing face, making me take a sharp breath. Then he pinched the bridge of my nose to stop the bleeding. While I was busy with Hawrald, Bikat managed to tie Jemely’s arms and secure her to the horse.

Delicately, I fingered the swelling tissue and found that the tip of my nose had bent far to the right. ‘Oh no.’

‘Sorry,’ Hawrald said. ‘I really didn’t mean it, you know. It’s just that you surprised me.’

Healer Euka sighed. ‘Stop fussing over her. She’ll recover in a few moments. Watch. Get your hands away from your face, Adenine.’

I dropped my hands, and my nose began to twitch as if it had a life of its own. Pressure built up inside, and for a moment, I thought I needed to sneeze. But the tickle turned to a piercing agony, and the pain ripped through my skull as if it would split apart. Warm tears streaked my cold cheeks, and I dropped to the ground, clutching at my face and head. A concerned Hawrald placed a sausage-like hand on my ribs.

Just when I thought I could take the aching no longer, my nose cracked, and tingling replaced the pain. Hawrald slipped his arm farther around me and pulled me to my feet while dusting snow and ice from my clothes. When I removed my hands from my face, his eyes widened.

‘It… it’s fading. The bruise, the red, it’s gone.’

I checked my nose for abnormalities. The bone had straightened, and the tip pointed upward as it always had.

Healer Euka straightened and shook her head. ‘See? I told you not to worry. Healers heal quickly. Although, that comes with a consequence. A bone will reset itself, but not without inflicting horrible agony.’

That was why I’d never fallen sick and didn’t have a single scar on my body. A sudden euphoria descended on me, and an involuntary smile spread across my face. I looked to share my delight with Jemely, but she pretended to be ambivalent by concentrating on the horizon. I knew her better than that. Guilt. She felt responsible for my injury.

I stretched to place a hand on her shoulder. ‘It’s not your fault.’

Jemely turned away. ‘I-I’m sorry, Adenine. I shouldn’t have—’

Healer Euka moved her horse closer. ‘Oh, come now, both of you, no harm done. Let’s be on our way. Can I trust you not to do that again?’ Healer Euka threw an inquiring look at Jemely.

‘Yes,’ Jemely whispered.

‘Cut her loose.’ The muscles in Jemely’s face relaxed.

Healer Euka smiled thinly at her. ‘It’s your last chance.’

Bikat pulled out a dagger and sawed at Jemely’s restraints. She rubbed her wrists while Bikat lifted her back onto the horse.

She shuffled back in the saddle, and he said, ‘Oh, no you don’t. Up front this time.’

She obeyed until she almost straddled the pommel. He swung up behind her then extended his arms under hers, creating a kind of cage. She passed him the reins and lowered her head in defeat.

Snowflakes increased in size, and I could feel the air changing. Tiny tickles grew into thuds, and before long, the air thickened with white and mist. The path blended into the horizon, creating a disorienting effect. Wind lashed against our faces, and when the horses grew skittish and hesitant, we set up a shelter in which to ride out the storm.

‘How close do you think we are to Meligna?’ Hawrald shouted to Bikat.

‘We’re close. We’ll be buried alive in this if we stay put! We have to keep moving,’ Healer Euka insisted.

Hawrald shook his head. ‘All due respect, M’lady, this is going to get worse.’

Healer Euka hugged herself, and her eyes roamed the tree tops. ‘How bad will it get?’

The men exchanged uncertain glances, said nothing, and went back to preparing for the storm. Healer Euka’s stiff posture reminded me of a flighty rabbit, ears cocked and listening for predators. Feeling useless in the situation, I went to comfort Jemely, who’d huddled against a tree. She said nothing as I turned my back to the wind, shielding part of her from the elements. The skilled soldiers struggled with a heavy bag then set up a sturdy tarp for the horses and a leather tent for us.

Once inside the shelter, I realised how cold I’d grown. The tent jostled under the weight of the howling winds. Jemely remained silent. Her eyes shifted between Bikat, Hawrald, and the door of the tent. Each time something crashed outside, she shifted closer to me, and I welcomed her reassuring warmth. The tarp tugged against its restraints, and the fabric tore behind me. Cold air seeped in from the tear and tickled my neck. I gathered my hair over the spot to cover my skin.

‘What’s going to happen?’ My voice sounded like a whisper amongst the noise. No one answered. Healer Euka’s expression read of fear and disgust from having to reside in such close proximity with commoners.

Hawrald shouted, ‘Don’t you worry your pretty heads! We ain’t due for a real storm for a few months yet. This one’ll pass.’

After some time, the wind quietened and grew stable. Eventually, one of the soldiers stood and undid the ties holding the entrance closed. As he lifted the flap, the powder that had gathered at the base of the tent tumbled inside. Dazzling sunlight streamed between clouds and trees, causing momentary blindness. My first steps outside saw my legs sink thigh-high into the snow. The horses shook themselves, flinging powder into the air and revealing their bronze coats. Hawrald went to them, checked the stirrups, and brushed the remaining ice from their fur.

‘This is my best robe.’ Healer Euka scowled, glancing down at her garments, which she’d gathered around her knees in order to navigate the snow. I smirked at Jemely, but she gave no reaction to the spectacle.

‘What’s wrong with you?’ I asked her.

‘Jemely is just sulking over being captured, aren’t you Jemely?’ Healer Euka said.

Jemely stared down at the ground. Why was she being so compliant? This wasn’t the Jemely I knew. The Jemely I knew gave up her life to come with me to Meligna so I wouldn’t be alone and now, for some reason, she’d changed.

‘Jemely,’ I said again. Jemely kicked at a pile of snow and then glared at a smug Healer Euka.

‘See those big clouds there?’ Bikat asked. ‘Another storm brews. Bigger this time, which surprises me. We need to move.’

Healer Euka lurched for her horse.

Hawrald blocked her path. ‘Wait until we find the track again before mounting. Hard on their legs to walk through snow this deep.’

Healer Euka’s mouth dropped open. ‘Hard on their legs? What about mine?’

Jemely took that opportunity to whisper to me, ‘We have to get away.’

Confused, I grabbed her arm. ‘Why?’

Healer Euka cleared her throat loudly and crossed her arms. Jemely lowered her head and moved away.

Healer Euka mumbled something, clutched the horse’s bridle, and tugged the animal forward. The soldiers rolled up the two tarps and fastened them to their saddles with straps. Bikat’s curious gelding swung its head around to watch him.

Healer Euka fell behind due to a strange rhythm of movement. She would groan, take a step, screw her face up as the cold reached her thigh, and then repeat. Eventually, we found a clearing where the snow had scattered more thinly. Healer Euka placed her hands on her hips and looked at Hawrald. ‘Now?’

‘Yep, up you go.’ He helped the ambassador mount her horse.

Healer Euka straightened her robes and spread her cloak out over the horse’s rump. ‘Trot on.’

Hawrald swung up onto his own steed and, with one arm, lifted me up behind him. Bikat copied the action with Jemely. We crossed a ridge that enabled us to see down into a white valley below. In the distance, tall jagged mountains penetrated the sky. Across the plain, a group of animals headed toward us. Healer Euka smiled, and as the group grew closer, I realised they were men riding horses. Their armour glowed gold in the afternoon sun. I noticed that some wore leather armour and others steel.

The group at the front were dressed in the finest metals I’d ever seen. Gold abstract patterns and trimmings gave them a royal appearance. Etched into each of their breastplates were golden eye symbols. They all wore thick black capes and cowls that hid half their faces. Those men wearing leather were definitely Ruxdorian with their long red hair, powder-blue eyes, and striking decorations of lion tooth, hawgrald bird claw, and bear skin.

Klawdia had told me about what happened after her father’s death. Skelkra, the next in line to rule, had worked to align the Northern Senyan Queens with Ruxdor, and together, the two nations were unstoppable.

‘Greetings!’ Healer Euka waved her hands high in the air, tossed back her hood, and kicked her horse into a canter to meet the men.

Watching her long hair swinging and her horse’s tail flicking left and right in unison with it mesmerised me. Hawrald and Bikat exchanged cautious glances. Hawrald’s hand went to his side to rest above the hilt of his sword. Bikat sat higher in his seat and tucked his chin against his chest before moving his horse beside me. Jemely pressed her lips together.

I reached out and touched her leg. ‘It will be well. I will not let harm come to you.’ But even I didn’t know whether I could keep that promise. I only wanted to see her smile again, to tease me or make a joke of any kind, for that was the Jemely I’d come to know.

‘What goes here?’ Bikat whispered.

‘Meligna army,’ Hawrald said.

‘And the Ruxdorians?’

‘They always needed the Queens ’cause they’re a country that struggles. The Queens have given ’em food and land.’

‘What do the Queens get in return, then?’ Bikat asked.

Hawrald replied, ‘An army of savages.’

For a moment, I wanted to correct Hawrald that Ruxdorians weren’t savages… well, at least Klawdia wasn’t.

Bikat spoke from the corner of his mouth. ‘What’ll we do now?’

‘We stay with the girls. King Erageo ordered us to get them there safely.’

Both men stole glances at us, their brows furrowed. I moved my hand from Jemely’s leg to her hand. She allowed me to hold it and even squeezed back, but kept her gaze fixed on the coming assembly.

Healer Euka rode at the front of the group as they approached, her red cape contrasting against the black ones. The excitement of being with her people made her gold eyes shimmer. Bikat and Hawrald shifted in their seats.

Healer Euka pulled her horse to a stop and puffed out her chest. ‘Thank you, Juxon soldiers, for escorting me and these girls to safety, but as you can see, we will be well protected from this point forward.’

‘Sorry, M’lady, we got orders from the king to see these girls the whole way there,’ Hawrald answered, his tone cool.

Healer Euka’s smile faltered, and she turned to one of her men dressed completely in gold armour. The eye on his breastplate was red. His midnight-coloured stallion stamped his feet and whinnied.

The man said, ‘Well met, Hawrald. Much time has passed since we last spoke.’

‘Yes, Absylam, it has been many years.’

The men appraised each other, their jaws clenched and fingers flexed.

‘You can trust that the girls will get to Meligna unharmed,’ Abyslam said, his lips spreading into a thin smile.

Hawrald laughed. ‘And then?’

Absylam narrowed his eyes.

‘That is none of your concern, soldier,’ Healer Euka spat.

Hawrald shortened his reins. ‘My business is what King Erageo desires. And it is his wish that we’—he swished a finger between himself and Bikat—‘will take these girls to Meligna. The whole way.’

‘Then we have reached an impasse,’ Absylam stated.

Healer Euka rolled her eyes at the men. ‘Oh, for pity’s sake, both of you will stand down.’

I leaned to the side and looked at Hawrald. ‘Do not worry. Jemely and I will reach there safely.’ The words were false on my lips. I feared that if we resisted in any way, Jemely would incur further distress and implicate herself.

Hawrald turned his head so our eyes met. ‘M’lady, you don’t know these types.’

‘There’s nothing to be done now. Go and tell the king I arrived safely.’ I slid from my horse and landed on the ground. ‘Jemely, come on.’ I yanked at her sleeve, but she hesitated.

‘We shouldn’t,’ she whispered.

Anxiously, I looked at Healer Euka, whose face had hardened. ‘Jemely,’ I repeated.

Bikat scooped his arm back to push Jemely from the horse. She held onto the guard and slid down slowly to the ground. I took her arm in mine so I could usher her forward. A Ruxdorian man rode over and scooped Jemely up behind him, and Abyslam did the same for me. Abyslam’s horse stood tall, and I noted how far away the ground felt. Hawrald watched me with shoulders raised and fingers twitching.

I gave a slight nod to reassure him, and he nodded back before scowling at Abyslam.

Healer Euka checked that everything was in place then cried, ‘Home!’

The soldiers turned their horses about, and we began to canter. The motion made me cling to Abyslam’s waist. I looked over my shoulder. The Juxon soldiers watched our departure, but they soon faded into the distance. An all-consuming fear strangled my body and a single tear rolled down my cheek. I pressed my head into the hard metal of my captor’s back and closed my eyes.

Chapter Two

We rode until night fell and the moon rose.

Healer Euka pulled her horse alongside mine. She conveyed a subtle coyness to Abyslam. ‘That was an unexpected welcome.’

He chuckled. ‘Excuse the intrusion, my beloved ambassador. The Queens were concerned something more would come of your recent visit.’ Abyslam paused, and Healer Euka’s eyes flicked to mine. ‘We came to meet you in case of trouble.’

So the Queens already knew of King Erageo’s changed law. The information could only have come from Healer Euka; she must have sent a letter from Juxon City. The rider who delivered it had to have been well paid, or she’d used a bird to carry it.

Healer Euka’s cheeks reddened, and a childlike joy touched her lips. ‘I’m glad you came. The Juxon men’s company was so tedious I thought I would die of boredom.’

‘Hah! They have nothing to favour of love or life, and so they dwell in their resentment instead.’

‘Perhaps one day we will teach them how to embrace life.’ She looked back at me. ‘Adenine, you can expect our arrival at three hours past the sun’s absence. Ready yourself for a glorious sight.’

I wondered what I could possibly see at nighttime. The moon’s glow drenched the landscape in a dull-grey light that barely illuminated the small snowflakes floating through the air.

At the promised time, we climbed a steep hill, and as the crest flattened, I gasped.

The city of Meligna seemed to be on fire. Immense structures spread wide and tall. Every rooftop flickered with blue, green, and red flames. Even though we were far away, I could hear music and cheering, and when I squinted, I could make out moving figures.

The breeze seemed to smell of salt. Mother had told me that salty air meant the ocean was near. Walls much taller than the ones at Juxon City separated three horseshoe sections of the city. The palace resided in one part. The darkest section wrapped around the rest and was farthest from the palace. It seemed neglected, as if everyone had abandoned it in favour of the celebration.

The fiery, lighter areas were in the lower half of the city. In the lighter areas, the houses gave way to a wide courtyard where four golden statues rose higher than every other building except for the grand palace.

‘See the palace?’ Healer Euka asked. She smiled gleefully, showing every one of her front teeth. ‘Isn’t it beautiful? It sits on the shoreline. See how the four towers reach for the heavens?’

Abyslam laughed. ‘I agree. It’s a place worth fighting for.’

‘And worth fighting over,’ she added and grinned wryly.

Jemely sat behind her rider only a few lengths from me. Because of the way her rider held his torch, I couldn’t see her face. She adjusted her hood on the side closest to me and dissipated any hope I had of getting her attention.

‘Those four golden statues. That’s Meligna Square. That’s where we are headed.’ Healer Euka raised her arm. ‘Let’s go home, men!’

They raised clenched fists in return, roared with enthusiasm, and galloped down the mountainside. My horse reared, nearly throwing me. I spread my fingers over Abyslam’s breastplate, searching for any kind of handhold, as my arms did not reach the entire way around him. When the horse placed its feet on solid ground, I squeezed my legs to hold on, and the animal jerked forward into a gallop. A thunderous noise erupted as the men urged their animals onward. Horses kicked up snow and mud. Torches were extinguished in the rush, and one of the men threw his to the ground.

Healer Euka broke the front line, and I admired her riding skill even as Abyslam and I stayed on her heels. When the ground levelled out, we dodged crops and trees. I feared our horse might trip on debris, yet I could not divert my gaze away from the golden walls looming up before us.

We rode to the far western side of the city. I could hear the faint crashing of waves, and the salty smell grew more pungent. Hooves clopped loudly as we crossed a bridge suspended over an angry river. Healer Euka raised her hand, and the group slowed to a trot. She raised both hands then waved three times to soldiers wielding bows on the top of the city’s wall.

‘Open in the name of Healer Euka, ambassador of Meligna!’ she shouted.

Chains scraped against wood, and cogs squeaked under the pressure of the heavy city door. Warm air rushed out from under the rising gate, and I heard excited voices and cheering. I spotted white boots and white robes, and when the door rose halfway, I saw hundreds of people waiting on the other side.

People clapped, jumped up and down, and pointed at me. The entrance completely opened, and a few of the residents tried to make their way past guards dressed in black. The soldiers created a barrier, preventing the overexcited people from leaving the city.

We rode through the gateway, and people crowded around Abyslam and me. Our horse seemed unaffected by the spirited attention. A woman with a joyful face passed me an unusual type of white flower which I remembered grew around King Erageo’s throne. I sniffed at it and she touched my leg, saying, ‘Welcome, welcome!’

The people wanted me there; they cared about me. My hands rushed to my face to hide my vulnerability from the eyes of hundreds of strangers. Sadness, joy, regret, hope, despair, love; the trauma of my past pounded against the happiness of the present.

Gathered amongst the white-clad women were men in black robes. I couldn’t help but notice how handsome the men were and how broad and healthy their bodies seemed. There were younger boys, more around my age, staring my way. One winked at me, and my face flushed. He laughed and clapped. I thought of Frooby and how he had always welcomed me and accepted me. This boy’s spirited movements and sparkling eyes made me feel self-conscious. The sound of a roaring fire and cheers drew my attention, and I saw fire breathers, dancers, and jugglers. I could hardly draw breath at the amazing spectacle, and I placed a hand over my heart to feel the rapid beats. Some of the performers stood on wooden legs, making them stand as tall as houses.

Healer Euka tugged on Abyslam’s robe. ‘Double up with another rider. Let Adenine ride by herself.’

I had never ridden a horse alone, and I grew nervous, especially with the noisy crowd. When Abyslam moved from in front of me, I felt exposed and vulnerable. Then I saw a girl dressed in a gold gown and gold cloak. Everything about her shimmered and sparkled, including the gold ringlets of hair poking out from beneath her cowl.

Another healer. Our golden eyes met, and we smiled at each other. Knowing she was a healer made me feel an instant connection to her. We were both human, but different from the rest. We had a power the others could never possess, and that knowledge alone made me feel closer to her.

Abyslam brought his horse beside me and leaned over to whisper into my horse’s ear. My horse snorted, shuddered, and bent at a strange angle, making my seat unsteady. I gripped the pommel while the animal tucked his head down against his chest and began to step sideways, placing each foot as if he were avoiding traps or barbs on the ground.

The crowd cheered at my horse’s dance-like movements and tossed handfuls of rose petals in my direction. The sweet-smelling foliage mingled with falling snowflakes. My emotions were a mixture of enthrallment and jitters. Sparkling fireworks spiralled into the air and crackled above our heads.

Healer Euka leaned toward me. ‘These people celebrate your joining our city, Adenine. In the city of Meligna, healers are worshipped. This is the only place where you can truly be who you are.’

Finally, I had discovered somewhere to belong.

Chapter Three

I’d spent countless hours dreaming of castles and magical cities as a child, but never had I imagined anything as grand as Meligna. Nothing could have prepared me for the energy of the city and its inhabitants. The exuberant joy of the citizens overwhelmed me, and a lump formed in my throat as I choked back tears.

We turned a corner and discovered a group of men wearing skin-tight black outfits. They danced with burning swords and flipping daggers. Our horses gathered around the performers doing backflips, diving, and walking on their hands before throwing fruit and slicing them mid-air. I laughed and found myself clapping at their agility.

Houses made of delicate stone cradled the streets. Arches framed tall doorways. To the side of each building were courtyards with gardens and ponds. Winter had seen the plants stripped bare, and I found myself imagining the city in spring, full of sweet blossoms attended to by colourful insects and birds.

I glanced back at Jemely, whose eyes glistened and darted here and there. She turned to me and gave me a smile diluted with sadness. I mouthed What’s wrong? but she averted her eyes and stared off into the distance. Jemely’s mouth opened, and she looked to me and toward the street and pointed.

I followed her gaze to a woman wearing white and grasping the hand of a small child dressed in red with gold embroidery. As we neared, the little girl raised her button nose and round eyes to mine. I froze when I discovered gold eyes staring back at me. Overwhelmed yet again, I covered my mouth and a sob of joy escaped my lips while a tear slipped down my cheek and caught in the corner of my mouth. The mother lifted the little girl into her arms. I pulled on the reins and stared at the mother and child. I held up the procession by blocking the way, which caused complaints from the soldiers behind me.

‘Hush,’ Healer Euka hissed at them.

When the mother of the healer girl brought her child to me, my surroundings faded into the background. The little girl, who seemed about four or five, reached a delicate hand toward me.

‘You have gold eyes like me,’ she said, her voice a sweet melody.

I grinned at her. ‘Yes. But yours are much prettier than mine.’

The little girl brought her hand to her mouth and gave me a shy smile around her fingers. The mother beamed up at me, and her daughter wrapped her arms around her neck. The mother stepped back in line, and I waved at them. Clearly, that little girl was loved. There was no sign of abuse or stress in her innocent expression. No one would feel forced to take a healing from her. If a man needed a healing, he could visit a grown healer capable of performing the act without trauma. I took a deep breath and looked forward to discovering what was around the next corner.

My parents had taken great trouble to protect me from the world, but in Meligna, with those charming, cheerful people, I had never felt more capable of being myself. More petals were thrown over me, and the street curved until it opened up to the four statues I had seen earlier from on hilltop.

Healer Euka rode up beside me. ‘These are statues of the four Queens.’ She pointed at the closest one. ‘That is Queen Toxiv.’

The white marble sculpture depicted an older woman with a round body, sharp eyebrows, and a crooked nose. Her hair was gold, too, and flowed down her back in loose waves.

Healer Euka nodded. ‘You might not know this, but Queen Toxiv was a high priestess and in charge of all the other priestesses in Senya before the civil war. Two other Queens were priestesses in other temples spread throughout the lands. That was before King Cevznik decreed the healers become the property of the crown. Queen Pernavaka is an interesting story; she’s Ruxdorian. Her Father was a Senyan.’ Healer Euka pointed at a statue with a sharp and angular face similar to Klawdia’s but with a much squarer jaw. The young woman’s arms were outstretched and her hair was tied back into an elaborate plait. ‘It’s rare for a Ruxdorian woman to be a healer. Before the Death Plague, the Ruxdorians hated our kind and still do in a way. She was the one who negotiated a no-war treaty between Ruxdor and Meligna almost twenty-five years ago.’

‘Who’s that one?’ I asked, pointing at a thin elderly woman whose hands were pressed to her chest. She had a heart-shaped face angled toward the sky. ‘That’s Yelloza from Meligna, and that one’—she pointed at the last statue—‘that’s Silica. She is from Borrelia.’

‘Borrelia? I didn’t know we’d ever had a temple there.’

‘Most of the temples were destroyed by King Cevznik after the Queens took control of Meligna. When they betrayed their king, he decreed they were witches, and their dwellings were seen as evil places, so the citizens

Reviews for Blood Healing

[cheriemccurry-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the continuation of Adenine's story. We get to follow her to Meligna, the healer city. This is where Adenine begins to grow even more! She learns that things aren't what they seem, and continues to fight for what she believes, even if she doesn't yet know. I love this story! I fell in love with characters from the first book, only to meet even more characters that got my mind thinking! I love the way the author writes. She adds just enough history so that you don't feel lost, and you learn along the way with Adenine. I am definitely awaiting the next book! So many questions and hopes!

[honoliipali · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read the first book in the series, Concealed Power, and was impressed enough to then read Blood Healing. I am not really a fantasy genre reader because I don't care for all the magic and spells that are rife in the fantasy books I have read. However, K.J. Colt has really made me reconsider this genre.Ms Colt has written a very well crafted story with excellent strong characters. I am personally extremely impressed with the writing style. This book is a definite 5 star story set in an an alternate reality. The fantasy genre allows the author to incorporate some really interesting aspects to the story. In truth, the underlying story could be written into many genres and still be wildly entertaining.I read the author's website in which she says that she want to be the best writer she can be. My opinion is that she has already reached a level that would allow he to keep writing without apologizing for anything. I consider her writing to be equal to and better than many mainstream authors.This series of books is so well written that I feel very comfortable recommending this author to everyone. Give Ms. Colt a trial and you will fall under her spell. (Yes, that is my homage to the fantasy genre.)

[jldobias · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Blood Healing(The Healers of Meligna, Book2)by K.J. Colt

I received this in ARC form from the author and read it immediately and should probably have had this review posted much earlier.

I was busy waiting for other events of my own to unfold on my end and then became distracted, which might have been to some benefit. As it was I was distracted into reading The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova which has some parallels to issues I struggled with in these two books of K.J. Colt's. These books are a bit out of my genre although I could almost imagine them to take place on some other world and bring the element of science fiction fantasy to them I felt more that they were about some era long ago. Not being inclined to history, I sometimes found extra sleep in those classes, I was at a loss to what era this might depict where they treated children so poorly. After reading the memoirs it would be easy to place these close to or earlier than the same time that Casanova was alive. Although I had a feeling Casanova exaggerated his life and exploits the whole does seem to give one a feel for life and society of that time.

I purchased this and reread it to refresh my memory. As I've mentioned with the past book I was moved to great anger with the parents of our heroine Adenine. I felt they did terrible things to her and though it took a while in the story I felt K.J. had acquitted herself well with a fair explanation for all of the circumstance. If you have not read that book I would recommend reading it before you read this one. This one stands well alone though, so if you are not inclined I think you will still find this one quite entertaining and thought provoking.

There is a thread or plot point that is the main thread around which everything is woven, which is a trope that I have seen in many of my favorite genre. You will have to read to recognize this because it's a major part of the story that makes it interesting and drives the main character. It is the way that it is developed here and how in this story it begins to be partially resolved that make this piece precious.

Our main character is just turning fourteen and is facing some things in life that would be troubling to many young teens today. This is one of the elements that I picked up from the memoirs if Casanova in that it seems parallel to how the children of that era were treated, especially the young girls. This goes a long way in explaining the parents but not yet acquitting them in my eyes. What they are guilty of is still severe and I find it amazing that Adenine has come to forgive them, though as I read I could easily see that in her nature that is what she would do.

As the story begins, where the last one left off, Adenine is en-route to her new life as a healer with her friend Jemely, a protector Hawrald and her nemesis Healer Euka. There are some interesting things pertaining to character development that go on in the first few pages especially when we meet Absylam with whom Hawrald seems acquainted with and has apparent reservations about, but despite this he finally relinquishes his protection over Adenine to Absylam.

In this book Jemely undergoes some hardships that make her character seem less important to the story, but it's the very hardships and their outcome that lead to the best of plot twists that will take us into the next book.

In her new life in Meligna, Adenine is shown one way of life that is quite easy and free and not at all as expected. But it is because she is being shielded from knowing all of the truth that she gets this impression. When fortune turns on her she will see things in a much different light. Adenine has grown much from the past book but, she is far from finished with her development. She has qualities that could make her a great leader, but she is naive and too trusting, which gets her into no end of troubles. This is something she shares with Casanova who, though always seeming to be so clever and accomplished in fooling others, often found himself caught up by those less intelligent but more crafty than he. It is a character flaw that stays with her throughout the book but in the end she might be better for all that has occurred. There seems no end to the drama and the intrigue that unfold in her life while Adenine goes through it unaware of the tenuous thread that holds her where she is.

Adenine spends almost too long a time rushing into things that have all sorts of catastrophic effect on her friends. Part of this might be forgiven in that she has, at the beginning, a long road to finding out who her true friends are. It seems at some point that her concern for Jemely and her refusal to be betrothed to someone she can never love will lead to her ruin, but there are other things in the mix that are bringing things to a climax.

This book contains all the twists and turns, intrigue and plotting, romance and danger that I often found in such classics as The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo.

This is yet another well told tale by K.J. Colt in a series that has garnered my attention. I think anyone who loves the old classic masterpieces of romance and who loves good world building in Fantasy should enjoy both of these books while at the same time enjoying some interesting thought provoking ideas that may well prove too real toward our past, even though fanciful in many ways, it's possible that some of these notions might have been entertained at some distant time and had similar consequences.

J.L. Dobias

[sportzmomof5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book of a series, but it doesn't fall short where other second books do. I found myself just as engrossed and excited as I was with the first book. With the setting change in this book from the first, it opens a whole other world that the author creates. Through the plots twists and turns you see the characters grow. I am excited to see where book 3 takes us.