Airie

“Help,” Dusan gasped, out of breath, stumbling into Tobias’s room. “They… took Reijo.” He shut the door behind him, but he knew the guards weren’t dumb. Even if they hadn’t seen him enter, they could see the light under the door. “I… must hide.”

A knock came on the door, and Dusan flung himself to the floor and, not bothering with further explanations, crawled under the table. A long cloth covered it, hanging low, almost reaching the floor. He could see Tobias’s shoes and the hem of his robe. The healer just stood there, not moving. Another knock came, and the black robe left Dusan’s field of vision. There was nothing else to be done now. Unarmed and breathless from the running, he couldn’t prevent the men from dragging him out—if they found him.

He heard the door open.

“Please excuse our intrusion,” said one of the guards. Dusan couldn’t see him, but it sounded like he didn’t advance too far into the room. Everybody in the palace knew that visitors weren’t welcome in Tobias’s study. Most of the staff believed that the man practiced witchcraft, so nobody wanted to annoy him.

“What’s going on?” Tobias said.

“We’ve been chasing someone,” said another guard. “Someone... who shouldn’t be here. Did he by any chance enter your room?”

There was a pause during which Dusan’s blood ran a few degrees colder. It would be so simple now for Tobias to just point at the table and let them take him away. The man didn’t like him, Dusan sensed that every time they met. With both of them seeking Reijo’s attention, the competition was unavoidable. Perhaps Tobias would see this as an opportunity to resolve it once and for all. With Dusan out of his way, he could have Reijo all to himself, as a friend, an apprentice, or a lover—Dusan still couldn’t figure out what was it that this man wanted.

“Do you see anyone here but me?” Tobias said, and Dusan went back to breathing.

“No, but…”

“Then why are you still here?”

“But… maybe… he hid somewhere…”

“Are you saying that I haven’t noticed someone entering my room? I’ve noticed you two well enough.” There was a pause. “Or are you saying that I’m hiding someone on purpose?”

“No, of course not.” The answer came quickly. Dusan heard shuffling as the men moved back.

“Then let me repeat myself—why are you still here?”

“We apologize,” said one of the guards, just as the other said, “Good night! Sorry to have bothered you.”

Dusan heard the door open and then close again. He sat there for a few moments, frozen, hugging his knees, listening to the sounds of retreating footsteps. Whether the guards genuinely believed that he was outside and intended to continue searching for him or knew that he was hiding in the room but had no desire to cross the king’s healer, the important part was that they were gone.

“Have you fallen asleep down there?” Tobias said. “The floor can’t be that comfortable.”

On his fours, Dusan crawled out, his heart still hammering. Tobias lowered himself into the chair, watching him curiously.

“Thanks for not telling them,” Dusan said.

Tobias made a dismissive gesture. “That was for Reijo, not you. I assumed he wouldn’t want you to be hurt. He’s most inexplicably attached to you, you know?”

“Good to know.” It was indeed good to hear that, despite everything that was going on.

“You mentioned him when you came in—what was that about?”

“They took him to the Special Quarters. I wasn’t even there when it happened. I just came back this evening and they told me he was already gone, and I couldn’t see him.”

“Oh?” Tobias sat a little straighter, frowning, then let out a sigh and leaned back again. “That’s… sad. I thought we’d have more time together. Well, it can’t be helped now. I’ll miss his company. He was so… pure.”

“What do you mean, can’t be helped?” Dusan got up. “We must get him out of there! We can’t leave him there!”

Tobias hummed. “From what I understood, he had no objections against joining the Special Ones.”

“But you know something’s not right! If there are people, why do they never come out? What if the king keeps them in chains, or mistreats them?”

Tobias shrugged. “Well, I did hope Reijo would seek my advice before going there, and I would have a chance to share my suspicions, but…”

“Suspicions? What kind of suspicions?”

Tobias gave him a long look. “I said I intended to share them with him, not you.”

“He’s not here now! I think they made him go. He wouldn’t have willingly left without me.”

“You might be right,” Tobias said, watching him, the light from the candles playing on his face. Then, he let out another long sigh and shook his head. “Yet as I said, it can’t be helped now.”

“But we must do something! You like him, I know. We must help him out, or at least make sure he’s all right, that he really wants to be there.”

“What do you expect of me? To break those gates?”

“Can’t you?”

Tobias snorted. “Do I look that strong to you?”

“I didn’t mean break them with your muscles.”

Tobias raised an eyebrow. Dusan paused, wondering if he should go on and voice the suspicions that had been growing in his mind for a while now. Reijo had told him things about the healer, about the potions that seemed to work only when Tobias applied them, about his massages that made sick people healthy again. He’d also mentioned how Tobias disliked crowded places. Dusan had never voiced the suspicion those stories evoked in him, the single explanation that seemed to tie them all together, for it had seemed too far-fetched—yet now, he had nothing to lose.

“Reijo told me things about you,” Dusan said. “Your medicines are useless, but when you rub them into people’s skin, they help. It’s not the ointments that help, right? It’s your touch that’s doing it. You have a healing touch.” Dusan held Tobias’s dark, piercing gaze. “You’re an airie, aren’t you?”

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