Leon felt it immediately—a spark in his core, his fire magic flickering erratically, as if the curse was pulling at him.
Terya took a half-step back, her green eyes narrowing.
"That's a curse," she said, her voice low, her usual tease gone.
"Not a fresh one," Saria muttered, her hand on her sword hilt, her dark eyes studying the woman.
"But a live one."
The woman looked up, her blue eyes sharp, piercing, locking onto Leon's with a desperate intensity.
"You," she rasped, her voice cracked with exhaustion, her breath ragged. "Are you the one they call… the summoned healer?"
Leon hesitated, his throat tight, the weight of her gaze heavy.
"Yes," he said, his voice steady despite the buzz of his fading magic.
She exhaled, a shaky breath, her body trembling as she gripped the gate tighter.
"Good," she said.
And then she collapsed.
_________
