Chapter 49

  Not A Friend

  Chills.

  I had chills running down my spine as I slowly walked forward, beckoned by the princeling. A person who all but oozed hair gel, power, and entitlement.

  Getting close I could all but smell the scent of aftershave, the same type that is often used to hide body rot and other deeper smells. For someone seemingly so young, it was odd to see them so unhinged. Worse, he was the equivalent of a k-pop star stalker with the authority and power to back up his unnerving issues.

  Glancing around, I took in inventory of the setting around me.

  There were powerful guards that all but seemed to be draped in shadows near the back. Shadows that were seemingly reinforced by the lights glaring down on the prince who clearly set this impromptu confession up. A confession sparked by my doing the one thing a Healer is always told not to do. To conduct an operation without the consent of the patient. Not that Madame Voyou likely would have denied the operation, not that any of us could have foreseen this next domino falling, but here we were.

  To make matters worse, the princeling began speaking to fill up the time it took me to gain control over myself and slowly walked forward as I looked for a way out of this mess that we were all in.

  “When I heard your cry for help, in your recent song, A Lost Chance, I knew the song was about me. About us. About all our unexplored possibilities of the future,” The Prince began.

  Hearing those words, my eyes went wide, as I remember Madame Voyou’s words to me before she went on stage, where she told me directly that the song was about me. Then hearing it, I could tell it was her want to have me as an apprentice that inspired her lyrics. Yet, it had somehow been twisted by the Pince, a devoted fan who clearly was unhinged in his belief.

  The way everyone seemed to walk on eggshells around him only clarified the point that this was dangerous.

  “Then after your eye was healed, and you sang your song again, and directed your gaze directly at me, that is when I knew it was you letting me know that the time was finally right for us to make our love known,” the prince began.

  Clearly the prince is at a level of obsession that goes beyond just being unhinged, as Madame Voyou turned to face everyone while singing, not just the prince. His level of obsession made me realize why I am glad I am not famous. It also makes me appreciate the hood and cloak that I am wearing as a healer, all the more.

  By this point I had finally managed to get next to Madam Voyou, though my body quit on me and would not let me take a step closer to the monstrous prince that now stared at the two of us. For my part, I just lowered my head, and let my hood cover most of my face.

  “Healer, you have done a most exemplary job for me, by healing someone who was seen as impossible to heal. Such an act alone is worthy of acknowledgment, but to have done so before you were even acknowledged as being allowed to feely heal on your own, without supervision is something that we must all pay close attention to.” The more the princeling spoke, the more unease I felt at what was happening.

  “What?” Was all I managed to think, fortunately my role of being a mute, and partially having my words caught in my own throat were enough to make the words just hang silently in my mind. Unfortunately, I did look up, and locked gazes with the unhinged monster. His eyes held that slow inky look, the one that spoke of bright burning madness, he might be high.

  My nurse’s training kicked in, looking for the signs. Sweaty skin, check. Greasy hair, check. Ragged erratic breathing, check. Trembling of the hands, check. But the most damning of them all was the large bloodshot eyes, that appeared glassy.

  I don’t know what he is on, but it is clearly causing him to be unhinged slightly. Which, is sad, as he doesn’t seem like the most stable of people. But I could fully see illicit materials being something that many would partake in having at such an event. The fact that it almost felt seedy made the enticement of such illicit products even more desired.

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  Knowing that he was high was good, as it just meant that we had to flush his system, get him to detox and this could all be avoided, hopefully.

  His being high, would also explain the need to make a grand scene now of all times, in front of so many people.

  “Oh look at you, you wear the Bloom insignia but your eyes and hair clearly tell of being of another bloodline,” the princeling stated, looking directly into my eyes.

  Snatch.

  Then as if bitten by a snake, his hand shot out and wildly grabbed my mask covered face and forced me to stare deeper into his eyes. Even from the thin cloth, I could feel his powerful hands trembling slightly as he tried to focus through the chemicals that were likely burning their way through his nervous system.

  Movement.

  At the act, I could see a number of people all moving to protect me. Mr. Yi and Markan were two, but in addition to them, I could almost see the entire crowd of fighters that had been forced to sit through this charade silently all step forward. Seeing their movement, and their tightening postures, made me feel both reassured, and also that I needed to deescalate this situation quickly.

  Holding out my hand I gave a calming wave of my right hand at the ground, letting everyone know to back up. I waited until they all relaxed slightly, while some remained, the majority shifted their wight backwards easing some of the mounting tension. Then seeing that I needed to move, I began speaking to him, the same way I would speak to any druggie that found themselves within my care and were having a bad episode.

  “This is not the way to make me your friend,” I stated coldly, purposefully forcing my body to go calm while I stared into the Princeling’s eyes. This was a tough job, too little and I will be too weak and get walked over, too powerful and I will be seen as challenging. Instead, I needed to be right in the center, in that sweet spot where I showed that I wielded authority and was not to be messed with, but that I truly wanted this relationship to work.

  The prince saw my look, and seemed to rise to the challenge, as a look of malice filled his eyes, while he fired back.

  “Who says I need friends,” his nostrils flared to life as he began taking in deep breaths, a sign that he could be powering up to use an attack Skill of some kind. At this range and distance, I knew that I had no chance of dodging, and backing down now would only make anything I said or did after this require me groveling or worse, others needing to grovel on my behalf. So I did what I do best, I doubled down.

  “We all need friends,” I begin pausing to let that line sink in, then I use his face as a sounding board for what comes next. Basing each of my well-rehearsed lines that I spoke to gang members, and influential addicts alike in my past life. My mind carefully choosing the myriad of words needed to deescalate this situation. “The higher you go, the shakier your foundation. Each step further up, is one less secure spot where you can land next. That said, there is a way to secure your footing, to make it so your stride to the top is easier, and that is by having a friend. Someone who wants you to succeed. Not because of what you can offer them, but because of what you mean to them. The way they can fill themselves up on your success. How the higher you go, they too go, that is a friend.”

  Pausing, I let that whole goop of words fly. It was hodgepodge of metaphors that I butchered and blended together. But hopefully he is too high to truly dig too deeply into these sayings. In fact, I can feel that his position is switching slightly. For starters, his hand around my neck has loosened its grip, and subsequently its twitching reaction is lowered.

  This is also due to my use of Rejuvenation Healing on him, forcing his body to work through these toxic chemicals quickly. While it might make him more likely to question my words going forward, he will hopefully be a bit more guarded with his future reactions. So I press on, using this closeness to continue using both my Skill, and to help try to calm him down.

  “How many true friends do you have? Can you count them? Or do you not trust them?” I ask, and at that I see his own guards that are still cloaked in shadows begin to bristle angrily at the comment. Realizing I still need them on my side, I change tact, “realize they are still as loyal to you and your cause as ever. But it is you that is changing, those who do not trust others cannot be trusted themselves.”

  There we go, the last of the poison is out of his system, broken apart and ready to be pissed out at his next break, which should be shortly, apparently. He had the trifecta, wine, alcohol, and some type of drug rampaging in his system. I’ve fixed his heart a bit, which should slow things down, but it is going to take a while for his brain to catch up to his body. Thus, I keep him distracted.

  Smoothly I reach forward, placing one finger over his heart, “when you trust people here.”

  I begin, and again cycle a condensed burst of Rejuvenation Healing into his heart, causing it to work smoothly for the first time in a while. Sad that there was already some arterial buildup in his heart, showing his rich diet at work, must be nice to eat healthy meals. Thinking of which, I take a glance back behind him and see that the table stuffed with food is still there, unmolested, just waiting for this pep rally meeting to be over. Realizing I am close, I push through.

  “You allow them to connect to you here,” I continue, moving the same finger from over his heart and press it to his forehead, where I again pump as much healing energy into that touch as I reasonably can. Hoping that any lingering traces of narcotics, or likely opiates are cleared from his system.

  Blinking.

  The prince blinks rapidly at me, as if suddenly realizing where he is, and more importantly what he is doing.

  “I, uh,” the prince began and seeming disoriented reached up to touch his forehead while twisting away. His face showing the same level of pain anyone might have when having a brain freeze brought on by drinking something too cold too quickly.

  Movement.

  At his reaction, the guards that had been hiding in the shadows and only moving slightly at my words all charged forward, their metal boots clanging against the stone floors of the backstage area. Hearing their movement, the princeling broke free of his momentary distress and turned to see that the shadow guards were already around me and menacingly pointing weapons at me, and the other fighters who looked riled up by their antics.

  “STOP!” The Princeling cried out, “don’t you dare touch a hair on her head.”

  Still.

  There was a moment as everyone just stared, at this distance I could still see the lingering effects of my magic slowly working on his body in its intended way. He was now too far away for me to affect him any more with my Skills, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t see their effect still in play on his body. The last traces working with his brain, and hopefully leveling out his brain waves to their more natural states.

  Regaining his composure, the prince finally regained his princely bearing, standing at full stature. Then moving forward he looked down at me and seemed to look on in contemplation. Then after a long pause, his now focused eyes locked with mine long enough. Until he finally spoke three words. Words that once again sent a shiver down my spine.

  “Remove your hood.”

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