<h4>Chapter 80: Meeting The Healer</h4>


    <strong><i>{Elira}</i></strong>


    ~**^**~


    Rennon tilted his head. "And your roommates?"


    I looked between the two of them, that soft warmth blooming in my chest again. "They’ve been treating me nicelytely. I think we’re... getting along."


    Rennon smiled at that. "That’s good to hear."


    The brothers went on to ask if I had finally caught up with my notes, and we chatted a bit more until the time Zenon had given me almost reached.


    Lennon stood and stretched. "You should get ready," he said with a wink. "Wouldn’t want Zenon waiting. He might start charging you per minute."


    Rennon stood too and picked up my backpack, setting it neatly on my chair. "We will leave you to dress. If you need anything, just let one of us know."


    I nodded and followed them to the door. "Thank you. Both of you."


    Lennon ruffled my hair one more time before stepping out, and Rennon offered me a reassuring nce before closing the door behind him.


    ---


    I stepped out with the brothers, my shoes clicking lightly on the front steps of the estate.


    Zenon was already ahead of us, descending thest few stairs and walking straight toward his jeep.


    He opened the driver’s side and got in without a word.


    I lingered by the front steps, unsure which side of the car I was supposed to take with the brothers now.


    I felt it was very wrong to take the front passenger seat, so I considered taking the back passenger seat, knowing I would have to share it with one of the brothers.


    But before I could move, Rennon walked over to the passenger side, opened the front door and looked at me.


    "You can sit here," he said, his voice calm and warm as always. "It’s fine."


    I hesitated for a second, but I nodded quickly and climbed in, adjusting my dress and sping my hands in myp.


    A momentter, the back doors opened, and Lennon and Rennon slid in. The jeep rumbled to life as Zenon started the engine, and without another word, we were off.


    The journey wasn’t long, but I couldn’t stop fidgeting with the hem of my dress.


    I didn’t know what to expect from this healer—only that the brothers seemed to trust her, and that Zenon had gone to great lengths to make this meeting happen.


    About twenty minutester, we pulled up outside a modest, ivy-draped stone house nestled in a grove of elder trees.


    The ce looked ancient. Wildflowers grew along the path to the porch, and wind chimes made of bone and crystal clinked softly in the breeze.


    Zenon cut the engine and stepped out. We all followed him immediately.


    The wooden door creaked open before we could knock. A tall woman stood there, robed in gray, her silver hair twisted into intricate coils.


    Her eyes—clear as spring water—swept over each of us, then settled on me.


    "You’ve brought her," she said.


    Zenon gave a nod. "As we discussed."


    Without another word, the woman turned and gestured for us to enter.


    The inside of her home smelled of dried herbs, smoke, and old wood.


    Pale light filtered through gauzy curtains. Trinkets and jars lined the shelves, eachbeled in spidery handwriting.


    The woman led us into a circr room with an arched ceiling and motioned for me to sit on a padded chair in the center of the room.


    I sat.


    Then she stepped closer, her fingers cool as she gently ced her hands on my temples. I tried to breathe evenly, but my pulse fluttered.


    She was quiet for a long time.


    Then she stepped back with a breath that felt... heavy, weighted.


    "Her channels are sealed," she said softly. "By ck magic."


    The words hit me like ice water.


    I blinked. "ck magic?" I whispered.


    Even Zenon looked caught off guard. His gaze narrowed slightly, and Lennon leaned forward from where he sat against the windowsill.


    "You’re sure?" he asked.


    The healer nodded. "It’s not a natural block. Nor is it a physical anomaly. This is a spell... intentional. And powerful."


    A cold knot twisted in my stomach.


    "Can you undo it?" Lennon asked, his voice steady but tight.


    She shook her head slowly. "No. The magic is too precise. It was cast by a witch of considerable strength. Only the witch who ced this spell can remove it."


    Zenon stepped forward, his voice low and direct. "Why is that? There must be others—other witches or spellbreakers—who can reverse a curse."


    The healer turned to him, her expression unreadable. "Every high-ranking witch works with her own essence. That essence binds her magic. No other magic can mimic or overwrite it. You cannot undo what was uniquely made unless you are the one who made it."


    I stared at her, feeling like the floor had vanished beneath me. The weight in my chest grew heavier, pressing into my ribs.


    I couldn’t speak. My eyes burned.


    Blocked by ck magic. Not an ident. Not nature. Someone had chosen this for me.


    Someone had sealed me away.


    Why?


    I looked down, blinking fast. Was it my parents? Was it for protection? Or punishment?


    My voice came out quieter than I wanted. "Why would someone do this to me?"


    No one answered, but I felt their brief gaze on me.


    Just then, Rennon stepped closer to the healer. "Do you know who the witch is?"


    The healer gave a slow shake of her head. "Not yet. Tracing a witch’s essence takes time—especially if it was done years ago. But I can find out. You will have to wait for me to reach out."


    Zenon crossed his arms, his gaze locked on the woman. "How long?"


    She turned her back to us, walking toward the shelves filled with scrolls and dried herbs. "I can’t say. When I know, you will know."


    Silence settled in the room again, broken only by the wind outside.


    I kept staring at the floor, fighting back the stinging in my eyes. I didn’t want to cry—not here. Not in front of them. Not even now.


    I was already too pathetic to draw more attention to myself.


    Just then, Rennon’s familiar scent reached my nose as his hand gently rested on my shoulder, warm and grounding.


    Zenon spoke again, this time more to himself than anyone else. "Then we wait."