“You look much better,” Blaise said, heartened to see Isi’s improved color and alert gaze.
“Thanks to the doc here,” Isi replied, nodding at Aubrey. His voice still sounded very rough, but Blaise supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. The man’s throat had been cut clean through, after all. Perhaps he’d always carry a rasp in his voice for the rest of his days. “From what I hear, I would have been a goner if it weren’t for the two of you.”
“I only helped your natural powers of healing along a tad,” Aubrey said as he stood and placed two vials of what appeared to be blood in a metallic storage cylinder. “It’s Blaise who is responsible for saving you from Morshiel and sure death.”
Isi held out his hand toward Blaise, and Blaise shook it. “Aubrey tells me you’ve been here often to visit, but this is the first time I haven’t been out of it. So I’ll introduce myself and say thanks for saving my life at the same time.”
“It was nothing,” Blaise returned. “I’m just relieved you’re better. Saint will be so relieved to hear of it, as well.”
Isi leaned forward slightly in the bed, his eyes intent. He was a dark-haired man with a bold-featured, handsome face, and shoulders so broad he would have looked a natural playing linebacker for an American football team. He appeared to have been embraced by Saint when he was perhaps in his early twenties. This was the first time he had been well enough for Blaise to sense his personality. Blaise got an impression of a strong, frank, no-nonsense character.
“I don’t blame either of you,” Isi said. “This was Morshiel’s doing. Teslar would have done something
similar in a second, if he’d had the opportunity. Have you learned anything more about how Morshiel discovered who I was, or that I’d come to London?”
“No. I have come up with several possibilities, but none of them make any sense,” Blaise replied, his gaze flickering distractedly around the room and landing on Aubrey. “But then, so many things happening lately don’t seem to belong to any known pattern of our known world.”
“Like Saint conquering Teslar, even though he’d been told it was an impossibility to ever really kill him with his heartluster? And the fact that I was able to leave Saint’s territory, even though I’ve been confined to Saint’s world since I served him?”
“Yes,” Blaise said, snagging one of the chairs from the table and twirling it around. He drew it up near Isi’s bed. “Can we talk?”
“Of course. I’ve been wanting to talk to you. It’s why Saint asked me to come.”
“I thought as much,” Blaise murmured.
“Isi is well enough for it, but try not to keep him for too long and tire him,” Aubrey said, snapping closed a black bag where he kept his tools of healing.
“I won’t get tired. Look,” Isi said to Blaise. He opened his shirt. Blaise saw that a pyramid-shaped crystal rested on his chest.
“Ingenious,” Blaise murmured, his gaze narrowing on Aubrey. “But as usual, I’m stating the obvious, of course.
Aubrey shrugged. “He is still ingesting a small supply of blood from my stores, but the crystal is helping him heal. It was too difficult to bring Isi to the crystal room, so I brought a bit of the crystal to him. I hope it’s all right, that I cut the crystal?”
“If it’s helping him,” Blaise replied, settling in his chair. He wasn’t against Aubrey’s decision to alter the crystal. However, he was surprised by the fact that Aubrey hadn’t previously mentioned it to him. “Keep it intact from now on, though, until you and David and the others have studied it more thoroughly. We can’t really know how altering the structure of the crystal will change its resonance, isn’t that correct?”
“Yes, but I had good reason to believe the alteration I made,” Aubrey nodded at Isi’s chest, “was worth the risk. It’s made no observable change in the crystal’s energy output.”
Blaise studied his friend a moment before he replied. “I’d like to hear more about the results of your research later. David hinted to me that you’ve discovered true miracles to the crystal’s properties, not that we hadn’t already suspected it.”
Aubrey nodded briskly. Blaise started to address Isi, but paused when he noticed Aubrey stood next to him, unmoving.
“Aubrey, would you mind? I’d like to speak to Isi alone,” Blaise said.
Aubrey blinked. “Of course. My apologies. I wasn’t thinking. I need to go to the theatre anyway, so it’s best I was gone. We’re having a full dress rehearsal of Antony and Cleopatra tomorrow night,” he said, his tone altering to that of their familiar, brotherly banter. He gathered up his items. “Isabel has been as focused and determined as a general in battle once I told her how you’d managed to fill the royal box for opening night, Blaise.”
“Was she pleased?” Blaise asked, studying his hands in his lap.
“She was when I told her you were the one to arrange it.” He glanced at Blaise, his eyebrows arched in a small challenge. “You should stop by the theatre tomorrow and watch. Isabel is stunning in the part, although she has never been satisfied with her Marc Antony.”
“I thought you’d told me you were playing Marc Antony,” Isi said, puzzled.
“I am,” Aubrey said. “Isabel finds me a mediocre substitute, at best.” As usual, Aubrey ignored Blaise’s dark glance and sailed out of the room.
Isi gave him a rueful grin. “Thanks. Saint actually did request specifically that I speak to you alone.”
Blaise nodded in full understanding. “Now. What’s all this about?”
Isi took a sip of water, as though he were preparing his damaged throat before he launched into his story.