Bite the Woman That Feeds by Penelope Barsetti EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Author: Penelope Barsetti
- Language: English
- Genre: Action & Adventure Romance
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 2 MB
- Price: Free
LARISA
I wrung out the cloth soaked in herbs in my hands and squeezed the excess
warm water from the fabric. Once the linen was damp and not saturated, I
applied it to the woman’s forehead, her skin gray as storm clouds. Only a
few seconds of silence followed, and then the coughs returned, racking her
body as she jerked in unnatural directions.
I returned the cloth to the pail and repeated, applying the damp towel once
her coughs had subsided. She wasn’t the only patient in the room. The hall
was full of sick and dying people, and those who cared for them took all
precautions to dodge the sickness, but they would eventually succumb to it
as well.
But not me.
The plague had killed thousands, tens of thousands, and those who survived
retained permanent disabilities, such as decreased lung capacity, heart
complications, and other diseases. It struck our lands six weeks ago, and it
continued to hit us in waves. I was a maid in the castle, not a healer, but I’d
been assigned the task simply because I remained healthy while others
perished from the disease.
I was immune.
Someone else might rejoice at the gift, but not me.
Not after I’d lost everyone I loved.
The door opened. “Larisa, King Elias wishes to speak with you.”
My heart sank like an anchor from a galleon. It struck the bottom then tilted
over, locked in the darkness of the abyss. I stared into the eyes of the dying
woman, her eyes cloudy from the slow spread of death, and then returned
the cloth to the bucket. I’d done nothing for her except ease her passing, but
she was so far gone she didn’t even know I was there.
Nothing. Neither suffering nor pain.
I followed the guard back to the castle and waited for the doors to open.
Strict precautions were in place to protect the royal family, their
constituents, and their staff. Messages were relayed through written
missives slipped underneath doors and windows. Once the guard who
escorted me had stepped back, the doors were opened and I was allowed
passage into the castle.
The doors were shut behind me, and I was in a different world. Luxurious
rugs, crystal chandeliers, goblets made of pure gold, paintings by the finest
artists from our history were all displayed throughout the castle. It was also
quiet, no coughs echoing down the corridor, and it smelled like fresh
flowers instead of death.
“Come with me.” The guard escorted me upstairs and down various
hallways. I already knew where we were going—and why we took the
longer route to get there. We eventually arrived at his study, a large room
with a grand hearth, plush rugs strewn across the stone floor, and an
imposing desk made of cherry wood.
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