Chapter 72


    Chapter 72 Snake pit


    CA SSANDRA


    Once Kaleb left my chambers, I crawled back into bed and stared up at the ceiling. My fever was


    lessening by the moment, but I was feeling all sorts of awful, not to mention downright tired.


    The king of Yurene had given me an emotionally charged speech, but I couldn’t help but ponder the


    authenticity of his words. Kaleb had always been kind to me and didn’t have any reason to lie to my


    face, but I knew better than to ept. someone’s statements blindly.


    Despite his exnation, I didn’t understand why he wanted me specifically to help treat his ailing father.


    Any number of the healers in Anemond were more talented than I was, and even with the knowledge


    that Emmett had been the one to gift them medicine, it wasn’t as if myte husband had left me with


    notes. I had not idea what he’d used to treat the king and there was no guarantee that I could figure.


    it out.


    Yet, once again, why would he lie about something so serious?


    I couldn’t help but think about what going to Yurene could mean for Finnick and me, as well as the


    Alpha King. With a cure to his disease, Asher Collins could go back to the life he’d had before he’d


    come to Wild Crawler, and I could satisfy my part of the bargain and return to my old position.


    There were so many factors to consider and I wasn’t sure how to handle it all. I was confined to my


    chambers for the foreseeable future and had no opportunity to speak to the Alpha King unless he came


    to me. Even if he dide here… what would he say? Would he even let me leave Anemond?


    Just as the thought entered my mind, the door suddenly opened, and in walked a guard. Completely


    startled, I sat up in bed immediately and my heart began to


    race.


    What was going on?


    Was this guard working for Margaret?


    “My apologies for walking in unannounced, Healer Ca ssandra,” the young guard apologized to me


    earnestly. “But I had to make haste.”


    “What’s happening?” I asked as I tried to catch my breath.


    “A snake pit has been found, mydy,” the guard exined, and then he gestured toward the door. “I


    need you toe with me. A few guards were attacked by the vipers within and they need treatment


    immediately.”


    My eyes widened. The snake pit?


    I jumped out of bed and nced down. I was still in my night clothes.


    “Give me a moment to change,” I said quickly, and I rushed over to my closet. “Will you wait outside?”


    “Yes,” the guard replied. “Please, hurry. I’ll be outside of the door.”


    Without another word, he stepped out into the hall, and once the door was closed, I pulled on a


    sweater, pants, and some boots. Once I was dressed, I pulled my hair into a bun and winced at the


    effort. The salve Kaleb had given me was helping, but my arm was still tender from the burn.


    I pushed the pain from my mind and walked out of the room. The guard straightened up and started to


    lead me down the hall, but before we could go, I turned to a se rvant just beyond us.


    “Please tell Erika that I left to take care of the wounded guards,” I instructed, and after the se rvant


    nodded, I turned to the guard, and we made our way down. the hall.


    As we rushed down the stairs, I told the guard I needed to stop at theb to grab my kit. The guard


    agreed and escorted me there.


    “Stay close,” he urged me as we shuffled through a small crowd of people, and I was suddenly


    reminded that I wasn’t supposed to be out and about. I kept close as ordered, and once we reached


    theb, I rushed in and began to assemble my


    things.


    “If this situation is as bad as it sounds, we may need my assistant,” I informed the guard. Becky wasn’t


    currently in theb since I was in confinement.


    The guard nodded and then nced toward the door.


    I finished quickly and then followed him out of theb.


    Our destination was a house a few districts away from the pce. The guard informed me it’d long


    been deserted, but once we got there, I could tell it belonged to a wealthy family. It was enormous with


    tall pirs, an expansivewn, and a few


    statues in front of the house.


    The moment we stepped foot in the house, I could hear groaning. Five cots had been arranged in the


    long hallway, and on them, I could see the guards lying there, writhing in pain.


    We rushed over to them, and as I nced around at the wounded me, I noticed they’d been bitten in


    different ces. Arms, legs, faces, all swollen heavily.


    “Did they catch the vipers?” I asked, but the guard shook his head.


    “The snake pit was found in the basement,” he said. “The vipers are very aggressive. All of the guards


    that entered were attacked. We need more support and protective suits if we want to go back.”


    I nodded slowly and then got to work. I examined each of the guards’ bites thoroughly. The situation


    was worse than I’d expected. Two of the guards seemed to have difficulty breathing and their blood


    pressure was dropping fast.


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    Before long, Becky arrived, and she was shocked by what she saw. Once I briefed her with what I


    knew, her eyes widened.


    “Why would a snake pit be here of all ces?” she asked, but all I could do was


    E


    shrug and shake my head. I had no idea either, but we didn’t have time to worry about that. We had to


    start treating the guards.


    After long, more guards arrived on the scene, all wearing protective suits. Soon after, Asher arrived.


    The Alpha King and I locked eyes, and after I offered him a nod of respect, Asher got to work and


    began to interview the guards.


    He asked them questions about the basement and what was down there. I was curious myself, but my


    main focus was treating my patients.


    Once he got some information, he turned to his men.


    “Get down there at once,” he urged. “We need to handle this quickly.”


    “Yes, Your Majesty,” the guards said with a salute, and then they vanished.


    A few minutes went by, and then the leader of the squad, a tall young man with intense ck eyes,


    rushed over to Asher.


    “Your Majesty, we were stopped by a narrow corridor once we descended the stairs,” he exined.


    “We couldn’t pass it. However, we did manage to drop a few tubes of anesthesia inside. I don’t know


    how effective it will be, but it might stop some of the vipers.”


    h


    “We couldn’t pass the corridor either,” the guard I was treating groaned. “When we were down there,


    we heard a hiss and then we lit the torches. We were surrounded. The vipers attacked, but after they


    bit us, they retreated and we ran for our lives.”


    “They retreated?” Asher repeated back and when the guard nodded, the Alpha King growled. “What in


    the world?”


    “How narrow is the corridor?” I blurted out before I could stop myself. The leader of the squad seemed


    surprised by the question but gestured with his hands anyway. I studied the distance.


    “There’s no way any of these guys can fit in that,” Asher cursed and his eyebrows creased together as


    he considered a n.


    I took a deep breath.


    I had a crazy idea.


    “Do you have another suit?” I asked the leader. “A smaller one?”


    The leader and Asher stared at me in confusion.


    “Send me in,” I suggested. “I’ll give it a try.