Magic accusations
Chapter Twenty–Six
Dr. Lander’s chest heaved as though every breath scraped his pride raw. His patient had nearly choked under his so -called “proven method,” while Adrian’s patient had stabilized in minutes. The shame of it burned deeper than fire.
And yet, the hall was still unsettled.
Murmurs swelled like a tide returning to shore.
“It was too quick…”
“No illness can be solved in mere minutes.”
“He used… what, ginger and needles? That’s not medicine that’s sorcery.”
“What if the man collapses tomorrow? What if the side effects kill him?”
The voices twisted into one another, doubt spreading like a plague.
Dr. Lander seized on it, sitting up straighter, his expression hard. His voice carried clearly across the hall. “Exactly so. A temporary trick! If you fools are so easily dazzled, then you’ve forgotten what medicine truly is. What he did was not healing–it was superstition dressed as skill.”
The crowd stirred, emboldened by his words. Heads nodded. The certainty of Adrian’s victory began to blur.
The presiding elder slammed the ceremonial staff against the floor with a resounding crack. “Enough!” His voice rolled through the chamber like thunder. “The patient before your very eyes breathes steadily and lives. The evidence is clear. This duel is concluded. The youth has won. Let no further bickering shame this assembly.”
For a moment, silence reclaimed the hall.
Then a calm, deliberate voice broke it apart.
“I will speak.”
The words were neither loud nor rushed, but the authority within them silenced the crowd more thoroughly than the elder’s command.
From the front row, an old man slowly rose to his feet. His robe was plain, unadorned by the gaudy embroidery of most physicians, yet somehow it gave him more weight. His steps were steady, but every movement carried the gravity of decades.
When the crowd recognized him, gasps rippled like wind through tall grass.
“Elder Vaughn…”
“The sage of two paths…”
“The man who studied medicine and magic together…”
Even Dr. Lander fell quiet, though his jaw tightened.
Elder Vaughn’s gaze, sharp as a scalpel, swept the chamber before fixing on Adrian. His eyes narrowed slightly, studying him as though peeling back his skin to see what lay beneath.
“Young man,” he said at last, voice low but steady, “tell me which lineage do you hail from?”
The words fell heavy, deliberate, echoing in the hushed hall
12
Magio opcusations
Adrian tilted his head faintly. “Lineage?”
+25 Bonus
A faint murmur broke out at his tone. Some scoffed, others frowned. Elder Vaughn, however, showed no surprise.
“Do not feign ignorance.” His words sliced like a blade. “The acupuncture you wield–such precision, such confidence–it is not the skill of someone dabbling. It is art honed across generations. Only a handful of families. in the ancient world have passed it down. Without their knowledge, a boy of your years could not possibly wield such mastery.”
The crowd swelled with reaction.
“He’s right!”
“Only the great Charleston of the East perfected such techniques.”
“No ordinary youth could perform what we saw.”
Elder Vaughn’s eyes gleamed, suspicion growing sharper. “So I ask again–whose blood runs in your veins? Which lineage do you descend from? Or…” His tone grew darker, resonant, as though daring Adrian to deny it. “… are you a fraud cloaking yourself with forbidden magic?”
The hall erupted instantly.
“Magic?!”
“That would explain everything!”
“No wonder it looked so strange.”
“He must be using enchantments to disguise it as medicine”
What had moments ago been awe and curiosity now turned into fear and accusation. Physicians leaned toward each other, whispering like vultures circling carrion. Even those who had applauded Adrian’s treatment minutes earlier now eyed him warily, as though afraid his presence might taint them.
Catherine froze, her knuckles whitening as she gripped the edge of her seat. She could almost hear the crowd’s opinion shifting, like a tide dragging Adrian into deeper waters. Her heart pounded–how quickly admiration had become suspicion.
And across the hall, Dr. Lander slowly sat back, his lips curving into the faintest, most poisonous smile. The humiliation of defeat still burned, but this—this was sweeter.
The crowd itself was his weapon now.
And Adrian stood at the center of it, every eye fixed on him, waiting for his answer.
Comments
Support
Share
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
