All the knights turned to look at Shawn.
An awkward silence fell over the room.
Then one of them took the lead.
"What's a civilian doing in here?" he asked irritably, frowning.
Several of the knights who were still on their feet started talking at once.
"Get out of here!"
"Let the doctor work!"
"Stop getting in the way, kid!"
The doctor—an old man with gray hair and an annoyed expression—glanced up at Shawn.
"Go cry or complain somewhere else!" he shouted, pointing the blood-stained bone saw at him. "I'm working here! Who the hell let some brat barge in?"
The old man snorted and brought the saw back to the knight's arm.
Srrrrk!
The sound of metal slicing through flesh made Shawn's stomach churn.
'This is disgusting,' he thought, revulsion washing over him.
But then he clenched his fists hard.
'I can't just stand here doing nothing,' he thought, determination rising.
Without a second thought, Shawn ran toward them.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
But before he could reach them, one of the badly injured guards sprawled on the floor grabbed him.
Grab!
The guard clamped down on his leg with surprising strength.
"Wait!" the guard said in a weak voice. "This isn't a place for a young lady like you to be playing around."
Shawn looked down at the guard, frustration surging.
"Let go!" Shawn shouted, trying to pull free. "I have to touch your friend to heal him!"
Silence crashed over the room again.
Every knight stared at Shawn with wide eyes.
Then one of them let out a nervous laugh.
"What… what did you just say?" another asked, voice shaking.
"Damn, miss!" a third exclaimed, covering his mouth. "Get a hold of yourself!"
"This isn't the place to make that kind of proposition!" another yelled, pointing accusingly.
Heat rushed to Shawn's cheeks.
'What…?' he thought, confusion hitting him hard. 'Why are they looking at me like that?'
Then it clicked.
'Oh, for fuck's sake!' he thought, shame crushing him. 'They completely misunderstood what I said!'
Without thinking, Shawn lunged at the knight holding his leg.
Fwump!
He landed on top of him and reached out toward the man's injured shoulder.
"What the hell are you doing?!" the knight yelled, trying to shove her off.
Shawn pressed his palm against the wounded shoulder.
And then he felt it.
A warm current flowed out of his hand and into the knight's body.
The knight froze, the pain vanishing instantly.
"What…?" he muttered, staring at Shawn with huge eyes.
But before he could say anything else, the door burst open.
Bang!
More knights rushed in—ones in much better shape than those lying on the floor.
"What the hell is going on here?" one of them demanded, frowning as he scanned the room.
The knight Shawn had touched pointed straight at him.
"This crazy chick is harassing me!" he shouted, voice thick with outrage. "She's bothering everyone! Get her out of here!"
The newly arrived knights hurried forward.
"Come on, miss!" one said, grabbing her arm.
"You need to leave!" another said, seizing her other arm.
Yank!
They pulled Shawn away from the knight.
Shawn struggled, but the knights were stronger.
"Wait!" Shawn shouted, desperation flooding him. "Let me explain!"
No one listened.
The doctor raised his voice, scolding Shawn harshly.
"You shouldn't even be in here!" he bellowed, waving the saw. "And touching the wounded on top of it! Their injuries could infect you too! Do you even have a brain, you little brat?"
Shawn gritted his teeth, rage building.
'Damn old bastard!' he thought, tears starting to well up.
But then one of the knights standing near the one Shawn had touched frowned.
"Uh… Marcus," he said, staring at his friend's shoulder. "Look at your shoulder."
Marcus—the knight Shawn had touched—grumbled.
"I know it's injured there," he said, rubbing it. "You don't have to remind me."
But his friend shook his head.
"No, Marcus," he said, pointing. "There's nothing there anymore."
Marcus frowned, confused.
He looked at his shoulder.
And froze.
The wound was gone.
No blood, no purple mark, nothing.
"What…?" Marcus muttered, touching the spot.
Still confused, he checked his other shoulder, thinking he'd imagined it.
But that one was fine too.
Marcus looked at his companions, confusion overwhelming him.
"Wait!" he shouted at the knights dragging Shawn away. "Stop!"
The knights paused, frowning at him.
Marcus walked over to Shawn, staring at her with wide eyes.
"What the hell did you just do?" he asked, voice trembling.
Shawn opened his mouth to answer, but then Marcus noticed something else.
He had stood up from the floor with surprising ease.
No pain.
No effort.
Marcus froze, shock washing over him.
"Marcus," one of his friends said, stepping closer. "The scar on your back… it's gone."
Marcus laughed in disbelief.
"Don't mess with me," he said, shaking his head.
But everyone started talking at once.
"It's true!"
"You don't have any wounds left!"
"Look at your back!"
Marcus twisted, trying to see his own back.
Nothing.
The scar he'd carried for years—from a monster bite—had vanished.
Marcus stood there, mouth hanging open.
He approached Shawn, staring at her in a mix of awe and bewilderment.
"What the hell did you do?" he asked again, voice steadier now.
Then he looked at the knights holding her.
"Search her!" he ordered.
The knights nodded and started patting Shawn down.
"Wait!" Shawn shouted, panic surging. "What are you doing?!"
One of them reached into the waist of her tunic, searching for something.
Shawn felt tears spill over.
'This is awful!' he thought, shame crushing him.
But then the door burst open again.
Bang!
Elena stormed in, brow furrowed, hand already on the hilt of her sword.
"What the hell is going on here?" she demanded in a firm voice. "Why is there so much noise?"
Elena scanned the room.
And then she saw Shawn.
Being held by two of her fellow knights.
One of them had a hand at her waist.
And there were tears in Shawn's eyes.
Rage surged through Elena.
"You filthy bastards!" she roared, drawing her sword.
Shing!
With astonishing speed, Elena charged the knights holding Shawn.
Pow!
She punched the first one square in the face.
Crack!
The knight flew backward, slamming into the wall.
Thud!
She kicked the second one hard in the stomach.
Oof!
He crumpled to the floor, writhing in pain.
Elena grabbed Shawn's arm and pulled her close.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly, looking at her with concern.
Shawn nodded, tears still falling.
Elena turned to the rest of the knights, fury blazing in her eyes.
"Does anyone else want to try something?" she asked coldly, pointing her sword at them.
No one moved.