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Okay, just get out. Get out. Get to Kem.
The hall seems never ending, but I drag myself along the wall. At the end, I rest the side of my face against the cool stone. Before me, there’s a staircase leading up, and to the right of the stairs is a thick wood door.
Stairs or door? Stairs or door?
The thought of trying to get up the stairs has me reaching for the door. I prepare myself for it to be locked, but it swings open on silent hinges. Another narrow dark hallway greets me on the other side, this one longer than the last. But I smell … lilac.
My stumbling hobbles pick up speed. The musty air clears, and a slight breeze flutters against my face. My throat burns, and tears fall down my cheeks as a speck of light flares at the end of the hall.
Drawing closer, another door looms before me. This one has a barred window, and the soft light of dusk filters through. My palm slams into the door, and I grab the knob. It doesn't move.
“No!” My hand smacks into the door again. “Argh! Damn it!” The iron of the bars is cold against my skin as I grab them, yanking and pushing.
Nothing.
I can’t shift here. This hallway is too small. It would completely shatter me. I throw back my head, screaming to the stone ceiling.
“Tatha?”
My head snaps down. Bronze hair flashes in front of the window. “Syphe?”
“Oh, thank the gods, I found you.”
“Kem?”
Three metallic clicks vibrate through the door, then it swings open, and I fall into Syphe’s arms.
“Shit, Tatha, what happened?”
I shake my head, shuffling to pull her away from the castle walls. “My shoulder. Can you pop it back?”
“Tatha, you need medical care.”
I beg her with my eyes, and she nods, pressing her lips together. Gripping my shoulder and bicep, her fingers prod my joint, and I hiss. I would be flat on the ground if she wasn’t holding me up.
“Big breath in.”
I inhale, the pain of my ribs drowning out the pain in my arm. But then a scream rips from my lips as Syphe lifts my arm and shoves my shoulder back into place. The pain fades to a pounding ache, and I hobble forward.
Syphe tucks herself under my right arm, trying to steer me back toward the castle. “You need a healer.”
“No!”
“Tatha, you can’t walk on that foot. You’re obviously in a lot of pa?—”
“Inchel is using me against Kem. If I don’t get to the Challenge now, the King might die.”
Her eyes go wide, but I’m already reaching for my magic. My human scream morphs into my dragon’s roar. I curl up on my left side, panting through the pain as my dragon assesses the damage.
Yup, everything hurts, but I’m a bit more steady on three legs, my hind leg curled up into my belly to keep my weight off my broken foot. I stretch my wings, and the right one twinges as muscles and tendons protest the movement.
Syphe’s snout presses to mine, and I realize she has shifted. She presses herself under me, helping me stand. I stare at her, tears swimming in my eyes. Since I’ve come to this valley, I’ve cried more than I have in my entire life. Syphe doesn't know me that well. Yet here she is, helping me stand, helping me do what I need to do.
She asks, “Can you fly?”
I take a few shallow breaths, flapping my wings. Gritting my teeth, I nod. “I have to.”
Launching into the air, Syphe follows, then spears in front of me. Her draft of air helps pull me along, and I’m thankful for the extra assistance.
