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Raika looked at me, agony stamped in her beautiful eyes. “I wouldn’t want to hurt my family or friends, or burn down the village.” She sighed. “I’ll stay here for as long as is needed.”
My brows curled down. I didn’t like the idea of Raika staying here. I would probably stay with her, which meant I would have to ask Rue to watch Minsi and Tyren.
“Stay here, then,” Thea said. “Rest, sleep, recharge. If you feel anything happening, let Meredith know. She knows what to do when things get out of control.”
Meredith gave Raika a reassuring smile. Although, what would she do if things got out of control? If she hurt Raika, she would lose an arm, if not her head.
I smoothed a hand over my face and let out a long breath. This was my fear and protectiveness talking. No one would hurt Raika.
“We’ll work on the elixir,” Almae said. “We’ll be back as soon as we have it.” She looked at Lavinia. “Want to help us?”
Lavinia nodded. “I’ll be there in a minute.” Thea and Almae walked out of the room and Lavinia squealed. “You two are engaged?”
With a smile, Raika looked at the ring on her finger. Thankfully, it hadn’t been damaged like her clothes had. Her smile widened when she looked at me, and my heart lurched.
Killian slapped my shoulder. “Congratulations.”
At that moment, I forced myself to push the thought of Raika on fire away from my mind, and focused on what had happened moments before and our promising future together.
Lavinia pulled a chair and sat beside Raika’s bed. “So … tell me all your plans. Big or small wedding? Beach, country, ballroom? White or beige dress?”
Lavinia went on, distracting Raika so she wouldn’t think of the dragon’s magic and how she could hurt any of us if she lost control. I was grateful for that.
2
RAIKA
While Lavinia distracted me talking about the wedding, Shane went to the village to get me clothes and other things. I didn’t want a big wedding, and it would probably be at the center of the village if we still lived here. My dress would probably be a different color … not white, not beige. Maybe gray? Could one get married in black? Seriously, I didn’t think those fluffy, white dresses were for me.
But as I thought about the wedding, I knew it wouldn’t happen anytime soon. I had to master the dragon magic, and we still had to deal with Paimon. I couldn’t focus on my future, knowing my father was out there, vying for more and more power.
Right before noon, Shane came back with a bagful of my things. Meredith showed me to the bathroom inside the infirmary. I stepped under the warm water and felt cold. I knew I was still hot to the touch, but it seemed now everything else felt cold against me. I made the water as hot as I could and then rethought it. I quickly switched to cold water, the coldest I could endure, and washed myself like that.
As I washed my hair, I sighed. One moment, I was kissing Shane, excited about his proposal, and then, I exploded.
And I blacked out.
Waking in the infirmary had been disconcerting. Why were my skin and hair intact and my clothes and shoes weren’t? How could I endure the dragon’s magic? I wasn’t a dragon or a dragon shifter.
It was a neat trick, but an unwelcome one. A beautiful, majestic dragon had died for this magic.
I wish I could give it back, but magic couldn't be returned to a dead dragon.
I sighed again. If there was a way to transfer this magic to a dragon or a dragon shifter, Kaz would have told us.
I finished my shower, brushed my damp hair, and put on a pair of ripped jeans and a tank top.
I walked out of the bathroom on bare feet and halted.
Minsi, Tyren, Rue, and Jay had brought us lunch. My heart squeezed seeing the worried looks on their faces.
Minsi ran to me, wrapping her arms round my waist. I stared at Shane. What do I do? I asked with my eyes. He smiled at me. What if I hurt her? What if the fire came back? I knew Meredith could stop me, but what if she wasn’t fast enough?
I allowed myself to embrace Minsi, then I pulled back, held her hand, and walked to the bed. Before I could take two steps, Jay halted in front of me.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice breaking.
I stared at him. What had happened? Shane looked at me and sighed. “It’s okay, Jay. She’s fine now.”
