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“There was only one human who became a dragon shifter,” I said, interrupting Thea without meaning to. The words needed to come out. “Alice. The dragon chose her and performed a ritual to bind her to her powers. Without it, she wouldn’t survive.”
Kaz nodded, the glint in his eyes amused.
“What if another dragon performed the ritual?” Almae asked.
“They can’t,” I answered again. “It has to be the dragon who willingly gives his magic.” And that dragon was dead.
Kaz grunted. “Correct.”
“So there’s nothing you can do for her?” Shane asked.
Kaz picked up a leather pouch from his bag and handed it to me. “Take these.”
I grabbed the pouch, opened it, and spied inside. I picked up one of the small candy-sized white tablets. “What’s this?”
“Medicine from my elders,” Kaz said. “It should help you with any pain you have, and also slow down the dragon’s magic.” He lifted a finger. “It won’t stop it, though. You’ll just have more time.”
“How long?” I asked, my voice low.
Kaz shook his head. “A week more? A month? It’s not something I can predict.”
I would take it. If it gave me a day more, I would take it. I shoved the tablet in my mouth and swallowed. A bitter taste filled my mouth, but nothing I couldn’t deal with. Meredith handed me a glass of water and I thanked her for it.
“Kaz,” I said as a new thought came to mind. “Paimon, the former underworld prince who got the other half of the magic. He told me he’s not experiencing anything. He has not lost control, or almost exploded, or anything of the like. Is that possible?”
Kaz frowned. “I don’t know. He was one of the most powerful supernaturals in the world until a couple of years ago, wasn’t he?”
I nodded.
“I never heard of a demon with dragon shifter, or a dragon shifter who mated with a demon, so I have no idea what would happen. I can only guess he either lied to you, or depending on how strong the supernatural is, he really is fine. That would be a new development and I’m certain my elders would like to hear about it.”
I considered this. Had he lied to me? Why? So I wouldn’t think he was weak? And if he was having the same trouble as I was, why was he so keen on having the rest of the dragon magic? To die faster? Unless, he had found a way of curing it. Or he thought that once he had the full power, he would be okay?
There was too much to unpack here.
Thea rested a hand on my arm. “This doesn’t change anything. We shouldn’t waste the day away. Let’s go train.”
I nodded.
“I’ll train her today,” Kaz said.
* * *
Thea went ahead with Kaz and Almae, while I walked with Shane to the library. Once more, he would spend some time there, looking for answers he wouldn’t find, but who was I to stop him? If our roles were reversed, I would do the same thing.
Hand in hand, we halted outside the library’s entrance. For some reason, after hearing Kaz say he couldn’t help me, it had become real. I was dying and I would leave this handsome man alone.
I stepped into him, resting my cheek on his chest. His strong arms wound around me and his chin rested on top of my head.
“Are you okay?” he whispered.
“No, yes, maybe?” I sighed. “We should invite our friends for dinner tonight. Can we grill hamburgers and hot dogs in the backyard? That would be cool.”
“Shouldn’t you stay at the castle?”
“Perhaps, but I can drink the elixir and take Kaz’s tablet right before we go. Plus, we can invite Kaz. If I start feeling like I’ll explode, he can fly me away from there in seconds. With his dragon scales, he’s probably impervious to fire, so I wouldn’t hurt him.” I hoped. “And, if you’re worried, I can ask Thea to draw a witch’s circle in the backyard. If anything goes wrong, you all step outside.”
“That shouldn’t be necessary.” Shane’s arms tightened around me. “Let’s do it. I’ll text everyone.” He kissed the top of my head. “Now go before they come hunting you down.”
