She wasn’t the only one suffering.
“No,” she finally said, lifting her body from the ground. “I don’t think I do. I think I have to do something first.”
“Then, the choice has been made. You will not be dying today.”
“How long can I stay here?”
“You’re already on your way back…” The voices trailed off with a flash of blinding golden light.
* * *
Warmth spread across Ambrose’s body, filling her from head to toe as she was pulled back into consciousness. The young mage she’d seen hiding in the trees stared down at her from brown eyes, brow furrowed as sweat dripped from his nose. His pointed ears stuck out under his dark hair and his tanned face was covered in the freckles of youth. His hands shook as they moved carefully over her body while Akadian bentbehind him whispering furiously into his ear.
When he noticed her eyes were open, he released his grip on the back of the mage’s neck and dropped to her side, grabbing her hand in his.
The healing mage glanced nervously from her to Akadian out of the side of his eye while his hands focused on their work.
Akadian looked at her with worry, his icy blue eyes reflecting the silver in them on the moonlight, making them appear more silver than blue. His features studied her as though she might break at any moment, lips pressed into a tight line.
Gods,he was beautiful.
“Are you okay?”
He must be furious that she ran away. It would be a miracle from the gods if she managed not to get punished for this. Tears welled in her eyes. Akadian had put himself in danger for her. He was probably just doing his duty to Divine Law but that was twice in one night he’d saved her life. Whether he did it to satisfy some magickal law or not, she was eternally grateful.
“I-I think so…” She tried to sit up, but when she lifted her head it pounded against her skull as her vision faded. Laying back down she let the mage do his work.
When the pain dissipated and she could feel her limbs want to move freely, she came back to her senses. Scanning the woods, she frantically looked at the tree tops. “Where’s the dragon?”
Her breathing picked up and Akadian placed a hand on her shoulder almost like it was instinct as his thumb traced light circles. She leaned into his hand as though it were the only thing keeping her from passing out again.
“It’s okay,” he soothed, his eyes moving over her face as though he wanted to take in every piece of it, like he didn’t fully believe what he was saying. “You’re okay. You saved it. It went back home, I assume to the mountains, though, it’s not like it could actually tell me where it was going.” He tried to keep his tone light. “Its wing took some damage and it’ll have some pretty nasty scars, but it survived. Because of you.”
Her shoulders relaxed and she took a deep breath. “Thank the gods.”
Akadian smiled down at her—was that pride?—“You acted incredibly.”
He rubbed her back as her breathing evened out and she took some deep breaths to calm her nerves and the current raging inside of her. She told the Magick within her to rest. She didn’t need it now.
“I almost died.” Her eyes went wide as the full realization hit her. So much blood. Her hands ran over her stomach where a new scar was still healing.
“I’m sorry I didn’t arrive sooner.” Akadian’s eyes darkened and ran the length of her newly healed body, stopping where the wound in her stomach had been. Her leathers were torn to shreds in so many places, but she managed to escape that encounter without a single burn mark on her. Dragon fire burns were notoriously hard to heal. She likely would’ve worn those scars for the rest of her life. Healing Magick or not.
Ambrose turned her attention to the young freckled mage who sat in silence, too terrified to make a sound. He couldn’t have been a day older than seventeen. “Who are you?”
Akadian’s eyes shot daggers. “I found him cowering in the woods, watching.”
The boy’s face flushed red as his hands trembled and he squeezed them together to try and keep them from noticing. “I-I-I’m just a sail-sailor ma’am.” He tipped his chin at her. “I signed up to be a healer for a party that said they were gonna hunt boar. N-No one ever said anything about dragons.” His brown eyes darted across her face. “Or a bounty. I swear ma’am, I didn’t know what they were gon-gonna do.” He looked at Akadian, his eyes wide with fear. “Please don’t hurt me ma’am. I just needed money for my little sister. She’s ill, you see? Our parents are long gone, so I’m all she has.” The boy’s shoulders shook as he wrapped his arms around himself.
“What’s your name?” She put a hand on his arm to show him she meant him no harm.
“Jack. Jack R-Rifthold.” His arm trembled under her touch as his warm, brown eyes darted to Akadian.
“Where are you from?” Ambrose asked gently.
“N-Nethyr.”
“Can you get yourself home?” she asked, standing to make sure everything worked again.
