Page 42 of Dream Reaper

Jerrid trotted forward on bare feet and scoured the campsite. Everything was gone. His dragon. His supplies. The boy…

“The bag of medical supplies is gone too,” Ava noticed, grabbing Jerrid’s bare forearm. “Do you suppose they tried to go back to the camp?”

Concern filled Jerrid’s eyes, and something else… Was it guilt? Did he feel responsible for the boy for some reason? Exactly how had the boy come to be out here in the first place?

“Knowing Roar, he probably came to help kill a wyrm,” Brynja said grimly, hands on her hips. “He’s not… Let’s just say that he has more guts than common sense.”

Blood coated the side of her face, but at least it didn’t appear to be dripping anymore.

“We would have seen him if he’d done that,” Ava argued. “Wouldn’t we?”

Jerrid shook his head, gazing around the clearing with a defeated air about his posture. He clutched the blanket high across his chest, looking extremely uncomfortable. She couldn’t blame him.

She’d be uncomfortable too if she were out in the middle of the Shadewood in naught but her birthday suit.

“There’s nothing for it,” Brynja said tiredly. “We’ll have to go back to camp to see if they are there. If not…we’ll put together a search party and come back.”

She set off across the clearing, her steps uneven, but Ava knew better than to offer to help her. The girl would probably slap her for suggesting such a ridiculous idea. Ava couldn’t blame her for distrusting anyone of dark elf lineage. But it hardly seemed fair to blame Ava for the crimes of her entire race.

She didn’t blame Brynja for the lives the humans had killed during the war.

Yes, it was terrible, and she hoped war never came upon them again, but that wasn’t Brynja’s fault any more than it was Ava’s. Brynja didn’t seem to see it that way, however.

The campfires for the camp began to flicker between the wide trunks of the trees. Brynja quickened her pace, her shoulders pulled back and head high, as if she didn’t want the others to see how close she had come to the grave tonight.

Ava struggled to keep up with them. Her steps slowed, and she stumbled down the path. The trees rippled around her, swaying in breezes she couldn’t feel.

Her tongue was plastered to the top of her mouth, and it felt dry. So dry. When was the last time she had had a drink? Early in the day when she and Jerrid had sipped from the canteen. And neither of them had drunk their fill.

She needed water. And food. And sleep.

And if Brynja had anything to do with it, she wouldn’t be having any of those things any time soon.

Although…Brynja had not put her blindfold back on. Was that deliberate or an oversight?

Ava’s heart began to beat a little faster as they stepped into the outer edges of the camp. To their right, the ruins towered over them, rimmed in silver from the light of the moon. It cast a long shadow over the campsite, where makeshift tents circled several large bonfires.

And right beside the nearest fire, lying curled in a ball, was Echo.

Relief surged through Ava’s weary body.

The dragon appeared to be asleep. Or was it worse? Had she made the journey to the ruins to save the boy’s life only to sacrifice her own?

Jerrid trotted ahead, leaving Ava alone on the edge of the forest. Even Brynja appeared to have forgotten about her for the time being. Ava leaned against the trunk of a tree, too tired to stay on her feet.

Maybe she should just sit down and take a nap right here in the forest. But Echo might need her. She should join the others around the campfire.

But the walk from where she stood now to the place where Echo hunkered looked miles long.

Movement to her right sent a sudden thrill of fear through her, but the figure who melted out of the shadows wasn’t Brynja or Talos. Roar grinned up at her, looking strangely proud of himself.

“I brought the dragon to safety,” he said, hands on his hips. “I didn’t want that wyrm to get her in case it ate the rest of you. I saved her.”

Ava blinked. “That was very…brave of you.”

“I know.” He sighed and gazed toward the campfire, where the others clustered around Echo. “It was pretty brave.”

“You know what else would be brave,” Ava began hesitantly. “Finding me some water. And food. I haven’t eaten in a while.”