AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The fire creature aided me.
Gia spun around just as the dragon shifter reached a hand out to grip her arm.
“You are too close to the edge, witchling,” he said.
She had no response, didn’t think to break contact, although his touch was hot, so hot and it sent shivers tripping up and down her spine. Her heart started beating erratically within her chest and sped up even more at his touch.
But she didn’t break away. Dumbfounded, she stared at him.
“You helped my shade.”
Head cocking to the side in a way that wasn’t remotely human, he said, “Your guardian? Yes. I sensed her pain as I was flying here. I’m sorry I didn’t arrive in time to offer more aid, but she should recover swiftly.”
Gia closed her eyes, opened them, words crowding up her throat, but when she tried to find the right ones, nothing came out.
He apologized, after giving her this gift?
She had half a mind to kiss him, which was laughable considering she’d verbally smacked him down after he’d done that very same thing to her only moments ago.
But he’d saved her shadow.
“Miss Gia?”
Thank you, child, she thought, tearing her eyes from the dragon shifter to focus on Wyn. “Yes?”
“What are we to do about my mother?” He looked at her quiet, somber eyes and the fear he tried to hide showed through.
Her heart, already so full of emotions she normally tried to ignore, began to ache even more.
“Come,” she said, offering the boy her hand. “Let’s see how she is.”
Wyn took her hand, pausing to give the dragon a trusting smile before tugging Gia over to his mother. He’d managed to get her into the small crevice—it wasn’t big enough to called anything else, barely large enough for three or four adults, if they liked each other.
Amy lay still, her face slack and pale.
Gia touched her fingers to the other woman’s neck, felt her pulse, strong and steady.
“I can feel her,” Wyn offered.
Gia met the boy’s eyes, studying him. “Is she alright?”
He cocked his head, considered the question far longer than a child of his age should. “Maybe. She’s scared. She’s tired. She’s...been tired a long time.” He bit his lip, then asked, “She’s in trouble, right?”
Heaving out a sigh, Gia looked away. “Sweet, I don’t know how to answer that.”
“I told her those were bad men, that they were using her.” He bit his lip, looked away. “I told her I could get away, that she should just leave and drive and I’d find her.”
“Would you have been able to do that?”
Wyn looked down. “I’ve had to do it before. Her mama...” His voice cracked.
“Don’t.” Gia took his hand again, squeezed. “I understand. People can be cruel, can’t they?”
He just nodded and sat by his mother. “She did a bad thing and people were hurt. But she loves me. She did everything to try and keep me safe.”
Gia wished she could tell the boy everything would be okay.
Unfortunately, their world was getting uglier by the day.
