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Akoni shifted into human form. There were patches of frostbite on his arms and fingers. He went to examine the boat. “Minor damage, but I can fix it when we return to West.”
Auryn released me and went to examine Akoni’s frostbite. The patches were red and white. “Minor. You’ll be fine.”
“Of course I will be.” Akoni pulled away. “It’s trivial.”
“You?” Auryn asked Keon.
Keon flicked back into human form. He looked at his own white and red patches. “Not serious.”
I fought away the sobs. I wouldnotcry. I’d done this, and I’d accept responsibility without sobbing about it.
Now Auryn came to examine me. The ice-burning traveled up my neck, with deep, dry patches where the skin had lifted up in a scale pattern.
Akoni pushed Auryn aside and embraced me with care. Auryn laid his cheek against my shoulder and sighed softly. Keon took the other shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, holding onto Akoni with all my might.
“Sorry for what?” Akoni asked. “The plants can be replaced. I can repair the boat.”
“The destroyed portal, wish serpent.” Everything seemed to be slowing down and getting heavier, and my brain was turning to soup and gruel between my ears. My thoughts sloshed. My eyes turned into worms. I held onto him tighter. “Don’t drop me.”
“No one is going to drop you.” Keon shifted in the huddle so he was the one holding me. “Here. Hold to me.”
Akoni said, “Topside is closed. We weren’t going to use the portal any longer, anyway.”
“Well, technically, we were,” Keon said. “How else are we going to get the dragons of Lemuria out of Lemuria when the ship arrives?”
I squeezed Keon hard and gulped down a wail.
I could rebuild it. K’Dol was still on the other side. I could rebuild the portal. It wasn’t lost. All I had to was—
My thoughts gotsoheavy, and shoving thought through a sudden wall of mental oatmeal became almost impossible.
All I had to—
Akoni’s hands burned on my arms. “The plan was to sendallof us through the portal to topside? The pups and old too? Obviously not. Or else that is a terrible plan.”
His words turned to mush.
Auryn cocked his head towards Akoni. “I don’t believe anyone has thought that far ahead. And there was never any assurance the K’Dol structure topside would survive using the communication system. Not this time.”
“True. The plate tectonics of the Earth are slightly different now than last time.” Keon ran his palm over the small of my charred back in soothing circles. “Helena?”
Keon spun and gripped me as I drained away. Auryn rolled towards me. I dropped my marbles and rolled away, scattering across the frozen beach….
If it waspossible to have a headache without having an actual headache…
I had a headache.
What the hell was that pounding?
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Oh, that was my heartbeat.
I was in A’ka’s clinic. Specifically, the second floor isolation room. On my back. Drifting in the goo.
“Helena.”
