Chapter 28

MADELINE

Hael patiently waits for me to regain consciousness before we take flight. He’s nestled me in a cozy spot in the forest, my body shielded by his massive snout as he breathes warmth over me.

As I flutter my eyes open, I see his own eyes light up with joy, relieved that I’m awake.

I reach out, placing my hand on his snout. ~Hael, why don’t you just wrap me in your tail and fly me home?~ I ask him.

~I want you to enjoy the flight back, little one. Plus, I don’t want your book to fall out of your coat mid-flight,~ Hael’s voice rumbles in my head, a hint of amusement in his tone. ~I apologize, mouse. I won’t eat another mouse in front of you. I forget that mice don’t have the stomach to watch Dragons devour their own kind.~

“Thank you for understanding, Hael. Shall we head back?” I ask, standing up and straightening my coat. Hael rises, gently picking me up with his tail and placing me on his back.

Hael turns his head to look at me. ~Hold on tight.~

“I’m an expert Dragon rider!” I declare, raising my fist in the air. “I don’t need to be reminded to hold on, I just grip hard with my thighs and I’m fine!”

~Do my scales rub between your legs?~ Hael teases, a deep chuckle resonating in my head.

“No, I mean they do, but I don’t think about it like that!” I retort, playfully thumping my fist on his back. He snarls lightly in response.

~I’ll spank your ass until it’s tender and sore, then I’ll fuck you face down until you beg me for my forgiveness, mouse, which I won’t give,~ Hael warns me in my head. ~Don’t tickle me again.~

Tickle?! He knows how to brutally insult my strength! I raise my fist again, ready to strike his scales, but I quickly reconsider and lower my fist to my knee, muttering a curse under my breath.

Dragons and their bloody egos!

With a powerful downward thrust of his wings, Hael lifts us into the air, soaring above the trees.

After a few seconds, he accelerates, his wings pumping faster and faster. Despite the speed, I spot a colorful dress in the forest—among other oddities.

~Hael, turn around!~ I yell at him as he continues to fly at breakneck speed, the whooshing sound of his wings filling the air. At my request, he opens his wings wide, gliding back in a circle.

He doesn’t ask why, but he looks with me. I think I spot a familiar figure—a woman with long dark hair and a patchy dress.

It’s who I think it is—the gypsy mother, Quinn! She’s alone, gathering herbs and other edibles from the forest floor. But she’s a fair distance from her cabin and her family. Worse, a group of bandits is circling her, creeping closer. Four scruffy men with messy hair and long beards, their weapons already drawn!

~You see what I see?~ I ask Hael.

~Mm,~ Hael acknowledges, his tone filled with disgust.

~They have bad intentions,~ I tell Hael.

~They’re too close for me to save her,~ Hael circles down a bit, instructing me. ~When we’re close enough, yell at her to run toward home as fast as she can.~

~Only tell her to run?~ I ask.

~Just do it, mouse. When I say.~

~Okay!~

Hael swoops lower and comes back around. ~Yell now!~

As I see Quinn looking up at the shadow passing by, I scream as loud as I can, “Quinn! You’re in danger! Run homeward now!” By the time I finish, we’ve already flown past her. I worry she didn’t hear everything I said.

I glance over my shoulder and see the men looking up at the sky in confusion. They miss us, but when they notice Quinn dropping her basket and running, they start yelling and chasing after her.

~Hael!~ I call out in distress. ~They’re chasing her!~

~Stay calm,~ Hael advises, banking back around and swooping down much lower—so close to the treetops that even I am nervous. I don’t understand what he plans to do, there’s no place for us to land!

I only understand his intention when I feel my thighs warming up underneath me. I jump up onto the soles of my feet, where it’s a bit easier for me to dance from foot to foot as he glides back slowly.

Up ahead, I see the bandits converging, stealing her basket and then running after her, hurling filthy names at her. I can hear Quinn screaming for her family. My heart leaps into my throat as Hael opens his jaws and a blast of green fire engulfs the forest, trees exploding and the men melting in the flames.

“YES!” I throw my hands up into the air. “DIE you scumbags!”

Hael laughs robustly in my head. ~You enjoy murdering now, mouse?~

~They were going to hurt Quinn, my friend!~ I explain. ~We stopped them!~

~I did the stopping.~

~I saw them first!~

~Okay, fine, Maddie, we work together, are you happy now?~ Hael concedes and I grin as we fly closer to the cabin and I see Quinn hugging her family, crying and holding them close.

I wave down at her and when she looks up, she waves back.

“Thank you!” she yells out and I can’t hear it very well, but her children and her husband also wave as Hael and I fly by.

Now we’re on the way home!

“We’re heroes!” I yell out, sitting back down on his back, no longer standing, still feeling ecstatic. “~Woohoo!~”

Hael starts to ascend again, flying rapidly.

He’s gone quiet, not responding as he flies quicker and quicker toward the nest. Our connection feels like it’s almost… weakening? How odd.

~What’s wrong?~ I feel his distress.

~My brother is sick,~ Hael murmurs and I look ahead to see Lochness’s Dragon coming in for a rough landing on the nest. ~You won’t land going down that fast, shift now, Lochness!~ Hael snarls the order.

I watch as Nessy tries to shift and can’t so his Dragon slams into the rock, rolling a few times before coming to a crumpled stop. Now he shifts to man, covered in bruises and blood.

Hael lands and curves his wing. I slide down and run to Lochness, leaning down next to him.

Hael doesn’t budge. Instead, he leans over his brother’s unconscious body, taking a deep sniff. He pulls back, his Dragon letting out a loud sneeze, a burst of fire shooting from his nostrils in the opposite direction.

“What on earth happened to him?” I question Hael.

~Dragon’s Bane,~ Hael growls with a look of revulsion. Oh, crap, someone must have poisoned them during the feast! ~I have some immunity, but I’m not completely unaffected. I’m growing weaker, little one,~ Hael warns me.

He uses his tail to gently lift his brother into the nest, then does the same with me. Hael then shifts down into the nest himself. He lifts Lochness under his arms, dragging him to the bed and placing him on the furs.

Hael then turns to me, his skin flushed and glistening with sweat. He collapses roughly onto the end of the bed.

~Layla, Adara, anyone!~ I call out to Requiem. ~We need your help!~

~I’m on my way,~ Adara responds immediately.

I quickly move closer, taking Hael’s hand in mine, watching as his eyes start to glaze over. “Don’t die,” I whisper. “Please, don’t die on me now.”

“Eating bane, little one, only causes temporary weakness. I think it is a prank… played by timid mice,” Hael coughs into his hand, gritting his teeth before managing a smile for me. “Don’t worry, we’ll only be sick for a bit. Twenty-four hours. Maybe.”

I glance over at the bed. Lochness’s eyes are barely open. I see him shifting back against the pillows, wincing from his injuries as he watches me.

~Little one,~ Lochness’s voice sounds raspy even in my head. ~Water now.~

“Water for me too, sweetheart,” Hael squeezes my hand and turns to crawl into the furs.

He twists and lies face down on his side of the bed, groaning deeply.

~I will enslave the whole lot of them, every single one.~

~Don’t, Hael. Just ignore them. Don’t let them know it affected you,~ Lochness growls back.

~The weak mortals will never know they won this battle.~

I move to get some water, feeling a pang of guilt that they are being ~kind of~ adorable while sick.

“Mouse?” Adara drops down the hole, dressed in leather pants and a leather bra, her purple hair braided on the side, looking powerful and commanding. “Brothers?” She strides up next to me, looking at her groaning brothers on the bed.

Adara and I exchange a glance.

“Hello,” I half-smile. “We were in town. I think they ate some food or drank wine laced with bane.”

“I’ll increase defenses,” Adara nods to herself. “You will nurse them back to health. They may catch colds. Dragons don’t get sick, but with bane, we can suffer from mortal flus and such. So feed and water them regularly…”

Adara places a hand on my shoulder. “I feel sorry for you, mouse. My brothers are not easily handled when they’re ill – their tempers won’t wane but their strength has, so they’ll be moody. It will be quite unattractive. I can call in doctors or healers if you prefer not to be around them while they are so weak. And ugly.”

“Oh,” I try to suppress a laugh at how serious Adara is being about this. “I don’t mind looking after them. I’m no healer, but I can give them water and food. It can’t be that hard,” I say this with confidence. “And I don’t think they’re ugly when they’re weak… you Dragons have some strange thoughts sometimes…”

Adara raises an eyebrow and looks back at her brothers, sneering. “Look at them. How is that not completely grossing you out… strange mouse,” she narrows her eyes and turns, eager to leave. “I will send food and medicine.”

She then finds a ledge in the rock wall to jump out of the hole, showing off her athletic prowess. Lochness is quietly laughing hysterically at Adara’s words.

“She’s so full of it,” Nessy whispers. “Water,” he growls huskily at me again. “Or do I have to crawl to fetch it myself, useless brat?”

“I’m getting it now,” I put my hands on my hips. “You’re under my instruction until better! Stay put!”

Hael rolls onto his back and lies his cheek on the pillow, looking back at me.

~Sweetheart… in case I never awaken, I never told you how much I think your eyes are so pretty, Madeline,~ Hael murmurs deliriously in my head. ~The most beautiful eyes in the realms. I do not deserve your attention or love. I am hideous and you – you’re a goddess.~

What in the world? Still, I put my hand to my chest. “Really, Hael?” I whisper, but Nessy keeps scowling at me, so I can’t enjoy the moment.

I glare at him in return. ~Patience, rogue.~

My poor and pathetic mates. I have to look after them. I don’t mind delirious compliments, but hopefully they won’t insult me and end up dying anyway from a mouse’s neglect. Because they need my help whether they like it or not!

So they better bloody behave themselves! Especially that rude rogue.