Chapter 4.6

Chapter4.6

Quinn curled up even more and buried her head against her knees. "I feel sick," she muttered.

"Would you like the bucket?" he wanted to know. There wasn't much he could do at the moment except wait for Rei. Indeed he still wanted to have the treatment on his back and then get some rest. That meant Elgatos would probably stay the night.

"No," Quinn whispered. "I want to get some sleep."

That was fine, too. Not needing anything else, Elgatos remained seated and began drawing on a piece of paper. Both were still there from writing letters, and he wanted to pass the time with them.

Quinn closed her eyes and tried to think of something pleasant. However, she failed very well, which is why she kept turning back and forth and kept opening her eyes.

The dragon didn't miss that, although he seemed very concentrated. He pointed out that in the tea were the calming herbs that would also help her relax and sleep.

Quinn rose slightly and glanced at the cup before sighing. Then she reached for it and took a small sip. Immediately, her face contorted slightly. The tea was very bitter without the honey. Quinn's hand reached for the small can of golden liquid, and with the spoon, she sweetened her tea until it was more pleasant. She sipped it again and was satisfied, for the drink was already beginning to relax her.

To keep the warmth in the room, Elgatos got up and put more wood in the fireplace. He didn't talk much, but if Quinn started talking, he would.

Unfortunately, he couldn't give her any information. Rei felt that it was better if she didn't know where she had ended up. Since she would only be staying here for a while, it didn't matter.

Anything else would probably worry her. "How long will it take him?" she asked, realizing that she didn't even know what the dragon she was here with was called. He had never introduced himself. She wondered if the name had come up before.

Elgatos frowned and looked at her. "What exactly do you mean?" he asked in wonder, not understanding what she was getting at.

Quinn sipped her tea. "He didn't introduce himself at all," she said quietly, frowning because she didn't know how to explain what she meant without knowing the name.

Elgatos wondered what a name would change. He remembered that he had already said his word several times by mistake. "I think Rei first wants to make sure you don't break down somewhere, and he doesn't know where you are," Elgatos had said. Hopefully, there would be no consequences for that.

Quinn didn't seem like she could remember, though. Perhaps her mind had simply been elsewhere.

The young woman merely shook her head. "I wanted to know if I was going to spend the night here alone," she said, hoping very much that they wouldn't tie her up again. But if she was alone, that would probably be the case.

"I guess I'm supposed to stay here while he sleeps. Then we'll switch..." he began to speak as the door opened and Rei entered. His facial expression immediately told Elgatos that there had been big trouble.

However, he did not inquire. If Rei wanted to talk about it, he could. He rarely did because Elgatos, just like the others here, was a prisoner. And yet, because of his friendship with Rei, he had a bit of a bonus.

Quinn winced violently when she noticed the guard and tipped some tea over her top, still holding the cup.

"Elgatos, please make a fire in the room, so it's not so cold," he instructed the dragon with a sideways glance at Quinn. With that, he alluded to the small chamber in which he slept from now on. The day had been merely miserable, and he longed for sleep.

"And then please come back. I still need the supplies. Please take care of them during the night. You can sleep through the day tomorrow," he added in the same breath as he took a clean cloth and gently removed the cup from Quinn's hand so she could dry herself. Rei's face still looked sour and strained, but as soon as he turned to her, it softened.

Quinn bit his lips and watched Elgatos leave the room. "C-can I help you with something?" she asked softly, wanting to thank him for his kindness.

He watched her dry herself. At least the tea hadn't been hot enough to burn her. "Just sleep and rest," Rei replied. Once she was asleep, he would retire for the night.

Quinn nodded slightly. "Do you have anything that might help me sleep?" she asked almost sheepishly. She was overwhelmed with the situation. She had seen so many men when she had watched Rei in the entrance hall. She knew she could never win against them. Escaping the stone dragon had not been difficult. He had hardly paid any attention to her. But this place was well guarded.

Rei nodded and opened the small bedside cabinet next to the bed. One was on either side, which made it look cozy since the bed was framed by it. They weren't huge, but apparently, they provided enough space for what was needed.

From the drawer, Rei took out a small bag and opened it. Dried, shriveled leaves were visible inside, and the guard took one out before handing it to her. "Put it in the water and let it steep for a few minutes. It will help relax you and let you sleep," he explained.

Quinn took it in her hand and looked at it. "Can I put it in the tea?" she asked carefully, looking at the leaf. This one reminded her of something: a healer in their village, usually referred to as a witch.

Rei nodded. It would drown out the somewhat bitter taste, just like the honey. Before the dragon stowed it away again, he took out two different ones. One of them was the same one he had given to Quinn.

Only then did he close the bag and put it back in the night cabinet.

Quinn nodded slightly and put the leaf in the tea. Then she helped herself to some more honey. While she had done the same before, a little more couldn't hurt.

Rei took a glass and poured himself some water before putting both leaves in. Until Quinn was asleep, they would work their magic. His gaze lay thoughtfully on the young woman as he sat down at the table. At the same time, his thoughts seemed far away.

"I don't want you wandering around the castle alone. Accept Elgatos as your guardian and protector in case someone gets the idea to mess with you or do something to you," Rei began thoughtfully, swirling his glass back and forth. The leaves were turning the water a brownish color, giving it an unappetizing appearance. "First and foremost, he is to watch over you in case you have a seizure or are unwell, so that quick help can be ensured," the guard continued, finally taking a sip of his drink. Only with difficulty did he manage not to pull a face.

Quinn looked into her cup, took a sip as well, and then dared to look up. "I didn't mean to upset you," she said almost meekly. If she'd known how well she'd been taken care of before her first escape attempt, she might have reconsidered.

But she had assumed that they would treat her just as badly as they did the stone dragon. Precisely because Rei was very cold, arrogant, and bossy. He had not seemed like a man who cared about his women. She had only noticed afterward that he was gentle but firm.

Astonished, he tilted his head and looked at her. "What makes you think you've upset me?" he asked with genuine astonishment in his voice. Of course, he had been upset and annoyed by her attempt to escape, but that had subsided relatively quickly.

"I didn't know if I was allowed to leave the room," she confessed quietly. "I didn't want to disturb you."

He eyed the woman in his bed intently and took another sip before replying. "I told you, you are free to move about the castle. Only the cellar is off-limits, and I wouldn't advise you to go outside either," he repeated his words slowly and calmly.

Quinn lowered his eyes. "I didn't know if that still applied," she murmured.

Did she think he was taking back his words because of her disobedience? "You merely gambled away the opportunity to walk around on your own," Rei remarked dryly. But that wasn't the only reason he would use Elgatos as her chaperone. Her well-being was close to Rei's heart, and he didn't want her to break down somewhere, and no one knew where she was. Also, some dragons would like to have their way with her was a serious reason. Therefore, he didn't even entertain the possibility as long as Elgatos was with her.

This seemed to surprise Quinn, as she had expected a different punishment. "I see," she whispered, emptying the cup. She could feel herself getting tired.

Her slower movements had not escaped his notice. Satisfaction spread across his face. At least he could sleep that night.

There was a brief knock before Elgatos entered and nodded to Rei. The fire in his room had been lit, and soon it would be warm enough for them to stay.

"Thank you, then you can treat me now," Rei demanded of the older dragon.

Quinn regarded him curiously as she set the cup down and lay down. Her eyes nevertheless remained fixed on Rei.

Elgatos nodded and set about doing just that.

One more time that day, Rei took off his top but remained seated at the table. As soon as he felt the numbing clothes on his back, Rei gave a soft sigh of relief. The stress had allowed him to forget about the pain, but as soon as he had quieted down, it had returned with full force.

Closing his eyes, he gritted his teeth and let them wash over him. Quinn could see how many muscles he possessed. In the light of the firelight and the magic on the ceiling, they seemed to reflect. It really brought out the blue patterning on his skin as it shimmered.

He looked excellent, and she just couldn't take her eyes off him, even though she knew it wasn't proper.

Elgatos used a cloth to dab some spots repeatedly, while the other clothes were on Rei's back.

"Does she know your name?" he asked quietly and in such a way that Quinn could not hear him.