Minx was about to launch a series of insults at the stranger, but fell short as someone tugged eagerly at her arm from behind.
It was Alla. The girl pulled both her and Kaleb away from the fire and stepped past them, as if to shield them from the visitor. “D-Don't go near him,” she whispered.
“Alla, what're you thinking?” asked Minx, trying to urge her back.
Despite her recent illness, the girl's strength proved considerable, however. She held her ground and continued ushering the duo away from the fire. “I mean it... stay away from him. Don't... Don't worry about me, OK?” Whatever strength she had lost over the course of her recovery had been topped off by the terror that now coursed through her.
“What is this?” asked the stranger with a toss of his scaly hand and a dark chuckle. “Don't tell me these are really friends of yours, Alla. These second-rate specimens are hardly worth your time.” He pointed at Mau, snickering. “And you're liable to catch fleas from that thing. Come away from there.”
Minx couldn't help exploding. She broke away from Alla's grasp and approached the stranger, fuming. He didn't appear armed, and wasn't large or muscular enough to pose much of a problem. “Second-rate, huh? Let's hope those fists of yours are as tough as your mouth!”
“Minx—” Kaleb's warning fell short as the Fae huntress wound up and lunged toward the visitor with a balled fist.
Minx's blow came within inches of connecting with the stranger's grinning face, but for all the energy she put behind the punch she couldn't connect. Her knuckles tensed as they met some impassible barrier, invisible to the naked eye. She reared back in an effort to throw another, but a sudden gust of hot wind took her off guard. The hooded figure before her seemed to be the source of this phantom gust, warmer than the heat of the fire, and its intensity was sufficient to throw her off her feet. Minx was launched high into the air and sent rolling toward the trees, her clothing singed for the ferocity of the sweltering blast. What the—!
She landed with a thud on the ground, gasping. Her skin felt hot and chapped, as though she'd just stood at the mouth of an active volcano. She patted at her arms and legs, finding bits of her clothing still holding onto embers. She was too shaken to mount a fresh attack, too baffled at the stranger's immense and mysterious power.
He'd dispatched her without raising a finger.
Minx had faced many enemies in her day. She'd fought against foes of every stripe and combat style. Never had she been humiliated like this, though. She'd been quite literally tossed aside and hadn't the faintest idea how the stranger had done it. Even her loss to Kaleb hadn't been this humiliating.
Kaleb moved in without warning. Rushing at the hooded stranger, he loosed a savage roar and went to grab him with both of his armor-plated arms. The figure was roughly Kaleb's height, but not nearly as bulky as the dragon shifter, making a tight bearhug a simple thing. The stranger made no moves as Kaleb's powerful arms were wrapped around him, delivering a sudden burst of crushing force that only a dragon could generate.
But here, Kaleb had finally met his match—an immovable object that could stand up to his incredible force.
The hooded man did not flinch, displayed no signs of discomfort whatsoever.
Instead, it was Kaleb who began to wince.
The dragon shifter suddenly let go of his captive with a gasp, reeling backward and nearly losing his footing. His face was drained of color and white smoke poured from the seams in his armor. He hissed as though struck—but once again, Minx hadn't seen the hooded figure move a muscle. The reddish flecks in Kaleb's armor began to glow more brightly and the panels creaked as he fell to his knees, thrashing.
“Kaleb!” Minx staggered toward him, reaching out and taking his arm.
Immediately, she let go of him with a yelp.
Her palm had been burned. The plates of Kaleb's armor had been superheated somehow, and the thinning steam that escaped from between the pieces had been cooking him from the inside out. He waved her away, clutching up handfuls of earth and squeezing them to stave off the pain. “I'm... I'm all right. Don't go near him, Minx,” he said through grit teeth.
The hooded figure drew in a slow breath and then looked across the camp. “Any other takers?” he asked, his dark gaze settling on Mau.
The Faelyr shrank from his scrutiny. What is he?
Minx didn't have a good answer for that. This stranger was using powerful magic—that much was certain. It was of a flavor she'd never encountered before, however. Stay back, Mau. He's the real deal...
The figure beckoned to Alla once again. “Let's leave this place, leave these pests, Alla.”
“Don't hurt them, Torrent...” Alla took a few steps toward him. “If I come with you, will you spare them?”
“Don't go near him, Alla!” shouted Minx. She moved to restrain the half-Fae, but made it only a few paces before she felt another burst of that singing wind. It struck her side, launching her into the air and into a nearby tree, where she connected with a terrible crunch. She slipped to the ground with a moan, the world spinning all around her.
She heard Kaleb's rage as he launched another attack, but was too dazed to see him. “Don't you lay a finger on her!” he warned, his armor rattling as he broke into a sprint. He appeared on the verge of donning his dragon form, but before he could do so he was knocked back by an unseen barrier.
Torrent, the hooded figure, had raised one of his green fists as though boasting a shield, and in doing so had inexplicably limited Kaleb's reach. The barrier, for all of Kaleb's wild strikes, was impenetrable. The mysterious figure had walled himself off with nothing but a movement of his hand. When he splayed his fingers moments later, there was a flash of light and a sound like shattering glass. He had, through some spell or technique, ruptured the invisible barrier, and now lowered his arm, pressing his palm to the ground.
As though gravity itself had turned against him, Kaleb fell upon the grass with jarring force. He struggled to breathe as he was pressed into the ground by an invisible weight. His heavy armor sank into the earth and his limbs were so weighed down they could hardly writhe in protest. He was firmly subdued and would soon be crushed like an insect.
“No!” cried Minx, hardly able to stand. “Leave him alone! Don't hurt him!” she pleaded. In any other fight, she would have been making demands from a place of authority; watching Kaleb get punished in this way set her heart thumping and summoned tears to her eyes, though. Her pleas echoed pathetically. She never could have envisioned herself begging for someone's life, but watching Kaleb suffer had broken something within her. “Please!”
Torrent smirked, drawing his hand back into his cloak.
Kaleb sucked in a hard, labored breath as the pressure eased, and Minx crawled over, draping her arms around him.
“Are you... are you all right?” she asked, trying to tug him into a seated position.
The dragon shifter nodded, but was so rattled by the attack that he could only flop onto his back, eyes wide.
“Now this is an odd couple,” remarked Torrent, pacing about Minx and Kaleb. “Fae and dragons... this is what happens when they mingle and get attached, eh?” He shook his head disdainfully. “Come on, Alla. Let's get out of here. We've spent enough time around these vermin, haven't we?”
Alla appeared reluctant to follow, despite the repeated invitations.
Noting her hesitance, Torrent nodded slowly. “I see. You don't want to come with me, do you?” He waved one of his clawed hands at Minx and Kaleb. “I should make them suffer more, then?”
“N-No!” replied Alla. “Please, leave them out of this!”
Kaleb, having regained his breath, struggled to his feet. “You're not taking her anywhere, you understand me?” He stood upright with a pained grunt, arms hanging at his sides.
Torrent pointed at the dragon and shot Alla a sharp glance. “I'd love to leave them out of it, but they insist on butting in. I suppose I have no choice.” He thrust out an open palm, fingers arrayed rigid
ly like claws, and turned toward Kaleb. “You should have stayed down the first time.”
There was, in the next instant, a flash of blinding light.
The sound of splitting metal and splintering trees sounded, and Minx felt a powerful burst of wind wash past her. It came so intensely that she fell onto her back, unable to remain seated on the ground, while Kaleb was hurried off his feet entirely and thrust against the nearest tree.
When the dust had settled and her eyes had adjusted after the brilliant flash, Minx turned to Kaleb and began crawling toward him.
And then she halted, heart seizing and guts churning.
Slack-jawed and moaning, Kaleb had been pinned to the massive trunk of the tree—not by any invisible force or psychical trick, but by arrows. Three stone-colored arrows, conjured by Torrent, had penetrated Kaleb's dense armor and impaled him at various points through the chest and stomach. The tips of said arrows had passed straight through him, and were buried in the trunk of the ancient tree, which had rattled and creaked as though a mere sapling.
It was impossible. Everything she'd witnessed was impossible. No normal arrow could hope to pierce Kaleb's thick plate armor. But Torrent had stuck the dragon shifter with three at once, summoning them from thin air. He remained pinned to the tree, bleeding profusely. His end was very near. No one could sustain that kind of damage and hope to recover.
Minx crawled toward the tree, rising to her feet and wrapping her trembling fist around the lowermost arrow embedded in Kaleb's stomach. “K-Kaleb,” she stammered, tears rolling down her ruddy cheeks. She wanted to say many things to him just then, but words escaped her. Only his name felt at home on her lips. She pressed her face to his armor, clutching at the arrow shaft and attempting to pry it out. “Kaleb!”
The dragon shifter winced, then looked down at her with surprising serenity. “It's... it's OK,” he wheezed. “Get out of here, Minx. Run for it.” The gravity of his injuries and loss of blood were likely unclear to him just then. He sported a weak smile, and his eyes could hardly remain fixed on her as she wept before him.
Without another word, Alla stifled a sob and joined Torrent, taking his offered hand.
“There,” said the hooded fiend, “was that so hard, Alla?”
Minx turned, watching as Torrent led the half-Fae through the trees. The sun was rising, painting the fields beyond in the gorgeous hues of morning. Alla paused as they left the camp, locking eyes with Minx. “I'll be all right,” she whispered.
Gradually, both she and Torrent vanished from sight.
Chapter 16
She had no choice but to try.
It was possible he would die—that he would suffer more for her efforts. But at least he would die in her arms.
Minx dashed the tears from her cheeks and closed her fists around the arrows. Grunting and pulling for all she was worth, she succeeded in loosening the first. It began sliding out of Kaleb's body and fell onto the ground in a mess of gore.
The dragon shifter groaned, the pain sending him into spasms.
Minx moved onto the next, following the same procedure. This arrow was more stubborn, and her hands became raw as she struggled to keep a firm hold on the shaft. Eventually, it also budged.
“G-Get out of here, Minx. Before... before it's...” Kaleb couldn't finish the sentence; his head lolled to one side and his eyes began to roll into the back of his head.
Fueled by panic, Minx focused on the third and final arrow, wrenching it from its resting place and allowing Kaleb's limp body to land softly against hers. Steering him carefully onto the ground, she placed him on his back and studied the damage from up-close. His body bore three immense holes. The arrows had passed straight through him, and there was no telling what internal casualties there'd been in the process. Vital organs, parts of his spine and more could have been run-through by the mysterious volley.
Mau sidled up to her, whimpering as she beheld the damage. Oh, Minx... I'm so sorry... This is terrible...
The Fae huntress cupped Kaleb's face in both of her hands, stroked his chin and cheeks in an attempt to provoke a reaction in him. “Kaleb,” she whispered, voice trembling. “S-Speak to me, please.”
He didn't respond, except to shudder. His mouth fell open and a paltry exhalation seeped forth.
Minx, I... Mau pawed gently at her partner. I'm sorry, but... I think he's—
“No!” shouted Minx, holding Kaleb's head up in her hand and combing the hair from his face. “He's not dead! We're going to save him.”
The Faelyr gazed up at Minx with a mixture of sadness and wonder. It's not possible. The damage is too great—he's lost a lot of blood already, and mending wounds this deep would take—
“I don't care what it takes,” blurted Minx, setting his head down gently and placing both of her hands on his still chest. “We're going to heal him, Mau. And you're going to help me.” She took as deep a breath as she could between stifled sobs and waited for the warmth to flow to her fingertips.
But Minx, what about the Fae? insisted Mau. There's no time. Kaleb was a good friend, but time has run out. We need to deliver a dragon's hide to the elders, don't we? She paused. We have one—Kaleb's.
Minx's heart had already been broken by this savage attack. The last thing she wanted to indulge then was guilt. No! I can't... I can't use his hide. We need to save him!
I don't think we can save him, replied Mau. And if we don't use his hide, then how many more will die? The hostages, your mother... countless others!
Tears rolled down her cheeks and her chest heaved with pent up cries, but still she placed her hands over Kaleb's wounds and squeezed her eyes shut, marshaling her focus for everything she was worth. She'd already made her decision. Help me, Mau. Please, help me...
The Faelyr settled beside her partner and complied, closing her eyes and lending some of her own energies for the spell. If this is really what you want...
The emotions raging through her at that moment were so violent that Minx couldn't be sure of what she wanted. All she knew, all she could convey, was that she wanted Kaleb to live. She wanted him beside her again, wanted to hear his voice, feel his touch. She was too panicked and shaken to much study this urge within her. Maybe she'd actually developed feelings for this cocky dragon; maybe this was actually love that she was feeling. Whatever it was called, she felt herself a slave to it, and would do everything in her power to bring him back from the brink.
The healing began. It was a slow process to begin with, as her inner turbulence kept her from maintaining her focus. Her attempts at clear-headedness were halted by visions of Pan being burnt to the ground, of legions of Wuff marching across the territories of the Fae and razing everything in sight. She thought of her mother, too, and of the many innocents who would suffer if a dragon's hide wasn't soon delivered.
But the immediacy of Kaleb's wounds won out, and she was able, after a time, to focus on her work. The warmth flowed through her; Minx's energies, coupled with the Faelyr's, began to have an immediate effect. After some moments of terrifying stillness, Kaleb shifted in response to the warmth. The fast-flowing wounds ceased their bleeding over the course of several minutes, and by the half-hour mark, the dragon shifter's breathing had begun to increase beyond the ragged wheezes he'd kept to only moments before.
These wounds were the most serious she'd ever treated—mortal injuries if left untended to, and possibly even with healing. But unlike Alla's case, Kaleb's body seemed to respond very well to her magic. The deep wounds were knit together with pleasing speed, and Kaleb's health gains were noticeable even early in the process. Furthermore, to the best of her knowledge, these odd arrows hadn't been poisoned. Once Kaleb's wounds had been dealt with and he'd recovered his strength, he would be good as new, and wouldn't require countless rounds of healing as Alla had. She cheered herself with this, monitoring his progress. I think he's going to pull through, Mau!
The Faelyr was less optimistic, but still lent her energy. He just might... But don't get y
our hopes up. He's not there yet... It's too early to celebrate.
With her energy flowing through his body at full-force, Minx watched the fluttering of his eyelids, admired the quirk of his lips as he quietly groaned. I can't kill him, she thought to herself, a great shame overcoming her at ever having considered it. Her magic was inside him, mending him from the inside out; after this intimate exchange, she'd never be able to bring herself to harm him. Their meeting had been a rocky one, and initially she'd harbored a lot of doubts about the young dragon. Now, she wanted nothing more than for him to live.
But the warding spell... and my people... Her heart ached anew as she revisited all that was at stake. So many people were counting on her, awaiting her delivery. She'd always been afraid of letting others down, of tanking her reputation. Now, her fears had moved to weightier things. Countless people may die if you don't follow through... Your mother and the other hostages, if they haven't been killed already, will surely perish...
She continued weaving her spell, the Fae energy circulating through Kaleb's body and dragging him slowly toward consciousness. Kaleb promised that we'd find another way... That we'd find some way to help my people without killing a dragon. She stared at his sweaty countenance, ran a hand through his hair. After all we've been through, and after all he's done for me... I'm going to trust him.
Several hours passed before Kaleb's heartbeat returned to anything like a normal cadence, and still another hour wore on before he first opened his eyes. He yawned deeply, wincing for the lingering pain in his abdomen, and tried rolling onto his side. Spotting Minx sitting nearby, against Mau, he smiled dreamily. “Why, hello there,” he whispered.
Minx looked into his face, searching his eyes and testing his pulse. Nodding firmly, she sank back into a seated position, head low. “I can't believe it. You survived. You really pulled through.” Relief crashed upon her in an overwhelming wave. She felt on the verge of tears again—this time, out of thankfulness—but her pride didn't permit her to cry in front of him and she cleared her throat instead. “I'm glad.”
How to Kill a Dragon (Heir of Dragons Book 1) Page 13
