The Dragon's Gold (Exiled Dragons Book 12)

by Sarah J. Stone

  “Maestro,” she managed to say as the tears came. It was as if all the fear that had been pent up during the attack came rushing back at once. She buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing. The mask was in the way, and her tears flooded against it. “I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.”

  “It's okay,” he said, running a hand through her tangled hair. “It's okay. It's over now.”

  Eventually, he managed to ease her back down onto the bed. It didn't take her long to realize that he wasn't sending calming magic into her veins like he normally did. He was, however, making soothing noises, keeping her calm with his voice. And once she stopped struggling, he reached to take the oxygen mask off her face.

  “Just take a few breaths,” he said. “See if you can breathe normally. If it hurts, let me know.”

  She did as she was told, cautiously taking a deep breath and then another. Her lungs hurt, but she could fill them, and she found a normal rhythm–cautious but strong.

  She nodded, watching his face as he checked her vitals.

  “I feel weird,” she said, unable to make sense of what was happening. “Nathaniel, I feel weird.”

  “I know,” he said, clicking a machine to check a few stats. “You're okay, though. You're stable.”

  “How…where?” She couldn't even form words.

  “You're on Jeffro,” he said, “in Eliza's royal facility, only completed a day when we brought you in.”

  “What…?” she said, her head beginning to pound. Her breath fell short, and he picked up on that, reaching for oxygen tubing instead. Gently, he looped it over her ears and under her nose. He waited until she was calm before he spoke.

  “You've been here three weeks,” he said. “There were many times when we thought we would lose you. You wouldn't wake after the attack.”

  “Devon!” she suddenly remembered.

  “Yes, Devon,” Nathaniel said. “Devon is fine.”

  She breathed such a sigh of relief that she actually displaced her pillow. He picked it up with a smile, lifting her head gently.

  “Desmond?”

  “Desmond is also fine,” he said. “Why don't you let me tell you what happened, all right? Just breathe easy.”

  “Everyone is fine?” she asked in shock.

  “Everyone is fine,” he assured her, “thanks to you. You were the one who wasn't fine.”

  “I…the spell,” she remembered hazily.

  “After that spell, you fell from us,” Nathaniel said. “I expected a seizure, perhaps a week of illness. But you would not come back to us. It was as if you hovered between this world and the next. And I thought…,” He paused, emotion overtaking him. “I thought we would have to let you go.”

  “No!” Tears came into her eyes. “No. I made a mistake.”

  He tried to smile through his tears. “Shh! We stabilized you and brought you here to Jeffro as a last resort.”

  “Reynolds?”

  “Reynolds was transported to the school,” he said, “and is currently being held prisoner in the dungeon, awaiting trial. Desmond, I suspect, will fight for him to have life in prison with parole, but I don't know what the Jurors' outcome will be. Either way, the mission is considered a success, and it's thanks to you.”

  “To me?” she was so shocked by this. “But I messed up.”

  “We all make choices that we look back on with regret,” Nathaniel said softly. “Yours, though, saved our lives. No one can fault you for that. At least, no one in their right mind can.”

  Sienna sank against her pillows, trying to make sense of everything he had told her. Her throat was aching, and she couldn't think of the words she wanted.

  ‘Maestro,’ she tried again, the word so strong in her head she could practically see it.

  But there was no answer.

  “Nathaniel, our bond,” she said in a panic. “I can't…what's happening to me?”

  Nathaniel squeezed her hand, and she didn't need the bond to see how troubled he was. Her eyes followed his to a purple IV bag hanging above her.

  “Nathaniel?” she asked, fear creeping into her voice.

  “Sienna, we thought we had lost you. You wouldn't awaken. Day after day, week after week, we waited. But you remained trapped in the world in between. And every time one of us reached out to you with the bond, your vitals slipped a little further, and you took another step away from us. Desmond and I had to make a choice, and it worked.”

  “What worked?” she asked, in a panic. “What did you do?”

  “That's Cinemron,” Nathaniel said, and her heart nearly stopped. “And it wasn't until we pumped it into your system that you came back to us. It's been three days, but you are improving every moment.”

  “Cinemron,” she echoed. She knew exactly what it was. Witches feared it, avoided it, and ran from it. Cinemron was a chemical that blocked magic in a witch's body. It made it impossible to draw on nature. “Nathaniel….”

  “Shh,” he said. “We had to try. We had to do something, my dear, or you would have left us forever.”

  “I can't be a witch without magic!” she cried, hot, salty tears pouring down her face. “I can't train, I can't–”

  “Sienna,” Nathaniel stroked her hair, “listen to me. This entire time, you and magic have been in a volatile relationship. You have never used much of it, except as a weapon with dire consequences. We have shown you diplomacy, translation, negotiation, undercover work, and piloting. You haven't been using your magic much at all. Witches stand for so much more than fighting with magic, and you are good at all of those things.”

  “But I can't. I'm your Tiro.”

  “And that will never change!” he assured her. “Desmond and I took a pledge. We will never leave you. Is that clear? Do you understand? We will never walk away from you, all right?”

  She searched his eyes, but she saw nothing but truth in them; nothing but calm relief. “But our bond….”

  “We are bonded, little one,” he assured her. “We are bonded, and no one can take that away from us. Don't worry. All right?”

  She didn't know what to say to that. But she felt comforted by Nathaniel's assurance and his strength.

  “Where will we go from here?” she managed, the only question she could think of that she felt made sense.

  “Home,” he said, and she blinked in shock.

  “What?”

  “Home,” he repeated. “The Jurors have decided, in light of our capture of Reynolds, that we can be reinstated. We are to return as soon as you are strong enough.”

  Her mouth fell open, and she smiled, which warmed his heart.

  “Really? Really?!”

  “Yes!” He smiled back. “Home at last.”

  “Oh my,” she closed her eyes. “I thought I would never hear someone say that. But you…Eliza.”

  “It's okay,” Nathaniel said softly. “Eliza and I have an understanding. I am committed to you until you need me no longer. And then maybe, just maybe, this dream I lived with her these past few months will become a permanent choice. But right now, we are going to focus on getting you better.”

  “How long will I…?” She indicated the IV in her arm.

  “I don't know,” he admitted. “But you know that Desmond and I will make the best choices for you regarding it.”

  “And when the Jurors find out that the most powerful witch they have seen can't do magic?”

  “First of all, they won't,” Nathaniel said. “We are sealing your records, taking a page from Laura and Devon's book. And if they ever do, they can deal with it and keep their mouths shut because we are your Maestros, and we make those choices for you. Do you trust us?”

  Sienna met his eyes. “Yes, of course.”

  “Then just rest for now,” he said. “And let us take care of everything.”

  “Can I see Desmond?” she asked. “Or Devon?”

  “I can get Devon for you,” Nathaniel said, rising. “He's been eagerly awaiting your return.”

  She paused. “Why no
t Desmond?”

  Nathaniel chose his words carefully. “Desmond is not…having the easiest time with all of this, Sienna. He has been by your side this whole time, but when he saw signs that you were awakening, he chose to meditate. He'll be all right. Just give him some space.”

  “Did he not want me to awaken?” she asked, confused.

  “He did,” Nathaniel said. “He will be overjoyed. Being that close to Reynolds again, and having you leave…it was a bit much. He'll be all right.”

  “I don't want to leave!” she assured her. “I thought I did. I thought that I wanted a different path, but I don't. I want to be a witch, I want to be trained, I want–”

  “I know,” he assured her. “It's in the past. Don't worry about it. For now, just rest. I'll get Devon for you.”

  “Thank you,” she said, and Nathaniel turned, navigating the doorway through his emotions.

  “She's awake.” Eliza had been hovering just outside, not wanting to intrude. “Thank Creator.”

  “Yes,” Nathaniel said, giving her a hug. “I've never been so thankful. I need to get Devon for her. She won't rest until she sees him.”

  “Did you tell her?” Eliza questioned, and Nathaniel shook his head.

  “I couldn't. Now is not the right moment. Perhaps he will tell her himself, or perhaps he will choose to wait until she regains her strength. It wasn't my tale to tell.”

  “Very responsible of you,” Eliza said. “Considering your views on his choice.”

  “He's not my Tiro,” Nathaniel said softly. “Mine is back, and she's made it pretty clear that she's never leaving me again. As soon as I find Devon, I should find Desmond. Without the bond, he won't know.”

  “Do you think it will be permanent?” Eliza asked. “The suppressing of her magic?”

  “If it keeps her alive,” Nathaniel set his jaw, “then I will personally administer it every day of my life.”

  “But a witch without magic?” Eliza asked, and Nathaniel shrugged.

  “She's been exceptional her whole life. This is just another way she'll show them that she doesn't have to be like everyone else. Another way she'll go down in the history books.”

  “Beside her Maestros,” Eliza said with a smile as Nathaniel headed off.

  Chapter 19

  Desmond had gone to meditate initially when he felt Sienna shift back to consciousness, but he had ended in the gardens, walking with Mariah. It seemed a moment too good to pass up – their last moment, where no one would be bothered if they held hands while they walked.

  “It does seem a lifetime ago,” Mariah said as they walked.

  “A lifetime ago, and yet not so far,” Desmond answered. “I imagine we will adapt.”

  “We will,” Mariah said, “because we always find a way. Although things will be different.”

  He sighed. “To be honest, Mariah, I'm not sure I will be able to.”

  Her head turned toward him. “Of course, you will,” she said. “You always find a way. That's why you've gotten this far.”

  “I do know something,” he said. “This will be the last time. I do not have the heart or the strength anymore. It's not about saving them. It's about being a good Maestro, and I cannot provide that.”

  “We knew this day would come,” she pointed out. “A day when we would age out. I know there was some discussion of the Jurors making a special exception due to your age, but I understand.”

  “And when Sienna is ready, I promise you,” he said. “We will return to these gardens, and we will have our moment.”

  “Don't promise that,” she said with a smile. “You are not sure you can uphold that promise.”

  “I will do my very best,” he said as he heard footsteps. Out of instinct, he dropped Mariah's hand. However, to his relief, it was Nathaniel standing at the doorway of the palace, calling out to him.

  “Maestro,” said his former Tiro, his face full of happiness. Desmond knew at once why he was being summoned.

  “Sienna is awake,” he said to Mariah. “I have a duty to go to her.”

  “It's more than a duty,” Mariah reminded him, but Desmond said nothing to that. Mariah felt him leave her, walking toward Nathaniel, with a heaviness around him. It was more than a duty, wasn't it? His Tiros had always been more than a duty. They had been family–their children, their hope.

  Desmond was changing, and she knew he was right. He couldn't take another one; that time was over.

  Her heart glimmered with hope as she felt his presence head inside. They just had to get through this; a few more years, and then they would have their heaven forever.

  Sienna had thought that she wanted to see Desmond more than anything in the world. However, when Devon entered the room, her heart leapt with joy.

  “Hi,” he said, as if they had only been apart a few moments, rather than weeks while she drifted. “Nice of you to rejoin us.”

  “Devon,” Sienna opened her arms carefully, and he went to hug her, kissing the top of her head. She scooted, and he took the cue, hopping up on the bed beside her. This was what she wanted as she snuggled up against him. Now, she felt complete. “Are you all right? Are you…?”

  “I'm all right, thanks to you,” he assured her, playing with her. “My brave witch, you saved me. You saved all of us.”

  “I'm not brave,” she said with a shrug. “It was just something I had to do. I had to do it, Devon. I couldn't stand to be alone.”

  “I couldn't have done what you did, none of us could,” Devon reminded her. “You have a bright future ahead of you.”

  She glanced up to the IV bags, but he brought her chin back to gaze into her eyes. “In spite of that,” he told her. “In spite of all of it.”

  “Mmm,” she lay on her shoulder, and he poked her.

  “Hey, I want to ask you something.”

  She looked up, confused.

  “Do you still want to go?” he chose his words carefully. Her eyes widened.

  “No,” she said. “After all of that, I can't. I don't want to. I can't,” she decided. “I don't know what the future holds for me, Devon, but I have to stay on this path.”

  “I thought you might say that,” he smiled at her. “And I think you're right.”

  “We made a mistake,” she said softly. “But it can be forgiven.”

  He stayed silent for a moment. “We made a mistake, I think, on how we went about it. But….”

  She suddenly felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. “What?” she asked.

  He smiled, brushing the hair out of her face. “I can't stay here, Sienna. I can't do that.”

  “What?” Her mouth fell open in shock. “What are you talking about?”

  “Your Maestros…they are different.”

  “Laura loves you!” Sienna said, sitting up a bit more. Her head spun, but she had to push her point across. “She doesn't want you to go.”

  “Of course, she does, and of course she wants me to stay,” Devon said. “But she won't be broken if I leave. She understands that I have another path to walk on, and she will go on and train others who will hopefully be better to her and for her. We've talked about it. She is at peace with the choice.”

  “No, you can't!” She grabbed onto his hand. “You can't leave me.”

  “I'm not leaving you,” he assured her. “Please don't think this is like that, because it's not. This is what I have to do, Sienna, for me. It does not affect you and me, the way I feel about you, any of it. Look at Nathaniel. He manages a relationship with a non-witch. It's possible.”

  “But…,” her lip trembled.

  “Until my dying day,” he assured her, “I will love you. But I can't stay on as a witch. Please understand that, my love. Please.”

  She felt tears pool in her eyes, and she lay her head against his chest.

  “Where will you go?” she asked.

  “I don't know,” he replied with a sly grin. “I thought about maybe staying on Jeffro. Or maybe traveling. I don't want to die, but I know that I
will eventually, so I can't stray too far off the beaten path until it's my time. But rest assured, you will always know where I am and what I plan to do. You have nothing to fear from our separation.”

  “But I will miss you.”

  “My love, it's no different than us on missions,” he said. “We got used to being together, but we didn't do that for years, and we managed just fine. And we spent eight months apart with nothing too life changing, hmm?” he reminded her. “It'll be all right. I promise.”

  Somehow, listening to his calming voice and the rise and fall of his chest, she became convinced. But Devon could always convince her of anything because she loved him.

  “Nathaniel is in charge of his own fate,” she said. “He can choose to see Eliza. I can't choose the quests we go on.”

  “Ah,” Devon said with a small smile. “Perhaps I'll just have to make sure to go wherever you are. That is, until you pass the tests.”

  That surprised her. “You think that I'm going to pass the tests?” she asked in shock. “Do you know what they've done to me? Do you know what I have to–”

  “I know,” he said. “But if anyone can find a way to do it without magic, it'll be you.”

  “When are you leaving?” she asked, desperate for as much time with him as she could.

  “I'll come back with you,” he said. “There are no hard feelings toward the Jurors. Laura will unseal my medical records, and it will be an honorable discharge, without a doubt. I'll pack up and go from there, and then perhaps arrange myself, so that I'm wherever your next quest is. We'll work it out, I promise.”

  She squeezed his hand. “I suppose it could work.”

  “Of course, it's going to work,” Devon smiled at her. “Don't worry about anything. I'll take care of everything.”

  “You always do,” she answered with a smile. She was gaining more and more hope with each day. But suddenly, the sinking feeling came back to her. “Devon, you died.”

  “Haven't we already been over this?” he asked her, teasing her. “Of course, I did. But you saved me.”

  “I know that,” she answered. “But what door have I opened? What have I brought back with you?”