Page 14 of A Lick of Flame

“I’m so sorry I’m late, Mother. The time got away from me,” I tell her, looking at my soaking shoes. I think I am leaving a trail of water behind me.

She nods once. “You never take time for yourself, Maya. It is important to do so. Perhaps let us know next time.” She smiles at me in her kind way.

I am shocked. I thought that she would have had something more to say. I wait for her to tell me to meet her after supper. Or to go to her office right now to wait for her, but she doesn’t.

“You must be hungry, dear. You should serve yourself some food,” she says.

My stomach grumbles, much to the amusement of the children. I laugh, too, but I don’t feel any kind of relief. I still feel wound up tight. My stomach is in knots.

7

Orion

I groan as I open my eyes. My butt has gone numb where it meets with the unforgiving ground, and my muscles ache from my head to my toes. I just lie there for a moment or two staring into the infinite darkness. A small rock digs into my upper thigh.

A rock?

Why is it so dark?

And why am I on the floor?

Was I badly injured in my last bout?

There is a crunch followed by licking noises coming from somewhere in the darkness, I catch the metallic scent of blood. For a few more beats, I am sure that I am still in a cage somewhere under the stadium. And the noises I am hearing are beasts feeding on one of the fallen fighters. Then everything comes back to me, and I sit up, groaning deeply. I’m not Dante. I’m Orion, the Beastfae King. I am no longer a prisoner. I escaped.

My shoulder pulls tight, reminding me of my wound, which should be well on its way to being healed by now…at least, I hope it is.

Summoning my magic, an orb appears in my hand, illuminating the dark tunnel. Aside from sore muscles, my head hurts, and I’m thirsty. I look down at my wound, sighing in relief when I see a puckered, angry scar. I am on the mend.

Another crunch has me peering into the darkness. It’s Delphine and her whelp; they’re eating on a carcass. It looks like a horse met its end not so long ago. Delphine has shiny, red blood around her maw.

My stomach churns with both nausea and hunger. My mouth feels as dry as the Bohab Desert at the height of summer.

“Are you going to share?” I ask Delphine, who growls low, her gaze on me. Her top lip curls away from her teeth. There is anger in her eyes. I can feel it through our connection.

It is the first time my dragon has ever shown any kind of aggression toward me.

“I didn’t leave out of choice. I didn’t stay away out of choice, either. I didn’t know who I was,” I say, even though she can’t understand my words. I try instead to project my emotions, namely that I am sorry.

She ignores me and continues to eat, urging her whelp to do the same. Watching Raila makes me smile. The birth of a whelp is a rarity, particularly during these troubled times.

Then I think of the human who ran off when I passed out, and I sigh. I have never heard of a dragon tethering to a human before. Perhaps I am wrong about the implications. Perhaps in time, the bond will lessen and then sever altogether. I have a nagging feeling about it, though. One I can’t shake. One that tells me I am not wrong. That, in time, the human will become unwell and die.

I hope I’m mistaken about what this will mean for the human and, in turn, for the rest of us tied into this. There is so much at stake. I will stay in this cave until I have my strength back. I am almost certain I will see the human again soon. That she will soon come to realize that I am being serious and not trying to trick her.

Having said that, I hope I never lay eyes on her again.

Maya

The next day…

I tend to the wound on Stephan's arm, carefully cleaning it with a soft cloth until the bleeding finally comes to a stop. Each time I touch the wound, he winces and lets out a tiny moan. His eyes are scrunched up.

“I am nearly finished,” I reassure him, blowing gently on the scrape. “Is it feeling better yet?” I ask. It’s going to bruise, but at least there are no broken bones. Kakara be thanked.

He nods slowly, giving me a small grin that reveals his gapped teeth.

“This next part may sting a bit,” I warn him. “Ready?”

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