Page 14 of Consorting with Dragons

I opened my mouth to answer, and a finger was laid across my lips. “Hush now,” someone said to me. “You need to rest.”

I was too tired to argue about it, so I sighed and snuggled my cheek into the warm hand beside it. I could still hear low voices discussing me, but I didn’t know the language they were speaking. It was like a soothing hum, though, and lulled me back to sleep again.

The next time I woke up, my head didn’t hurt quite as much as before, though I still had a dull ache on one side of it, near one of my temples. I could see a little better, and I blinked until I could focus my vision more clearly. I was in a hospital—no, a sick bay on a ship, because I could hear the hum of the engines. There were beds on either side of me, and a soft light coming from overhead. It was no place I’d ever seen before, and I began trembling a little and trying to sit up. Was I on a pirate ship? In the hands of those horrible men?

“Drink this. It’s only water mixed with some medicine but it will help your throat.”

A blond man held out a glass to me, and I tried to grab for it but missed. I hurt my side again when I moved and closed my eyes and whimpered. Instantly, he stepped closer to put an arm around my shoulders and hold the glass up to my lips. I drank and drank, until he pulled it away, saying, “Enough for now. You can have more later.”

“W-where am I?”

“You’re on a ship heading toward Horvath. Are you familiar with Horvath?”

“No.”

“That’s all right. It’s one of the moons of Lycanus 3. We were attacked by pirates, but they can’t hurt you now. You’re safe, so please try to rest.”

I started to shake my head, but it hurt too much, so I quickly stopped. “But,” I managed to get out. “Where’s my crew? Let me see them.”

“None of your crew were ever on this ship. They’re all safely on their way back home now. Do you know where you are? Do you know your name?”

“Of course,” I said, confidently, feeling arrogant about it. Why was he wasting my time with these silly questions?

“Can you tell me?”

I opened my mouth to do just that, but nothing came to me. My mind went blank and that scared me for real.Why wouldn’t it come? I began to feel agitated and felt tears spring to my eyes.

“I can’t remember it. Why can’t I?”

“Nothing to worry about. You’re just tired. Try to go back to sleep.”

“But where am I?” I asked, clutching the blond man’s hand.

“In a ship on the way to Horvath.”

“Why does my head hurt so much and my side?” I clutched at it again and moaned as a pain knifed through me. “Oh gods, was I stabbed?”

“Don’t worry about it for now. Your head was injured and some of your ribs were broken. We’re fixing it.”

“Somebody broke my ribs?Why?”

“The doctor has just given you something for the pain, and it will help you go back to sleep. The rest of what happened will come to you soon, I’m sure. Once you’ve had some rest.”

I reached a hand to him blindly, and he took it in his and held on tightly. He had a deep, take-charge kind of voice, and it made me feel better somehow. Like someone was in charge, and Ineededsomeone to be in charge.

“But where am I?”

The tall man leaned closer to me. “You’re safe now, and everything’s going to be fine.

I nodded, almost afraid not to. He sounded familiar, like someone I knew.

“Where did you say I was?”

“You’re on a ship, heading to Horvath.”

“Can’t I just go home?”

“Where is home? Do you remember?”

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