Page 81 of Dragon Unleashed
I push up to my feet on shaky legs and sprint into my kitchen. After grabbing the bottle of vodka from above my fridge and retrieving two clean kitchen towels, I return to his side.
“Sit where he can see you, and keep your hand on his shoulder.”
I do as Hoc says and move around to kneel beside Aries. He’s so pale. So lifeless. And I cannot help but feel him slipping away from me. “Please don’t go,” I whisper.
He jerks as Hoc pours the vodka on his wounds. “The water is likely the only reason he is still breathing. You did good.”
Blossom rushes through the door, Mag at her side this time. She tosses a container of salve at Hoc, who catches it easily. “The gnomes are holding down the fort downstairs and they’re waking Bingo to search for Morris,” she says.
“Where was he attacked?” Mag demands. The fact that he doesn’t ask who Aries is makes me wonder what Blossom told him on the way up. But there’s no time to worry about that now.
“There’s a secret passageway in my front closet,” I tell him.
Mag marches over to see for himself. He takes one look at the gaping tunnel and mutters a string of curses that, even for him, are impressive.
He glances over his shoulder at me then Hoc. “You got this?” he asks.
“I’m doing what I can,” Hoc says tightly. He doesn’t look up from his work as he adds, “both of you, go see what you can find, and report back.”
Blossom steps up beside Mag, and they share a look. Then the two of them disappear into the dark tunnel.
Their footsteps echo then vanish, plunging the room into silence. I watch as Hoc works, silently pleading with whatever gods Aries comes from to please keep him alive.
“There.” Hoc puts the lid on the salve and then manages to lift Aries well enough to get him to my couch. “It’s a good thing I’m part troll,” he comments as he deposits his cargo and exhales. “Because that is a solid dragon you have there.”
I kneel on the floor and grip Aries’s hand, holding it tightly in mine as I try to process.
“Paige, he’ll be okay now. The antidote works quickly. Trust me,” he says. “I’ve been there.”
“Would he have died?” I demand, looking up through tear-filled eyes.
Hoc swallows hard. “Yes.”
I close my eyes and suck in a breath. He could have died. Would have if it weren’t for Hoc. “I’m going to kill Constantine.”
We both look down at the book still lying discarded on the floor. Hoc doubles back to retrieve it. “It’s unfathomable that he was able to escape his book with no one knowing. Even I was unaware of his presence. I’m not sure how that’s possible.”
Aries stirs then. It’s only a breath, but it’s enough to bring tears of relief to my eyes. I tighten my grip on his hand then reach out with my free palm and run it over his cheeks as he opens his eyes. “Paige,” he whispers.
“I’m okay.” He tries to move, but I press him back against the cushions. “Don’t worry; Blossom and Mag went into the tunnel to look for Constantine.
“No need,” he grunts. “I took care of it.”
“Yeah, we should talk about your need to rush alone into so much danger,” I say, my tone edging toward annoyed. Now that he’s going to live, I can afford to be truly pissed about him risking himself like that.
“We needed to know who put that tunnel here,” he says. “And I needed to be sure your family would be safe.”
His meaning hits me then, and I have to blink back more tears. Even knowing I was going to leave with him, he still went to check on a possible threat against the people I would leave behind. “Aries... You almost died.”
“The library is safe,” he says. Before I can argue with him further, he glances past me to Hoc. “You should consider upping your security though. Constantine freed all manner of creatures and locked them in a cavern beneath the library. I can’t be sure I got them all.”
“There will be a complete inquiry and overhaul, believe me.” Now that the urgency is passing, Hoc is beginning to look properly dangerous. “But first, we need to hunt down the creature responsible.”
“The creatures I found down there are dead. Constantine is back in his book,” he says as he tries to move again.
“Best to remain where you are,” Hoc says. “If you re-open that basilisk wound, the antidote won’t be able to work as efficiently.”
“Basilisk?” Aries draws his brows together.
