Page 42 of Dragon Compelled
Blossom screams and brings her sword down on the gray-skinned arm, severing it at the wrist. The remaining arm yanks backward out of sight just as the portal vanishes entirely. The severed hand lands in the corner with a sick thump. I look away from it, my stomach rolling.
When I look down again, Bingo is using his nose to nudge at a man’s body lying in the center of the floor. Even with his back to us, I recognize Mag immediately, and my chest tightens with true fear.
“No!” Blossom screams, throwing her sword down and falling to her knees beside him. “Mag! You idiot!”
I close the distance between us, Aries at my side. “Is he breathing?” I ask Blossom.
She nods. “Yes, but there’s so much blood, and I can’t see where it’s coming from.”
“We need to get him upstairs,” Aries says. “Somewhere we can assess his injuries.”
Blossom nods, tears in her eyes. “We can take him to my place.”
“Lead the way,” Aries tells her.
She remains right at Aries’s side as he carries Mag out of the basement and into the main part of the library. Mag doesn’t protest being carried, which is how I know his injuries are serious. Blood slicks his throat and face. It’s splattered all over his shirt. Bingo follows us out of the basement and stands just beside us while Kitty and the gnomes stare down from the top of the stacks.
I look up at Fred. “Go get the med kit out of the break room and meet us in Blossom’s room.”
“On it.” They take off, not hesitating for even a minute.
Aries starts for the other side of the library that leads to the keepers’ quarters, but we’re not nearly fast enough. Before we can make it any farther, Tawny and Oliver come running toward us. They stop, eyes wide as they stare down at him.
“What happened?” Oliver asks.
“We’re not sure,” I admit. “He came out of a book this way.”
Tawny levels her angry glare on me. “I warned you this was dangerous, Paige. Your hunting expeditions end now.”
Chapter12
Aries
Beside me, I can feel Paige’s temper sparking. She wants to argue with the female council member, and while I would normally agree the woman needs to be put in her place, Mag’s injuries need attention quickly, so I step between them and force Paige to meet my gaze. “We can talk about it later,” I tell her. “After we see to his wounds.”
I refuse to let Paige lose anyone else. Even if it means letting the councilwoman feel as though she’s gained a victory.
“Fine,” Paige growls. “I have nothing else to say anyway.” She shoves past Tawny and Oliver as she leads the way across the stacks.
“Bingo, you’re in charge,” Paige calls over her shoulder, and the canine barks in response.
I follow her, still holding Mag, who’s no longer conscious. His breathing is steady, though, so I don’t panic.
“I want a full report on this incident by morning,” Tawny calls out at our backs.
No one bothers to respond to her directly, though I don’t miss Blossom’s muttered curses as she brings up the rear.
We cross the library with Blossom hovering close, constantly re-checking Mag’s vitals. Her concern is more than I expect for someone who’s always been at odds with the gargoyle, but I don’t comment. Instead, I study the amount of blood still leaking from some wound I can’t see.
Paige pushes through a door and stops in front of the first door we come to. The gnomes are already waiting, a med kit in hand.
“Thank you,” Paige tells them. “Will you help Bingo keep things under control while we patch him up?”
“Fine, but if that human hag tries to order us around, we’re going to trip her,” Ted warns.
“No tripping,” Paige warns, snagging the med kit from their miniature hands.
“What about eating her lunch?” Zed asks hopefully. “I saw something in the refrigerator with her name on it.”
