Page 86 of The Last Dragon
Calm down. Steady.Breathe.
I try to lift my hands up, aiming for the beast, but it sends another hail of rocks into the ground with its tail and dashes away behind the mountain. It’s like a storm of boulders, and I lose my breath as one of them soars into me.
I gasp, my eyes opening wide as I stare into the blue sky, smoke threatening to consume it. Blood lingers in my mouth as I attempt to spit it out, but it only goes further into my throat. I watch the white clouds slowly pass by, sun rays on my skin. Everything feels so peaceful as I slowly close my eyes. But a sudden shock of pain wakes me. I yell out of pain.
Not this.
My hand finds its way onto my throat, as if I am trying to loosen up an invisible rope around it. My lungs feel like they are filled with scorching coals. The pain spreads throughout my body, faster and more excruciating than ever. My vision blurs, and a crushing feeling presses harder and harder against my chest.
The venom. My serum. I haven’t taken my serum. Why so soon? Why now?
Just make it stop.
A roar thunders in the distance while a fiery red haze crawls across the sky. I claw for air, but smoke thickens in my throat, each breath burning sharper than the last. With everything I have, I roll myself over to the side, searching the ground for anything. Something. I lay my eyes on a leather bag.Mybag.
“The serum,” I choke out. But my body refuses to move. It’s like I’m crushed, the taste of acidic blood lacing my tongue.
I don’t want to die. I’m not ready.
I spot Nida, lying on the ground, completely still—no Eryca or Ilian in sight.
No. Not her. Please.Not again.
I try to crawl, each movement a jagged blade slicing through my body again and again. Slowly, my vision blurs more. I can’t tell if it’s the venom spreading through my veins or the smoke clouding my eyes. Time drags, every blink stretching out like minutes.
Behind Nida, a shadowy figure crawls forward, hands clenched around a bloodied abdomen. The figure falters, collapsing onto one knee. I try to blink away the blur, desperate for a clearer look as pain and fear twist in my chest. I push myself forward, but my body weakens further. The figure seizes Nida’s arm, slinging it around its neck, and screams in raw agony while struggling to pull her up.
Alex?
A few more blinks, and he vanishes into thin air.
A soft screech cuts through the chaos as delicate wings brush my cheek. Yellow eyes flicker in front of my eyes.
“Sarga,” I whisper, her beak gently nibbling on my nose.
She darts toward the bag just inches from me. My eyes snap wide as her claws tear through the fabric.
“Sarga,” I cough, stretching out with the last of my strength. She grips the serum injector and drags it free, nibbling the leathery loop attached. I try to crawl toward her, but my body goes limp. Numb.Dying.
I need to save my strength.
Sarga hops toward me, placing the injector in my palm. I grunt in pain, my hand the only thing still mobile, and jab the needle into my wrist—straight into a vein. Sarga watches my every move, her wings fluttering. I smile. She saved my life.
“He taught you, huh?” I say as I wait for the serum to course through my veins, relieving the pain. Distant voices scream my name, and golden curls with dulled green eyes blur above me.Sam. Everything goes black.
CHAPTER 29
Sunlight blazes through an open window, making my eyes water. My vision clears, revealing the white walls of the Medics’ Wing. I take a small breath. I’m still alive. What happened, and how did I get here?
I muster the strength to pry my head from the pillow for a better view, looking for a familiar face. The room stretches out in a long hall, Medics treating countless soldiers. I spot Alex only a few beds away from me, his face not nearly as beaten up as the rest of them, but his eyes are empty. I blink a few times, assessing his injuries. There are bandages wrapped around his abdomen.Did he manage to save her?
My heart wakes up in my chest, trying to escape me as I look for the rest of my unit. Sam. Ilian. Eryca. Raumen. Nida. They’re not here. I feel nauseous.
“As always, your wounds heal quickly,” says a voice, followed by the sound of metal clattering beside me. Sayna. She finishesthe last touches of her herb mix before handing it to me. “How are you feeling?”
I drink the herbal paste that tastes like dirt. “Fine,” I lie. She looks like she’s aged since the last time I saw her. A wrinkle between her brows makes my heart sink as I ask, “Where’s my unit?”
She sighs, taking an excruciatingly long time to answer. “Hayden and Caspian didn’t make it.” Her eyes drop to the floor.
