Page 11 of Drakhana's Treasure
Her big blue eyes look up at me, wider than any adults. I lean down and press my lips to the nasty bruise on her forehead. The heat floods through me again, a brief flash of orange moving from my skin to hers. When I pull back, the bruise is gone.
“Candice! Candice!” I hear the scream from far away and it means little to me but the baby wriggles and lifts her hands, cooing. I look up and see a small crowd has gathered around us. The woman screaming paws through the crowd, forcing people out of the way to get to us. I stand up and hold the baby out to her.
The woman snatches up her child and holds her tight, crying frantically. A man follows a few seconds later, cupping the little girls head to kiss her cheek. He looks up at me and his gratitude actually affects me physically, as if he has thrown a warm hug across the small distance between us.
“Thank you.” He says, wrapping an arm around his wife and child. “They told me she was strapped in with a safety belt. The carousel came around and she wasn’t there—”
He looks down at his baby, shaking his head as he kisses her again. The poor woman is distraught.
“It’s okay.” I say gently. “She’s alright now. These things happen.”
The baby turns and gurgles at me, waving. I wave back, moving away slowly to watch the little family. For the first time since I came to the city, I actually feel good about myself and happy to be here.
Then I turn around and see Rastus right behind me. His eyes are dark and the scowl on his face looks more dragon than man. My heart skips a beat then starts up harder and faster.
Rastus takes a few small steps towards me. Now that the crowd has moved on, we’re in an almost deserted spot between the carousel and the food stand. He glances around, making sure no one is paying attention to us.
“What the fuck was that?” His voice comes out as a husky growl and his eyes shimmer. His dragon is desperate to come out.
“What do you mean?” Surely, I can’t be in trouble for helping a child?
“That, the business with the kid! What the fuck?”
“I didn’t do anything! She fell I just picked her up—”
“You healed her.” He leans towards me, spitting the words as quietly as possible. “You actually fucking healed her, right in front of a crowd of people.”
I shake my head, confused. “Dragons don’t have the power to heal.”
“Your natural fire girl! You let it bubble to the surface and it healed the child. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
“I couldn’t just let her cry!” My voice comes bursting out, too much anxiety and fear coming out in one big release. “She was hurt and I just wanted to make her feel better! She’s just a baby.”
“So are you.” He snaps. “This is exactly what you came here to learn. To control your dragon and work with humans. Do you have any idea what would have happened if anyone saw what you did?”
“I didn’t know I was doing it!”
“That is exactly the fucking problem!” he roars at me.
Several people stop and look at us curiously. Rastus takes a step back, putting his hands to his temples and rubs them roughly.
“I can’t leave you alone for five fucking seconds.” he mutters. “I think you should go back to the mountain.”
Even though that’s what I’ve wanted since the very start, his words hit hard. I feel like a complete failure and there will be disgrace on the family if I can’t do my duty to the clan. I should feel relieved and excited. Instead I feel worse and I can’t figure out why.
I look back up at Rastus and it hurts so much to have him look at me like that. It’s a mixture of disappointment and loss that stirs my heart. I don’t have anything to say to him though—he’s the teacher and it’s his decision to make.
I shake my head and turn away, realizing that I can’t just run from him. He’ll follow me to make sure I don’t break any more rules and I don’t really want to be alone in the carnival anyway.
I let him lead me back out the front where the others turn up in small groups. They have show bags, prizes and fun toys they show off to each other with pride. Everyone’s excited and it looks like any nervousness in the others has fully dissipated.
I stay curled in the corner of the seat, staring miserably out the window. All I wanted was to go home. Now that I can, I don’t want it anymore.
I don’t want to stay here but I don’t want to go home either.
All I want right now is to get back to my room before I burst into tears.
I don’t make it. I’m crying quietly in the elevator as we head back to our floor.
