Page 28 of Drakhana's Treasure
There is a soft buzz near the door. The little speaker crackles to life.
“Kirra? It’s Rastus.”
I push the button on the remote to let him in, but I don’t get up. I feel like I’m being stabbed all over with knives every time I move.
He hurries over to me, kneeling in front of me so he can look into my eyes.
“Are you okay?”
I shake my head. I don’t know what to say to him. If I leave the city, I leave him too.
“I thought you were feeling better.”
“I was.”
“So, what’s happening? I was thinking of taking you to dinner.”
My stomach lurches at the idea of going to the dining room. Even if it's the exclusive one for VIPs it will still be too crowded. The main room with its constant chatter of voices and closely packed furniture would be like torture. The VIP restaurant might not attack me like that, but I can’t sit at a table and act pleasant feeling like this.
“I’m sick, Rastus.”
“I can see that. What’s happening?”
“I’m not better. Since the ice dragon touched me, I’ve been struggling. The fire came but then when I got here, I had to try and be human again and I got sick.”
“You’re suppressing your dragon.” he says suddenly.
“What?”
“You’re pushing her away. That’s why your fire is dying.”
“Don’t you do the same thing? Don’t most dragons who live in cities?”
“Yes, but you seem to rely on yours a lot more. I don’t think this is just a habit. I think we need to accept that you need your dragon. We can’t train you to be more human.”
I stare steadily into his eyes. I have to say it.
“I need to leave the city.”
He presses his lips together, glancing away to hide his expression.
“You know I can’t go.” he says softly.
“I can’t fly home by myself. I’m too weak.”
“I can’t even get a car for you. Resources are stretched because of this bloody war with the ice dragons.”
Desperation makes me cold and weak. I sit forward, stretching out my hands. He leans forward and takes them.
“We can’t petition the elders. Not yet. They would probably deny it on principle if you haven’t completed your training.”
“I know.” It’s as if my misery is a sensation instead of a feeling, seeping dread into my stomach. Rastus leans forward and puts out his arms and I let him hold me. I feel like I’m miles away from him, even though he’s touching me. We need to bond to each other completely. We both know what we feel.
“What do you want most in the world right now?” he asks softly.
“Lava.”
He grins. “I was thinking more along the lines of cake, but okay.”
