Blood Born: Assassin Book 2

Blood Born - chapter 15

I felt Draco drop from the air. The whooshing sound of his wings expanding, preparing for his landing. I struggled to open my eyes everything hurt so much.

"Where are we?" I whispered.

"Close to the person who can help."

"In the forest?"

"Stop talking, Evelyn." He held me tight in his claws as he proceeded forward.

Each step was agonizing. I hoped he wouldn't be going much further when he scratched at the ground.

"Priscilla!" he shouted. "Come out, witch!"

A door slammed against something and shuffling feet echoed off all the trees. "How dare you invade my woods, dragon? What do you want?"

"Save her." He placed me on the ground between him and an older, haggard-looking woman.

"Why? Who is that?"

"She's the princess of England and my rider."

"No. No. Your rider died quite a long time ago if I remember correctly."

Draco let out a terrifying roar. "That's because you wouldn't save him. You won't let her die too."

"Why should I save her?" the witch asked.

Why? Why not? You can't just let me die!

"You can't let her die." His voice shook as he tried speaking.

"Is that a tear? Are you crying, might Draco?"

"Please, Priscilla, save her."

The woman sighed heavily and approached me. Her face appeared in my vision as she stared down at me. She poked me with an old, wooden cane before grasping the arrow. Pulling with all her might, she ripped the weapon from my abdomen. I screamed out as the sheer agony caused everything to blacken. I could feel the blood seeping from my wound, pooling under the dragon armor. It smelled bitter and felt warm.

Things went quiet as my eyes slid closed.

Clinking bottles and arguing drew me from the pained sleep I'd slipped into. I lay on a hard, cold wooden table in the center of an old shack. I stared at wooden beams and a thatch roof.

"Oh look! Your princess is awake. Welcome back, young lady. I almost thought we lost you completely for a second there."

"Hurry before she is dead!" Draco urged.

"Calm yourself, dragon. I already got one of your tears so we're partially there."

"A. A tear?" I squeaked out.

"Oh ho! She speaks! You have energy enough to do that. Impressive." She moved toward a cauldron sitting over a fire. "Yes. That's one reason I couldn't save his last rider. He never shed a tear. Part of the potion calls for a dragon's tear."

"You didn't tell me I need to cry," he growled.

"You had to cry on your own without me telling you how to save him. It was obvious he wasn't truly bonded to you."

I turned my head so I could watch the old witch. She dumped various vials into the black pot while muttering phrases and odd words I didn't understand. She held up a clear vile of bright blue liquid before carefully swirling it into the mixture.

"Now, dragon, I need a scale and the blood of your heart."

"What?"

"I need one of your scales and blood from your heart," she repeated.

"Will that...kill...him?'

"No, princess, it will not. It will hurt him though as I have to use another dragon's tooth to pierce his skin."