Dragon Blood

Forty-Three: Back from the Dead

"You're alive." She caressed his face, unwilling to lose her grip on him or let her gaze leave his face, for hear he would suddenly disappear. Her thumbs brushed over his cheeks bones and she wanted to pull him to her so she could kiss him, but she also wanted to just stare at him so he couldn't suddenly disappear on her.

"Of course I am," he cocked his head to the side. "And so are you."

"I watched Ashley stab the knife into your chest..." she shook her head slowly, at a loss. "I saw the blood. I watched you die."

"I should be dead, but somehow she managed to mess it up. I simply bled. A lot," he assured her, bending down to kiss her forehead. "God, I thought I'd lost you." He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers.

"You didn't, you didn't," she gasped, grinning up at him. "I'm sorry I forced you to go after Jonathan, I'm sorry this happened. I'm so so sorry."

"Shhh," he said softly, smoothing her hair back from her face. "It's all okay now. We're both safe, we're both home."

She nodded, though the movement hurt. "Draco's still coming," she whispered.

His lips tightened and he nodded. "I know. Jonathan told us everything."

"Jonathan's here?" Of course it made sense for him to be there, he'd been with the dragons who were bringing them back. It was just that the thought of him there, among the dragons, was inconceivable to her. It then dawned on her that her childhood friend and crush knew what she was, and he'd met Orion, the man she was desperately in love with.

Orion nodded slowly. "Yes, and he told us what happened."

"You've talked with him?" she blinked up in amazement and Orion looked away sheepishly.

"Well... yes," he hesitated. "Although I'm not allowed to speak directly to him anymore."

"What happened?"

Orion brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers and she thought she saw the slightest hint of pink sneak into his face. His eyes softened further as he gave her an apologetic look. "I might have hit him."

She shouldn't have been surprised, but she was. She knew how Orion felt about Jonathan, but the knight was one of the sweetest men she knew. What could he have possibly done to make the man she loved hit him?

"You what?"

"I couldn't stop myself, I'm sorry. He's alright, though. Nana has been taking good care of him when she's not in here with you. He was just dehydrated, malnourished, and had a few broken bones. Nothing to worry about."

Skylar just smiled, realizing how little she cared about Jonathan at the moment. Orion was alive, when she'd thought she'd lost him.

"Let's not talk about him anymore, okay? Remember what happened last time?"

"I try not to," he chuckled, moving so that he was next to her on the bed, rather than standing above her. He laid on his side to look at her and she turned her head to gaze back. She wanted to turn over to cuddle into him, but had a feeling that any twisting or adjustment would be agonizing for her. Orion apparently had similar ideas because he moved over to wrap his strong arm around her waist and rest his head on the pillow next to hers. "It killed me to think that might have been the last conversation we had."

"I know. Good thing it wasn't," she smiled

"Everything is okay now," he whispered, leaning over to kiss her temple. "Everything is alright."

She leaned against him, the strength of him enveloping her with comfort and a feeling of home. She liked having him in the bed with her. "When did we get here?" she asked.