Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Radiant

The guards near the door looked at me like I was crazy for even being in the vicinity of the red dragon. I pushed away my uncertainties and glided into the large room where the red dragon was curled up. I stayed at the edge of the room, looking at the dragon's vibrant scales.

"I know you." I looked at the red dragon's head to see him looking at me. His deep ruby eyes blinked at me slowly.

"What is your name?" I asked the dragon as gently as possible. A puff of smoke left the dragons nostrils.

"Thorn."

"A fitting name," I commented before walking up to Thorn's head and trailing my fingers across his ruby scales. "I am so sorry for what has been forced upon you."

"You wear his necklace." One of my hands immediately went to the leather necklace.

"I do, I didn't want to forget." I then placed my hand on Thorn's scaly head and ran my fingers over the fiery red scales.

"Why are you awake at this time of night?" Thorn asked as I rubbed his cheeks and snout. I smiled when he let out a puff of smoke in contentment; he probably rarely felt like this.

"I can't sleep." Thorn saw right through my words.

"Can't or won't?"

"Both." I dropped my hand back to my side, thinking deeply about the last couple of months. I don't know how I got through them. I felt a soft nudge on my head. I looked up at Thorn.

"Maybe he can help?" I looked at Thorn with a shocked expression.

"I... how will he even be able to help me? He probably doesn't even want to see my face since my father is the reason why you two are in this predicament." I thought as I shook my head. "I've kept a lot of secrets from him. There are still things he doesn't know."

"That doesn't change anything little elf. Would you like to stay here and try to get some rest?" I looked at Thorn in his eyes with a shocked expression.

"Would you mind?" Thorn let out another puff of smoke and moved one of his front feet and leg in a position that I could curl up in.

"Sleep little elf." I rapidly climbed up onto Thorn's leg and curled myself up in a ball in the nook he had created. Just being near a dragon automatically calmed my whole body down and I was able to drift into a peaceful sleep

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Thorn examined the little elf currently curled up in a ball and sleeping on his leg. She resembled the little elf he had seen in Murtagh's memories. It had been at least eight months since the memories. Whatever had happened to her in the past months, had left an effect on her.

The angle of her sharp blue eyes seemed more profound. The contours of her face had lost their softness in favor of sharper, curvier edges. The weight that seemed to bring balance to her body previously was gone, in place what looked like a hard hewn muscle.

He didn't blame her one bit for his and Murtagh's position. Galbatorix had plucked her image from his Rider's mind and had seemed shocked by her appearance. Then he had pulled every little detail about her from his Rider's mind until he was left delirious.

Thorn blinked down at the elf. She was a burst of light in their dark world. Thorn wondered how the little elf could possibly be related to Galbatorix. They were complete opposites.