Bloodlines: Dragon Rider Book 2

Chapter 51: Cry of Decay

Snap her out of it, I think. Get her up.

But pulling a person from this trance is nearly impossible.

As gently and as quickly as I can, I lower myself to the ground, cheek to stone. Her eyes are a deep, dark brown, they meet mine but do not see me. "Norah," I say softly. "Norah, I'm here. Come back to me, kid."

"Thirteen," Dagen announces, his voice echoing through the city.

"Are you serious?" Adam whines and there is no energy left in me to be angry at them.

Slowly, Norah's pupils tighten, wavering the longer she stares at me. Sadness steals her face, a kind I've never seen on her before. My heart breaks.

"I got you killed," she whispers, her voice barely a breath. It breaks and cracks and I know it must feel like razors blades to speak. "I'm so sorry."

"Kid," I say. "I'm right here."

"I killed her. How could I do that?" Tears spill, running sideways down her face. "My...Rima. How could I do that?"

I scooch closer, taking her cold, bloodied hand and pressing it to my beard, just hard enough for her to feel the pricks of hair. Her fingers are cold and stiff, like a corpse forgotten in the snow for a week.

Her tiny fingers twitch, curling into my cheek. I smile as her eyes flutter, each time coming more and more into herself.

"Hey, kid," I say. "It's me

She shakes her head, squeezing her eyes shut. "I don't... I don't understand."

I squeeze her hand, watching as a hundred emotions play across her face. "Hey, hey, hey, we'll figure it out later," I say. "But we need to leave. Now. Or else we might actually be dead."

Her eyes snap open, flicking to Easton and the other's fighting the wraiths. She turns to me, swallowing thickly, and bobs her head.

"That's my girl." Squirm leaps off her chest, watching with flaring antlers as I help her into a sitting position. She groans, her whole body trembling. I don't mention it, not right now.

Easton's the first to notice, relief softening his face even as he kills another wraith. He looks to me as I slowly, cautiously, get Norah to stand without swaying. "What can I do?" he asks.

"Get us to the cliffs."

I grab Squirm, who doesn't wiggle, and we race down the tree toward Dagen and Adam fighting off the last of the wraiths. I keep behind Norah, my eyes flicking to every flinch and stumble. If she falls, I'll see it.

Adam waves at us, joining in our run as Dagen takes off ahead, disappearing into the shadowed streets. "I was so worried! Are you okay? You look like you're in pain."

Norah doesn't say anything and Adam busies himself pushing back wraiths in the streets. There aren't many and piles of ice are splayed across the stone. No doubt from Dagen.

We find the necromancer leaning against a building, twirling his daggers. He grins at us, steel eyes landing on Norah. "Rise and shine, Screaming Beauty."

She ignores him too.

The city drops away, buildings and streets becoming flat stone. Stone that used to be a city.

We stop to catch our breaths once we have climbed high enough that the streets become tiny dots and the buildings seem even smaller. Easton watches for oncoming wraiths, though none follow us so far out of their home.

Adam pants, pacing back and forth while Dagen watches, silent and brooding in his cloak. My gaze goes to Norah, pale and dazed. She stumbles away, waving off Adam who goes to reach for her. "Where are you going?"