Chapter 18
With a new baby dragon in their unconventional family...well, things got very interesting over the next few weeks.
First off, Posy had completely fallen in love with Roshan. Since she'd stayed behind at the palace the afternoon Roshan hatched, Lyv decided to take her with them the following day. Forget horses, which she'd been obsessed with before. Dragons were her favorite now.
Her love of the baby dragon was reciprocated, too, and Lyv knew they were undeniably going to be a handful together, especially when she'd caught them playing later that afternoon. Posy had secured herself on Roshan's back with a small piece of string and they were charging through the tall grasses chasing butterflies and pouncing on small flowers.
Even though Thia had warned her, Lyv had totally underestimated just how fast Roshan would grow. The day after he had hatched, he'd already grown two inches. And by the time a week rolled around, he more than doubled in size. Of course, he was still a baby and his first week of life were filled with what babies did most – sleeping.
But as week two rolled around, Roshan started staying up for longer periods of time, mostly when Lyv came to visit since he was staying with Erly at the Branvon estate. With every bit he grew, Lyv could feel the bond between them strengthening. She took the time to get to know him and all his little quirks, which included the humming that Erly did as well. And he had an attitude...which Gideon laughed and said he got from Lyv. She slapped him on the back of the head for that.
By the end of that second week, he was the size of a very large dog and staying up pretty much all day, causing a chaos with every moment. He wasn't just growing in size either, but abilities as well. Though it would still be another few weeks before he could fly or even breath fire, they still worked with him to strengthen his muscles, especially those in his back. Erly did this with him mostly, with added encouragement from Lyv, Thia, Gideon, and even Destan and Eamon when they were able to sneak away from their own royal duties.
And when Roshan would get tired, he'd just huff out a puff of smoke and plop down right where he was. His favorite place to do this, though, was right on top of Lyv. Even though he grew bigger with every day, Lyv still couldn't stop him from doing this. She didn't want to either. Even with spikes and razor-sharp teeth, the dragon was still too adorable as he gazed up at her with his head resting on her stomach, both of them sprawled in the grass. This was usually followed by Lyv loving on him and scratching the spot right under his jaw that made him hum and close his eyes.
Roshan wasn't the only one in training. Thia worked with Lyv to learn how to fly on the back of a dragon, using Erly as practice. She'd surprised her with her own gear and told her randomly one day that Roshan was taking a break from his own training and she was going to learn how to ride. Lyv was at first terrified at the idea of being so high up in the air, even though Thia had showed her how to strap herself into the harness.
Erly was patient with her, though, only taking her about fifty feet in the air at the beginning...but it was a feeling that Lyv had never felt before...and wanted to immediately go higher. Dozens of feet turned into hundreds, maybe even thousands, as they flew over the rolling hills just outside the city before going over the city itself. It was the most breathtaking sight she'd ever seen and something she knew she could get used to. Thia was laughing by the time they'd landed, telling her she was a natural.
And Gideon wanted a turn then, which Thia completely denied but was disobeyed by Erly, who turned to him and ready to go again.
The growth spurts continued. Once he was three weeks old, Roshan was the size of a horse and so close to being strong enough to fly. Lyv and Erly had caught him trying and failing to lift himself up into the skies, having watched Erly, but it would take a little more training before he could. Thia's idea for Lyv's day off from her palace healing duties would be just the thing.
Before she came, Lyv was up, having been awake since the sun was. Something felt...off. Like something awful had happened. It even woke her up from her sleep, bolting up straight in bed as a tight knot formed in the pit of her stomach. Was something wrong with Gideon? No, he was still snoring in his room from the sounds of it. She didn't think it was Roshan either, not when she and the rest of Ayveri would have undoubtedly heard Erly's roar had that been the case. Even Posy was still sleeping soundly when Lyv went to check on her.
But still...something was very, very wrong.
She couldn't get back to sleep, not when that knot still wasn't leaving her stomach. She could barely even concentrate as she made the morning's tea, even though Gideon wouldn't be up for a few more hours. And when he was, finding her in the kitchen absentmindedly making breakfast, he knew something was wrong with her. She didn't tell him, though, knowing it was more than likely just something that she had dreamed of and then forgotten.
The feeling never lessened, even when Thia showed up as they were eating, dressed in a flowy white shirt and linen pants, which made Lyv take a second look because she'd only seen her in leather.
"The beach?" Lyv asked when Thia told her where she was taking her.
"It's your day off, right?"
"Yes, but..."
"But nothing. You can do with some relaxing and a day on the sand in the sun is just the thing. I know a little place no one really goes to. Roshan needs to learn how to swim and it'll help build him strength."
Gideon, who had heard the whole conversation, perked up at the prospect of a relaxing day by the water since it was his day off as well. "I'm in."
Thia narrowed her eyes at him over Lyv's shoulder. "And did I invite you?"
"No, but it's my day off, too...so I'm inviting myself. Besides, you have yet to see me shirtless, Thia Branvon."
"And why, exactly, would I want to see that?"
Gideon winked. "Because it will give you a preview of what else I have to offer."
The two of them had been nonstop the past few weeks since they met. Whenever Lyv would talk to Gideon, she'd tell him to lay off with the sass...to which he answered he was going to wear her down into liking him. Lyv would just shake her head and let it go.
"Just let him come, Thia, and I'll go, too," she told her.
"Fine," she huffed. "Besides, I can't go tell the dragons we're not going to the beach when I already promised. That would not be fun. Erly was showing Roshan the way around the city since, you know, Roshan can't fly just yet and Erly's just a little too wide for the streets."
"Don't let her hear you say that," Gideon snorted, passing them by to go back in his room to get his things.
And Thia smacked him on the back of the head.
***
When they made it to the edge of the harbor, they found Erly and Roshan patiently waiting, just as Thia had said. Posy, who had tagged along as well, flew from Lyv's shoulder to land on the top of Roshan's head. The dragon practically went cross-eyed trying to look up at her and she kissed him between the eyes. Lyv couldn't help but laugh.
At the sound, Roshan looked up and bounded happily toward her. He was still getting used to being bigger than he had been just a few weeks before and continuously tried to sit in her lap, but he was learning. It was just his head that hit her stomach this time before he nuzzled into her.
When he looked up, Lyv put her hands on either side of his face and kissed the place where Posy had. "How are you today, my beautiful dragon?"
Roshan huffed out a breath as smoke steamed from his nostrils.
"Is your momma dragon being overprotective?"
Another huff before a grumble in his chest.
"Well, guess what? I'm going to be just as overprotective, especially when you're still learning and growing."
Roshan narrowed his gray eyes stubbornly...and then walked over to Gideon, who he knew would let him get away with more, Posy still sitting on his brow. Not only did Gideon have Erly absolutely adoring him, but Roshan as well...and he was loved every single moment of it, including being able to rub Lyv and Thia's faces in it.
It didn't take long for them to reach the spot Thia had told them about, which was along the beach just south of the city. Roshan, having never been near the water or even standing in sand before, was hesitant. Erly and Posy were trying to show him that it was okay, but he didn't dare step onto it until he saw Lyv take off her boots, roll up her own pants, and step onto the squishy stuff.
He followed Lyv even as Posy flew to the edge of the water with Erly not far behind. The momma dragon took off and flew past the water's edge so she could nosedive right into the waves. Gideon was heading toward the water, too, and Roshan looked Lyv as if to ask if he could follow him. Giving him an encouraging smile and having Gideon call his name, the dragon walked slowly toward the water.
"Erly was the same way when she was his age," Thia said as they both sat down in the sand on a blanket she laid out. "He'll love it once he's in, though. If he wants to try going under, there is a natural pool is just over there."
Again, Roshan looked back at Lyv just as he reached Gideon but trusted his Fae friend enough to step into the water. Of course, he jumped back as soon as the first wave came crashing into the shore and Lyv, Thia, and Gideon couldn't help but laugh. Posy was standing next to him, then, coaxing him forward again as another wave came. This time, with the little pixie at his side, he wasn't as afraid.
Thia was watching Erly, who had been flying and diving into the waves far out into the bay, coming back up with fish in her mouth before they disappeared down her throat. Whenever Lyv would glance over at her, her eyes weren't only on her dragon...but also on the Fae warrior who was playing around with Roshan and Posy.
And he had indeed taken his shirt off.
"He's good," Lyv said to her. "Vandor, I mean. He's good and kind and stubborn just as much as I am."
"I only tolerate him because he's great with Erly. I think she's fallen for him."
"Did you really want her to scare him away before?"
"Of course," she grinned at Lyv. "I didn't think she'd betray me, though."
Erly had come back to the shoreline then, bringing with her a couple fish for Roshan to snack on. The red dragon started playing around with Gideon then, shoving her nose into his stomach and knocking him into an oncoming wave. Thia applauded and laughed as Gideon surfaced, spitting out salt water and wiping it from his eyes. He started laughing as Erly helped him up. And when he was back on the dry sand, he patted her head and said something quietly to her.
Erly was on the move then after dipping her head into the water...ran for the two females...and spit water directly at Thia.
This time, it was Gideon who was howling with laughter.
"Erly, you...ugh!" Thia yelled, standing up in her soaked clothes. Gideon was still laughing and stopped as soon as Thia's death glare was on him.
Lyv was the only one laughing then as Thia bolted for Gideon and tackled him into the sand.
Even as she watched them fight and wrestle – and Thia was definitely winning – the knot that had yet to leave her stomach tightened...
And all of them looked up at the sound of thundering hooves along the shoreline.
There had to be a dozen guardsmen riding full speed toward them. Erly and Roshan both took protective stances around them and Posy landed on Lyv's shoulder, holding tight to a strand of her hair.
But it wasn't any kind of invasion. Not when the Fae general Camilla – someone Lyv had only met once before – was at the head of the party. Another dark-skinned male rode beside her. But what had Lyv's full attention was the slumped over male riding behind her, his face covered with dried blood and sweat. In fact, all of them were, like they had been in a fight only a few hours before.
This...this was why Lyv had been feeling like she had all morning. One look at the Fae male covered in blood behind her...
The party flew past them and heading into the direction of the city.
And Thia and Gideon had completely forgotten their fight.
Thia's eyes were wide. "That was..."
Lyv jumped up and ran for Erly. "We have to get to the palace right now. That's where they'll be headed." She pointed at Gideon as Posy flew from her shoulder and onto his. Thia had already made it beside her, jumping up on the dragon's back. "You're not going to have time to get Roshan back to the estate, so just come to the palace. I don't want him anywhere else until we know what happened. If there's an attack..."
"I will," Gideon nodded.
Holding out a hand, Thia helped her up behind her just before Erly took two long strides and lifted into the air. With the riding party below them, Thia guided Erly toward the palace. With how fast they were going, those in the streets below knew something had to be wrong, which was then confirmed when Camilla and her guardsmen raced past after shouting for everyone to get out of the way.
Erly touched down right in the middle of the main courtyard of the palace, the one place she could actually fit comfortably. When a dragon lands in front of the palace, you were bound to raise alarms. Destan, Eamon, and Felyx came out of the stables, the horses that had been out bucked in fright, and several of the palace staff peered out the windows and open archways with wide eyes. The thundering of hooves gave away why they'd landed so suddenly and out of the blue.
Destan was the first to realize what was going on. "What the hell happened?" he yelled as the dark-skinned male jumped from his horse and ran around to Camilla's.
The general started crying as they pulled the male off the horse behind her. "We were attacked early this morning. He...there was this male with a dagger and he...oh, gods, I tried. I tried to stop it, but I'm not good with healing magic...and Healer Mirun was killed in the fight. The dagger...it was coated with minette spider venom..."
Destan and Felyx both let out a string of curses as the injured male was laid on the ground. Camilla started wiping off the sweat from his face, along with the dried blood. That was when Lyv really saw his face, the one that had made an appearance in several of her dreams over the past year...
Crown Prince Jai.
"Jai? Jai!" Destan yelled at him, slapping his face to try and get him to wake up.
Sapphire eyes barely opened, pupils so wide they practically eclipsed the blue, and stared at him before closing again.
"How long ago was it?" Destan demanded, ripping off the bandages that were wrapped around Jai's torso.
Everyone sucked in a breath when they saw the gray vein-like lines that spread across his tanned skin, their path just inches away from the place above his heart.
Minette spider venom. Lyv hadn't heard of it before until she and Gideon had arrived in Dalcaine. And it wasn't even from Dalcaine. The minette spider was native to the forests that separated the rest of Ethran from the Wilds, which no one ever came back from after entering. The venom itself was toxic to Fae, mostly because of its high concentration of iron and its ability to completely wipe out one's magic once it reached the heart. And once that happened, it was only a matter of moments before death. There was no stopping it.
And Jai...it looked like he had less than an hour before the venom reached its destination. There were only a few theories in the texts about how to reverse the effects...but none of them had been successful because Fae magic couldn't work on iron. Lyv had read about it in one of the books from her library.
"Eamon!" Destan screamed at his little brother. "Go find Audry and get back here as soon as you can..."
But the little prince was stuck where he stood, his eyes glistening with tears as his oldest brother lay dying in front of him.
And Lyv couldn't look away from Jai either...not when she knew that uneasy knot that had been in her stomach all morning was because of this.
And something was pulling her forward toward him.
"I'm right here," she said, dropping down to her knees beside him.
"Do something," he demanded of her. "You have to do something to heal him. Can't you?"
"I do not know. Just...give me a moment..."
"We don't have a moment!"
The harshness in his yell made everyone stop, including her. She looked up at him, cradled his face in her hands, and said, "I am going to do everything I can. Just give me a moment to see how far it's spread."
Destan nodded, reaching up to grasp onto her hands before letting them go so she could work.
Get over the fact that this is Jai, that you are supposed to want him dead.
Because in that moment, in her panic, she didn't want him dead. Not like this. Gods, she could practically feel what was going on in his body, the burning fire that had made him swallow his screams and drop him into oblivion.
Jai's own small bit of magic had already healed where the dagger had gone into him, thought the dark gray circle of venom was still there. Holding out her hands and closing her eyes, Lyv's magic felt through his body, seeing just how close it was to his heart.
He didn't have an hour. He had only minutes.
"Get him to the infirmary now," she commanded as her eyes flew open. "And as fast as you can."
Lyv didn't even wait for them to question her as she stood up and started to run. Not to the palace doors, but rather into the shadows she created as she faded herself into her rooms...and grabbed for her knife by her bed.
She was rubbing the blade with alcohol when the guardsmen brought Jai in, dropping him gently on to the closest cot.
By that time, the king and queen had heard what happened, along with Laurel and her mate Michel. There was so much commotion in the room and yet Lyv kept her cool as she rushed to Jai's side.
She didn't hear what everyone was asking.
Didn't hear when the queen and Laurel started crying as Camilla told them what happened.
Lyv barely even heard her own breathing when she gently placed one hand on Jai's heated skin, her eyes immediately going to his face...and felt the sense of familiarity rush through her.
She was supposed to want him dead.
But her magic immediately strangled the venom in its track to his heart.
The iron in it was keeping her from making it vanish as she would have with water, but...hold on. That was it. She used the water in him to start pushing the venom from his system, backtracking through the path it had taken.
There wasn't anywhere for the venom to come out of, though, which was why she'd gone for her knife. As her magic continued to work, she sliced open his skin right where the dagger had gone in and held it open as the venom began to ooze out.
Another set of hands were there to help her and she looked over to see Gideon. Though his face was blank, she could see he was just as conflicted as she was.
But still, they worked together to save him.
Lyv directed a little of her magic to keep the wound open while Gideon grabbed for cloth to press against it. In no time, it was soaked with blood and venom and had to be changed. Thia was the one to hand him replacements, her face ashen as she looked at the crown prince.
Destan was on Jai's other side then, with the king and queen, Laurel, and Eamon as well. Everyone was watching as Lyv worked, continuing to reverse the venom from Jai's body. But even as it did, it still left thin white lines against his tanned skin, scars that would probably stay for as long as he was alive. Maybe they would fade, maybe they wouldn't.
She didn't know how long it took, but the last of the venom had left his body and Gideon replaced the cloth once more. This time, it was only soaked with blood. Jai's face was pale, his body shivering. When Lyv pulled Gideon's hands away from the cut she'd made, it was clean, untainted. And just as she did when Eamon had cut Destan, she traced her finger alongside it, sealing it back together.
There were so many tears and cheers then from those around them that she didn't know who they came from. Everyone, she supposed. Everyone but herself and Gideon.
And even though she was being hugged from behind, she didn't stop working, trying to sense if he still had his own power. Jai's magic was only a kernel of light within him, which was why he'd yet to wake. His mind was fine, but he was still going to be unconscious until it built itself back up. She continued to sweep her magic through the crown prince's body, healing all that had been injured by the venom and saw yet again that his heart hadn't been.
No, but there was something else there that had done irreversible damage, something he would live with for all his days. A wound in his soul that went deeper than anything she'd ever sensed before.
Lyv's eyes went to Jai as Queen Alexea wiped it off the blood and sweat. The queen was thanking her profusely, reaching over to grasp her hand and pull her into a quick hug over the cot. Destan had even grabbed her hand, his smile of thanks more beautiful than she'd see before.
But her eyes went back to Jai's face.
She didn't even see Gideon's look of conflicted relief.
Or Thia, who was holding onto Gideon's hand tightly with a shaky smile.
Or the king as he held tightly to Eamon as the little prince cried or Laurel holding onto Michel.
Not even Camilla, who was staring at her, recognizing Lyv's scent even though she'd tried her best to mask it.
But still, Lyv's eyes never left Jai's face.
She was supposed to want him dead.
And yet she didn't. Not now. Not after what she felt him holding onto.
***Now I really can't wait until Jai wakes up...even though that's not going to be for a few more chapters. I'm going to have to get used to their dynamic as well, which is going to be weird at the beginning, but I know it won't take long!
You know I love hearing from you guys, so comment and vote!
Happy reading!
- Ansley***