So Ash won by A LOT . . . . Kaine/Syrra also got quite a few votes though so I will do one of their POVs next if you guys are okay with that :)
I was kinda tired when I wrote this so I apologize if there are mistakes or parts that don't make sense. I hope you enjoy it anyway!!!!
*******
The water laps against my body and it makes my wounds sting but I ignore the pain. I focus only on the sounds of the moving water and my heartbeat.
Thump thump. Thump thump. Thump thump. Slow and steady for the first time in years.
Where is Jaxon? my dragon asks.
I listen closer and hear a second heartbeat along with faint scratching noises. Somewhere in the trees it sounds like.
What's he doing?
I sigh. I lift my head up and open my eyes. My eyebrows knit together in confusion as I look up at the sky. He's drawing?
Aw he's an artist, just like you! Cassie chuckles.
I am not an artist, I scoff.
That's what all artists say. Queen Zari seemed to think you have talent.
"Ash are you okay?" Jaxon's voice brings me out of the conversation with my dragon.
A cloud of steam surrounds me and I take a deep breath. I pull myself out of the suddenly boiling pool and dry myself off. "I'm fine."
His raises an eyebrow at me. "You don't sound fine," he says.
"Just arguing with my dragon. What are you doing?" I ask, motioning to the sketchbook he has propped up against his knees.
He hides it quickly, pressing it against his chest with a sheepish smile. "Nothing," he mutters.
"It sounded like you were drawing." He nods a little and I sit down in front of him, gritting my teeth against the sharp, stabbing pain in my side. I let out a heavy breath as I cross my legs and look at Jax. "Can I see?"
His eyes widen in what looks like panic. "No―I don't really let people see my drawings," he mutters.
"Please Jax?" I plead. He bites the inside of his cheek making me sigh. "I'm not going to judge or anything, I just want to see."
He takes a deep breath. "Okay fine," he murmurs, handing me the sketchbook.
I flip it over and my breath catches in my throat. My eyes widen as my fingers trail over the drawing, careful not to smudge the pencil. "It's me." The detail is insane. I couldn't have been in the water for more than ten minutes.
"Yeah, look I know it's probably kind of weird and―"
"Jax! I meant it when I said I wasn't going to judge you," I tell him. Relief washes over him and he manages a small smile. "This is amazing," I mumble.
"You really think so?"
I nod. "Yeah I don't know how you did this so fast―or so accurately," I say, noticing he drew my scars, even the ones on my face.
"I've been drawing for a long time," he says.
I realize that he's at the middle of his sketchbook. "Can I look at the other ones?" I ask.
He looks conflicted for several moments before finally nodding.
I start flipping through his past drawings, my eyes widening. "My gods these are amazing," I breathe. I pause at one that completely takes my breath away.
"Oh uh, that's my mom and my brother's dragons. My mom's is the smaller one," he says.
"I've only ever heard stories of her dragon and rumors about your brother's. Did you really draw this?" I ask, looking back up at him.
"Yeah I drew that one from memory actually, their dragons are too restless to sit still for that long," he says.
Yeah Cassie I'm definitely not an artist. This is art.
I don't know about you but this is just making me curious to see what Jaxon's dragon looks like. What's her name?
"Cassie wants to know what your dragon looks like, and what's her name?" I ask.
Jax chuckles. "Azazel. She's red with black spikes along her spine," he says.
"Red like dragon fire or―"
"No it's like red-red."
I stare at him. "Cause that makes sense," I snort.
He laughs a little. "Okay yeah that doesn't help um, oh! Azazel's scales are the same color as her eyes," he says and he blinks and his irises are suddenly flaring red.
My eyes widen and I feel something twist deep in my stomach. "Oh fuck," I murmur under my breath but it comes out in almost a whimper.
Uh do you think he realizes what he looks like with his eyes like that?
Aw Ash do you have a crush on Jax? Cassie purrs.
What? No! I scoff.
"Ash are you okay?" He peers at me with concern, his eyes back to their brilliant gold.
"Uh yeah, I'm fine. Cassie is just annoying the crap out of me," I sigh.
"Okay well let's head back up to the cave before it gets dark," he says, starting to pack his things.
"Do we have to stay in the cave?" I ask. Last night was rough. It helped that Jaxon was there but I still had nightmares―well, not nightmares but bad memories.
Jaxon gives me a small half smile. "I can't exactly keep you safe if we're out in the open, at least in the cave there's only one way in or out so no one can sneak up on us again."
"Fine," I mutter, clenching my jaw.
*******
The blare of the horn echoes in my ears. The terrified screams that follow make my eyes burn.
"Let's go. We're going to torture any dragons that escape so you better get to them first," Taryn spits, his voice dripping with venom.
I nod quickly, snatching my bow and quiver of arrows from the wolf. I move out to the very edge of the ridge. My heart pounds in my chest.
The warriors have lined up in front of the entrance to the Devil's Circle and they surround the women and children.
My mouth is dry and it hurts to swallow as I notch an arrow on the bowstring.
"You better hurry up before we blow the horn again. We do that and they're gonna start shifting," Taryn growls.
I clench my jaw tight as I line up the shot. My fingers tremble and the bow shakes in my hands.
"Take the shot devil," a voice snarls in my ear. "End the dragon race."
I release the arrow and it sails through the air, finding its mark in the dirt. I can't do it.
I feel a sharp, agonizing pain in my back and I cry out, collapsing on the rock. My head is yanked up by my hair and I yelp at the sharp sting. I grab Taryn's hand as he pulls me up, my eyes watering.
He puts his face close to mine and I let out a whimper of fear. "Kill those dragons, or I am going to torture you until you beg for death," he snarls, throwing me back onto the stone.
"I am so sorry," I sob as I notch another arrow. Everything is blurry but I still manage to aim into the line of warriors. I point my bow into the sky and let go of the string.
I collapse onto the rock as it finds its mark.
"Ash! Come on buddy wake up!"
My eyes snap open with a gasping breath. My entire body aches but the worst is the stabbing pain in my side and the throbbing in my temple.
Jaxon's face hovers over me, his eyes filled with worry. "Are you okay?"
I swallow the thick lump in my throat. "No," I rasp.
He sighs, sitting back. I feel a pressure lessen on my shoulders and frown. "Were you holding me down?"
He nods. "You started thrashing and ripped open your stitches again and managed to hit your face on the stone. I held you down so you wouldn't hurt yourself anymore," he explains.
"So that's why it hurts so bad," I mutter with a wince.
I grit my teeth as Jaxon re-stitches my wound for the third time. "I'm gonna clean the gash on your head, do you think you can sit up?" he asks.
"Yeah I think so."
He helps me sit up and I let out a groan at the pounding in my skull. My face is sticky with blood, the metallic smell making me grimace.
Jaxon uses a wet cloth to clean the wound on my head. I squeeze my eyes shut against the throbbing that is slowly spreading from my temple.
"Damn it the blood is getting everywhere," he suddenly grumbles.
"What the fuck are you doing to my hair?" I growl as I feel him tugging on the strands.
"I'm pulling it back, unless you want the blood to get in your hair?" he says.
I open my eyes as he comes back around to finish cleaning the wound. "What did you do?" I ask.
"I put it in a bun. Now stop moving so I can put the bandage on."
It feels weird to have my hair out of my face. It's kind of nice though to be able to see clearer. The bandage Jax puts around my head holds a lot better too.
"Okay, you can go back to sleep if you want," he tells me.
I carefully lay down but I know I won't be able to sleep.
"You okay?" Jaxon asks.
"Yeah." I close my eyes for just a few moments and I can instantly feel the chilling fear in my bones. I can still see Taryn's face. I can still hear the screams of the dragons I killed.
I open my eyes as I let out a shaky breath. Tears roll down the sides of my face as I stare at the cave walls, desperately trying to think of anything but the hunters but they completely fill my thoughts.
Jax's face appears above me again. "Ash you're not okay, will you please let me help?" he asks softly.
I shake my head, my face twisting in pain. "How could you possibly help Jax? It's in my head. Everything I want to forget is running in a constant loop in my mind and I can't make it stop."
Suddenly his lips are on mine. They're as warm and as soft as his voice. It's over too soon though and he pulls away.
His thumb wipes the tears off of my cheeks and my eyes widen. Jax looks down at me with his golden gaze and I can't help the small smile that comes to my lips. Jax smiles back. "Did that help?"