Page 59 of Don't Fae With Dragons

Mili!I hear someone shout from far away.

I frown and sigh, my vision starting to darken around the edges. The shouting gets a little louder, and I turn around, curious where it’s coming from. When I turn, I see a fuzzy face in front of me –Cory?– and I mumble something incoherent before feeling my eyes fall back.

Everything goes dark.

–––

I wake up in Cory’s lap in Chrysthinia’s front yard. He’s sitting on the ground, clutching me tightly to him, staring downinto my face with the most terrified expression I’ve ever seen on his face.

“I’m so sorry,” I manage to mumble. “I brought him here.”

“Shh,” he whispers. “I have to bring you inside, okay? Just relax.”

I sigh heavily and close my eyes, allowing Cory to curl me into his chest as he lifts us both off the ground. I inhale his scent, the cider and leather smell I’ve come to love, and try to push the vision of Kar out of my mind as he brings me inside.

“The bed,” Chrysthinia orders firmly.

As I look up at Cory, I see him nod at them, his eyes worried and his brow furrowed.

I let my eyes fall closed again as Cory walks me to Chrysthinia’s bed. He lays me down and I sigh, squeezing my eyes shut to will myself back to sleep. It’s horrible, being awake now that I know that the force which brought Kar’s devastation to Ethelinda wasme.

I’d much rather sleep it all away –though that’s not seeming very likely to happen with Cory, Port, Max, and Chrysthinia whispering in half-hushed voices in the hallway. Despite myself, my ears hone in on their conversation.

“What’s the matter with her?” Max hisses, sounding as irritated as he is worried. There’s the sound of a soft punch, probably Port hitting Max in the arm. Max whispers, “Ow!”

“Oh, hush,” Port whispers back. “Something’s clearly upset her.”

Cory scoffs. “Brilliant, how did you manage to figure that out?”

“The three of you act like brothers,” Chrysthinia chuckles lowly.

“We might as well be with how much these two drive me mad,” Cory growls.

“Lay off it, Cory!” Max spits out. I can almost picture his hackles rising as he squares up to Cory, and I hear their footsteps shift as Port (presumably) moves between them.

Port whispers urgently, “Both of you, quiet! Realm willing, she’s sleeping by now.”

“Oh, really? If she’s asleep, why’s her heart pounding in the other room?” Cory grumbles. “You just want a moment alone with her, don’t you?”

“What?” Port and Max ask in unison.

“No, that’s not it at all,” Port replies, sounding wounded.

Max sucks in a breath. “We’ve got to work on that possessive streak of yours, Cory.”

Cory growls, but he doesn’t bite back with a snipe of his own. I suppose heisa bit possessive –not that I mind it. Still, Max and Port aren’t wrong. It’s good that Cory can recognize it, though.

“Look,” Cory whispers. “She’s still awake in there, and probably still terrified or upset or whatever the Realm is going on with her. Are you two going to help me help her, or not?”

“Of course we are,” Port murmurs. I imagine him laying a hand on Cory’s arm as I hear Cory sigh in response.

Max humphs, and there’s another soft hit –Port must have punched his shoulder again. I smile at the mental image, and Max replies, “Oh, godsdamnit, of course I’ll check on her, too.”

“Be gentle with her,” Chrysthinia whispers sternly. “She’s a precious one.”

“I know she is,” Cory says softly as Port and Max murmur their assent.

I try to steady my heartbeat as the door squeaks open, but I feel it pounding in my chest anyway. I sigh and open my eyes –no sense in pretending since they can hear it, anyway.

---