Page 190 of Upon Buried Embers
Roar.
“You will have to get through me before you get to her,” he growls low, twirling the axe in his hand. “And you willneverhurt her.”
The red dragon in front of me opens his mouth, a glow in the back of its throat.
Ignis, their fire is dangerous. He’ll set the whole forest ablaze.
“Hey!” Rohan spins us, putting me at his back and points the axe at him. “Fucking try me!” The dragon’s mouth shuts, tilting his head at the forceful command. “We’re not here to hurt you, but I will if you put her in danger.” Growls. “You know who I am, I’ve been here many times before so calm, the fuck, down!”
But the hurt has already been done. I can feel it from them, a fire of pain burns in me.
A dragon.
They’re hurting.
Being hurtrightnow.
I spin around, glancing at each dragon, and though they hurt, it’s none of them.
Rohan continues to calm them down, his words muffled as my heartbeat thrums in my ears.
Where.
Where are you?
“Rohan…” My eyes water as I turn to the left of us, just past the green dragon.
My breath hitches, causing me to freeze for a moment.
“Elf?”
I don’t reply, I can’t as I take off running in that direction.
“Elf, stay next to me!”
I run past the trees, hearing Rohan curse as he catches up to me in no time, but he doesn’t stop me. Not when I run through bushes and scratch myself, not when I turn sharply to the left and nearly collide with a small cave wall when the pain suddenly disappears, and not when we come to a stop in front of a red dragon whose wings are curled around itself.
“No,” I whimper, seeing the blood leaking from some sort of wound at her neck.
Rohan rushes over, dropping to his knees before her and putting a hand on her neck, trying to stem the bleeding.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck. No!” He shouts, going to her face and placing a hand just beneath her eye. “Come on, Frelia. You have a hatchling, remember? They’re going to need you. Come on, wake up.”
Her baby. Oh Gods.
“Frelia,” he growls, but it’s full of pain, shaking her a little. “Come on. Don’t do this.” He starts pushing at her chest, trying to get her to stand up. “Don’t do this and get up.”
But she’s not getting up.
Tears track down my cheeks, because she won’t open her eyes, and her chest is still.
So, so still.
I stumble toward her, my legs giving out as Rohan continues to try and rouse her. I place my hand on her leg and flinch.
She’s so cold.
“Frelia, please!” The grief in Rohan’s voice breaks me. To see such a formidable man, hunched over and begging her to wake up is enough to crush my heart even more.
