Page 215 of Upon Buried Embers
I groan as I roll over, my head pounding with every breath I take. My face is being licked, tiny claws scratching. I bat Sparks away, feeling like I will throw up.
“Not now,” I whine, pulling the furs up as I cough. “Sparks.” I grumble again when he makes a growling noise.
We should have left him in the cave.
I move a hand up, searching for Rohan’s hair, but I can’t find it, that’s strange.
I blink my eyes open, and when Sparks starts biting the tips of my fingers, I groan and sit up.
Batting my hair out of my way, some of it coming out of my braid, I go to chastise Sparks when I see smoke curling beneath the curtain of the bedroom.
“Rohan?” I turn to him, ready to wake him but the bed is empty.
Sparks whines at me, and I pick him up and scramble out of bed, pulling the curtain to the side. Flames lick up the front of the cabin.
Oh Gods.
“Rohan?!” I call, covering my mouth to cough. I check the bathing area, but he isn’t there either. Where is he? “Come on Sparks, we have to go.” I make my way to the back of the cabin, picking up Sparks, when the back door is thrown open.
“Don’t come in, there’s a fire!” I stop when I see the figure and the bloodied knife they’re holding. “What—”
“You are to come with us.”
“What… what do you want?” I eye him, looking around for an escape.
“You. Come, now.” He holds out his hand, but I don’t move. “Don’t make this difficult.”
“I think there’s been a mistake.” I hiss when the heat of flames at my back burns me.
“Have it your way then.”
The figure lunges, and I scream, scrambling back and in my shock, I drop Sparks.
“Run!” I shout to him as the figure comes closer, knife raised. I move further back into the burning cabin. The flames are spitting and hissing as fire slowly tears its way through Rohan’s home.
I raise my hands in defense, seeing Sparks out the corner of my eye as he gives the man a wide berth.
And he is a man. He’s tall and wide. His hands have tattoos on them and I can barely make out the beard beneath the darkened hood he has pulled up over his head.
“W-hat do you want?” I ask, but he’s silent, and lunges again.
I scream and scramble out of the way, getting behind the low table and picking up a cup and throwing it at him. He bats it away easily, growling and coming for me once again.
I pretend to go left, then go to the right for the back exit when he falls for it. I run as fast as I can, picking up Sparks as I pass him. He growls, and then we are slammed to the floor.
I scream as I land on my arm awkwardly, and I thrash, trying to get the man off of me as pain spreads through me.
I’m rolled onto my back, and I claw at him the best I can, catching him in the face. I see the blade being raised, and I turn my head to the side, tears spilling from my eyes as he brings it down. A growl and a yelp has me turning back.
Sparks has him by the hand that’s holding the dagger, teeth digging in, blood spilling from it as he growls and shakes him side to side. The male shouts, dropping the knife as he uses his other hand to grip Sparks, pulling and tugging to try and get him loose.
Sparks doesn’t let go.
I continue my struggle to get out from under him, kicking my legs, and he eventually topples to the side, still trying to get the small dragon off of him. He curses, more blood spilling.
“Get the fuck off me!” he shouts, and he punches Sparks hard, and then again until the little dragon goes limp.
“Sparks!” I cry out as the man throws him across the room near the flames on the walls.
