Chapter 12 Hearth & Healing
Chapter twelve
Hearth & Healing
Yuri
Everything hurt.
My entire body felt like one big bruise, and I almost wanted to laugh at myself for ever entertaining the idea that fire and ice could make a good combination. I was fairly certain I had been both burned and frostbitten at the same time, and it made for one excruciating combination.
Mei's worried face hovered over me, but my throat was too sore from roaring for me to call out to her. To rage at her for putting herself in danger like that. To thank her for standing up to my brother on my behalf.
To beg her forgiveness for lying.
When she carefully lifted me into her scale-covered arms, I cried out in pain as darkness licked at the edges of my vision, before the shadows swallowed the light completely.
I groaned as I blinked open my eyes.
The first thing I noticed was that I felt indescribably better. Instead of sharp pain, only a dull ache remained. I could still feel the effects of the burns and the frostbite, but it was manageable—nothing compared to before.
The second thing I noticed was that I was in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room, and wrapped in bandages that smelled faintly of herbs and magic.
The room itself was tidy, and themed in red and white.
A few pictures and posters were taped to the walls, and there was a desk beneath the window across from me.
The first hints of dawn were just beginning to turn the sky a dusty pink, with a handful of golden clouds scattered along the horizon.
And the third thing I noticed was that Mei was seated in a chair beside the bed, fast asleep. I spotted bandages on her arms, and one on her cheek, but I was relieved to see that there were no other obvious injuries.
Sleep softened the normally fiery, spirited planes of her face. Her red hair, which was usually pulled up in a bun or plaited down her back, cascaded loosely down her shoulders.
On impulse, I reached out my own bandaged hand to gently touch her cheek, just above where the bandage rested. My chest tightened. If she got a permanent scar, I didn’t know how I was going to forgive myself.
I should have moved on from Willowmere the moment I found the scales in the cave. I had my proof. My fleet would never be able to ridicule or dismiss my work ever again.
So why hadn’t I left? I knew that every day I stayed was another opportunity for Mikhail to track me down.
And look what had happened.
It was because of my own selfishness that Mei was hurt. She was hurt right before the Harvest Feast, when she needed to be at her best.
And yet…
The idea of leaving this warmth behind, of never finding it again…
That had scared me far more than the seemingly distant threat of Mikhail and the rest of the Frost Fleet.
Mei stirred, but still I did not remove my hand. Her golden eyes shot straight to mine, a smile lighting up her face.
“You’re awake! How do you feel?” Her dark pupils expanded.
“Not as terrible as I was expecting.” My voice sounded as rough as gravel. “Why did you put yourself at risk like that?”
Her smile dimmed. “Why did you lie to me?”
I opened my mouth to explain, but the words stuck in my throat. My hand drifted back to my side. The easy atmosphere that had grown between us was now fraught with tension.
Mei stood, and busied herself with something I couldn’t see on the desk. With her back to me, at least I couldn’t see the disappointment in her eyes. But her words echoed in my head all the same.
She was right. I had lied to her. And my lies of omission had put her in danger.
Would things have been different if I’d been honest with her from the start?
“Where am I?” I asked, instead of replying.
“In my room.”
I blinked, my cheeks heating. She had brought me to her home, and nursed me in her own bed?
Great. Now I felt even worse.
When she turned around, Mei was holding a tray with fresh bandages that smelled strongly of aloe vera. I watched her carefully unwrap the strips of cloth, to reveal my worst case of frostbite so far. Mikhail really hadn’t held back this time.
As she cleaned the damaged skin, Mei explained softly, “I wasn’t sure we were going to be able to save your arm. But fortunately, Mrs. Morelli coached me through how to counteract the frostbite with my fire magic. It might leave some scars, but at least you get to keep the arm.”
If I had still been among my own fleet, our healer would have simply amputated my arm. And my father, Moroz, would have looked at me with disgust, and told me that only the strong survive. That a real warrior could fight through any pain.
I tried to pull my arm away instinctively at that memory, at the need to hide any and all weaknesses that had been ingrained in me for most of my life. But Mei scowled, and pulled my arm back towards her to continue her ministrations. Soon, she had the entire thing wrapped in fresh bandages.
“Asking for help and then accepting it aren’t crimes, you know,” she said gruffly.
My eyes welled with tears, not only at her words, but because of the way she was treating me.
Like I was worthy of treatment.
Of care.
“Thank you,” I said around the lump in my throat.
She slowed. “Anyone would have done the same.”
“No. They wouldn’t have,” I said with more force and bitterness than I meant to.
Her eyes flicked to me in surprise. Her pupils were half-contracted, as if she felt torn between hurt and pity. I hated seeing her look at me like that.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I blurted, “I ran away from my fleet. That’s why… That’s why Mikhail hunted me down. I realized he had found me, back in the diner, and I didn’t want him to hurt you, too.”
“Why didn’t you fight back at first?” The sympathy in her eyes was nearly my undoing.
“Because when I don’t, the beatings don’t last as long,” I whispered hoarsely.
Mei’s hand flew to her mouth. “Is that why you ran away?”
“Yes.” I grimaced. “The Frost Fleet is for warriors. And no matter what I did, I was never strong enough for them. At first, I was simply searching for an alternative way to be useful, to prove my worth.”
Her eyes widened. “Your book—your research!”
I nodded. “But once I was away from the north, and got to see how the rest of the world lived… I began to question some of my fleet’s teachings. Some of my father’s teachings.”
“Like what?”
I hesitantly reached out to take her hand in mine.
When she didn’t pull away, I whispered, “Like the fact that all firewyrms—I mean, fire drakes—are not monsters.” I took a deep breath.
“When we first met, I treated you as if you were one of the evil dragons I had been led to believe you were. But Mei, your spirit and kindness quickly showed me that everything I had been taught about your people—was wrong.”
Her golden eyes brightened. “Was that supposed to be your punishment for being seen with me?”
I winced. “Yes.”
“So you decided to hurt my feelings to protect me from Mikhail?”
“Yes.”
“It makes me happy that you want to protect me, Yuri.” Her voice caught. “But I want to protect you, too.”
I swallowed. Nodded. “Thank you for chasing him off. How did you manage to do it?” I sat bolt upright. “Wait, have your parents returned?”
Mei laughed softly and pushed me back down against the pillows. “No, I had a witch cast a clone spell on me as I transformed, so that it looked like a whole fleet of fire drakes was going after him.”
I blew out a breath of relief that sent a mini flurry of snowflakes into the air. “Brilliant. You never cease to surprise me.”
“I could say the same,” Mei murmured. “I never expected an ice dragon could ever be so warm and selfless.”
“Do your parents have as terrible an opinion of ice dragons as my fleet does of fire drakes?” I would expect nothing less.
“My parents fled the war between our peoples,” Mei said sadly. “We’ve been running my entire life.” Sudden fear contracted her pupils, and the air around her shimmered with heat. “You don’t think… Will Mikhail bring the rest of your fleet here? Because of what I am?”
I grabbed her hand before her temperature could spike any further. “He might.” I held her eyes, refusing to lie to her again. “But even if he does bring the entirety of the fleet down from the north, I swear to you that you, your parents, and the whole of Willowmere will be safe.”
“How can you be so sure?” Her voice trembled. “Do you have some sort of plan?”
“I have an idea. I will take care of it, so all you have to do is focus on preparing for the Harvest Feast.” For once, I didn’t have to fake the confidence in my voice.
A month ago, the mere thought of defying my father and brother like this would have made me want to curl up into a ball.
But now that I had someone to protect… “Leave everything else to me.”
Mei gave my hand a squeeze.
“Regardless of what anyone else says, you are a warrior to me, Yuri.” Her words completely shattered the walls of ice around my heart.
I had been waiting my entire life to hear those words.
I tilted her chin down and kissed those sweet words right off her lips.