Chapter 8 #2
The awe in M’s voice reminded me that most people weren’t allowed in the archives, let alone lay eyes on the dragon, ever.
The dome kept it out of sight of most people, but there were minimal spots in the palace where you could spot it, since the palace was on the edge of the dome and had a few turrets that stuck out, not completely covered.
The Fireguards let M pass into the archives as he wanted because of me .
And the archives were one of those spots with a perfect view of the dragon. Though, it was sometimes unnerving having nothing but glass between hundreds of years of documents and a fire-breathing lizard.
Said reptile in question was back, from wherever he’d gone. He plopped down on a stone parapet just across from our window, glaring directly at me.
“Wow … mean looking thing,” M commented, licking his lips nervously.
Was it just me, or did that dragon’s face contort a bit when M said that. It was as if he could hear us and he didn’t like what he’d heard?
“Let’s just go,” I proposed, not liking the glare the dragon was leveling my way. I seemed to run into it more than most people, but this was the first time I sensed pure antagonism from it.
“Hold on. I never get to see the thing. Wicked beast.”
M pressed himself flat against the glass, squishing his face to get as close to the dragon as possible.
The dragon’s muscles rippled, golden scales flashing as it stretched and jumped on top of the archive roof. The building shook slightly, then went still.
I tried to quell my irritation as M showed no signs of budging.
“M, I don’t think?—”
“Ah!”
We both jump back as the dragon stuck his head down over the window to peer in at us, only inches of glass separating us.
This close, every detail of his body lay bare before us.
Golden scales glinted and flashed into the waning sun of late afternoon.
Bright white fangs tapered to a deadly sliver, and tufted ears twitched and continuously turned this way and that, even though his attention was clearly on us.
And those eyes .
Gold with a slitted, black pupil that stared at me in direct challenge.
I couldn’t help but lean against the glass like M, my palms flat as if I could reach out and touch a scale if I tried hard enough.
My skin itched as I thought of my first ritual. Small golden lines appeared across the skin on my hands and in between my fingers. M was too enthralled with the dragon to notice how I glowed.
Would my magick work if the dragon attacked? Only normal glass separated us; not dragonsbane like the dome was made of. It seemed extremely perilous and risky. I’d have to ask Vession why we didn’t protect the archives with more dragonsbane.
The ritual I’d done (in theory) would give me some protection from heat and fire. It would take me many more stages to become completely resistant, of course, but it seemed practical to work on this set first when you lived in a kingdom haunted by a dragon.
Especially a dragon that didn’t seem to like me.
The dragon’s eyes narrowed, and it growled, smoke and glowing embers tumbling from its nostrils.
“M. We need to back away. Come on.”
I was curious how my ritual would hold up, but even I was stupid enough to think it would keep me alive after taking a full shot of dragon fire to the face.
“Just a little longer. I?—”
It happened in slow motion, yet had to have taken only a few seconds. The dragon reared its head back a few inches, and I immediately knew what would happen next. I grabbed M and dove to the side of the window, throwing myself on top of him.
The glass shattered as agonizing heat flooded the archives. I screamed in both pain and fear, praying to whatever gods existed that the glass stopped the flames and none of the books or manuscripts got damaged.
My flesh would heal, the books would not.
My skin blistered and cracked, white-hot pain lancing through my body and tensing every muscle in my body. I tried to relax into the pain and accept it, even as M writhed and screamed under me.
And then it was quiet.
So, so quiet.
The only sounds were M’s sobs under me and my own ragged breathing. I couldn’t move. Everything hurt . The sound of paper burning jolted me into action more than the danger of being around for a second blast.
But I was alive.
“Z. Let me up. Z. Please.”
I tried. My body was burned into the protective position over M. Trying to move only brought more pain.
“M, don’t. It hurts. Let someone help?—”
My words ended in a ragged scream as M pried my arms open and pushed off my body to free himself. My breaths came in choked gasps, the only thing I could force my brain to focus on beside the overwhelming white-hot pain.
In. Out. In. Out.
I collapsed back to the ground, unable to move my limbs from where they fell. I was too scared to look at myself. Too afraid to see the damage.
Footsteps pounded away, cracking glass on the floor and kicking up small bits towards my face.
At least one of us could go for help. It would be ok. It would be fine.
I was so thankful I had spent years cultivating an alliance with M. It would serve me well now, as M ran to get help. They’d take me to the infirmary, the primas would drug me up, and all this could become a bad dream …
It was quiet again.
Tears would have leaked from my eyes if they could, but it felt like every spare drop of moisture in my body was gone. The glass window was an open sore as hot wind seeped through the hole and rustled every loose piece of parchment in the archives. The crackling of flames grew closer and closer.
“Hello? Is someone in there? Zephyr?’
Zephyr… no one called me Zephyr except for Vession , and that wasn’t his voice.
Polished sandals came into my field of vision, and I closed my eyes in relief. M had run out to get me help. The Fireguards were here!
“L?” I croaked out, finally recognizing this Fireguard.
His jaw dropped when he saw the open window.
“Oh gods. The dragon?—”
“Yes,” I managed.
L put a hand in his hair, breathing out and closing his eyes. When he opened them, it was with steely determination.
“All right. Give me a minute to fetch help. It won’t take long.”
That was fine by me. He could take as long as wanted—I was going to pass out and take a nap.
So I did.