CHAPTER TWELVE
RUINE
There was a beat of silence before the fury retreated. Before the familiar calm slid back over him like his demon had returned to its cage now his position was clear.
Ruine gripped his fists tight and released them. Tight and release. Breathe it away. In with the coming sense, out with the crazy.
Attempting a calmer tone, he twisted his head away from prying eyes and the attention of those who saw too much, wiping at the blood that was spilling on Hellion’s scales. “He’s coming back to see Catalina. Open the gate.”
“Okay.” Lennox’s voice was quiet. Small even, like he couldn't believe Ruine had just yelled at him. Had just spoken to him in such a way.
It had been so long since he had an outburst like that. Not since he was young and stupid and forever up to no good. The twins were too young to remember what Ruine had truly been like before he learned better control.
They only knew their adventure loving, carefree brother and Ruine didn't want to taint that.
He didn't like arguing. Didn't like fighting.
“It’s moving.” Merida whispered at him, catching Ruine’s hand to press it against the side of Hellion’s leg as the dragon groaned painfully at even the lightest pressure. “Can you feel that?”
Did she mean the wriggling he could sense under his fingertips or the tingling sensation moving over his body just from her touch.
“Yeah.” He croaked out, nodding to not look like a fucking idiot. “We need to get it out before it spreads any further.”
“Shitbreath.” Hellion grunted.
Merida’s head whipped around to Hellion, her brows together and mouth open in indignation. “ Excuse me? ”
“Not you. The fucker that grabbed onto me. Dug his nails in. He had shit breath, like rotting fish. Dug his nails when we were getting away.” Hellion bared his teeth, hissing out a pained breath as his dragon's scales faded in patches and returned, fluctuating. In the seconds the revealed smooth skin, it was riddled with blackening veins just beneath the surface.
“Parasites.” Merida commented, tracing a path along a particularly thick black vein before it was hidden beneath moving scales. “They’re digging through his blood stream. We aren't going to make it back to the healer– give me your knife.”
Ruine’s head snapped up, his gaze colliding with the sea glass of her own. Every time he looked at her, he was choked with his own emotions. He should be elated. Screaming from the rooftops that he’d found such a strong confident mate. That she was no shrinking violet, but coupled with the idea of giving her a knife to dig into Hellion.. He was hesitating . As if she was a threat. As if she was going to hurt something precious and really? She was.
Hellion was his… He was.. He was Hellion .
Swallowing hard, his throat parched as a whisper of that familiar voice slithered up from the dark recesses of his mind, Ruine reached up to his chest holster and pulled it away, his hand gripping the handle tightly. When Merida’s fingers brushed his own when reaching for it, magic flooded his bones. Every sense, sight, smell, everything became sharper and tingles spread through his body. Though he had no time to enjoy and mull over the effect even the small touch had on him as Hellion groaned painfully.
“Let me do something, I can help.” Lillith came to crouch beside Merida, already reaching to put a hand on Hellion’s injured leg. “I can do something.”
“I need a clean area to cut open. I can work the infection out of his leg but this isn't going to be painless.” Merida reached over to Ruine, taking his hand and pressing it against Hellion’s forehead. “Hold him down alright? Distract him whatever way you can.”
Ruine swallowed hard. “Yeah. Sure. I can do that.” As long as he didnt puke over Hellion’s face with how badly his stomach was twisting.