Chapter 7 #2
In his dragon form, he lay on the altar next to his sister while clutching her above the fur covers.
She would’ve thought it was a simple embrace, if it weren’t for the fact that his tail had slipped under the furs to wrap around her always chilly feet.
He wasn’t merely embracing her; he was offering his warmth, hugging her as they faced each other – since Carwyn had convinced him to place her on her side.
He’d managed to fall asleep like this.
Carwyn usually would’ve approached and poked the unintentionally slumbering person with a jest and a laugh, but that wouldn’t bode well for her with the testy dragon.
She went to clear her throat, but a lump formed at his parted fangs, closed eyes, and peaceful expression. Her lips tightened pensively as her brows drew together.
He... didn’t hear me approach. He couldn’t smell the food in her hand or her scent. He was always alert, sometimes facing her direction before she entered an area he was in.
Realisation trickled into her mind, and her eyes crinkled as she gazed at the two.
He’s... tired. Had he been skipping sleep? I’ve never seen him eat. How long had he been caring for her alone?
Now that she thought about it, they’d actually managed to get through more of the mess of books than should have been possible. She always found him in that alcove after she woke up in the morning, so she wondered if he was working through the night rather than sleeping like she’d assumed.
If he wasn’t there, he was here.
Her shoulders fell. He must love her quite dearly.
Everything he was doing... Carwyn would’ve done for any member of her family.
In some ways, she’d done it already. She’d held them while they cried in her arms. She’d fed them when they were sick, barely strong enough to open their eyes.
She’d washed them and offered them warmth – even if it meant her skin might touch theirs, and she’d have to bear their suffering with them.
But not to this degree.
They’d never been this vulnerable.
There was love and loyalty in his actions, and she realised she understood none of the weight he bore, or how long he’d been carrying it.
What does it matter how he speaks to me or treats me, so long as it’s not with cruelty? He’d never harmed her on purpose, and when he’d done so by accident, he’d sought to make amends instantly. He was only overbearing with his tone and commands. He has bigger matters on his mind than me.
She was a means to an end.
And it was the soft-hearted, empathetic part of her that knew she could accept that now that she’d seen this vulnerability from him.
I’ll try to be more forgiving.
Carwyn backed away silently. I’ll let him rest. He wouldn’t like that she saw this. It’s okay if his sister doesn’t eat right now.
A single missed meal wouldn’t kill her.
When she returned to the alcove to sort through the books, a place she was considering calling the haphazard library, weariness crested over her. Her shoulders fell at the overwhelming amount of work still required.
There’s a much more efficient way.
Even if they found a spellbook containing a sleeping curse, it might not be the correct one. There were all sorts of spells.
But she could find the exact one that was used.
It would be dangerous. Reckless, even. She didn’t know if she had the courage, or if the dragon would let her.
No. He won’t allow it. It’s best if I don’t suggest it. She could find herself imprisoned permanently if she did. It’s best that I focus all my hope on this instead.
She dived back in, picking up a book that contained some kind of autobiography about some long-dead human. How boring.
Kier’s eyes were swollen and grainy when he cracked his aching lids open. He blinked at the lack of light and flicked his gaze to the dead torch upon the wall.
It should’ve lasted much longer.
I fell asleep. By the evidence of that torch and the fact that his body felt weighty, he knew he’d slumbered for quite some time.
He slid his head away from the stone to peer down at Selene. A flicker of hope instilled itself in his heart when he noticed her colour was better, and that she radiated her own warmth. She no longer appeared so pale, and her heart and breathing were much stronger.
Lying with her helped. It was the first time he’d thought to do so.
He, on the other hand, felt much worse after sleeping. The exhaustion he’d been pushing back pressed down on him harder. His body ached as he removed himself from around her so he could place all four paws on the ground. Every muscle protested, needing more rest and recovery that he couldn’t allow.
For the first time in days, his gut rumbled like a ferocious beast. It’d been easier to stave back the hunger before, but now his body demanded its due.
He stumbled out of the healing alcove, and grunted on each tight, stiff step to his cooking area. He checked that the witch wasn’t on her way, listening out for her before entering the vacant space.
Then he took a long draw of breath and blew out a ring of fire.
The flames sucked back to encase his body as he mentally chanted the word he needed, and scales evaporated to be replaced by lightly tanned skin.
His short black hair fluttered forward and fell over his brow, and the strands threatened to poke his eyes before he swept them back.
Then, naked and human, he reached for a clean bowl, dipped it into whatever meal the witch had made, and stole some.
He brought it to his lips with his nose crinkling.
The idea of eating what he considered a human meal was foreign, but he drank down the broth.
Then he shoved whatever chunks he’d collected – bits of meat and vegetables – into his mouth and chewed quickly.
His stomach protested. The food was like iron in his belly after being empty and eating itself for so long, but he kept it down.
The herbs and salt were also unwelcome, as he wasn’t used to them. At least it tastes good.
Kier ate like a dragon. He thought this might be his fifth human meal in his life. He could go days without eating, as was the way with most of his kind, but it’d been nearly two weeks since he’d had a meal of something he’d managed to snatch in the middle of the night with his claws.
Now that he’d filled his belly and quietened its nagging, his eyes drooped. He fought the desire to sleep after a good meal.
Instead, he wondered when his sister had last eaten. He gnashed his teeth, realising the witch had not only been left alone and unsupervised for a questionable amount of time, but she hadn’t fed his sister.
She threw a tantrum about doing it, and now she neglects the very task? Surely he would’ve woken had she approached.
With a growly huff, he spun from the alcove and blew another breath of fire. It encased him once more as he changed forms, and it clung to his scales when he increased his size. He stormed down the decline of his lair, for once letting his large paws hit the hard ground loudly as he hunted for her.
She was exactly where she was supposed to be, and somehow that annoyed him as much as it relieved him. He didn’t want her venturing past this point in his home, as further within contained items and secrets he wished to keep hidden.
He didn’t have the magical energy or strength to ward them while maintaining his sister’s life force. He could only do so much without adequate rest, and he’d never been overly fantastic with barrier spells.
“You,” he snapped, shoving his way into the cavern that housed his collection of books. “You haven’t attended to my sister as promised.”
He expected a snarky response. For her to roll her eyes and give him a sneer and ask where he’d been instead – which would be very justifiable. Instead, she looked at him, onyx eyes wide with surprise, as if she hadn’t just heard him stomping this way.
“I didn’t?” she asked, blinking like the thought only just occurred to her.
“Of course you haven’t!”
She slapped a hand against her cheek. “Gosh. How long has it been?”
His brows shot together. “What do you mean? You haven’t eaten yourself?”
She tipped her head. “No?”
Then she drifted her gaze around the area, and his own landed on the changes. She’d managed to do much in his absence, which begged the question... just how fucking long was he out?
“I guess I didn’t notice time slipping by.”
She stood, and some of his anger deflated. From head to toe she was caked in dust.
Her eyes were red and swollen, and now that he listened properly, he noted that her voice had gone nasally and hoarse from breathing it all in. She patted her filthy hands on her green dress, a different one to what she’d worn when he first brought her here, dirtying it further.
“I’ll quickly feed her.”
Kier merely backed out of her way as if she were as large as he was. Just as she was passing him, she raised her arm and sneezed into the crook of her elbow, then shook her head and walked off.
He squinted after her as she hurried up the tunnel. Usually she is much snarkier than that. If he gave her attitude, she returned it.
He kind of liked that about her, if he was being honest.
Quickly chasing after her, he then slowed as he came to her side. “Have you truly not eaten?”
She gave a sniffle before peeking up at him. “No.” For the first time, she offered a laugh. It was shaky and awkward. “I guess sometimes it slips my mind when I’m neck-deep in a chore. It’s like my mind just wants to get it over with, and it shuts everything else out. Food is the reward.”
A growl slipped from him. “You are currently feeding my sister when you eat. You mustn’t forget in the future.”
She shifted her gaze forward. “Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry.”
Bloody hell, she’d apologised.
Unless she was lying, but why would she? What point would there be in purposefully skipping her attending to Selene when her safety depended on his sister’s wellness?
One of his steps hesitated. Unless... she saw me. He shook his head. No. That isn’t possible.