Solivagant

Chapter Twelve

Asher woke up with a sharp gasp. He was covered in sweat, and his heart thudded in his chest. Another nightmare. Great. He ran a hand over his face, trying to recall what it had been about, but it slipped out of his grasp.

You seem troubled.

Asher twisted around, the strange, wordless thoughts echoing through his head. Aurum was watching from the edge of the pond, resting his head on his forelegs. His dark scales gleamed in the daylight.

. . . I'm fine. It was just a bad dream. Asher pushed himself upright, blinking. The storm had finally passed; light gray clouds covered the sky, casting a flat light over the forest. A few birds flew over his head, chirping brightly to one another.

He opened his mind to the magic. It was back within his reach, clear and sharp. He breathed a sigh of relief; he'd begun to worry the drug had permanently damaged his connection to it. Asher flexed his fingers--he felt much better. He looked at Aurum.

How long was I sleeping?

I think it's been about half a day, but I'm not sure. I fell asleep too.

I think I can heal you now. Asher glanced at his leg. And myself.

Good. Aurum got to his feet and stretched in a way that strongly reminded Asher of a cat. I don't think we have much more time here.

Asher nodded and looked at his leg. It throbbed, but the pain wasn't as bad as before. He touched it with one hand and closed his eyes, letting the magic flow through him. It felt so much easier without the drug blocking its presence. In seconds, the ache vanished. He carefully stood up. He felt a little tired, but that was nothing compared to the exhaustion he'd experienced the past few days. The aftermath of the storm and his magical outburst had been far worse than this.

You created a storm? Aurum asked, incredulous.

Asher frowned. Would you stop doing that? But yes. I didn't have much of a choice.

You have to block your thoughts from me if you don't want me to see them, the dragon said dryly. Why would you need to create a storm?

Rivas.

. . . How long has this man been chasing you, exactly?

Asher thought for a moment. Only a few days. He walked over to Aurum and examined his wounds. Would you spread out your wings? It'll be easier for me to do this that way.

Aurum cocked his head. You can't heal it all at once?

I dunno. I don't want to accidentally mess up or hurt you.

Fair enough. Aurum extended his wing, growling softly as a few half-closed cuts tore open. Asher held his hands over the membrane, concentrating. Healing himself was one thing, but a dragon . . . well, he knew nothing about dragons. The magic would do most of the work for him, but he wanted to be careful nonetheless. A soft glow engulfed his hands as he began the process.

This could take a while, he warned.

We have time. Aurum's gaze flicked around the dark forest. Probably.

Asher rolled his eyes. That's very encouraging. He moved to the first cut, about three feet long. A thin dribble of blood leaked from one edge. So . . . why are you really helping me?

The dragon huffed, annoyance flashing through his mind. I already told you this. I had never seen a human before, and I was curious. When I saw the man fighting you, I could tell he had bad intentions. That's why I attacked him.