I held the little egg in my hands and gently stroked the intact portion of the shell with my fingers. Then I closed my eyes and focused on the energy of the egg, but I couldn’t feel anything. I wasn’t sure if the baby was dormant, or if he was gone, but until I had proof it was the latter, I’d treat it like the former.
I’d never tried to heal anything in my life, and I wasn’t even sure I had that ability. All of this was incredibly new to me still, but I needed to do something.
I took a deep breath and let it out as I focused all my energy on the egg. I imagined the shell being fused back together where it was broken, but when I opened my eyes, nothing had changed.
“Did you try?” Asta asked, and she looked at me with hopeful golden eyes.
“I did.” I nodded slowly. “I don’t think I have the ability to heal him.”
“Could you hatch him?” the elf girl asked.
“Hold on,” Eira said. “Let’s give Kas a chance to heal him first.”
“How do we know it’s a him?” Kas asked as she returned to the group.
“I guess we don’t.” Asta cocked her head to the side and looked at me. “Do you know, Rath?”
“I’m afraid not.” I frowned. “I can’t tell. I think he’s dormant in there.”
“You don’t feel anything?” Asta asked, and her white eyebrows raised up into her forehead with surprise and concern.
“I don’t,” I sighed.
“Do you think that means…” Eira’s voice trailed off as she shook her head.
“I’m going to take it to mean the baby is dormant,” I said decisively. “Nothing more.”
“Understood.” The redhead nodded.
“I found something that might help,” Kas said. “It’s for healing animals. I can’t find a spell specifically for healing cracked eggs, so I think this is our best bet.”
“Alright,” I agreed, and I looked down at the pale-pink egg and then back to the sorceress. “What do we need to do?”
“You should keep holding the egg,” Kas said. “I can draw from your power to heal it.”
“Okay.” I nodded.
“Let me get a couple of things,” the strawberry-blonde said, and she dug in her satchel and pulled out the two large red dragon scales she used to practice her magic when we first met. She usually didn’t need them anymore, but I could feel how nervous she was and how much she wanted this spell to work, so I couldn’t blame her for pulling out everything she could to try and help it along.
Kas also brought out a small red amulet, along with the healing salve she’d put on Asta just a little while earlier.
“I think I’m ready,” she said with a nod, and then her violet eyes locked on mine. “Just hold still.”
“I'll do my best,” I assured her, and I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
Even though I knew I wasn’t helping as far as the healing went, I focused on the small egg in my hands and once again imagined the crack healing.
After a moment, I heard Kas start to mutter in the old language, and I instinctively opened my eyes. All around me was a flurry of red sparkles, and they floated quietly and serenely on their own. Then, slowly, they came together in one long strand of magic.
The red flecks floated down to the egg and wrapped around the shell, and I watched as the pale-pink egg lit up with a faint red glow. Whatever Kas was doing, it looked like it was working, and I held my breath as I waited for the crack to heal.
At first, I didn’t see anything happen, and my mouth pulled into a frown, but after a moment, the red glow around the egg grew even brighter, and a small crackling sound came from my lap as the break in the egg shell slowly began to fuse back together.
“It’s working,” Asta breathed.
Kas didn’t say anything. The Valkyrie had her eyes closed and both dragon scales in her hands as she muttered in the old language.
I glanced up at Eira, and the redhead’s green eyes were fixated on the little dragon egg in my lap.
I knew Kas was powerful, but to heal this egg all on her own was fantastic.
I could tell it was especially important for Kas to do it, too, because she’d struggled to help the mother dragon in Alfheim. In all actuality, she’d been the only thing that kept the female alive, since she’d stopped her from bleeding out, but I knew Kas was still upset about not being able to heal her right away.
Preyna had come to our aid, and it all worked out, but I could tell Kas felt like she’d failed the mother dragon in some way.
Even magic had its limitations, and that wasn’t her fault. All she could do right then was keep the mother from dying.
I’d never considered magical limitations before I met Kas and actually spent time with a sorceress. Before then, I’d assumed magic was a quick fix for anything and everything, but I’d quickly learned that wasn’t the case. Sometimes magic failed, even for brilliant sorcerers.
Now, though, Kas was the only one here to heal this little egg, and she was doing it all on her own. The sorceress’ powers were growing, and I knew one day she’d be as strong as Preyna, if not stronger. Ramir was her father, after all, and Preyna had even admitted the old man was stronger than she was.
The crack in the egg slowly closed, and soon it was whole once more. Then the vibrant red light dimmed and disappeared completely, but Kas continued to mutter in the old language.
