But Minx, what about the Fae? insisted Mau. There's no time. Kaleb was a good friend, but time has run out. We need to deliver a dragon's hide to the elders, don't we? She paused. We have one—Kaleb's.
Minx's heart had already been broken by this savage attack. The last thing she wanted to indulge then was guilt. No! I can't... I can't use his hide. We need to save him!
I don't think we can save him, replied Mau. And if we don't use his hide, then how many more will die? The hostages, your mother... countless others!
Tears rolled down her cheeks and her chest heaved with pent up cries, but still she placed her hands over Kaleb's wounds and squeezed her eyes shut, marshaling her focus for everything she was worth. She'd already made her decision. Help me, Mau. Please, help me...
The Faelyr settled beside her partner and complied, closing her eyes and lending some of her own energies for the spell. If this is really what you want...
The emotions raging through her at that moment were so violent that Minx couldn't be sure of what she wanted. All she knew, all she could convey, was that she wanted Kaleb to live. She wanted him beside her again, wanted to hear his voice, feel his touch. She was too panicked and shaken to much study this urge within her. Maybe she'd actually developed feelings for this cocky dragon; maybe this was actually love that she was feeling. Whatever it was called, she felt herself a slave to it, and would do everything in her power to bring him back from the brink.
The healing began. It was a slow process to begin with, as her inner turbulence kept her from maintaining her focus. Her attempts at clear-headedness were halted by visions of Pan being burnt to the ground, of legions of Wuff marching across the territories of the Fae and razing everything in sight. She thought of her mother, too, and of the many innocents who would suffer if a dragon's hide wasn't soon delivered.
But the immediacy of Kaleb's wounds won out, and she was able, after a time, to focus on her work. The warmth flowed through her; Minx's energies, coupled with the Faelyr's, began to have an immediate effect. After some moments of terrifying stillness, Kaleb shifted in response to the warmth. The fast-flowing wounds ceased their bleeding over the course of several minutes, and by the half-hour mark, the dragon shifter's breathing had begun to increase beyond the ragged wheezes he'd kept to only moments before.
These wounds were the most serious she'd ever treated—mortal injuries if left untended to, and possibly even with healing. But unlike Alla's case, Kaleb's body seemed to respond very well to her magic. The deep wounds were knit together with pleasing speed, and Kaleb's health gains were noticeable even early in the process. Furthermore, to the best of her knowledge, these odd arrows hadn't been poisoned. Once Kaleb's wounds had been dealt with and he'd recovered his strength, he would be good as new, and wouldn't require countless rounds of healing as Alla had. She cheered herself with this, monitoring his progress. I think he's going to pull through, Mau!
The Faelyr was less optimistic, but still lent her energy. He just might... But don't get your hopes up. He's not there yet... It's too early to celebrate.
With her energy flowing through his body at full-force, Minx watched the fluttering of his eyelids, admired the quirk of his lips as he quietly groaned. I can't kill him, she thought to herself, a great shame overcoming her at ever having considered it. Her magic was inside him, mending him from the inside out; after this intimate exchange, she'd never be able to bring herself to harm him. Their meeting had been a rocky one, and initially she'd harbored a lot of doubts about the young dragon. Now, she wanted nothing more than for him to live.
But the warding spell... and my people... Her heart ached anew as she revisited all that was at stake. So many people were counting on her, awaiting her delivery. She'd always been afraid of letting others down, of tanking her reputation. Now, her fears had moved to weightier things. Countless people may die if you don't follow through... Your mother and the other hostages, if they haven't been killed already, will surely perish...
She continued weaving her spell, the Fae energy circulating through Kaleb's body and dragging him slowly toward consciousness. Kaleb promised that we'd find another way... That we'd find some way to help my people without killing a dragon. She stared at his sweaty countenance, ran a hand through his hair. After all we've been through, and after all he's done for me... I'm going to trust him.
Several hours passed before Kaleb's heartbeat returned to anything like a normal cadence, and still another hour wore on before he first opened his eyes. He yawned deeply, wincing for the lingering pain in his abdomen, and tried rolling onto his side. Spotting Minx sitting nearby, against Mau, he smiled dreamily. “Why, hello there,” he whispered.
Minx looked into his face, searching his eyes and testing his pulse. Nodding firmly, she sank back into a seated position, head low. “I can't believe it. You survived. You really pulled through.” Relief crashed upon her in an overwhelming wave. She felt on the verge of tears again—this time, out of thankfulness—but her pride didn't permit her to cry in front of him and she cleared her throat instead. “I'm glad.”
Kaleb lifted his hand, inspecting it in the sunlight like it was some foreign object. “Oh, that? It's no big deal. Just got a little shaken up. Us dragons are
