“It attacks the body and the mind. You have almost a dozen doses of antivenin in you, now. We’re in a hospital. You have to fight the venom until the antivenin takes over.”
Why is he so scared? He was supposed to help her not feel scared. “How long will that take?” The dragon growled.
Aerigo looked at the dragon, then back at her. There was desperation in his yellow-glowing eyes. “I don’t know. To be honest, I’m amazed you’re still alive. I didn’t think I’d gotten you here in time. I wish I could help you more.” He gazed at Roxie with worry lines along his forehead. “You’re strong, Rox. Stronger than I’d hoped for. Please pull through for me.”
“Thanks.” Roxie sucked in a breath. She hadn’t started feeling winded until she’d started talking with Aerigo. “I’m still scared, though.”
“I am, too.”
Roxie looked at the dragon, trying to discern whether it understood what they were saying. That was about as helpful as asking a tree the time of day. The dragon’s red eyes were fixed on her, mouth still wide open and bearing down on her. Too bad she couldn’t ask if its mouth was drying up from being open so long. The beast was all armored scales, sharp teeth and bad breath. She looked to Aerigo for comfort, who was kneeling beside her, staring at the dragon like it was going to devour him instead. He’d been paralyzed with fear, instead of reacting with his usual stoic determination. “Aerigo, this isn’t like you.”
“I’m sorry, Rox. I just can’t help but wonder if I should have never looked for you. This is the fourth time since you’ve met me. I’m supposed to keep you safe, not bring danger to you.”
God, it hurt to hear Aerigo say that. She wanted to cry for him. Daio had almost killed her on two separate occasions. The attack on Phailon had been one close shave after another. And now, while trying to keep Aerigo alive, she’d been attacked by something neither of them could fight with all the power they had. But... “Aerigo, I don’t regret meeting you,” she said breathily. If the dragon’s breath weren’t so hot and sulfuric, the position she was in wouldn’t have been as bad. Aerigo had trained her well and boosted her strength and endurance immensely. But the dragon’s breath was making it harder and harder to catch her own. “I don’t regret protecting you. And--” she swallowed. “I don’t regret taking the poison darts for you.” There. I said it. Now it’s his move.
Aerigo didn’t look at her. That annoyed Roxie as she gasped for a breath of cooler air that was nowhere to be found. After the talk between him and Maharaja, and all she and Aerigo had been through, why was he still so guarded? “Aerigo, I mean it.” She paused again, hoping for a response. She got nothing. “Look at me,” she said sternly. He did, puzzled, and eyes aglow. “Would you be alive right now if I hadn’t taken the poison darts instead?”
He slowly shook his head. “Our healing powers have limits. A large enough dose of dragon venom will destroy us from the inside out. But Rox, I’ve been around--”
“No buts!” She meant to say more but she had to stop to catch what breath she could. “Aerigo, what happened? Your behavior changed ever since Drio. I don’t get it.” She already knew a bit about the Sandra woman and that Aerigo killed thousands of people in one night, but it was impossible for her to see him as some evil murderer. He’d never bragged or relished in what he’d done.
Aerigo looked at her, brows furrowed, mouth ajar and broad chest heaving deep and slow. He looked torn between sadness, fear, and anger, all of which he was trying to repress. The glow in his eyes kept changing colors.
His thoughts must be racing . “Well?”
He shook his head as his eyes settled on a blue glow. “You’ll never look at me the same.”
She had half a mind to confess that she’d overheard some of what he’d said to Maharaja, but her gut told
Why is he so scared? He was supposed to help her not feel scared. “How long will that take?” The dragon growled.
Aerigo looked at the dragon, then back at her. There was desperation in his yellow-glowing eyes. “I don’t know. To be honest, I’m amazed you’re still alive. I didn’t think I’d gotten you here in time. I wish I could help you more.” He gazed at Roxie with worry lines along his forehead. “You’re strong, Rox. Stronger than I’d hoped for. Please pull through for me.”
“Thanks.” Roxie sucked in a breath. She hadn’t started feeling winded until she’d started talking with Aerigo. “I’m still scared, though.”
“I am, too.”
Roxie looked at the dragon, trying to discern whether it understood what they were saying. That was about as helpful as asking a tree the time of day. The dragon’s red eyes were fixed on her, mouth still wide open and bearing down on her. Too bad she couldn’t ask if its mouth was drying up from being open so long. The beast was all armored scales, sharp teeth and bad breath. She looked to Aerigo for comfort, who was kneeling beside her, staring at the dragon like it was going to devour him instead. He’d been paralyzed with fear, instead of reacting with his usual stoic determination. “Aerigo, this isn’t like you.”
“I’m sorry, Rox. I just can’t help but wonder if I should have never looked for you. This is the fourth time since you’ve met me. I’m supposed to keep you safe, not bring danger to you.”
God, it hurt to hear Aerigo say that. She wanted to cry for him. Daio had almost killed her on two separate occasions. The attack on Phailon had been one close shave after another. And now, while trying to keep Aerigo alive, she’d been attacked by something neither of them could fight with all the power they had. But... “Aerigo, I don’t regret meeting you,” she said breathily. If the dragon’s breath weren’t so hot and sulfuric, the position she was in wouldn’t have been as bad. Aerigo had trained her well and boosted her strength and endurance immensely. But the dragon’s breath was making it harder and harder to catch her own. “I don’t regret protecting you. And--” she swallowed. “I don’t regret taking the poison darts for you.” There. I said it. Now it’s his move.
Aerigo didn’t look at her. That annoyed Roxie as she gasped for a breath of cooler air that was nowhere to be found. After the talk between him and Maharaja, and all she and Aerigo had been through, why was he still so guarded? “Aerigo, I mean it.” She paused again, hoping for a response. She got nothing. “Look at me,” she said sternly. He did, puzzled, and eyes aglow. “Would you be alive right now if I hadn’t taken the poison darts instead?”
He slowly shook his head. “Our healing powers have limits. A large enough dose of dragon venom will destroy us from the inside out. But Rox, I’ve been around--”
“No buts!” She meant to say more but she had to stop to catch what breath she could. “Aerigo, what happened? Your behavior changed ever since Drio. I don’t get it.” She already knew a bit about the Sandra woman and that Aerigo killed thousands of people in one night, but it was impossible for her to see him as some evil murderer. He’d never bragged or relished in what he’d done.
Aerigo looked at her, brows furrowed, mouth ajar and broad chest heaving deep and slow. He looked torn between sadness, fear, and anger, all of which he was trying to repress. The glow in his eyes kept changing colors.
His thoughts must be racing . “Well?”
He shook his head as his eyes settled on a blue glow. “You’ll never look at me the same.”
She had half a mind to confess that she’d overheard some of what he’d said to Maharaja, but her gut told
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