tilted to the side, nearly falling off.
Arturo rose. Both Taveans prepared for the final shot. Kiora gave the earth beneath them a little jerk—just enough to knock them off their feet. She would have done more, but couldn’t waste what remained of her magic—they weren’t safe yet. The Taveans fell backwards and both shots flew over her head.
Arturo pushed harder, putting distance between them and the two Taveans.
The Shifter-Dragon was returning.
Work with what you’ve already got—it requires less magic, Arturo thought.
She did not have enough to shield another attack.
The fires she had started earlier burned unrestrained and she pulled the flames up, creating a blistering wall of red and orange between them and the Shifter-Dragon. It wasn’t a defense—the Dragon’s scales were too thick for that—but it would act as a blind. Kiora bubbled and Arturo veered to the left.
Everyone’s in, Kiora, Alcander’s thoughts came.
How many did we lose? she asked. She pushed herself up straighter on Arturo and looked down at her wound. The shot had torn through her shirt, creating a deep gash. Blood poured down her arm, obscuring the severity of it, but her whole body had already begun to shake.
Two.
She squeezed her eyes shut. She knew it could have been worse, but a loss was still a loss. “Arturo, we are going to Toopai,” Kiora said. She grabbed the edge of her already torn sleeve and ripped it off.
Arturo turned and headed toward the coastline. The Shifter-Dragon turned back toward the city, blowing fire at random as he searched the sky for them.
Are you all right? Arturo asked.
“I will be fine.” She slipped off the bloody sleeve and wrapped it around her arm near her shoulder.
We need Emane, Arturo said, turning back toward the city.
“No! Arturo, no.” She wrapped the fabric in a knot and used her teeth to tighten it. Her head spun from pain. “We can’t go back now—we will lose another entrance. I will be fine. The bleeding will stop and I can have Emane finish the healing when we get back.”
Arturo was quiet, his wing flaps methodically counting out the seconds as they flew. Are you sure?
“Yes.” Her arm was soaked—blood dripped from her fingertips. “How fast can you get to Toopai?”
If we come in on the opposite side of the island, I can make it by this evening.
“It took us eight hours from Lomay’s.”
We will reach the coast in a couple of hours. The island is closer to where we are now than it was to Lomay’s.
“That’s good.”
Her wound was still bleeding profusely, despite the pressure she had put on it. She prayed she could make it that far.
***
KIORA TIGHTENED HER BANDAGE several times, hoping it would act like a tourniquet. But the wound extended over her shoulder and no matter how she tried, she couldn’t get the fabric tight enough. Each time she thought she had stemmed the flow of blood, she would move or a wind current would jostle them, and it would start again. Lines of red dripped down her arm and over Arturo’s side, staining his white coat.
She had spent an exorbitant amount of effort shielding her thoughts and worries from Arturo, but as she grew weaker, they slipped through. He abruptly turned his head, following the lines of blood.
Kiora! I never should have listened to you. You are going to bleed to death before we reach Toopai.
I’ll be fine. She shook her head under a wave of dizziness. Just . . . fly faster.
Fly faster! What do you think we are going to do when we reach Toopai? The Dragons are not healers.
The bleeding will stop—it has to stop. Her head throbbed. She wanted to lie down against his neck and take a nap.
Don’t you dare, Kiora. You stay awake.
Kiora felt what little magic she had left draining out of her and she jolted from her stupor. Letting go of her arm, she fumbled for the talisman, ripping off the mesh covering. She felt threads—a lot of threads.
There, Arturo thought.
She followed his line of sight.
Arturo rose. Both Taveans prepared for the final shot. Kiora gave the earth beneath them a little jerk—just enough to knock them off their feet. She would have done more, but couldn’t waste what remained of her magic—they weren’t safe yet. The Taveans fell backwards and both shots flew over her head.
Arturo pushed harder, putting distance between them and the two Taveans.
The Shifter-Dragon was returning.
Work with what you’ve already got—it requires less magic, Arturo thought.
She did not have enough to shield another attack.
The fires she had started earlier burned unrestrained and she pulled the flames up, creating a blistering wall of red and orange between them and the Shifter-Dragon. It wasn’t a defense—the Dragon’s scales were too thick for that—but it would act as a blind. Kiora bubbled and Arturo veered to the left.
Everyone’s in, Kiora, Alcander’s thoughts came.
How many did we lose? she asked. She pushed herself up straighter on Arturo and looked down at her wound. The shot had torn through her shirt, creating a deep gash. Blood poured down her arm, obscuring the severity of it, but her whole body had already begun to shake.
Two.
She squeezed her eyes shut. She knew it could have been worse, but a loss was still a loss. “Arturo, we are going to Toopai,” Kiora said. She grabbed the edge of her already torn sleeve and ripped it off.
Arturo turned and headed toward the coastline. The Shifter-Dragon turned back toward the city, blowing fire at random as he searched the sky for them.
Are you all right? Arturo asked.
“I will be fine.” She slipped off the bloody sleeve and wrapped it around her arm near her shoulder.
We need Emane, Arturo said, turning back toward the city.
“No! Arturo, no.” She wrapped the fabric in a knot and used her teeth to tighten it. Her head spun from pain. “We can’t go back now—we will lose another entrance. I will be fine. The bleeding will stop and I can have Emane finish the healing when we get back.”
Arturo was quiet, his wing flaps methodically counting out the seconds as they flew. Are you sure?
“Yes.” Her arm was soaked—blood dripped from her fingertips. “How fast can you get to Toopai?”
If we come in on the opposite side of the island, I can make it by this evening.
“It took us eight hours from Lomay’s.”
We will reach the coast in a couple of hours. The island is closer to where we are now than it was to Lomay’s.
“That’s good.”
Her wound was still bleeding profusely, despite the pressure she had put on it. She prayed she could make it that far.
***
KIORA TIGHTENED HER BANDAGE several times, hoping it would act like a tourniquet. But the wound extended over her shoulder and no matter how she tried, she couldn’t get the fabric tight enough. Each time she thought she had stemmed the flow of blood, she would move or a wind current would jostle them, and it would start again. Lines of red dripped down her arm and over Arturo’s side, staining his white coat.
She had spent an exorbitant amount of effort shielding her thoughts and worries from Arturo, but as she grew weaker, they slipped through. He abruptly turned his head, following the lines of blood.
Kiora! I never should have listened to you. You are going to bleed to death before we reach Toopai.
I’ll be fine. She shook her head under a wave of dizziness. Just . . . fly faster.
Fly faster! What do you think we are going to do when we reach Toopai? The Dragons are not healers.
The bleeding will stop—it has to stop. Her head throbbed. She wanted to lie down against his neck and take a nap.
Don’t you dare, Kiora. You stay awake.
Kiora felt what little magic she had left draining out of her and she jolted from her stupor. Letting go of her arm, she fumbled for the talisman, ripping off the mesh covering. She felt threads—a lot of threads.
There, Arturo thought.
She followed his line of sight.
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