Fly

Chapter 16

I jerked awake with a start, unaware until that moment that I had been dozing. The movement against my side that had awoken me happened again, and I craned my neck around, lifting my wing slightly from where it was draped over Dane. I was coiled around so that my head almost rested on my rump, which felt natural until I started thinking too much about it.

The tip of my tail twitched as I watched him stir and tried not to fidget with nerves. My exhaustion from the fight and flight had begun to overcome my anxiety at how I was going to explain myself to him, but once I had worked out what I thought was a plausible story, my body's needs took over. Dane had finally begun to move right as I was drifting off.

I wrapped myself a little closer, hoping I was doing a good job of fending off shock with my body heat. He wasn't shivering or sweating or showing any other signs of discomfort as far as temperature, so it seemed I wouldn't need to take him to a hospital immediately. I had debated about it at first, but since he didn't seem to be dying, his need for privacy, as well as my own, made me decide to respect his wishes and not get him caught directly after rescuing him.

Dane rolled over and let out a gasp, his eyes flying open and his arms clutching his sides as he curled into fetal position, moaning. I winced in sympathy, nostrils flaring. He didn't even seem to see me for a few moments, all his attention turned inward, before he blinked a few times and focused on the end of my snout, only about a foot from his face. He yelped and tried to sit up, only to fall back against my side with another groan. I snorted a laugh, the sound vibrating the back of my skull, like I had pulled a corrugated plastic straw through my teeth, an oddly pleasant and powerful sensation.

He slumped against me, closing his eyes for a moment. "Spark, don't scare me like that! What in the world are you doing here?"

I had to work my throat a couple times before I could get the right sounds to come out to sound like human speech. I still wasn't used to using my throat to make every sound, and I was tired. It had absolutely nothing to do with rescuing this kid like a damsel in distress...

"I'm here because I saw you were in trouble," I hummed, "you and your little friend got into a bit of a tight spot, but I pulled you out."

"FIONA!"

I nearly fell over in startlement as he shot straight up, clutching his side and trying not to double over as he went into a fit of coughing. It took me a moment to realize that he meant the other 'me', and he hasn't realized who I was. I coughed to hide my own surprise.

"Erm, yes. I helped her as well. She wanted to stay with you after I took care of your attackers, but I could only carry one and you were unconscious. Besides, she told me she had to get back to her family or they would worry. I promised her I'd look after you, so that's what I've been doing." None of it was precisely a lie. Not that I was very happy keeping the whole truth from him, but I couldn't trust him completely. I still had no idea why he was on the run, and when it came down to it I hadn't known him for very long at all.

He breathed a ragged sigh and settled back against my side, closing his eyes both in pain and relief.

"Good, good. As long as she's alright. Did anyone else spot us? Like the police? They're bound to be looking for you since last time."

I grinned wickedly, flashing my curved fangs. "They haven't seen even a glimpse of me since that day."

He raised an eyebrow, but didn't even flinch at the rows of teeth big enough to split his bones that were only inches away.

"Well that's good then. I wonder what they think of that? When you saved me the first time, I mean." He scratched the back of his neck, wheezing a chuckle. "I bet they had to put some of those guys in therapy!"