The Dragon's Scale [COMPLETE]

21.2 || Bloodied Waters

"—on. Come on. Come on."

Air brushed back the sleep that had claimed Josh, and then it all pushed upward. His eyes shot open. He didn't take time to examine his surroundings, instantly throwing himself sideways.

Water rushed out of his mouth and nose in a coughing fit. After what felt like dozens of minutes, the coughs passed, leaving Josh gasping for air. Sweet, sweet air. Not the metallic water he had inhaled last he remembered.

"Ugh," he groaned. He pressed his forehead against a dry patch of dirt. His throat may as well have been rubbed raw by sandpaper, and a hammer beat on the inside of his skull.

With each inhale, the memories flowed back to him. He squeezed his eyes together. "Please tell me Cale didn't just give me mouth-to-mouth."

Someone lay their head on his back and rubbed between his shoulders. Based on the long strands of hair tickling his neck, it wasn't Cale.

"It was me, you idiot. Don't scare me like that again," Mara murmured.

He chuckled, multiple remarks about getting mouth-to-mouth from her running through his mind, but before he could make one, his entire body jerked. His skin prickled uncomfortably, and he shuddered.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Aharon's voice asked.

"No, it's not." Cale's tone carried an edge to it. "What happened down there?"

Josh huffed a bitter laugh. "Nice to know you care that I'm alive."

Mara tensed, her hand stilling. Bracing himself, he twisted so he could sit facing Cale. His entire body ached from the movement. Mara placed a supportive hand on his shoulder, but her worried eyes turned toward Cale.

He and Aharon stood near the date tree furthest from the lake, but still closer than Josh and Mara. The young boy sat on the ground with his arms wrapped around his legs. Cale, on the other hand, stood with his arms crossed at Josh and brows drawn together.

"You didn't answer me," he said.

Josh winced as a sudden, harsh twitch summoned more pain. "Boomer channeled lightning through me."

"Caleb—" Mara started, but it didn't work.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" he snapped. "Your soul may have an affinity for an element, but that doesn't mean you're attuned to it yet. That could have killed you."

What air Josh had regained became useless. He was back under the water, breathing in something that suffocated him.

The fight may have been knocked out of him if Boomer's presence didn't brush across the bond. Guilt, disbelief, outright horror. Never before had Boomer felt so tiny.

They had tried to save everyone. Boomer didn't deserve to feel so horrible for that.

Josh shoved to his feet. Mara's hand applied a little resistance, but it wasn't enough. Even if the painful twitches continued to attack his body, he stood firm in front of Cale.

"What was I supposed to do, then?" Josh challenged. "You were coughing a lung out, Mara was surrounded, and we had no idea how many more of those stupid things were left in there."

Cale took a deep breath as if to calm himself, but fire burned in his eyes. "How about, I don't know, actually forming a plan? Talking to others first? Crazy ideas, I know, but surprisingly, they work."

Josh was almost impressed by the sheer amount of sarcasm dripping from Cale's words. Sadly, the increasing desire to punch the guy stomped out any possibility of positive emotions toward him.