The Forest Witch's Home for Magical Creatures

Chapter 7: Back Home

She jerked awake as she was falling, her arm flailing. She looked around bewildered and muddled by sleep. Wren was an imposing figure standing over her from where he dropped her on the couch. His thick arms were crossed and his wings tight against his back and primly arched.

They were in her living room.

Wren was in her living room.

She didn't remember the hike back to her house. She flushed red when she realized that she had fallen asleep. She was lulled to sleep in the arms of a dragon and he carried her home. Her life was bizarre.

She hoped she didn't drool on him. Maybe she did drool on him, judging by how hard he was glaring at her. She tried not to get distracted by how prettily his scales reflected the living room light.

"You're in my house."

His glare deepened, causing the iridescent scales across his brow ridge to ripple.

"Do you want something to eat?" She guessed. He had to want something if he was in her living room.

He clenched his jaw. His sharp incisors peeked out between his lips. It should be intimidating. She found it adorable, like a little bat.

"Do you want me to heal you?" She tried again. She remembered the damage to his wings. He might have other injuries she couldn't see.

"Heal yourself first, you little twit." He said with a sneer.

She looked down at her foot which was very much still broken. The spelled bandages did a good job of blocking out the pain, but the swelling was obvious.

"You want me to heal myself," She said slowly. "Then I can heal you?"

He gave her a heated look but didn't say anything. She was taking that as a yes. She pushed off the armrest of the couch and balanced herself on her good leg. She needed to get to her workshop. She got up and took a tentative hop in the right direction and immediately lost her balance and started pin-wheeling her arms to stay upright. She heard a deep sigh before strong hands grabbed her and swung her up into his arms. Again.

His body was warm and solid. This close she could see that his feathers weren't just an intense black, but had the same dark irradiance shine to them. He smelled like everything she loved about the forest. The earthy, woodsy, and herbal aroma of the outdoors. His scales were even more beautiful up close. She didn't pay attention to them the first time. They scaled up his neck like dark ivy. They stopped below the sharp jut of his chin and continued as a galaxy across his strong cheekbones.

"Are you going to tell me where I'm going or do you need more time to stare at me?" He rumbled.

She met his gaze. His storm-blue eyes didn't seem angry. She pointed over to where the open living room met the kitchen. "It's through that hallway."

He held her tight while he walked, she hardly felt the motions. She guided him down the hallway to her workroom. He curiously looked around the large room. She wanted to see it through his eyes. Did it remind him of the witches that hurt him? She pointed to the empty space at the apex of two large windows. The sun had started to set. Splashes of orange and red painted the sky.

He set her gently on her good foot. She used his arm for balance as she took a couple of steps over the bookcase that held her spelled canvases. Massie had a plethora of ready-to-go spell work inked onto thick canvas. They were spells she used frequently and didn't feel like writing out every time she needed it. She also had spells ready to go in case of an emergency. She had them rolled up and labeled on the shelf. She also had commonly used ingredients, ointments, and elixirs on the same shelf. Everything else that she could possibly need was housed close by in large cabinets.