Burning Embers

7

My breath comes in quick heaves of my chest, and I will it to slow down as I shut the door behind me. Samara is safe, physically at least. For now. My job is to figure out how to keep her that way.

The next day

As I stride down the boys dormitory hallway, I step outside and almost plow over Clarie.
She puts her hands on my shoulders, stopping me in my tracks.
"Is she back there?" Her tone is flat with suppressed panic.
I nod.
"And you left her alone? You know I can't go back there."
"I can ask her if she wants to go to the girls' dorms." I don't care where she is, as long as she's safe.
Clarie hesitates, dropping her hands.
"No, I... don't think she'll be safe there. Why are you out here anyways?"
I raise my eyebrows. Why does she think I'm out here?
"I'm trying to figure out what's going on. And grabbing dinner."
She looks down her nose at me.
"Okay, hurry. I don't know whats going on, but if I can find out, I'll let you know. I know she shouldn't be alone for long though."
I turn to walk away.
"Oh, and Finn?"
I turn my head back around, meeting her glaring blue eyes.
"Do anything to her and I'll rip every bone out of your body."

I hustle out of the cafeteria, tension filling the air.
Eyes are on me as I push through the doors, precariously balancing two plates. Jaren comes up behind me, taking one of the plates.
He walks silently beside me until we are outside, shifting the warm plate from hand to hand.
"How is she?" He asks quietly, walking beside me as the sun sets over the horizon.
"I don't know." I confess, exhaustion weighing down every bone in my body. How long has this day been?
He nods, and we stop in front of the door to my room, set apart from the rest of the boys dorms by a hallway, since I'm a squad leader.
"Good luck dude." Is all he says as he gives my door a light push and hands the other plate to me.

I push inside, nudging the door back into place and set the plates, now lukewarm, on my counter.
Apprehension runs through me as nothing stirs in the bedroom.
I push open the door slowly, and wide glassy brown eyes meet mine from the floor.
"Hi." It comes out more breathless than I intended.
"Hi." Is all she says.
The awkwardness makes it hard to breathe.
"I brought food."
She shakes her head, and I offer her a hand, pulling her up from where she was crouched against the wall.
"I'm not hungry."
She's standing right in front of me, eyes puffy, and my heart wrenches.
"Okay," I murmur.
"What do you want to do?"
She laughs quietly.
"Sleep, if I'm being honest."
I laugh.
"Understandable."
Hesitating, I stride over to my closet, throwing it open.
"You can take whatever, I'll leave you to change."

I stride out of the room, shutting it behind before I see her reaction to that.

I'm filling up my canteen when I hear a heavy thump, and the roof shakes.
Dust falls as another thump shakes the dorm.
Samara stumbles out of the bedroom, glaring up at the ceiling as she pulls her hair from where it was caught in my quarterzip she pulled on.
"That's Zafira." Her voice is raw.
The burn on my arm tingles.
"Falkor too."
I head over to the side door, one that leads directly out onto the green.
As soon as I push the door open, I'm pushed out of the way by a ruby red smoking snout.
I hear a low growl from outside, and feel a shock of anger from Falkor.
It's pitch black outside, and I see a bright flare of blue, followed by stripes of gold. That would be Falkor, and the rest of Zafira outside, lighting up their bioluminescent stripes.
I watch quietly as Samara dips her head, then brushes her hair out of her face, striding forward to set her hand on Zafira's snout.
I spot one of her eyes glinting from outside the door as she shifts her nose.
I hear a knock on my door into the dorms, and jolt.
"Hey, can you tell them to tone it down a little? I have patrol tomorrow morning." A muffled voice comes from behind the door.
"Sorry." I call, glancing over at Sam.
Her eyes are closed, chin tucked to her chest.
No doubt talking with Zafira.
The main way riders and their dragons communicate is through physical contact, though, if your bond is very strong, you can do it telepathically.
Me and Falkor can send emotions, but thats about it. For now at least.
Speaking of, another spike of impatience rips through my brain, and I glance at Sam and Zafira before ducking into my bedroom and swinging out the window.

Sure enough, behind Zafira's lashing tail, waits Falkor. As soon as he sees me, he strides over, tail flicking back and forth.
"What?" I ask, and he pushes his snout into my outstretched hand.
I have orders from Cariase.
My eyesbrows shoot up.
Cariase, Samara's father's vicious dragon. She was a force of nature, a glinting silver with teeth to match.
When they weren't bloody, of course.
What did she say?
Her parents want you to protect her.
I already am
With your life
Bold of you to assume it would be anything less

—————————————————————————

I head back inside, having clarified with Falkor I'll get back to training as soon as I can. He's free to go wherever. I don't miss the way his tail intertwines with Zafira's as I head back inside.
I shut the window and step back into the kitchen. Zafira turns her nose toward me, then snuffs at Samara's right thigh pointedly.
Then she withdraws her nose, stripes flashing.
Samara doesn't turn around, staring out at the broken door as blue and golden lines flick away into the night.

I step forward, and she flinches away.
"Is your leg okay?" I stay where I am.
She nods.
Hesitating, I watch her rigid figure before stepping back.
"I'll sleep out here, let me know if you need anything okay?"
Again, a silent jerk of her chin.

As soon as I collapse on the makeshift bedroll in front of my door, I'm out.

Early in the morning, the sun has hours until it will rise, I hear a shuffle in my room and am up in an instant.
I rush to the door, and hear a muffled sob.
Guilt and grief send my heart dropping.
"Samara." I push on the door gently.
She must be holding it closed.
I twist the doorknob, and after two more tries I'm able to slip in the room.
The door shuts and I see Samara standing, but slumped against it.
I can't see her face, she has it hidden in her hands.
My heart slows as I scan her body, seeing no physical injuries.
I turn around, my eyes searching every nook and cranny of my room, making sure we are alone.
Finally I turn back to her, taking a shaky breath.
"Hey." I murmur.
She shakes her head.
"Get out." She croaks.

Despite the harsh words, a rush of relief floods through my body at the spark in her voice.
I come to stand in front of her, and reach out a hand, brushing against hers gently.
She lets me pull her hands away from her face, and hold them gently.
She continues staring at the floor, dark eyelashes clumped with tears brushing her cheeks.
"What's going on?" I already know, but it feels like the right thing to say.
It isn't.
It does get her to look at me, though, glaring or not.
Her wide brown eyes are glassy with unspilled tears.
"I'm sorry-" She chokes on her words.
I drop her hands, reaching up to cup her face gently.
Her eyes widen more.
God, she's beautiful.

I force my thoughts back to the situation at hand.
"Don't be sorry about anything, okay?"
She nods, her eyes dropping once again to the floor.
"Sam, look at me." I ask.
She does.
"You're safe here, okay?" I emphasize every word.
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I would die for you, Sam."
I didn't mean to say the last part, and my cheeks flush.
"Please don't." She murmurs, and laughs lightly.
I laugh too, still holding her face in my hands.
"Do you wanna go flying tomorrow?"
There's that grin I've spent my entire life admiring.
"Why not right now?"