The Hidden Crystal

Chapter 32

Char's wings felt like they were about to fall off.

Rath had suggested stopping to rest several times, but Char had refused every time. He needed to put as much distance between Iris and that mage as possible, even if that meant pushing himself harder than ever before. Whenever he began to wonder if he had anything left in him, he focused on her, shivering in the grip of his right claw, and that gave him the willpower to keep going.

The sight of the flight cavern flooded his weary body with relief.

That was the clumsiest landing he'd ever made in his life. He managed to stay upright and keep his weight off of his right forelimb long enough to set Iris against the wall, safe and out of the way, and then he let his battered body collapse as the ice rushed out of his veins.

That was a new sensation.

He'd never lost control of his own magic before. A few more minutes, and he would've transformed midair and fallen out of the sky.

He rolled onto his back, breathing hard. A rush of black scales filled his vision as Rath landed on top of him. Talons scraped the stone right next to Char's head—on purpose. Rath was trying to get a rise out of him. But Char was too tired to react.

A gust of freezing wind swept through the cavern and left Rath in his human form, standing over his brother. He nudged Char with the toe of his boot. "You dead?"

"Shut up and give me a hand."

"Just stay put and catch your breath. I'll take her inside." Rath flashed Char a smirk as he turned away. "Then I'll come back to carry you in."

"You're the worst."

Char took a deep breath and pushed himself up on his elbows. He wasn't about to lie there and rest while Iris was in such a critical state. The fairy was flitting around her motionless form, anxiety and worry written into its every jerky movement, and Char gritted his teeth and staggered to his feet. His own needs had to wait.

"What the heck happened to her?" Rath muttered as he scooped her up. "Get the door for me, will ya?"

Char didn't bother answering Rath's first question. There was too much to tell, and he didn't have the energy to both explain and walk, much less talk while opening the door. It felt much heavier than usual. He had to throw his shoulder into heaving it aside.

"Why is she whimpering like this? Is she in pain or something?"

Rath furrowed his brow as he looked down at her. The blanket wrapped around her hid all but her face, pale as death, and she was limp except for her violent shivering. Soft, pained sounds escaped her lips with each convulsion.

Char clenched his fists at his side. "Yeah, she is. We need to—"

"You need to explain."

Suddenly, Kelnor stood in the doorway, his feet planted and his arms crossed his arms over his broad chest. The scowl on his face and the flashing of his red eyes made the message clear: 'You're in big trouble.'

Just what Char needed.

He sighed and met his commanding officer's glare. "Move."

A moment of tense silence passed between them.

Then Kelnor sighed, too, and his eyes shifted to Iris. He stepped aside. "This had better be good."

They encountered nobody else on the way back to Char and Rath's living quarters. The fairy zoomed ahead of them, and when they arrived, it had somehow opened the door just enough to slip inside through a crack. Char moved to push the door all the way open, but Kelnor beat him to it.