Fire Breather

36.

"COME on!" A voice cried out. Hands shook my shoulders. Other hands were pressed against my chest and neck. But I couldn't see anything other than darkness surrounding me. "Blaine, please! Just wake up!"

"Her blood is black, Xaden." A gentle but shaky voice warned my brother. "The same is happening to Violet. It must be poison."

Violet? What the fucking hell was happening to Violet?

"We made a promise." Those hands moved to my face, cradling me gently. "Please, sweetheart. Stay alive for us—for me." Garrick. He was alive which meant I was. But how could I not see anyone?

A roar sounded, shaking those hands. Was that Nim? Why couldn't I feel her bond?

Someone placed a hand harder against my chest and all I wanted to do was cry out from the searing pain, but I didn't move. Nothing fucking moved.

"Nim wants her," Garrick said, his hands moving away from my face while all the other hands moved off my body. Then arms were under me, and I was lifted up, held against a chest. "She said your body is healing you," he whispered. "All you have to do is keep fighting. Fight, Blaine."

But then his voice faded softly, and a cold gust of wind swept me away from wherever I was.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"SOMETHING'S happening!" Garrick shouted, his deep voice waking me as I felt energy rush to my fingertips. "Xaden!"

Seconds later, footsteps were rushing toward me, followed by a skid and hands grabbing mine. "Her blood..." Xaden trailed off. "It's not black anymore."

Then there were multiple gasps and Xaden's hands let go of mine, footsteps retreating. In the darkness around me, a slit broke through, sending trains of lighting to shine down on me. Half of me wanted to stay in the dark, stay in the comfort of the blackness around me. But my legs moved as if I was being controlled and then my hands latched onto the sides of the slit, sending a rush of heat through my body.

I gulped down air like water when the slit expanded and then my eyes flew open and I was sitting up, surrounded by black and red blood like a circular shield. Behind me, a roar sounded, shaking the ground under me and I felt Nim's power touching every nerve in my body.

"Blaine?"

The blood around me dropped, turning into puddles and eyes were darting around me, expressions of relief on the handful of faces.

"You're alive," Garrick breathed before his arms were wrapped around me, holding me against him.

My mind slowly took in his scent, his hair, the muscles under his flight leathers. And then I hugged him back, feeling a wave of relief brush over the both of us.

I was alive.

I was holding him again.

"We thought you were going to die," Garrick whispered, running his hands through my unbounded curls. "I—I thought you did die."

"What happened?" I asked him, my voice hoarse and raspy. When was the last time I drank water?

Garrick pulled away, his eyes roaming my face with worry. "A wyvern attacked Nim, and you were thrown off her in the fight." He gently placed a hand on the side of my face while my stomach dropped. "Ciaran saved you in time before you could..."

"Before I could splatter on the ground?" I raised a brow with a small, pained laugh that made him exhale deeply with a faint smile. "Well, lucky I didn't," I further added and then turned to the light-brown-haired boy behind him who sent a small wave. "Thanks, Ciaran. I owe you for saving my ass."