The Fawx Bite

XXXII.

I had lost too much blood. My head was fuzzy, my thoughts weighted. I was beginning to shiver, Goosebumps rising along my skin. I couldn't breathe; I could hear the pounding in my head. Somehow I had gotten ahold of a rag – or what was formerly a rag. It was absolutely soaking in blood. Marek next to me, his tail wrapped around the upper part of my forearm.

Scar, Marek whispered, Focus on me.

"What do I focus on?" I stared numbly at the blood dripping from the rag and into the puddle on the ground.

Focus on me, he said.

"Focus on you?" I repeated dumbly.

Yes, focus on me. Focus on my voice. Don't think of anything else, just listen to me.

"But..." I began to cough. "Viola..."

She can take care of herself; you have got to trust her. You have to trust others to take care of themselves. You can't shoulder the weight of everyone else's problems. You have your own journey. Trust yourself to complete it. Marek's voice was quiet in my mind. I blinked and I found myself in a living room. It was a large space with white walls that had grand paintings. An elegant, crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. A flaring fireplace was the center of the room. The white sofa hugged the perimeter.

Marek was sitting on a couch cushion, watching me intently. "You have done your best to protect those important to you. But it is time to let them embrace their own destinies."

"I can protect them," I insisted. "It's my job to protect them. That's what a dragon rider is, right? We are protectors."

"You are a dragon rider and it is your duty to protect. But you cannot change the past. Neither can you change the future. Your job isn't to suffocate them. It is to assist them on their journey." Marek watched me closely.

"But what if I can protect them?" I smiled, excited by what I could do. "I could make sure that what happened to Liane never happens to anyone again."

"But that was her destiny. She wasn't meant to live her days as Liane. She was meant to go on her own journey ad become Echo." Marek stood, walking along the couch to get closer to me. "If she hadn't gone through what she had then wouldn't be next to you now. Viola might not either. You can't prevent what is meant to happen. Only help out along the journey."

Tears pricked my eyes as I realized the truth in his words. I nodded slowly. "I'll work on not suffocating others."

"Good," Marek touched my shoulder with his tail. "Now, it's time to wake up."

I closed my eyes and when I opened them, Marek was still in front of me. I looked down to see that my arm was no longer bleeding. In fact, I was no longer cold, or light-headed, and I could think clearly. I smiled, "You were distracting me so that I could heal."

"Took you long enough to figure it out," Marek snorted, a puff of smoke escaping his nostrils.

"You were distracting me, so of course I wouldn't figure it out," I pointed out.

Marek rolled his eyes, "Really?"

"What? Just pointing something out," I chuckled before the smile slowly faded from my face. I looked over to see Viola fighting with Stoker, I made to stand up. But Marek's tail was still wrapped around my forearm and he stopped me.