The Fiery Breath (dragon shifter chronicles book two)

Chapter Nine

As I travel through the forest, I see a spark of light flash by, practically blinding. My eyes squeeze shut and my horse pulls to a stop, rising his feet into the air and kicking them wildly. I slip off the saddle and land on my shoulder, pain manifesting inside my eyes and threading into my shoulder. I roll onto my back as the blinding white light seeps away, my vision returning to normal. I stand, shaky, and rub my eyes. When they open, I see my horse, backed up from me, his eyes trained on something in front of him. I turn and supress a gasp. A young boy, who looks to be only about three, has golden brown hair and pale skin. His eyes are a beautiful blue that melts into a soft green, and I could swear he wasn't there before. Pushing away the throbbing pain in my shoulder, I step forward, my heart pounding.
First my fears show up, then this....child? I steady my pounding heart, and gently stroll over to the boy, who is staring at something to the side. He has a skinny little body, and I drop to a crouch. Finding my voice, I speak up. "Hello?" I ask. His eyes slip to me, and a panic washes over him. He stumbles back, his palms stained with dirt.
"Hey, it's okay, I'm not here to hurt you," I say gently. The boy cautiously steps forward, and I hear his voice for the first time. A wave of pain washes over me. It's quiet and childlike, with so much fear.
"Who are you?" He asks.
Sucking in a deep breath, I say, "I'm the princess. I live in that castle over there, see?" I point to the horizon, where the figure is barely visible. "Where is your family?"
The boy shakes his head. I don't know what this means, but I know I can't leave him here. I'll take him back to the palace with me. Holding out my hand, I say, "come with me?" He nods, and, taking his tiny fingers in mine, I help him onto the horse. He looks scared, as the horse is incredibly large. Leaning against my chest, pressed between my arms, I ask him, "you ready?"
He nods. Brave little guy. My horse lunges into a canter, and I feel the little boy tense. Keeping my eye on the road, I say gently, "it's alright. I've ridden millions of times, I know what I am doing." I feel him nod. We escape from the forest, and a shadow begins to cast over the lush green grass and cloudy sky as night approaches. We finally make it back home, and I help the young boy off my horse. His face lights up when he hits the ground in relief, but that only lasts for a minute. Just now do I notice the bags under his eyes, and the tired way he walks, as if he is sounding forward. I can't help but crouch and open my arms. "Let me carry you,"I say. He nods and leaps into my arms. Pulling him up into my grasp, I stand. He weighs almost nothing. We walk into the castle.
As we do, a figure flashes by me. The boys eyes are closed, and his head is on my shoulder. He falls into a deep sleep. Somewhere inside me, a motherly instinct kicks in, and I tighten my hold on him. When I see it's only Sivarno in his human form, I loosen my grip and feel surprise simmering inside me. I never have that instinct, except maybe with Sophia.
He looks at me, and strides over. "What is....why?"He asks. His eyes are locked onto the child, whose weight has started to settle into my arms, although it's not much. He presses a hand gently to the child's arm, and, after a moment, removes it. "Crystal, why do you have a child with a fever in your arms?" He says, shooting me a confused look. "You don't just leave without a kid and come back with-," I interrupt him, panic floating in my voice.
"A fever?" I say. I press my hand to his arm and feel immense heat travel through my skin. When did he get a fever? Sivarno, obviously surprised by the sudden care I feel towards this child, says gently, "I'll go find a nurse. You being him to your bedroom and lay him down. You alright?"
I nod and shoo him off, then head upstairs. On the way I find Sophia chatting with Dren. They both send me surprised glances and follow me. They start to ask questions, but I quickly interrupt. "No time to explain," I add, rushing the boy to my bed. They follow me in and I gently lay him down, tucking him in. Within a few minutes of Sophia checking his pulse and laying a cold wash cloth on his face, a nurse comes in and shoos us away from the boy while she works. I leave the room, and find Sivarno in the hall. He looks worried about me as I stand in the hall silently, running over the scenarios in my heart with my brow furrowed.
"Crystal," Sophia says, pulling me from my thoughts. I look up to find Dren, Sophia, and Sivarno all looking at me with confused and worried expressions. Guess I better explain.