Howl

Chapter Thirty Five

Howl's POV

    I find her at the base of the mountain. I am at Artemis's side before the scream has been fully ripped from Solomon's lungs.

   Artemis lays before me . . . or rather her writhing, convulsing body. Her eyes snap open and her screams resonate off of the mountainside. I say eyes, but they are truly discolered orbs that hang back in her head. She stops shaking and convulsing, but starts to sob horrible, wheezing, cries. I realize these wheezes are from a cut near her throat, that interrupts her airways. 

    The convulsions must be caused bya magic overload of sorts, caused by venom in The Ferocity's claws. Even if my sleeping potions wouldn't actually make the beast sleep, it helped to divert the venom's focus. I was working to synthesize a way to not only dilute the venom, but to reverse it in a way that the venom would leak into the dragon's own bloodstream and work it's way through the nervous system, and essentially, the beast would literally get a taste of it's own medicine.

    But Artemis took every last drop of my potions, the ones I had already been tweaking. Part of why I was out so long from one potion . . . it was not just the strength from the nightlock I usually add, even with it's counters.

    I have no idea what side effects I could suffer from the potion. It wasn't complete, not to mention the fact that I am human . . . NOT a dragon.

    "Who are you?" Artemis screams and claws at my face. I can feel her heart racing as she panics, sightless, pained, and maybe even feeling alone.

    "Artemis, it's me . . .  " I force her hand flat  so that her palm rests on my cheek, and her long fingers on the side of my face. It is only once I pull her into my arms that she calms.

   She quietly sobs, air rushing in, and leaking out of her throat.

    "Solomon, please . . . " I can't bare to finish my plea. The old woman looks at me, an unreadable expression plastered to her face.

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Solomon's POV

    The boy knnows that to save Artemis, it could drain me of all that remains of my power. If not entirely drain me, I would be left too weak to be of any use, at the very least. I don't want to heal her at the cost of my powers.

     Yet, when I look into the eyes of the closest thing I have ever had to a son, I only see love. The pain is there, of course, but love, more than anything is apparent.

    I used to be the kind of woman that stood at her own resolve, whom nothing could change her mind. But now . . . The way I feel towards Mellach makes me wonder to what expense Howl would save Artemis. If he would sacrifice his own powers.

    Or Artemis's. That is the only way I could keep my own powers . . .

     i stride the short distance to the pair and kneel over the pale, blood lacking girl. I take the hand that is not on Howl's face and squeeze tight.