Dragon's Key--Complete

Chapter Fourteen

I hurt.  It felt like every muscle in my body had decided to stage a protest.  After the protest some muscles had gone to the further effort of going on vacation.  I shifted uncomfortably and became aware that I was lying on a fairly comfortable surface that felt like a bed.

I could hear the murmuring of voices in the background.  I recognized at least one of the voices.  The familiarity of it was comforting.  It was Aaron and he didn't sound stressed or upset like it would have had we been captured.  I wanted to see him again, see his face and ensure for myself that he was safe.

I opened my eyes slowly, careful of the light starting to filter into the room.  It looked like it was nearly dawn, the pale light suffusing the room with a soft glow.  I blinked in the brightness and reached up to shield my eyes with my hand.

The bed shifted beneath me and I turned my head to watch a shadow get off the bed and walk over to close the window coverings.  As soon as the light faded I recognized Aaron as he walked back to return to the place he had just vacated near my head on the edge of the bed.  As he sat down, he reached for my hand, wrapping his strong, warm fingers around mine.

“Good morning, my love,” he said softly and lifted my hand to brush his lips over the back of my fingers.

I smiled, happy that he was there and his name slipped from my lips as my feeling of relief overflowed.  I felt safe with him here beside me.  “Aaron.  Where are we?”

“Dragon Citadel,” he said, his lips brushing over the back of my hand again.  He seemed to be savoring my touch.  I didn't mind, I was reveling in his.

I felt cold, my body shivering under the warm quilt spread out above me.  My limbs were weak, my body was tired, my breath came in measured bursts as a result of the pain that was starting to radiate from the center of my body.  The feel of Aaron so close to me was like a healing balm, making all the rest of it feel not so significant.  It helped eradicate all my worries save for one.  Where were we? Did we win? What about the people in the mist that I had seen fighting Zoschke's army?

“We got there okay? Everyone's safe?” I hated the thought of anyone having been hurt trying to protect us.

Abruptly, I felt at a disadvantage, lying like a lump on the bed and feeling weak and achy.  I shifted my weight so that I could prop myself up on my other arm, trying to sit up without letting go of Aaron's hand.  I was enjoying the focus of his attention and wasn't ready to give up his touch quite yet.  I wasn't terribly surprised when he reached out with his free hand to still my movement.  He pressed me gently back into the bed, his eyes filled with concern.

“Not yet,” he said, the hint of worry in his tone reflected the look in his eyes.  “Just lay there quietly for a bit longer.  At least until Peter has had a chance to check you over again.”

“Peter?” I vaguely remembered a tall, thin man with dark skin.

“He healed you,” Aaron said softly as his lips brushed the back of my hand again.  “You would have died if he hadn't been here.”

My eyes darted up to meet Aaron's, searching his face to assess if he was telling the truth.  I felt horrible, but it was hard to accept that I had almost died.  He looked back at me steadily, the horror of the experience reflecting in his eyes.  Whatever had happened, it had affected Aaron, creating lines of strain around his eyes and mouth.  He looked like he hadn't slept in a week.

“Oh.  But I'm fine now, right? I mean, I feel like crap, but not like I'm about to die,” I didn't like that he had been so worried.  I wondered how long I'd been out of it.

Movement caught my eye and I turned my head to see what it was since I hadn't realized Aaron and I weren't alone.  He didn't answer me, but I was more concerned with the fact that we weren't alone as I'd thought.  Against the wall at the bottom of the bed was the woman who had helped me in the fight and I smiled at her in thanks before I continued, sensing she was not the only one in the room I hadn't noticed yet.  My eyes stopped cold at the bottom half of the bed as I came nearly face to face with a girl I didn't know who was practically sitting on my feet.