Page 120 of I Dream of Dragons

No personal touches.

Black seems to be the predominant color, if you can call it a color. The hue of shadows. Black and gray, a few colorful touches popping out—a red teacup on a golden tray. A red flower that seems to grow inside the window frame. A stack of books by the bed.

A black moth is fluttering over us.

“I couldn’t think where else to take you where you’d be safe, not without knowing what happened. You are wounded and you wouldn’t wake up. The healers think it might be poison. Your leg…”

I look down at the bandage around my calf. Seeing it reminds me that it hurts.

“That was a deep cut. It had to be stitched and poultices applied to draw out the poison.”

“Sea serpent,” I whisper. “One of its teeth grazed my leg as I waited for Keres to fly low enough for me to grab onto him.”

“A fucking sea serpent almost ate you. You almost fucking died.” His face twists, and shadows swarm the room, wrapping around us like a cocoon. He buries his face in my neck, his breath hot against my skin. “I can’t. I can’t fucking do it again.”

I wrap my arms around his neck. “Do what?”

“Mourn you.”

I stare at the far wall. My head is swimming, and my mind is as slow to recover as my body from this new ordeal, and there’s so much to say…

“Glad to see you awake.” Daria bustles in. “The healers came and went but you didn’t stir. He hasn’t left your side since yesterday.”

“Yesterday. I slept all night?”

“All afternoon and all night. I think it’s time to have a serious meal,” Daria says. “I took the liberty to tell the kitchen to send up a few trays.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, still trying to piece together what happened. I turn to Jai. “Why is Daria here?”

“I asked for her.” Finally, Jai draws back, his long lashes lowered, hiding his gaze. “I trust her. She would never betray us.”

“How do you know that?” I whisper, hoping she doesn’t hear me.

“She’s with Tru.”

Tru.Oh Gods…

“What happened?” he asks gently, though the edge of fear underneath it is still sharp. “What do you remember?”

“I remember… finding you on the terrace.” Gods, how can I tell him the truth? “Then the guards arrived. Arkin was injured. How is Arkin?”

“He’s fine. How areyoufeeling?”

“Tired.” I smile at him. “Exhausted, honestly.” I nestle more comfortably in his arms. We have our back propped against the side of the bed, and I’ve never felt more at ease.

“What else do you remember?”

“I remember waking up in the water. Realizing I’d fallen into the sea. Swimming to the surface and calling Remi.”

“Good thinking.” He kisses my brow. “And then?”

“I asked him to get Keres so I could ride back home but when Keres arrived, he wouldn’t get into the water and I couldn’t climb. I grabbed one of his claws.” I lift my right hand. I hadn’t noticed the thin bandages around my palm.

He takes it, lifts it, and kisses my fingers. “That was good thinking, too.”

“And then you arrived on your drak and got me.”

“I always have your back. But how did that happen? How did you fall?”