The dragon huffs and lowers his head to the ground – an action that generates a splattering of applause from Blaze’s new fan club.
I peer down at the wet grass. It looks so very far away. I don’t think I can make it down. I’m not sure I can make my body work.
I scan the faces of those in the crowd facing me. They stare back at me in a stunned silence, no one offering to help. The sound of the rain patters around us.
And then all of a sudden, they all start talking at once, wanting to know where the dragon came from, if it’s true the Madame is missing, if Professor Tudor has gone too.
The noise is like a thousand drums beating relentlessly in my skull and I wince, screwing up my eyes. For a moment, I feel the blood rush to my head, the edges of the world fading to black, my body wobbling.
I’m going to faint.
“Briony, sweetheart.”
I squint down.
Beaufort.
Standing by the dragon, his arms up-raised, ready to help me.
“I can’t,” I croak.
“I’ll catch you, sweetheart,” he promises.
Chapter Five
Briony
I close my eyes and let my body tumble his way. I fall through the air a second time, landing this time in the warm embrace of my mate’s arms. He hugs me to his broad chest, damp from the rain, and I rest my weary head on his shoulder.
“It’s okay,” he whispers, “I got you. I’ve always got you.” Then to the crowd, still firing questions at me, he roars, “Move!”
Instantly, a path clears and he strides right through it, splashing through the puddles forming on the field.
“Fuck, Briony,” he mutters, “I thought I’d lost you.”
I don’t know if he’s talking to me or to himself.
I manage to tip back my head and peer up into his face.
“I thought I’d lost you,” he repeats.
“S-s-s-sorry,” I slur, my tongue and mouth barely functioning.
He shakes his head and with the rain running down his face, I can’t be sure, but I think his eyes are wet with tears. “I don’t ever want to lose you.”
I can’t answer. All I can do is stare up into his eyes and hope he knows that I don’t want to lose him either. I don’t want to lose any of them.
“What happened?” he asks, silver eyes full of worry as he reaches the edge of the field and strides onto the pathway.
“L-l-l-lightning,” I manage to spit out.
“Shit.” He nuzzles his face against mine. “Briony, I was so …” More agony flashes across his face. “I’m going to fix you up.”
Soon, we’re at his tower and he’s carrying me through the front door. Thorne hovers in the hallway looking concerned, but there’s no sign of Dray.
“I’m taking her up to my room to heal her,” Beaufort tells his bond brother.
“She’s okay?” Thorne says, stepping a little closer. “Is she okay, Beaufort? What happened?”
