“I don’t know how he’s lasted this long,” Lucyan said, shaking his head. He clasped Dareena’s hand loosely in his own—touching her seemed to help a bit. “It seems I got here just intime.”
“You really did,” Dareena said. She squeezed his hand tight, though her emerald gaze did not stray from Alistair’s face. “I’ve been trying to heal him, but I’m still new to this magic, and I’ve taxed my abilities to their limit. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’tarrived.”
“Heal him?” Lucyan turned in his chair to look at her fully. “What do youmean?”
She turned to meet Alistair’s eyes. “Do you remember that day you took me out for a picnic? When I told you that I suspected I had an elven ancestor in my familytree?”
“Yes.” Lucyan looked down at the ring on her finger. “You were telling me that’s where you thought your green eyes camefrom.”
She nodded. “It turns out green eyes aren’t the only thing I’ve inherited,” she said. “I can also use elven magic, to a limited degree. I found a primer in the library and have been practicingdaily. “
“Really?” Lucyan asked, astonished. Shock and delight filled him as he looked her up and down—his little minx continued to surprise him. “Have you learned many spells? What abilities do youhave?”
“I can heal and do a few other things,” Dareena said, “but I’m afraid I couldn’t do a demonstration right now even if I wanted to. I’ve depleted all my energy.” She passed a hand over her face, which looked drawn andexhausted.
“Go get some rest.” He took her hands and pulled her up from the chair. “You’re no good to us if you’retired.”
Dareena hesitated. “I don’t want to leave him,” she said, glancing at Alistair’s proneform.
Lucyan gently gripped her shoulders, drawing her attention back to him. “I’ll let you know as soon as he’s awake.” He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Despite his lethargy, his loins stirred at the sensation of her lush lips on his, and he had to pull back before he took more from her than she could give. “Go now,” hesaid.
Dareena left, and Lucyan sank back into the chair, resuming his vigil. He had no idea how long it would take for Alistair to heal—it could be hours or days. There was no precedent for this—dragons were rudely healthy creatures and not prone to illness or injuries that required lengthy recovery. But Alistair had been exposed to the anti-dragon spell for more than a week, and for that matter, so had the baby growing in Dareena’s belly. Could they really afford to wait days for Alistair to heal? He hated the idea of leaving his brother behind, but their babe’s safety was paramount. Was it better to try to spirit Dareena out now, while the babe was still in its early stages ofgrowth?
No,a voice in his head said.The dragon god made it clear that all four of you must survive for the curse tobreak.
Right. Leaving Alistair behind was not an option. Lucyan closed his eyes, praying to the dragon god to speed his brother’s recovery. The longer Alistair took, the weaker Lucyan himself wouldgrow.
As the hours dragged on, Lucyan found it harder and harder to stay awake. Natural exhaustion coupled with the anti-dragon spell made him drowsy, and eventually he began to nodoff.
“Lucyan?” Alistair croaked, startling him. His eyes flew open, and he grinned at the sight of Alistair staring back at him through heavy-liddedeyes.
“Ah, so you recognize me?” Lucyan asked, keeping his voice down as he perched on the edge of the bed. Before she’d left, Princess Basilla had ordered the guards to move to the end of the hall to give them some privacy, but even so, he didn’t want to risk themoverhearing.
Alistair gave him a weak smile. “You can’t fool me with that getup,” he said. “I’d recognize your foul stenchanywhere.”
Lucyan chuckled. “Wonderful to see you too,” he said, clapping Alistair on the shoulder. “How are youfeeling?”
“Like someone has placed two tons of bricks on me,” he admitted. “I’m weaker than a kitten, but at least I’m alive.” He glanced down at his severed arm and grimaced. “Though I must admit, I was hoping that part was adream.”
Lucyan winced. “I’m afraid not,” he said. “With any luck, you’ll be able to heal that once you’ve made your firstshift.”
“That’s not going to happen so long as I’m within these walls,” Alistair said. His brow furrowed. “How is it that I’m on the mend? I feel like hell, but that’s a lot better than I was feelingbefore.”
Lucyan tapped the amulet resting against Alistair’s bare chest. “Warding amulet,” he explained. “It protects against hostile magic. I wouldn’t have made it here withoutit.”
Alistair smiled. “Trust you to have something like this in your arsenal,” he said. He lifted his head a little, glancing around the room. “Where isDareena?”
“Sleeping,” Lucyan said. He glanced toward the door, a wave of longing washing over him. As much as he was glad to be by his brother’s side, he yearned to be with his mate. Part of him had been terrified that he would never see her again when the elves had taken her away, and the thought of being separated from her again, even by a mere wall, tore athim.
“Go to her,” Alistair urged, reading himperfectly.
Lucyan frowned. “Are you certain?” he asked. “You’re hardlyrecovered.”
Alistair waved a hand. “I just need to sleep the rest of it off, and as much as I appreciate your concern, the idea of you watching me while I sleep is a bit disconcerting. Besides, I know you’re beginning to feel the effects of the anti-dragon spell. Touching Dareena helps ward off the symptoms, especially if you’re not wearing anyclothing.”
“Really?” Lucyan’s eyebrows rose at the suggestive tone in Alistair’s voice. “You don’tmind?”
Alistair snorted. “Give me thirty seconds and I’ll be unconscious again,” he said. Indeed, his eyelids fluttered. “She’s missed you fiercely, Lucyan,” he mumbled. “Go toher.”
