Daegan gives him a look of annoyance as he continues to hold Raef across his shoulders.
“Lay him on the table.”
Daegan doesn’t hesitate. He lays Raef down, and I take a knee in front of the table. His breathing is slower now, making me even more nervous.
“He should be healing faster,” Daegan grumbles.
Dragon shifters have an accelerated healing process compared to most species. A fatal wound is a fatal wound, but a deep gash or a burn? It should take them a quarter of the time it takes me to heal. I read that in a book once. I haven’t actually seen it in action, of course.
“Do you have anything to help him?” Daegan asks with impatience. He remains standing, is posture stiff.
“Yes,” our host says simply. He moves to the kitchen area and opens a glass cabinet that’s packed with bottles and jars and every shape of container you could imagine. He grabs one without hesitation, then glides to the table where Raef lays.
“You defeated my crawlers. Very good.”
“He almost died,” Daegan grumbles in annoyance.
“He will be fine.”
He pulls open the hole in Raef’s shirt, exposing the nasty puncture wound. It already looks darker, more swollen, and webbed. It’s spreading. He pulls the lid off the small bottle in his hand, then uses the small brush inside to swipe some of the liquid on the wound.
Daegan tenses, and I fear he’s about to protest, when the wound immediately begins to subside, the purple webbing visibly retracting before our eyes. Raef sucks in a deep breath, opening his eyes slowly.
I breathe out the deepest sigh of relief.
“You were right,” Raef mumbles, grinning up at me with his crimson eyes like none of this ever happened.
I smile, trying to hide any last remains of the worry that was all over my face. “I’m right about a lot of things. Be more specific.”
“I would’ve brought shame upon my family name for centuries if I were taken out by a fuzzy fucking plant-spider.”
We both laugh, and notice Daegan looking between us, unsmiling, like he’s still a little worried. And a little angry. Then his eyes lock on mine, like he’s searching for something. What, I don’t know. I couldn’t begin to guess what bitter ramblings go through his head.
“Don’t insult my crawlers that way,” our host interjects. He’s just returned the healing serum or whatever it was to his cabinet, while Raef crawls off the table, poking at his almost-healed wound curiously. He takes a knee besideme around the table. “They are my beasts.” His words are stern and possessive, but his expression and demeanor are still as calm as a hidden pond in the darkest hour of the night.
“They almost killed us,” Daegan spits out with ire.
“Well, I cannot simply let just anyone wander into my forest, can I?” He crouches down until he’s on both knees, facing us from across the table. He sets down some items he’s retrieved from the kitchen, then gestures for Daegan to join us around the table.
Daegan shoots him a glare, remaining planted in the corner with his arms crossed.
“Naturally,” our host mutters under his breath.
“So, you are Maethrel, right? The witch?”
“Yes.”
“Are you the only one? Are there others of your kind?”
“We are not here to talk about my history. I know what you are here for. You seek answers. Guidance.”
I sit up straighter, glancing nervously at Daegan and Raef. I try to ignore Daegan who’s watching me with intense focus from his corner, and instead keep my eyes on Maethrel as he assembles his bottles and trinkets. It’s making a lot of clinking sounds, which is a little awkward in this quiet cottage.
“Relax,” Maethrel says with a calming hiss, drawing out the last sound. “They are going to find out. It is inevitable. And you cannot succeed without them.”
My heart races, and I begin to panic internally. I’ve kept this to myself for years. All of the lonely hours spent in the library, the determination to find the answers. All because I’ve been surrounded by my own kind—elves—who cannot be trusted with this because they’re comfortable with where they sit in the hierarchy of our continent. I didn’t know who to trust, why anyone would want to ruin what we have. Perhaps I could have found some allies among them. I don’t believe that all elves would be okay with knowing the truth of what’s happening to other species out there, but I couldn’t risk exposing what I was doing to my father.
I still feel Daegan’s stare burning a hole into me, but I can’t meet his gaze right now.
