And screamed. And screamed.
Perri screamed. Nerissa swore and Perri’s screams cut off abruptly.
Everything was lost in a haze of blood and pain, of noise and agony. It could have been seconds or hours–it didn’t matter. The ground shook, or maybe that wassimply my body, ravaged and in shock from blood loss and injury.
“Perri! You rascal!”
Was someone else here now?
Perri was crying or maybe it was Nerissa. Hot tears dripped onto my face, and cool hands smoothed my brow.
That was nice. No one had ever done that before. It was almost like having someone care about you.
“He’s going to pass out,” said a female voice.
Perri’s whimpers reached me and I fought to stay awake.
“Shush, little one. He did his part. He now must fight for it.”
I wanted to sleep. Everything would stop hurting, then. Wouldn’t it?
The rumbling increased, and didn’t stop. I fought to stay awake, the entire lava tube shaking and moving.
“Shit, I need to break the circle and get us out. GO!” Nerissa yelled.
Feet pounded on rock and Perri’s cries disappeared faintly.
Good. She was safe. I could sleep–
“Goddamnit Veskor, I didn’t finally forgive you just to watch you fucking die. GET UP!” A hand grabbed my wing tip and twisted.
I roared in agony, shooting to my feet despite not being able to stand moments ago. Adrenaline pumped through my veins. Nerissa had thrown Perri’s rocks across the blood circle, disrupting it.
“Come on, you sack of bones! MOVE!”
“The ritual—” I slurred out.
“You did your part!” she yelled over the earthquake. “Now I challenge you to survive! We can’t be here while the wards reset from inside the island’s core! MOVE!”
My brain finally caught up to what she was saying. I’d been ready to die. To lay down and go to sleep forever, and let my life finally have value to someone, somewhere. Because after the life I’d led, that would have been enough for me.
Bleeding, weak, and in more agony than the fighting pits had ever given me, I realized it was no longer enough.
I wanted to belong. I wanted a home. I wanted to feel the sun on my scales as I flew over the ocean, and watched Perri grow up. I wanted to be there to watch Nerissa’s daughter chase after that reluctant draken she wanted to mate. I wanted to spar more with the females and get to know Nasi and Benedict better.
I wanted to live.
“OK,” I whispered, and let her haul me up.
We took off down the lava tube as best we could, stumbling like drunks as the ground rolled and cracked beneath our feet.
“Keep going!” Nerissa shouted.
We made it most of the way out before we encountered a problem. Perri stood there, screaming in distress, tears running down her face as she pointed to a boulder that had broken off the ceiling and crashed down onto the path.
“Where is Enya?” Nerissa demanded.
Perri kept crying and pointing at the boulder.
