Page 14 of Ash and Burn

Patience. You can't solve everything on the first day.

The laboratory tour revealed a team of dedicated healers who greeted her with the kind of cautious optimism that spoke of people who'd weathered too many disappointments to fully embrace hope. But their professionalism impressed her, and the easy camaraderie suggested she'd be able to integrate into their established workflows without major disruption.

Good. I can work with this.

The patient wing occupied the smaller of the two secondary buildings, and Dorn's assurance that Ash Fever showed no airborne transmission patterns aligned with her preliminary analysis of the symptoms Calix had described.

Not respiratory. Not contact-based. Water? Food? Environmental exposure?

The room they soon entered held the kind of sterile quiet that hospitals maintained around the seriously ill, but the young girl in the bed turned toward them with a smile that hit Arvid like a blow.

The girl couldn't be older than twelve, her small frame made smaller by illness, but her blue eyes held the kind of fierce spirit that reminded Arvid why she'd chosen to help others in the first place.

"Essin, I'd like you to meet Arvid," Dorn said gently. "She's the human scientist from Earth who's here to help us."

The girl's wave was weak but genuine, and when Arvid approached the bed, Essin's smile widened despite her obvious exhaustion.

"I'm going to do everything I can to help you and everyone here in Ashvorn," Arvid promised, meaning every word.

"I really hope so." Essin's voice carried the weight of dreams deferred. "I've already missed my First Rising because I can't shift into my dragon form. Ash Fever won't let me, and I'm really sad about that."

The statement hit harder than any medical briefing could have. This wasn't just about statistics and transmission vectors—it was about a child who couldn't become who she was meant to be because some pathogen was stealing her future.

"As soon as we find a cure and you get better, we'll make sure you can complete your First Rising," Arvid said, reaching out to squeeze Essin's small hand.

"We should let Essin rest now," Calix said quietly, and Arvid caught the rough edge in his voice that suggested the king was as affected by the child's situation as she was.

"I'll visit you again soon," Arvid promised, and Essin nodded before closing her eyes with the exhaustion of someone whose body was fighting a battle it didn't know how to win.

As they left the room, Arvid felt the weight of responsibility settle across her shoulders like familiar armor. This wasn't just another contract job or research project—these people were counting on her to save their children, their future.

I won't let them down.

The realization struck her with unexpected force. Somewhere between stepping through Gerri's impossible portal and squeezing hands with a dying child, Arvid started becoming emotionally invested in this place.

The thought should have terrified her. Instead, it felt right.

SIX

CALIX

Stepping out of the medical facilities into Ashvorn's warmth should have brought relief. The visit with Dorn and his team had exceeded every expectation—Arvid integrated seamlessly with the healers, asked brilliant questions that challenged assumptions, and within hours had become emotionally invested in his territory's survival. Her frustration at having to wait until tomorrow for Dorn's compiled notes was understandable, even admirable in its urgency.

That should have felt reassuring.

Instead, walking beside her through the bustling streets of the Hearthring district created an entirely different problem. His dragon had settled into a contentment that felt dangerous—calmer in her presence, yet simultaneously more protective. Every step they took together made the mate bond harder to ignore, a low thrumming in his chest that grew stronger with proximity. Meanwhile, Arvid appeared completely unaffected by the bond between them.

"What about water sources?" Her voice carried the crisp efficiency of someone accustomed to solving problems under pressure. "You mentioned the Keth River system—have you tested the filtration infrastructure?"

Calix forced his attention away from the way the afternoon light caught copper highlights in her hair. "Dorn's team has run multiple analyses on the water supply. Nothing conclusive yet."

"Environmental toxins? Industrial runoff from the volcanic activity?" She gestured toward the distant Caldran volcano, its massive silhouette dominating the horizon. "Geothermal systems can concentrate heavy metals."

"We've considered that. The results were inconclusive."

"Patient demographics? Geographic clustering?" The questions came rapid-fire, each one demonstrating the analytical mind that had already impressed Dorn's entire team.

"All documented. You'll get the full briefing tomorrow."