The Shamer's Daughter - A Fanfiction

Chapter 15 - Moment of Silence

There was glass everywhere. The cupboard door in the laboratory was ripped half off its hinges and the curtain before the window to the balcony was torn. Some of the damage was definitely only out of spite and revenge for not finding what they were looking for, but though Magnus didn't seem happy about it, he also looked like he had expected it. Nico was standing by the window, overseeing all the damage done in the search for him.

"I'm sorry about all this." He said, looking pale and disoriented.

"Don't worry about it." Mr Magnus just said and slowly started the large clean up that was awaiting him. "It's just things."

"Yes, but your work, your research..." Nico made a gesture to the giant mess taking up every free space of the house.

"It's just things." Magnus repeated and looked Nico in the eye. Silently telling him that it was worth it, if it meant keeping Dina and Nico safe. Dina had managed to get out of bed. She was still leaning against the doorframe, but she felt better after sleeping an entire day away.

"We can't stay here." Nico said as he tried to help Magnus clean up, but his old master took the pages of paper from his hands as soon as he had picked them up.

"Well, you can't walk out that door either. They'll be keeping an extra eye out for me from now on." His tone was commanding and better knowing. "Drakan certainly isn't stupid. In fact he was the better student." A pathetic attempt to lighten the mood and neither Nico nor Dina bought it.

"I can't believe he's alive." Nico said, not sure if it was a relief or a curse. "I killed him. He died instantly."

"Actually..." Dina said and stepped into the room, daring to leave the support of the wall. "He was still alive when I went to retrieve his cloak... I kicked him."

"You did what?" Nico said in a surprised tone and a slightly impressed laughter. But then he froze and his eyes turned cold. "The dragon blood. It spilled on the floor and it must have healed him." Dina looked at the prince with disgust.

"Do you mean... He licked it from the floor?" She asked and could just picture how he was lying face down on the floor of the cell, covered in blood, sticking out his tongue like a snake fighting for his survival. If that was the case, she had saved him by pushing him towards the puddle.

"Dragon blood does contain very stimulating substances. It could speed every process of the body, especially healing. Otherwise the dragons would kill each other every time they fought over a piece of meat or a ray of sunshine. Because of the venom." Magnus said, having paused his clean up. "The venom slows down and sedates their victims, their blood contains something with the opposite effect. It wakes you up, makes you stronger and faster." That explained why Dina had barely been able to feel the pain in her arm before Magnus had removed the venom. She had only thought it to be the adrenalin that had worn off when she was safe.

"But both things are deadly in too large amounts." Nico added, looking at Dina's bandage.

"So you have been listening." Magnus said with irony in his voice, obviously remembering one of their many lessons over the years. Dina got distracted. It wasn't till now that she noticed the wood bin, where Nico had slept the previous night. Only a few boards were still intact and most of it wasn't good for anything but fire wood anymore. It had been torn and ripped apart. How did they not find Nico?

"Nico, where were you? How come they didn't find you?" She asked and Nico smiled a mischievous grin.

"Oh, I was just getting some fresh air." He said, but Dina didn't understand. They had all been manning the door and the window, though it had a magnificent view, only faced the steep cliff of Dunark by the ocean. Was there a back door she didn't know about? But to her surprise, Nico gestured for her to come to the balcony. It was very small, only with room enough for the three of them when they were standing very close. Magnus usually only used it for plants that needed outdoor conditions and evening sun, but every pot out here was smashed as well and shards were everywhere.