DARKLIGHT

- 32 -

I woke up. Realizing that I had, I tried to get up from the rounded surface that I was draped over, but found that I was still unable to move. The ground was shifting gently up and down underneath me, and as I gained more awareness of my surroundings, I started to hear wind. A few minutes later, the sting of air rushing past my face invaded my senses. A speck of dust shot up my nose and I tried desperately to sneeze, but I was still immobile.

Whatever was under me suddenly dropped, and I put together that I had to be on Corvan's arkaetre. That explained the angular scales pressing against my belly. I had no idea how he'd saved me but wasn't about to question my luck. The arkaetre swooped down and landed rather roughly, sliding me to the ground and flipping me onto my back with one claw. I was left in eerie silence and stillness. I had nearly convinced myself that I'd been abandoned when a deep, grating voice muttered, "Idiot."

"How was I supposed to know it'd do that?" someone replied in exasperation. I tried to tell myself that I hadn't heard Kaces, but that was who it was, unmistakably.

He and Zephion continued to talk, but their conversation was drowned out by my returning fury and terror. He must have not managed to fully kill me somehow! I thought. Then my heart dropped. That means he's going to finish what he started soon. I tried once more to gain control of my body, but it stubbornly ignored my commands. My eyes refused to open.

Someone that I couldn't accept was Kaces gently lifted my torso and sat me up against his bent knee with a low grunt. "Ziede Palju."

Stinging magic touched the back of my head, which was still pounding. After a few tense minutes, my mobility started to return and I managed to snarl through clenched teeth, "Put me down, Kaces."

He yelped in surprise, unceremoniously dropping me back to the ground. I winced at the second blow to my head, though it did feel a little better. Then I caught myself, remembering what Kaces had done. "You decided to give me a fighting chance?" I asked a little more clearly, twitching a few of my fingers experimentally. When he remained silent, I added, "Trust really is dangerous, isn't it?"

"Yes," he finally replied. "It is."

"Why didn't you save Corvan instead?"

"Corvan?" Kaces moved closer to me again, sounding confused. "He didn't need saving. He and Fleur are on their way to Serkha."

Kaces pulled me up against his bent leg again and the stinging sensation returned. It was much more acute now. "Get away from me!" I insisted, though I knew it was useless.

He went mute while he worked, and the pain only worsened as time went on. Thankfully, I was eventually able to open my eyes and at the very least see what was in front of me, but it was all forest, though it seemed that we were at the edge of it. As soon as I could, I tried to edge away from Kaces, but he roughly pulled me back. "Trust me, you want this healed."

"Trust you?" I repeated incredulously.

"If nothing else, trust your senses. This must hurt terribly." Kaces tried resting the side of his hand against my head, but seemed to catch himself. "Sorry, does that make it worse?"

"No thanks to you."

"It's thanks to you that Brymea is dead," he retorted, sounding almost remorseful.

"You're a terrible liar," I sniffed. My words were still slurring together somewhat.

"I'm a great liar, actually, but that's not the point. Killing you distracted her."

My arms crossed, listening to me at long last. "Clearly you didn't kill me, though."

"You've got your arms back, at least," he sighed in relief. Then he addressed what I'd said. "Honestly, what do you take me for, some kind of chronic traitor? I didn't even cast Atva at you, and I certainly didn't mean to kill you. All of this," he said, gesturing generally to me, "was unintentional. And I am sorry."