Of Blood And Royal Bones

Chapter 26: Visiting Home

Kassia felt the texture of smooth scales beneath her fingertips as her sentience flooded back into her. She opened her eyes and discovered a body of shimmering white surrounding her: Laori. She did not know if she contained the energy to so much as sit up, but she attempted to all the same. She looked up and was met with Laori's dazzling beastly eyes of emerald. "Why must I faint so often?" She asked the beast lightly. Laori only tilted her head at her, her tail wrapped around her as she allowed Kassia to rest against her.

"Hello again, my Kass." Jurgen greeted her. Her eyes moved to him and he smiled softly at her, his face still smeared with blood. He stepped over Laori's tail and knelt beside her in the dragon's protective circle. "Edith's gotten you all healed up." He placed a hand gingerly on her previously pierced stomach and she looked down at it– as did he. "We agreed he would not touch you." He breathed in a low voice.

She placed her hand atop his and brought her eyes up to study his face once more. "How did you do it?" She asked, pure awe seeping through her words.

His eyes shot up to hers in an unwavering gaze of gravity. "We agreed he would not touch you." He repeated, his countenance stone. Then his eyes softened as he said, "I place my full confidence in your ability to protect yourself, but in the moments that you cannot, I will be there. Always."

Her heart warmed at his sincerity. "I would kiss you, but you've still got blood on your face."

"As do you." He pointed out, but he guided her face up to his with a forefinger and brought his lips to hers. Butterflies took flight just below her navel at the softness of his touch, the sincerity of his lips. And though she did not want it to end, he pulled away. "We should get you out of this outfit." He suggested as he pulled her up to stand, Laori following suit.

She glanced down at herself. "What is wrong with this outfit?" She joked. He shot a telling glance at her and she returned his look with a teasing smile. As they turned to make their way through the clearing in the autumn woods to the others, Ziam appeared before them.

"Good, you're about again." He started with an air of impatience. "Kassandria, I was thinking now would be as good a time as any to retrieve Basia." He offered apprehensively.

"Alright." She agreed. "Though perhaps we should check in with the others beforehand." She ignored Ziam's irate expression as they made their way past him and to the others. Heidra had been unbound and now sat on a fallen log rubbing her sore wrists, an indication that perhaps Kassia had not been unconscious for long. Adem and Edith sat next to each other, his hand on her back, as they talked facing away from everyone. Then Edith stood abruptly and scurried away from him, muttering something that Kassia could not quite comprehend. Adem's hand hovered in the air for a moment in response to Edith's sudden dismissal. Then, he lowered it as he seemed to glimpse them from his peripheral, and turned to them.

"If you've gotten your beauty rest, can we move on now?" Heidra exhorted sarcastically.

Kassia only frowned at her as she responded quizzically, "Where is the Heidra I met in Nordenbred?"

"Still in Nordenbred." She answered dryly. Then, crossing her arms, she added, "If you think I wanted to return to Talla to hunt down some evil murderer, then you're sorely mistaken."

Kassia sighed. "Where do you suggest we start?" She inquired in a monotone voice.

"If I've not already been entirely obvious, The Land of Ash. I see it most fitting since we've done our share in search of Holland, Goddess only knows where she wound up."

Ziam rolled his eyes. "You cannot seriously believe The Land of Ash is real."

Heidra turned on him, face ready for battle. "And who are you to say it isn't?"