Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 65: Stained

Chapter Sixty-Five: Stained

For the longest moment, all she did was stare at him. 

For whatever reason, though, he couldn't really make sense of how hard her stare was. Every emotion that flashed into his head felt as intense as a lightning strike, yet behind all that was the strangest sensation of airy giddiness that made him feel oddly optimistic.

He smiled down at her, running on a high of pure joy and pride and fearlessness.

"You aren't in your right mind," Ella finally ground out, hands tightening on his arms; then she paused and her face froze. "You're burning up... you have a fever!"

He didn't really care. He was too busy marveling at his own actions to bother caring.

"Did you see that?" he whispered, swaying in place. "I took down a dragon... a wingless Chinese firebreathing Dragon, Ella."

As he spoke, Krishna came riding over.

"You did it!" she cried, beaming at him. "You felled the Salamander, Vadil! You have succeeded!"

Ella, looking equal parts horrified and infuriated, turned on her heel and stormed over to the blonde woman with a menacing gait, but the faery's catlike eyes narrowed when her furry mount skittered back as a result of her advance. Lifting a hand, she thrust a finger in Krishna's direction with a glare that was even sharper than her own daggers. 

"If any of you foolish bimbos ever," she coldly seethed, "and I do mean ever, deign to put me or Xaphile Heseroph in harm's way again... you have my word that I will not sit idly by and twiddle my thumbs."

"Mind your tongue, human," Krishna growled. "You dishonor your master with your rebellious ways."

"I dishonor him?" Ella bluntly laughed, making the woman scowl even more deeply. "Look, lady... I respect the fact that you and your faery kin have their traditions and whatnot, I really do, but when it comes to those I care for, I will protect them as fiercely as I can. Even if it means shaming myself, OR the ones I'm protecting."

"Be silent," Krishna warned.

"I humbly refuse," Ella savagely retorted, irises flashing with blue light; Krishna went pale when her round pupils squirmed and contracted into thin slits. "Heed my words, Faery of the Silver Forests... dishonor or not, if your people ever put us in harm's way again, the one responsible will die by my hand. You have my word on that."

Krishna's jaw fell open and her eyes widened, and for several moments sparks of rage flew between the two, but then the blonde turned away from her and looked at Xaphile, who barely noticed since he was too busy swaying back and forth.

"He's burning with fever," Ella growled, incensed. "He's fallen ill because of your foolishness."

"No... we gave him battle oils. The potion raises a warrior's body heat so they can resist being burned by the Salamander," Krishna explained, moving forward. "I called for the others before coming down here, to tell them that he had succeeded. A healer will be along soon."

And she was right.

A few minutes later, a troop of Riders with passengers behind them spilled over the cavern walls, some gliding down while some chose to climb the sheer cliff face instead, and while most of them made beelines toward the Salamander's body, one detached from the others to join them. 

Karla slid out of Sarka's saddle and came running over, blonde hair bobbing around her long ears and shoulders. Running up, she stood on the tips of her toes and put the back of her hand to his forehead, but behind her, instead of being sultry for once, Sarka's eyes were full of tears.