Dragon's Treasure (Book 1)

Chapter 16 - There's no such thing as a happy ending

Pain.

That was the first thing Olivia felt when consciousness drifted back to her mind. Her head was throbbing, so was her right hand. Her whole body ached and her ribs were tender. Her eyes felt like they were glued together and her throat was dry and scratchy, lips chapped.

She tried to raise her hand to rub away the sleep from her eyes, but regretted the action as soon as she tried it. The pain shot through her like a lightning bolt had just hit her. Consequently, her head throbbed even more. It felt as if someone was pounding on it with a hammer to the rhythm of her heartbeat.

She groaned.

“Livvie?” A soft and familiar female voice reached her ears, the sound of footsteps following promptly.

“Livvie honey?” A soft hand touched Olivia’s cheek gently.

“Mother?” Olivia fought through the fog in her brain and managed to flutter her eyes open slowly.

The first thing she saw was her mother’s warm but tired smile and her warm brown eyes filled with tears. “Oh Livvie!” the woman exclaimed as she hugged Olivia carefully and gently.

Olivia returned the hug with the hand that she felt she could move without any pain and comforted her mother with an awkward pat on the back. She was confused. Her eyes scanned her surroundings blearily and she noticed that she was in her room, lying on her soft bed, in her mother’s warm embrace. The light was shining softly through the crack in the heavy velvet curtains, which she was grateful for. Her eyes were overly sensitive.

Olivia tried to speak again but only managed to croak out something incomprehensible.

“Oh…here…take slow sips.” Her mother unwound her arms from around Olivia so she could press a cup of water to Olivia’s parched lips.

When the worried woman put the cup back down, she took Olivia’s slightly bruised face gently in her hands and looked at her like she was a miracle. The love shone strong through her tired, red-rimmed eyes. “My dear Olivia, I thought I’d never see you again.” She kissed Olivia’s cheeks, her tears starting to flow again.

The last thing Olivia remembered was rolling down the decline, praying to God to either make it stop or make her lose consciousness.

Kaden!

Please let him be okay, she chanted in her mind. She needed some answers first.

“Wha…” Olivia had to clear her throat before she continued. “What happened?” She looked up to her mother questioning, wincing as she brought her right hand up to rest it against her chest. It was then that she discovered that the hand was wrapped up tightly in a splint, obviously being broken. There was also a bandage wound around her head.

Lady Caroline Moore saw the physical pain in her daughter’s eyes and before she answered her child’s questions she offered, “Do you want something for the pain first my dear? It must hurt fiercely.” She was relieved to have her daughter back, alive. Everything else would be dealt with and would heal in time with a lot of love and care.

When Olivia nodded, which caused her to wince again, Lady Caroline walked over to the desk and prepared the tea of mixed herbs that the young healer had given her for this exact purpose. Walking back to Olivia, Lady Caroline’s eyes teared up again at the sight of her daughter, bruised and battered but safe in her own bed. The days and nights she had spent awake, worrying over Olivia’s safety was all blurred together. It felt like an eternity had passed, but her baby was home now.

“Here,” Lady Caroline offered the tea to Olivia’s lips. “This should help, don’t worry it’s only warm, not hot.”

Olivia took the first sip tentatively, when her tongue was not burned and the taste was manageable, she drank it all, quenching her thirst with the tangy liquid.