“Estelle!” Astralux shouts, her voice booming over Thorn and me.
The sound of my name from my bonded dragon sends a quiver through me. On top of the emotions that are coursing through me from our bond, I’m shaking from head to foot with exhaustion and cold. If Thorn weren’t carrying me, I may well have just curled up on the ground and wept. As it is, I still can’t open my eyes, the sunlight blinding me even through my eyelids.
“Wards! There are Wards!” a dragon shouts—this voice sounds familiar to me. Saurentais. A Vladykar dragon in-training Astralux and I had met months ago. He can breathe acid.
“Vite, Astralux!” Thorn shouts. “Cover us!”
Vicious growls fill the air. Intense rage fills the bond between Astralux and I, and someone cries out, but I feel no pain from Astralux. I hear the breath of a dragon, a yelp, and then a pause in the heavy beating of wings.
“No, let him alone!” Thorn shouts. “We need to get out of here, now!”
Astralux’s presence nears, and my dragon sobs. “Estelle! Oh praise Ariadna!”
“Estelle!” Vitegadium cries. “I’m so glad to see you!”
“I’m so, so sorry—” Astralux starts to say.
“—Later, there’s no time,” Thorn interrupts. He lifts me up and tosses me onto Astralux. I cry at the heat from her scales, and nestle my face against her. “Astralux, can you carry us both? Estelle is weak.”
Astralux growls. “With ease.”
Thorn climbs up into the saddle behind me. “Go!”
Joy, anger, relief, protective rage—a multitude of emotions are blazing through Astralux. She takes off at a rapid bound, her wings beating heavily, and lifts high. Although the fresh air is heaven to my lungs, it makes my already-freezing, wet body colder still, and I shake harder.
Thorn hugs me tight to Astralux. “Hang in there, Estelle.”
A dragon’s roar echoes all around us like a thunderclap. “Noxmalum!” Vitegadium yelps.
I can’t help the whimper that escapes me. No, Ariadna. Please, no.
“Ariadna,” Astralux gasps aloud. “We can’t—”
“—Focus!” Thorn shouts. “Vite, remember, I need you to be defensive. Barricade the path behind us. Astralux, do not stop.”
“On it!” Vitegadium breathes behind us.
Astralux banks hard to the right, then to the left, down a little more. Her anticipation heightens, and then she begins to zig-zag back and forth hard. Were it not for Thorn holding me to Astralux, I would have toppled off. Queasy with fatigue, the blinding brightness of the sunlight, and now this crazy flight, I shudder with not only cold but a fight not to throw up the little bile still left in my stomach.
“Hang on, Estelle,” Astralux growls.
Despite my fear, the combination of relief at being with my friends and my sheer exhaustion causes me to fade. Dazed, and unable to open my eyes, I can barely make out what’s happening as Astralux flies, dodging things left and right, zipping around, and once even barrel rolls. Sick, relieved, afraid, grateful, I feel my consciousness slip.
…
When I come to again, I’m unsure of how much time has passed—we’re still weaving in and out, back and forth, up and down. Vitegadium doesn’t seem to be blasting his breath any more.
“Should I carry Estelle for a bit?” Vitegadium asks.
“Not yet,” Astralux gasps.
“We’re halfway there,” Thorn says over the rush of wind. “You can do it.”
Halfway to where? Remyssus? Adytol? But I thought either place was much farther. Or have I been out for long?
Trying to think about it wearies me, and I doze again.
…
The faint blare of a horn startles me out of my dazed state. But as soon as I’m fully awake, I feel Astralux’s exhaustion, I hear her gasps, and I panic with worry. She’s pushing herself too hard.
“Astralux,” I whisper.
“Hang on, Estelle,” Thorn says. “We’re almost there.”
I feel an indescribable beat—perhaps a dragon’s call. And then distantly, I hear the most wonderful, powerful dragon’s roar echo from all around.
Kalteratem.
“There!” Thorn shouts. “Vitegadium, Astralux, at ease.”
Astralux immediately slows to a glide, panting. I can hear Vitegadium nearby, doing the same.
“And there the Vladykars are, following us!” Vitegadium gasps. “You were right, Thorn!”
I hear several angry draconic roars from behind us. But despite my trepidation, the roars lessen more and more. In their place, I hear draconic shouts of joy and cheering from in front of us. The Wards.
“Praise Ariadna!” Kalteratem shouts. “It’s safe to land!”
Astralux’s glide turns into a slow, downward spiral. Then she gives a heavy beat of wings before half-landing, half-collapsing onto the ground, gasping for air. I hear Vitegadium land nearby. And then I hear several wings flapping and thuds upon the ground as dragons land all around us. Thorn slides off of Astralux and then picks me up off the saddle and holds me in his arms.
“Thorn!” Veremund shouts. “Is, is that Estelle?!” Arms suddenly encase me and I’m passed to Veremund, who holds me close. “Estelle?”
“Veremund,” I whisper.
With a small sob, Veremund buries his head into my shoulder. “The Vladykars said you were captured!” I hear others weeping and cheering in the background.
“I’ll explain everything, but she needs a medic, now,” Thorn says.
“Please,” Astralux says, still gasping for air.
Veremund turns and jogs, holding me tight. “Hold on, Estelle.”
Thank you, Ariadna. Thank you for the Wards.
…
When I come to again, someone is shaking my arm, while someone else is lifting me up. “You need to drink, Estelle,” a voice says.
A cup is pressed to my lips. Warm but refreshing water is poured into my mouth, and I drink everything they give me. I start to open my eyes but am pained by the intensity of the light. So I keep them closed.
The cup disappears and then is pressed against my lips, full of water again. I drain it all. Another cup is given to me, but this is broth. It’s so hot I have to sup at it carefully, cringing as it burns on its way day, glad for the heat. My stomach receives this with exuberance.
Exhausted, I finally lay back against whoever is holding me up, unable to stay awake any longer.
…
“Estelle?” A hand shakes me. “Would you like some water?”
“Water?” I whisper.
Someone lifts me up. I hold out a hand, and a cup is set in my fingers. But it’s so heavy I can’t hold it up, and the person lifts the cup to my lips, letting me drink. Once again, I drain everything they give me, getting three cups of water down before they switch to a broth. I sup this, feeling a small bit of strength return to me, until at last I lay back. The person behind me sets me down, and I fall asleep once more.
…
“Shouldn’t Ward Estelle be resting?” a voice asks.
“This will be good for her,” Veremund says.
My heart is warming, and it draws me from my deep slumber. I still struggle to open my eyes, but joy fills me as I feel Astralux nearby. And then I’m set against her side. I know it’s her—I can feel her warm scales, I sense her heart beside me, and I nestle against her.
“Astralux?” I whisper.
“Oh, Estelle!” Astralux wraps her legs and arms around me, holding me tightly to her. “You’re still so, so cold.” She nuzzles the top of my head. “Can you open your eyes?”
I squint one eye open, and then close it at the blinding light. “Still too bright,” I whisper.
“Too bright?”
“Noxmalum,” Kalteratem says quietly. “Or Vladykar Malyncor. Either one can cause blindness with their breath and magic.”
“Blindness?!” Volkan exclaims from nearby.
“Temporarily,” Veremund says. “It will fade in time. But we should keep Estelle’s room slightly darkened, to help aid in her recovery. It’s a hypersensitivity to light—even a candle could hurt her vision right now.”
Astralux growls, her fury rising. I’m too happy to be in her arms, though, and I flood her emotions with joy and relief. My dragon’s angry growl turns into a happy rumble, and she nuzzles me again. Faintly, I hear her tail tapping on soft ground, like grass.
“Thorn?” I ask quietly. “Vitegadium?”
“We’re here.” A hand touches the top of my head. “Rest easy, Estelle.”
I sigh deeply. “Thank you. Thank you all.”
It’s all the energy I have, and resting in Astralux’s arms like this, I easily fall asleep.
…
When I come to again, for the first time I can feel, both life in my body and outside of me. No longer am I dead inside and numb on the outside with cold. I reach out, my hand brushing multiple layers of heavy blankets over me. Then a strong hand gently takes my own.
“Estelle?” Mortimer says.
“Hello Mortimer,” I say. My voice rasps a little.
Mortimer kisses my forehead. “You wake on your own! Let me get you some water and broth. And the others should know.” I hear his bootsteps on stone, and the creak of a wooden door opening. Voices beyond, and then Mortimer returns to my side. He lifts me up, stuffing pillows behind me. “Do you want to try holding your water?”
I hold out my hands and feel a cup in my fingers. But this time I have enough strength with both hands to grasp it and lift it to my lips. The water feels less warm this time. I drain it all, and go through two more cups of water before I sigh.
“How are you feeling?” Mortimer asks.
“So much better,” I say, my voice less raspy. Astralux’s emotions flare with joy—perhaps news has reached her that I’m awake. “How are you?”
“How am I?!” Mortimer chuckles and leans his head on my shoulder. “Relieved. I’ve been so worried about you. We all have.”
“Where are we?” I ask.
“We’re in Brixton. It’s a northwestern city in—”
“—Oh!” Memories flash before my eyes. “My Mom took me to Brixton. Years ago.”
“Oh really?” Mortimer starts to ask me something else, but we’re interrupted by hurried steps into the room. “Hello! Estelle was just telling me that she visited Brixton years ago.”
I hear a small, sad laugh, and then I feel arms wrap around me. Veremund—I can tell by the aura of good, and I press against him, glad for his hug. “How are you doing, Estelle?” Veremund asks.
“Much better,” I say.
When Veremund sits back, someone else gives me a hug. Neil, I guess, by the way he dwarfs me. “Have you tried opening your eyes?”
“Not yet.” I squint my eyes open. The light is still fiercely bright, but it also doesn’t seem as painful. I rub my eyes as they tire. “Getting there.”
“At this point you should probably try to keep your eyes open as much as you can stand,” Veremund says. “Has she eaten yet?”
“No,” Mortimer says. “Do you want to try solid food?”
“Yes, please.” While someone walks out, perhaps to request food, I practice opening my eyes for a bit. I’m just able to keep them open and manage to make out blurry shapes in front of me, when I hear more people coming. By the heavy footsteps and the lighter ones beside it, I guess Volkan and Thorn.
“Estelle!” Volkan exclaims. His heavy steps come straight to where I am, and he grasps my hands with his own. “It’s so good to see you sitting up!”
I squeeze his hands. But when I feel Thorn’s hand on my shoulder, emotions blaze through me, and I swallow at the lump in my throat. “Thank you, Thorn.”
Thorn wraps his arms around me. Now I can’t help the small sob that escapes me, and I bury my face in him.
“I didn’t want you to come—I mean, I hoped you would come—but I was so afraid the Vladykars would get you too—”
“—Sh, sh.” Thorn holds me tight to him. “Everything’s okay now.” As I manage to stop weeping, Thorn rubs a corner of the blanket on my cheeks, drying my tears. “Besides. It was my job to get Ariadna’s Star. It was just a bit of a different reconnaissance mission in that I was getting you and the Star at the same time.”
I give a small laugh. Then I pause, realizing that I still feel the burning energy of the Star in me. “Did it never leave me?”
“Ariadna’s Star? No.” Veremund puts a hand on my shoulder. “It appears to have embedded itself in you.”
“There’s actually a mark on you from it,” Mortimer says quietly.
Rubbing my eyes again, I try to open them, peering down at myself. My vision still isn’t quite right, but I make out several shirts and sweaters over top of me. I hear footsteps from afar.
“Wards?” a female voice says. “I have Ward Estelle’s requested meal.”
“Here, I’ll take that,” Neil says.
“How about you eat, Estelle,” Veremund says, still close to me. “And then, if you’re well enough, we can talk through what happened prior to Thorn’s arrival? And how you absorbed Ariadna’s Star?”
I nod. “Okay.”
