Fledgling
Page 49
Chapter Forty Eight
“Poor girl got knocked out in the riot,” Kai was explaining to everyone who asked, putting together a convincing poker face, “I’ll take her to the shop and make her a cup of tea.”
That story got them to his shop untouched, and Dustin laid her on one of the couches in the reading room. Dustin gripped her hands in his own, his face ashen.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” he whispered. Kai pushed him out of the way, and he stood still. Kai ran his hands over Austin’s injuries, leaving healed skin in his wake. Her neck was left pale and unmarked, and he moved up to her head, holding both sides of her face. Her auburn eyes, more brown than reddish, stared but did not see.
Amelia crept out from where Dustin had hidden her and took a step forwards, staring at Austin’s unresponsive body, “Is she dead?”
“She’s breathing,” Kai answered, “She’s not dead if she’s breathing.”
“Can you fix her?” Dustin asked, his throat tight. Kai gave his head one small shake, but that was enough to convey what needed said. No, he could not. This was not something that water dragons could fix. Dustin swallowed and blinked quickly. He took Amelia’s hand in his, “Come with me. I’ll take you to a safe place.”
He left Kai in the reading room, but took both the girls. He carried Austin bridal style through the portal with Amelia jumping through after him, and he couldn’t find any happiness in completing the mission.
He took Amelia to Evan’s door, dropping her immediately The waiter stared at Austin’s body and bowed his head in grief, uncharacteristically touched. He mumbled something that sounded like the word ‘contract’ but then said clearly, “I’m sorry for your loss, Dustin. She was a good kid.”
“She’s not dead,” he snapped, “Just…take care of Amelia. She’s an air dragon.”
“Yes,” Evan agreed, bending down to Amelia’s height, “Are you hungry?”
Amelia nodded and Evan put an arm around the girl’s shoulders. He closed the door behind them, and Dustin walked home, ignoring the suspicious looks from strangers on the street. His head dropped as he kicked open the door to their apartment, laying her on the bed.
He would bring her to a hospital tomorrow, but not anywhere near Boston. They would look here for her. If she were anywhere in Boston, they would find her, and she wouldn’t be able to defend herself.
Dustin sucked in a few shallow breaths and dropped his head into his hands, preparing for a long, long night.