“Do as she says,” Kylin commanded from behind the men.
The men brought Faolan in, laying him as gently as possible on the bed and then quickly leaving again as Kylin began to take off his bloodied clothing.
“I suppose I don’t need to ask you how you knew about his injuries,” Kylin asked without looking up at her.
“Probably not,” Isabelle replied, not moving from her spot next to Faolan’s head.
Kylin fixed her with a hard glare. “Stupid girl, these matters do not concern you.”
“My husband nearly getting himself killed does not concern me?” Isabelle challenged back.
Kylin knew by now it was better not to get in an argument with her over the health of someone she loved. He sighed and met her eyes gravely. “You should leave, Isabelle. You do not need to be here.”
“I can’t,” she whispered back, her eyes never leaving Faolan’s battered face.
“You—”
Isabelle’s tear reddened eyes snapped to meet his. “I’m not going anywhere, Kylin. Now tell me how to help him.”
Kylin put his hands in the air in a sign of defeat. “Very well, if you insist. We need to get the rest of his clothes off first though.”
They worked quickly but carefully to peel his clothes off. Faolan seemed to be thankfully oblivious to it all.
“Get me a pitcher of water, a basin and some cloths. His wounds need to be washed,” Kylin told her when Faolan lay naked before them.
Isabelle nodded quickly and rushed to get the items. They washed him from head to toe with Isabelle changing the water often as it became too bloody to continue using.
“Now I’m going to wrap his wounds,” Kylin said. “Pay close attention to how I put this cream on him before I apply the bandages. You will have to do this for him for the rest of the day. His wounds will need to be washed and bandaged again every few hours. Do you think you can handle that?”
Isabelle nodded, not daring herself to speak as she took in the sight of Faolan’s beautiful body so thoroughly destroyed. “Good girl. Now watch.”
She paid close attention, memorizing everything he told her until she was sure she could bandage him without the healer’s help.
After they were done, Kylin washed his hands and went to the doorway, turning back to her, he said, “Now if you need my help again please do not hesitate to call for me. He should be better by morning. His kind heals quickly.”
“Not fast enough,” Isabelle whispered, her eyes still transfixed to Faolan’s pale face.
Kylin nodded and silently let himself out of their bedchamber.
Isabelle lay down beside him. She tentatively reached up, her fingers gently caressing his bruised cheek. “You stupid man, what were you thinking? You could have been killed,” she whispered brokenly to him, wiping away a few tears. “I can’t lose you, Faolan. I love you too much.”
The door opened suddenly, followed by Thadius.
Isabelle sat up quickly, not bothering to hide her tears as she glared hatefully at the man. “What were you thinking? He’s barely breathing, Thadius! I can’t imagine how much pain he’s in right now. He could have died down there!” she all but screamed at him.
Thadius only paused for a moment before continuing toward them. “But he didn’t. Don’t you see? He won.”
“What does his pain bring you?” Isabelle cried.
“This clan—”
She shrieked bitterly. “Your precious clan? Faolan is barely alive because you wanted to feed your pride?”
Thadius quickly shook his head. “No clan will challenge us now. You and that child inside of you are safe right now because of him.”
“Get out,” Isabelle spat at him
* * * *
Thadius quickly backed away from her, knowing better than to challenge such a distraught woman “He knew what he was doing when he went down there. He chose to fight tonight.”
“Leave now, Thadius. I will not tell you again.”
He reached the doorway. “Fine, I will go now then. When my son is awake tell him that I wish to see him.”
She shook her head. “Not unless you wish to apologize to him.”
Thadius crossed his arms over his broad chest and stared the girl down. On this he would not budge. “You are interfering in our ways, Isabelle. How much is an apology worth to you when your brother’s life hangs in the balance?”
Isabelle gasped, her face instantly going pale as the shock of what he had threatened sunk in. “You bastard. You wouldn’t.”
“Send my son to me when he wakes up and I won’t,” Thadius warned.
Isabelle nodded fiercely. “Fine,” she growled.
Thadius nodded, satisfied, and then walked out of the room.
Chapter Seven
“Kylin, I need water,” Faolan groaned softly, his eyes shutting tightly against the pain.
“I bet you do,” Isabelle snapped from his side. “But you’re not getting any. Not until you tell me what is going on.”
“Isabelle?” he whispered, disbelieving his ears.
“Yes. And you had better start talking,” she snapped again.
“Get Kylin.”
“No.”
He coughed wetly, blood smearing over his pale lips. “Please…” he pleaded.
Isabelle froze, all anger draining out of her like a wave. “I’ll get him. Right now. Just hang on.” She rose quickly, turning away from him, but a sharp pressure on her wrist made her reconsider. His fingers were gentle, weak, as he held her back.
“Just water. That’s all I need,” he whispered.
Isabelle nodded quickly, sinking on the bed beside him. She pressed a cup of water to his lips, grimacing as the blood smeared and ran in trails down his cheeks and over his throat. He coughed and blearily opened his eyes, quickly shutting them again at the look of anger mixed with pain on her face.
“Tell me,” she commanded.
“Tell you what?” He knew the time for secrecy would be over. However she found out, however angry she now was at him, in the end he was glad of it. At least now she would know.
“You tricked me.”
He grimaced. He hadn’t enjoyed it either. “I did. I,” he coughed through the blood and pain. “I had to. I’m sorry.”
“Because of Thadius?”
He nodded softly. “And to keep you safe.”
“Safe? From what?”
“The others,” he replied hoarsely.
“Like the one that you were fighting? Another person that can change into a dragon?”
He nodded. “Draconian. Dragon is our natural form.”
She smiled softly. “You protected me…with Andrew.”
“You think I wouldn’t? I nearly killed him. I wanted to.”
“Thank you,” she said softly, stroking his cheek. “So…You’re a dragon.”
He frowned slightly, but nodded. “Draconian is more correct.”
“And you eat…”
He shrugged painfully, cringing. “Meat.”
“And you fly,” she said, counting what she now knew of him on her fingers.
“Every night.”
“Is that where you go then? Every night when I don’t see you or wake up to a cold bed.”
He couldn’t shy away from the hurt in her voice so he forced himself to nod. “I have to scout,” he explained weakly.
“For what?”
“Intruders, others, unusual travelers.” He looked away sharply, causing her eyebrows to raise as she leaned closer to him. “Oh?”
Faolan smiled weakly. “As soon as you crossed the river I was watching you.”
“But that was days before we arrived here. And I didn’t see you at all. Not even once,” she said, a faint blush creeping over her cheeks.
He shrugged, pain creasing his face. He really should stop doing that. “I’m good at what I do.”
“I suppose you are at that.” She paused. “You
r father was here.”
He frowned. “Don’t let him get to you.”
“He wanted—”
Faolan quickly interrupted her. “He wants to see me after every time I spar. This is nothing new.”
Her head tilted to the side as she considered this. “But I thought this was your first…um…fight.”
“Officially it was.”
“Unofficially then?”
He smiled slightly. She could finally understand. There would be no more need for secrecy. He could show her everything. He wouldn’t have to hide anything from her anymore. He suddenly felt freer than ever before. The high of it all was even better than flying.
“We learn how to defend ourselves at the very least from quite a young age.”
“How young?”
He closed his eyes, remembering. “I was much younger than Caden the first time my father taught me.”
“But he’s just a child!”
His gaze snapped to hers. His happy memories evaporated in an instant at her outraged tone. His voice was flat, purposefully emotionless as he said, “And all of my brothers were murdered before their tenth birthdays. I had to learn.”
Isabelle smiled slightly at him and yawned pointedly. He lifted his arm, his muscles protesting but she must have known what he wanted as she easily slid in next to him, curling herself around his body, her head resting on his chest.
“You knew I was there,” she whispered, sounding content, her breath coming in warm streams over his bare chest.
“I could feel you hiding, yes. I couldn’t tell you directly, that much was forbidden. But if you guessed on your own…then that would be fine,” he replied softly.
“Thank you,” she whispered, pulling him closer and placing a gentle kiss on his shoulder.
* * * *
Hours later Isabelle was instantly aware of the loss of warmth against her cheek as Faolan rose from the bed. Still bleary eyed, she watched him, only a slight limp present in his normally agile gait telling of his pain, as he went to the door. Slowly her sleep-addled mind connected the banging in her head with someone pounding at the door. She frowned deeply at the offending structure, knowing whoever it was behind the solid wood couldn’t see her, but feeling better for it all the same.
Faolan lowered his head and stepped aside as his father entered, his dark eyes flashing instantly to her. “You were supposed to send him to me,” he snapped angrily at her. “But no matter. You’re awake now, Faolan.”
“Yes,” he replied tersely, stepping between his father and Isabelle, shielding her from his father’s angry glare. “Is there something that you wanted?” Faolan continued, a dark eyebrow raised in question.
“Come with me, we shall talk of your activities last night,” he said, placing a steady hand on Faolan’s shoulder as he turned toward the door.
Faolan remained in place, easily shrugging off his father’s big hand. “We’ll talk here.”
“But—” His gaze quickly flicked to Isabelle who was trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible amongst the crumpled sheets.
“She knows,” Faolan told him, a small smile crossing his lips.
“How?” Thadius spat. “This was not supposed to happen. They are not to know what we are and what we can do. I told you that.”
Faolan’s gaze turned to his wife. He joined her on the bed, his fingers splaying around her trembling shoulders as she sat up and he pulled her close to him, his eyes returning to his father’s, challenging him. “She followed us, was watching us, me. She guessed the rest on her own. There is no more reason for secrets between us.”
Thadius nodded gravely, his eyes closing in thought. His face became scrunched as if in pain. “Lovely. What an absolutely lovely turn of events for you both.” He sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes. “Alright then. I suppose I shall speak in front of her then. And I will lift the guidelines for the two of you. Now that she knows as much as you claim there really is no more point in them really anyway.”
* * * *
“Agreed,” Faolan said. Beside him, Isabelle snuggled closer to his side, sitting up slightly to put her arm more easily over his bandaged stomach. He winced at the feel of her fingers against the long gashes there, even through the wrappings, but made no move to pull away. Instead his hand tightened around her shoulders. A slow smile formed on his lips as he caught his father’s surprised gaze.
“You did well,” Thadius began. “Quite well actually.”
Faolan nodded.
“But you made a few mistakes. You could have taken him sooner.”
“Better not to show all of our clan’s strengths all at once. Let them think I’m weaker than I am. Only barely able to protect our clan, in their minds at least,” Faolan said slowly, calculating. “It will make them underestimate us and they will send weaker men to attack us.”
“Next time though, not so much blood from you. A quicker kill, perhaps more gore from your opponent though,” Thadius replied, a slow smile curving his lips.
Faolan only shrugged. Beside him, Isabelle had gone pale as she stared up at him with wide doe-like eyes.
“You’ll be doing that again?” she whispered disbelievingly.
Faolan nodded. “Yes. When our clan is challenged I will defend it. It is my duty as the heir.”
“I don’t want you to,” Isabelle said softly, her arm tightening around his side.
* * * *
Thadius glared openly at her. The stupid human girl really didn’t understand anything. And his son was an idiot for thinking that she could. It was madness. “That isn’t really your choice though, regardless of any feelings you have for my son. He is the heir. He will defend this clan. The alternative is death by another rival clan.”
“He could die anyway,” Isabelle whispered, barely loud enough for either of them to hear.
“I won’t,” Faolan assured her.
Her wet eyes looked up at him. “You could.”
He shrugged gently, his fingers caressing her back in wide, soothing circles. “I won’t though. Trust me.”
“This is true. He is very good,” Thadius cut in, reminding the couple that he was still in the room.
“He can still barely walk,” Isabelle pointed out.
“He’ll heal,” Thadius was quick to remind her.
Faolan nodded in agreement.
“Not fast enough,” Isabelle sighed.
“So let’s assess the damage then,” Thadius said briskly.
Faolan slowly flexed his fingers, then cautiously rotated his shoulders. He grimaced slightly, but showed no other signs of pain. “Nothing that won’t be completely healed in a week. Or less even.”
“Will flight be limited?” Thadius continued.
Faolan quickly shook his head no. “Not in the least.” He smiled widely. Now she would know that he was actually the one flying. He couldn’t wait to show her how powerful he was up there, how comfortable and freeing the sky could be, the acrobatics he could perform. He knew that she would be impressed by him. She had to be.
“So can you change?” his father said, interrupting his thoughts.
“With some soreness I’m sure that I can,” Faolan replied, confidant in his abilities now that he knew Isabelle would be watching him.
Thadius nodded, satisfied. “Good, you’ll heal faster in your natural form.” His gaze fell to Isabelle who had relaxed significantly. “These bodies take so much energy just to keep transformed.”
Faolan’s arm instantly tightened around her shoulders. “Don’t scare her,” he growled at his father.
“Oh I’m sure you’ll do that soon enough,” he replied with a teasing smile. “Goodnight you two.” And with a wave, he left the room.
Faolan frowned deeply as his father left. His heart was suddenly pounding. Unfortunately though, Thadius had been right and, glancing down at the woman still pressed tightly against him, it would be too soon that their love was tested in suc
h a way. He only hoped that that fragile bond was enough to withstand this.
“I want to see,” Isabelle said softly, his fingers trailing over his bare stomach.
Suddenly he felt very exposed. “You can’t,” he choked out.
She sat up beside him, a frown crossing her face. “But why? I’ve seen your dragon form and—”
“Draconian,” he corrected her without thinking.
She huffed lightly, but nodded. “Fine. I’ve seen your Draconian form. I’ve even ridden on you. We have flown together, Faolan. Remember that? You carried me all the way to Nuer.”
He slowly forced himself to relax. She was right. Of course she was right. He couldn’t believe he had been so stupid. “That wasn’t the first time I flew with you,” he said gently, bringing his hand up to the curls in her hair, playing with each one in turn.
“It wasn’t?”
He shook his head and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.
“When you reached us. The mountains, I mean. I was scouting that day. I don’t usually go during the day, but I was so bored here and Father wouldn’t spar with me or anything. He kept telling me to go entertain myself. So I went flying. I do so love it up there.” He sighed wistfully. “But then I saw you. Or rather, I saw a large dirty lump on the hard earth. So I flew down to investigate. I figured it was just a dusty old rock. But you didn’t smell like a rock. And then I turned you over. I couldn’t believe it. Humans don’t come here.”
“Never? Not at all?”
Faolan shook his head. “It’s too hard for them. Usually. I suppose you’re the exception.”
“I had enough reason not to give up,” she said softly.
Faolan nodded slowly. “And now he’s all better. And you’re stuck here with me.”
“Yes and it’s dreadfully boring here without you. I suggest you never leave or else I may take up scouting for lost little girls, too,” she replied playfully, instantly pulling him out of his self-induced pity.
He growled and, with the speed and agility of a big cat, pounced on top of her, pinning her to the bed with his weight.
Betrayed by Dragons Page 5