Ivy's Dragon: Dragons of Telera (Book 7)

by Lisa Daniels

  “And just how well do you know our code? Because I’m fairly certain that you are not one of us.”

  “I was there when they first formed.”

  Ester sighed as Ivy’s face scrunched up. Old man my ass. This guy is ancient.

  Finally Ester responded, “I wasn’t actually going to let her suffer. Just sometimes I wonder how far we can go before we are doing more harm than good.”

  “She is no threat to you.”

  “But she could be a threat to others. At what point does my assistance make me an accomplice?”

  “Have you always questioned the foundation of your organization? Or is this something that you started to question after coming here?” Augustin’s voice was more like that of a teacher than someone criticizing the medic.

  Still Ester’s reaction was more like he was trying to make her feel guilty. “Morals are something that you develop over time.”

  “So is bias, bigotry, and mistrust. You have to guard yourself-”

  “Look, old man, I am not here for a lecture from you.”

  “No, you are not. You are here to be a medic. If it will make you feel better, I will take responsibility for her.”

  There was a pause before Ester responded, “Alright. You have a deal.”

  “What the hell?” Ivy tried to pull away from both of them. “I am the only one who is responsible for me.”

  “If you want to be-”

  “Ester, please.” Ivy felt Augustin place a single hand on her shoulder. “Ivy, please. Ester is one of the best medics today. I will treat you like one of my own, so you have nothing to fear from me.”

  A part of Ivy wanted to give in, but her life had taught her that anyone wanting to take care of her had their own interest at heart. “As sweet as that is, I have to decline.”

  His mouth was near her ear as he said, “Well, I suppose you are free to decline my offer, but I feel it necessary to point out that you are trapped here with us. Even someone like you is limited in how much you can break into. Honestly, I think that I could help you find a way out, but it will take time. I will be inclined to just sit back and watch you spin your wheels if you really don’t want my help.” The threat was probably the mildest she had ever heard, but it was still a threat. Then he added, “I would rather help you find your full potential.” A hand patted the top of her head. “There is so much potential here that you will not unlock on your current path.”

  Ivy had no idea how to respond to that. With a quick nod of her head, she acquiesced to his proposal.

  “Well, now that that is settled,” Ester’s hands turned the thief to face her, “let’s see what we can do about those eyes.”

  Chapter 7

  A Rough Historical Sketch of Her Companions

  Ivy lay on the same seat that Augustin had provided for her earlier. For some reason, Ester had tried to argue with Augustin, but he had quickly shut her down by saying that he had seen a new area that appeared to include notes from Lekkining.

  Her enthusiasm had been evident even without Ivy being able to see. “What are the notes about?”

  “I don’t know, but I noticed the medic seal on several of them.”

  “You do know that Lekkining was wiped out by a plague?”

  “Yes. I cannot tell you if any of that information is included. The documents seemed to be made on something much older than the type of paper used when the plague struck. I also know that their medic facility was one of the most advanced, which means you

  may find some of the remedies and information that was lost when the city was wiped out.”

  “You don’t need to point that out. I fully understand-”

  “It’s down this hall, to the right, second right, then you will see the new section. It’s roughly under the place where the city used to be.”

  “About how long will it take to walk there?” The excitement in her voice told Ivy that Ester was more curious about how long she would have to wait to get her hands on it than concern for the distance.

  “If you leave now, you will be there in about seven hours.”

  “Behave yourself.”

  Those were the medic’s last words to Augustin before Ivy could hear the woman walking away at high speed. The image of the woman in Ivy’s head was very similar to that of Ailey. She couldn’t help but smile at the image.

  “What are you smiling at?” Augustin was still standing near her.

  Ivy’s head turned toward the sound, her problem being unrelated to anything that Ester could do. “Just, she reminds me of the medic that I met a little while back.”

  “Ah, yes. You have a history with medics. Would you like to sit down? Or are you tired? I can set up something for you that may be marginally comfortable.”

  “I am actually rather tired. Would it be possible to rest on the seat you gave me earlier?”

  “Oh, um…” Augustin didn’t respond with an answer at first.

  “Is it not big enough?” Ivy tilted her head, knowing that it made her look a little cuter. If he wanted to keep the seat for himself, she knew how to persuade him. “I would be willing to share it if you don’t want to give it up.” To her surprise, the idea of resting up against Augustin didn’t cause her to feel repulsion as she might have knowing that he was incredibly old. Without her eyes, his appearance didn’t matter. The fact that he could give her something to make her life easier was enough, but she also didn’t hate the idea of feeling comfortable with him. Something about the way he reacted to her, she didn’t think he would try anything either. The idea of being able to mess with him gave her another reason to smile, though she tried to hide it.

  He cleared his voice. “That’s not the problem. It’s… alright. How long do you need?”

  “Are you going to snuggle up with me?” She took a small step toward him. Her foot hit something, causing her to pitch forward.

  Ivy was beginning to get familiar with those strong arms that caught her. “It’s not like that. Hold on and I’ll get ready.”

  Ivy frowned as the arms let her go. Augustin warned her, “Don’t move. There’s a lot of stuff around your feet. I’ll let you know when the seat is ready.”

  Ivy nodded. She felt Augustin move away, followed by the same strange noise that she had heard earlier. Must be able to magic the chair here. Wonder why he doesn’t have more of them.

  “Okay. Go ahead and step back. Slowly.”

  “Can’t you help me?”

  There was a pause. “Do it carefully, too.”

  “That’s not what I meant by helping me,” Ivy said, trying to turn her face toward him. Slowly she took a couple of steps back and her foot bumped into something. She felt something lift her and place her gently on the seat. It felt bigger and warmer. She adjusted her position and lay her head down on something that was incredibly soft. “It feels like the feathers are on the outside,” she said as the blanket was placed on her.

  “They aren’t feathers.”

  Ivy moved her face against the spot, and she took a deep breath. “Hmmm, it smells like some kind of sweet moss.”

  “Yes. Very good. Now rest.”

  “Wait, are you going to knock me out?”

  “What?” There was indignation in his voice. “Why would I do that?”

  Ivy nuzzled down into the moss and yawned. She felt so comfortable that she lost track of the conversation. “It has been a few days since I have felt this comfortable in… oh, I did have one good night recently, but,” she rubbed her face in the moss again, “this is really nice for something in a prison.”

  “Thank you. Sorry, I will stay quiet so you can sleep. We can talk when you wake.”

  “Thank you, Augustin. You seem like a really sweet old man.”

  “Thank you, Ivy. You seem like a very lovely young woman, despite what you have been through.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Clearly you don’t know me.”

  “Clearly you don’t really know yourself.”

  “Alrigh
t, old man, if you don’t mind I’m going to sleep. You can impart your wisdom later. I’m going to get some sleep. Haven’t been able to do that of my own volition in a while.”

  She was drifting off when she heard Augustin murmur, “Gods, you poor thing. I swear things will be better for you going forward.”

  Ivy smiled and curled up where she lay. For the first time in years she hadn’t had to lie, cheat, or steal to get what she needed. If I would have known that old men were the way to go, my life might have been easier.

  At some point, Ivy half woke to hear Augustin and Ester talking in murmurs.

  “She isn’t your charge. What exactly is your plan for her?” Ester’s voice wasn’t critical or condescending. It sounded as if she was simply trying to force Augustin to figure out what he intended to do.

  “I just want to help her. She isn’t quite as easy to read as most people, but that is because she doesn’t know who she is. I can do for her what I failed to do-”

  “And what if she is only using you?”

  “She thinks that she is.”

  “Then how can you reach her?”

  “Kindness and understanding are not something to be underestimated. You should know from the world you have inhabited for decades.”

  “It’s not the same thing.”

  “Sick people use you all the time. You arrive and they don’t mind risking your health if it means they get to live.”

  “You know that is not how the medics work.” There was a hint of annoyance in Ester’s voice.

  “It is exactly the same for Ivy as it is for any of your other patients. The fact that she is only part human does not mean that she has less needs than any of your normal patients.”

  “I’ll have you know that I have treated nearly as many humanoids as humans. I have nothing against humanoids.”

  “Until you came here. You found out what I am, and it was only because of the state I was in that you helped.”

  “Well, you have to admit that what you are is incredibly…”

  “Terrifying.”

  “Not the word I would have used.” Ester didn’t sound like she was trying to be mean about what Augustin was.

  “No, because there is still a part of you that is afraid of me. But you know that I can die, just like a human.”

  “No, not just like a human.”

  “Okay, point taken,” Augustin sounded like he was smiling, “but I can die. I did want to thank you for helping her.”

  “Even though I can’t do anything?”

  “You tried, and that is what matters.”

  Ester was silent for a moment as if she was figuring out how to respond. “You know, you seem impossibly nice. I know that there is more to you than that.”

  “As is with everyone. I regret what happened at Pella, and if I could do anything to fix it, I would.”

  “I suppose that is really the problem with living so long. Everyone has at least one thing they regret, and the longer you live, the more you have to wish you could change.”

  “My dear Ester, are you admitting that you have regrets?” His tone was playful.

  To Ivy’s surprise there was a slight laugh, not an unpleasant sound out of the medic, “Of course. Though I may have reservations about you, I know that there are still people alive today who have similar reservations about me.”

  “It’s alright. Despite our frequent disagreements, I like and respect you anyway.”

  “Sometimes your kindness seems entirely contrived, you realize that, right?” Ester’s voice almost sounded like she was teasing Augustin.

  “I learned the hard way that it works best. Sometimes people can really push you,” again Ester laughed, “but it’s better than losing my temper or turning people against me for no good reason. I mean, my existence can be enough of a problem to overcome. It only took hundreds of years, but you know, eventually I learned.”

  “So, is your family really that bad?” The question was asked with a lot of hesitation from the medic. It was obvious that they usually didn’t talk in too much detail about their history, but for some reason they were chatting. Ivy was thankful because it meant she had a chance to learn about them.

  “Well, they weren’t around when I was young. I raised myself, and I have to admit that I did a terrible job with myself.”

  “And so you keep taking people on to raise them.”

  There was a wistful sigh. “If it were that simple, you would have less reason to be so critical of me.”

  “With your history it can be difficult to believe that you mean well.”

  “And what about your history?” His tone was again more like an instructor’s than a critic’s.

  Ester clicked her tongue. “I’ve not wiped out nearly an entire city.”

  “As a human, you would find it incredibly difficult to do that. But you have caused the death of several families because you refused to help them.”

  “Yes, but that isn’t entirely the same.”

  “No kind of killing is, but it is still killing, just on a different scale.”

  “Not this argument again.” Ivy heard the sound of something rustling.

  “I’m sorry, Ester. I’m not trying to be critical, but I fear what you will do once you leave.”

  “I will return to doing what I have done for most of my life.”

  “But you won’t. This experience has changed you, and you know it. You are going to have to face the bias that has been building up in you over the decades because if you don’t, you will only make things worse.”

  “Thank you, but I really don’t need your advice or opinion.”

  “You are right. I am sorry. Have a pleasant night. I hope that the documents will bring you several days of mental stimulation.”

  Ester’s voice was a little cold as she responded, “You have a good night, too. Or couple of days. I expect I won’t be needed here any time soon and I now have something to do.”

  Ivy listened to the sound of the woman leaving. The conversation had given her a lot to think about; the biggest piece of information that she had learned was that Augustin had not always been the kind and generous old man he was now. It didn’t sound like he was trying to atone, he was trying to do something else entirely.

  It’s almost like he is trying to be the world’s conscience. Ivy had a hard time keeping herself from laughing at how lame the thought was. I think that this situation is getting to me.

  Rolling over, she fell back to sleep, her mind reeling with the events of the day.

  “Good morning, Ivy.”

  The thief woke up and stretched. “Good morning, Augustin. Did you sleep alright?”

  “I did alright. How about you?”

  Ivy flopped back. “I feel fantastic. It feels like I slept forever.”

  “Close.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You slept for about half a day.”

  Ivy shot up. “Half a day! How is that possible?”

  “You were exhausted. Whatever brought you down here must have messed with your biological clock, too.”

  “Actually, that started with the people I was traveling with before I ended up down here.”

  “You make it sound as if they were only using you.”

  “Yes, that was actually what they were doing. At least at first. Then, I got hurt, and they pretty much kept knocking me out afterward.”

  “What happened?”

  “Oh, I fell down a similar tunnel and ran my hand through a root. It stopped my fall, but you know.”

  “When you say ran your hand through a root, did you mean that literally?”

  “Yes, yes I did. But no, none of them were human.”

  “Why didn’t they heal you?”

  Ivy shrugged, “You would have to ask them.”

  “Oh, well, that will be any day then.” Augustin sounded sarcastic for the first time since she had met him.

  “I thought you said that we could work together to get out of here.”

/>   “That’s true, I do believe we can. The problem is that we are running short on time.”

  “We are in a prison. Doesn’t that mean we have nothing but time?”

  There was a sigh. “Do you mind getting up? I think it’s time I try to see what I can do for your eyes. It’s pretty obvious that your blindness,” Ivy bristled at the idea that she was blind, “I’m sorry Ivy, but that’s what it is. I hope that it is temporary, but calling it anything else is not going to change the fact that you are currently blind.”

  “Blindness is permanent.”

  “No, it isn’t.”

  “I’ve never heard of anyone being temporarily blind. That’s just something people say to give you hope.”

  “I’ve been blind before.”

  Ivy sat up. “What? You were blind?”

  “It was… I…” Augustin sighed. “I will tell you the story sometime. For now, let’s try to get your vision back. Alright?”

  Ivy paused, “Do you really think it is possible?”

  “We won’t know until we figure out what has happened to your eyes.”

  Ivy carefully lowered herself from the seat. “It seems like your furniture is a little bigger today.”

  There was a silence that greeted the statement. It was broken by a strange noise, then a hand gripped her shoulder. “Not bigger, just a different location. Alright, let’s see what we can do to restore your vision.”

  Two hands gently cupped Ivy’s face. For a moment she closed her eyes, her heart moving a little faster. Slightly horrified by what that could mean, Ivy cleared her throat as she felt a thumb gently pull up one of her eyelids.

  “So, you have done this before?”

  “Helped heal someone else? No, that really is not within my skill set. But I may be able to determine the cause if it is related to magic. This is going to feel a bit strange, but remember I am here, so you will be alright. What you are experiencing are the memories. If you can keep that in mind as you experience them again. Are you ready?”

  “It doesn’t sound like the kind of thing you can really prepare for.”

  There was a smile in his voice as Augustin responded, “No, but at least you get to say when you lose control.”