44. Forty-One

Forty-One

Dragon Fire

A sher watched in horror as dragon flame engulfed his home. The dragon's tail slammed into the homes of his city. What his breath or tail didn't destroy, he destroyed with his talons.

"We...have to stop them," Lily said feebly, trying to get to her feet.

Asher picked her up and lifted her into his arms. "It's too late," he replied somberly. "We need to get out of the open in case he returns."

"I'm so sorry."

Asher looked at her. "How is this your fault?"

"If I hadn't come with you, none of this would have happened." Her face was pale and her blue eyes were filled with tears.

He stopped. "Lily, I would rather have you here. You're home. Where you belong. You're...with me. Everything happens for a reason. Besides, it wasn't you who threw the king over the cliff." Guilt sat heavy in his heart. He began walking again and made it to the bottom of the path before he felt the temperature in the air around them rise.

When he turned to the left, the dragon was headed in their direction.

"Toads." Asher set Lily on her feet and pressed her up against the mountain wall, using his own body to shield her as much as possible as the dragon's flames burned the forest around them.

He expected his flesh to melt off of his body, to feel the agony of the fire, but he felt nothing. He peeked an eye open and looked behind him to see a woman who looked just like Lily standing with both arms raised. A shimmering orb shielded them from the flames.

"You idiot! How badly are you burned?" Lily said, grabbing his face.

He smiled weakly. "Not at all."

"But...how?" She pushed against his chest, making him take a step back, and turned him. His clothes weren't singed or anything. "But I felt the heat."

"That must be your mother?" Asher gestured.

Lily smiled. "Yes."

"Can you fly?" her mother asked, glancing at her.

"No. My arm is broken."

Her mother nodded. "The only way we can get this dragon out of our land before he destroys it all will be to be smart. Khalil, darling? Aim for his eyes."

Asher and Lily looked up simultaneously and spotted a flock of birds flying around the dragon. They started diving at Liam and he swatted at them. They also dove at the dragon, aiming for his eyes.

"I'll never forgive you, Lily!" Liam shouted down at them.

The dragon shook his head and began flying away as quickly as possible, heading west.

Asher watched him leave. Voices filled his mind from those who had been fighting that the humans were pulling back too. Soon, Vasha would be free of the humans.

Reluctantly, he turned to face the city where he'd grown up.

It had been raised to the ground.

Lily stepped up to his side and gripped his hand. "It's...gone," she whispered.

All of it. The ditches of water now cascaded into the river, which was being dammed up by the rubble from the palace. The lumber wasn't even salvageable, due to the dragon fire. Sections of the forest still burned, as did the homes.

Rose didn't hesitate to walk down and began using her magic to put out the fires.

Asher's father entered the clearing, then caught his gaze and jogged to him. "You're still alive." He embraced him.

Asher returned the hug. "Father, what do we do?"

"We salvage what we can." He pulled back and looked Asher over. "We take what we can and set up camps, tend to the wounded, search for salvageable clothing and blankets, and then figure out what to do from there."

"Will we rebuild?" he asked.

"It's no longer safe," Lily said. "You heard Liam. He'll never forgive us."

"If he wanted to destroy us, why didn't he just stay and do it?" Asher argued.

Lily shrugged.

Rose turned to them. "Because he wants to make us suffer."

Khalil landed beside his wife and pulled he into his arms and planted a kiss on her lips.

Asher's father took a deep breath. "Let's get to work."

Asher reached out and caught Lily's wrist before she could get far. He pulled her to his chest and kissed her. The world melted away. The scratches and bruises, the smell of ash and smoke, it all disappeared.

"What was that for?" she breathed against his lips.

"Because I don't know what I would do without you." He looked down into her eyes. No matter what happens next, at least there's you."

She smiled, blushing. "Dragons have returned. What are we going to do about that?"

"That's an entirely separate situation." Asher heaved a sigh and rested his chin on top of her head. "Do you think maybe Vasha will get a rider for once?"

"Who knows. Maybe it will be me." Lily smiled.

"Magic and a dragon? That would hardly be fair."

"Stop snuggling you two," King Mardai said. "We've got work to get done."

Asher chuckled and playfully rolled his eyes. "You heard the old man."

"I heard that."

Lily laughed.

"Let's take care of your arm," Rose said.

Asher stepped back as Lily hugged her mother and father. He could only imagine her joy at going from living in a stuffy wizard's tower with an evil wizard to being in a family with a father and mother.

Rose placed her hands gently on Lily's arm. "This is going to hurt a little." A pink light enveloped her hands and Lily made a noise before grimacing as the bones in her arm reset.

Asher caught her as her knees gave out and held on.

"There. All done," Rose said. "I'm so sorry I was gone for your growing up years."

Lily shook her head and pulled out of Asher's arms to hug her mother. "Everything worked out. We're reunited again."

Asher headed down into the city to join his people in digging through rubble for blankets or food remnants.

"There is one thing I want to see before I help," Lily said.

Asher looked over his shoulder.

She was looking at him. "Liam and Vrithumi were looking for something in the mountains to the north. I want to see if I can find what they were looking for."