45. DAMIAN

Chapter forty-five

DAMIAN

A s the trees parted, we approached the lit area, anticipation striking me. There were about five lively people in total, three of them girls singing until their lungs collapsed, all out of tune and drunken, as they danced around the fire. One figure was a thin man leaning up against the trees in the back, watching the rest of them with an encapsulating snarl. The other was short and whittling something from wood as he sat around the fire, not paying attention to the girls as they stumbled over him, dancing in circles.

As we slowly walked in, twigs snapped beneath my feet. With quick turns they stared at us in silence. The fire was flickering, and I could see its reflection in their golden eyes. One of the girls came up to us. She was smaller than the rest and had dark, velvety skin. Her hair was ebony, with streaks of ocean blue running through, pulled into a high ponytail. Her eyes were small, yet powerful, each look fierce and daring. She had animal skin draped across her skin; the tones matched the color of her golden eyes. "Don't come any closer!" she demanded, putting her arm up. I couldn't tell if she was threatening us or shielding herself.

"No, please, I mean no harm. I need help," I stated, holding the quiver from taking over my voice, fearful of losing Aurelia again. The young girl squinted her eyes, slowly lowering her hand.

"Chill out, Luella," said another girl. Her hair was white as snow, and half braided up while the rest was down, covering the black leather straps fastened over the light gray garments that hung loosely beneath. "He doesn't even look strong enough to take us, anyway," she said, flicking her hand in the air alongside her words, and then peered down at her starry fingernails, picking off the extra skin.

Anger filled my stomach, but I only had the thought of helping Aurelia in mind. She was warm in my arms, her temperature matching the beating of my heart thrumming against my chest— alive .

Gently, I laid Aurelia on the ground for them to see her golden blood, and to see that she was a Scaleborne like them.

"I've seen that girl before. And you," the third girl stated. Glancing at Aurelia and then at me. It was the girl from the cages. I recognized her neon green hair and creamy olive skin. She was wearing something different from the raggedy sack that she was forced to use. She was now covered with black leather, hiding most of her scars.

"She saved me," she said again as she knelt, looking at Aurelia. Her golden blood dried and plastered to her back; her hair was wind-struck and blown from side to side, dirt caking her face and skin. "She rescued me! She was the one who set me free. I swear it was her!" The man who was lingering by the back of the trees sauntered our way. His cheekbones were so chiseled that they could cut stone.

"I believe you, Clementine," he said, his voice deep with authority, coming up to peer at Aurelia. He flicked his hand, circling in motion to the trees. The timber thickened, closing up every small gap around us, making it so that no one could leave or come in.

I almost couldn't believe what I was watching. Yes, I had seen Aurelia use her fire abilities, but I thought that was what all Scalebornes used. I had no idea that they also had other abilities.

"Abner, is she one of us?" asked the second girl, wearing the strapped leathers.

"Scales, do I have to do all the work around here? Angie, come check for yourself." Angie sighed and came toward us, obviously annoyed.

Angie aggressively picked up Aurelia's hand and looked at her fingers. "She has been connected." She looked up at Belle. Why did she look at Aurelia's hand? I glanced down for myself and found her once-pink fingernails shifted to a pitch-black hue with specks of white and gold splattered across them.

What did they mean, connected? What happened to her fingernails? Belle was silently behind me, watching them all. I knew she was shy, but I didn't realize she was this shy.

Angie threw her wrist down on the ground. "We can't know for sure until she wakes up."

"Everyone shut up! She's injured, don't you see the blood?" said the boy with glasses who was whittling earlier.

They all were talking as if I wasn't there. "She got shot. Can you help?" The man with authority looked at the quiet boy with glasses.

"Loker Shi, this is your territory."

"Yes, Master Abner." Loker, the boy with glasses, swore and flicked his wrist forward, as the girls giggled at his remark.

I became startled as Aurelia lifted off the ground. Was it the wind, or some abilities? Not sure what was happening, I watched as she was elevated. Glancing at Abner, he flicked his wrist, and wood trailed in from one of the trees, creating a table.

"Luella, water! Abner, get the herbs! Angie, I need your hand when we need to seal the wound," Loker said.

Aurelia was lifted in mid-air, reaching toward the table. She was gently set down, her pink hair flowing at each side. Loker gently flipped her body over, so her wound could be seen.

Neon green strands of hair framed the girl named Clementine as she positioned herself before Belle and me. "She's going to be okay. And thank you both. I probably wouldn't be alive without you." She turned to be with the rest as they helped her.

I walked closer to Aurelia on the table, also wanting to help. Abner lifted up his hand, stopping Belle and me from coming any closer. "Don't. We need space," he said demandingly. Vines started to come up from the ground, thick and thorns protruding. I attempted to grab past them, but my fingers came back bloody, the greenery acting as bars, keeping Belle and I back.

"Why don't you just use your healing blood?" I asked, referring to when Aurelia used hers to heal me. Glancing down at the crimson dripping down my fingers, I brought them to my mouth, sucking the blood away.

"Ugh, humans don't understand," Angie said. "Scalekind can't use their blood on each other." She then disappeared past the greenery, using her abilities to help Aurelia.

Not being able to see through the thick vines used to keep us away, I strained my ears to know what was happening; concern trickled through my bloodstream, wanting Aurelia to be alright.

Muffled voices arose in the air as Loker asked Angie to "seal it", and fiery-red flames from her hands reached Aurelia's skin. My muscles tensed as I wanted to help Aurelia, not being able to do anything.

A bead of sweat trickled past my brow, my teeth clenching, eager to know if Aurelia was alright.

After another few moments, the vines, which had stood firm and straight, lowered back into the ground, the thorns and leaves disappearing, allowing us through. The Scalebornes wiped their foreheads and sighed as they came into clearer view.

"She needs sleep," Clementine said, making eye contact with Belle and me.

"Yeah, so that means to shut up," Angie retorted, returning to a log near the fire, massaging her fingers. "Abner, close the sky. If they could find us, who knows who else will?"

"Curses," he swore, "You're so freaking demanding. I wonder what it would be like if you received the silent curse. My life would surely be a lot easier. Then maybe I wouldn't wish to meet Haxnau 1 ."

She scoffed, not paying attention to me and everyone else watching. "And kill a dragon? If that's the case, it will be yours, not mine."

They had dragons?

The sky started to close up with more trees, the twigs and branches crackling and shifting as it moved across, creating a tree dome, trapping us in. The light from the Celestials and moon faded, only leaving the flickering light from the fire in the center of the area. The smoke swirled as it stayed captured inside.

Loker sat by the fire on another log next to Angie. Looking up at me, he said, "She should wake up tomorrow. She has lost a lot of blood. Luella helped ensure her body was filled with fluids and nourished back up. She's going to be okay."

"Thank you," I stuttered.

Luella came by the fire as everyone filled their tents, and the water from her hands put out the fire in the center, leaving no light in the clouded dome.

1. Haxnau (Hah-nah-woo): Hell