2. The Dragon Issue

The bluewood seems more sinister now than when we found it. Though it's nice to be free from the pit, we're vulnerable in this foreign forest.

I search the woods surrounding us, listening for the monsters with my extra sense. It's not easy when my companions' emotions are so loud.

Wilder is in pain. Soleil is anxious. Felicity is terrified.

And me? I'm just angry we're here at all. No treasure is worth this, and certainly not an old book.

Time is obscure in this eternally dark environment, but I think it takes us about thirty minutes to walk back to our camp near the falls. This whole time, we've been so close.

There's a commotion when we're spotted in the trees. Worried our men will shoot us by accident, I call, "It's just us."

Flink comes barreling from the middle of the camp, sending me images of our dead, lifeless bodies lying somewhere in the bluewood. I wince, glad I'm the only one privy to that picture.

"We're all right," I assure the dragon when he reaches us, scratching his head. "I'm sorry you were worried."

Patches forces his way to the front of the team. The massive mercenary looks sick with relief and more than a touch angry. "Where did you go? We searched the entire bluewood several times after you disappeared but never saw any sign of you."

"Didn't you see my flare?" Soleil asks.

"We did," Patches answers. "But we never could figure out where you went."

"Food first, and then we'll talk." I force myself forward. Now that we're here, I feel like I could collapse.

"Where are Davyn and Gregory?" Jack asks.

I glance at the head scholar, glad he and his companions are still alive. "With the dragon."

"You found her?"

"We did."

"How's Dax doing?" Wilder asks as we find places around the campfire.

"Better today." Patches wastes no time, already doling out rations. "Don't eat too quickly, or you'll be sick."

I test my stomach with a few nuts. When those settle all right, I move on to the salted fish. Even though I haven't had food for days, I can't eat much.

"Have you encountered the mole trolls?" I ask.

"Mole trolls?" Shawn, another one of our scholars, sits nearby, his attention darting to the edges of our camp.

"The creatures we saw in the dragon's message."

"What are they?"

"Similar to goblins," Soleil answers. "But taller, more skeletal, and better suited for cavern-living."

"They communicate with chirping whistles," Felicity adds with a shudder, finishing her meal.

Shawn"s face goes slack. "Like those animals we've heard?"

"They're not animals." Soleil stands. "I'm going to get the tonic for Wilder."

Irrationally worried, I follow her into our tent.

It's tight, and I must crouch, but it's the most welcome sight I've seen in days.

"Are you afraid something will attack me in the middle of the camp?" She voices the question lightly, but I don't miss how her emotions quiver.

"I'm not going to rule out the possibility," I admit.

Now that we're finally alone, Soleil turns into me, tucking herself against my chest and wrapping her arms around my waist. "I'm so tired."

"Sleep for a bit," I say against her hair. "I'll give Wilder the tonic."

"We have to take supplies back to Davyn and Gregory."

"I'll go."

"Not alone, you won't."

"I'll take someone with me."

She pulls out of my arms, suppressing a yawn. "I'll be fine."

"Stubborn," I murmur.

She smiles a little, but it's laced with worry. "I don't know how we're going to save your dragon. Even if Gregory can mend her wing, she's too weak to fly."

I know Soleil's right. I also know that Davyn won't leave the cavern until one of them is dead. He's like that.

I rack my brain, trying to think of a solution. But like Soleil, I'm exhausted. Now that there's something in my stomach, all I want to do is sleep. But I can't do that, not when Gregory and Davyn are starving.

Soleil reluctantly steps out of my arms and rummages through her pack.

"You're like a traveling apothecary," I say.

She snorts softly and produces a slim, blue glass bottle with a cork stopper. Frowning, she holds it up to one of her floating magelights and examines the contents. "I don't have a lot left."

"Can you make more?" I ask, remembering what she said about learning from Yancey before they had their row.

"If I had the ingredients."

"I take it you don't?"

She shakes her head. "I need goldenseal and echinacea, at the very least."

I'm familiar with the herbs, as Thane and Greybrow Scouting has several alchemy supply shoppes scattered throughout Kalae, but I doubt we'll find any on the island—and certainly not in the bluewood.

"I don't suppose Gregory has a stock of alchemy ingredients on the Serpent?" she asks.

"I doubt it."

He's a skilled mage, but alchemy isn't one of his specialties.

She clutches the bottle. "We'll have to hope this will be enough."

"I'll take it to Wilder. Lie down for a few minutes."

"If you leave without me?—"

"I won't—I swear."

Soleil reluctantly hands me the tincture. "Tell him to drink half of it now and then the other half again in a few hours."

"I will." As I accept the bottle, I step close, sliding my hand over the back of her neck and leaning down.

"I'm filthy," she weakly protests, her hand finding my side.

"And I'm covered in cave dirt and mole troll blood." I kiss her softly and then release her. "I don't care if you don't."

She smiles. "Maybe I care."

"Too late."

"Lukas." She stops me with a hand on my arm when I begin to turn away, her throat working as she swallows. The strangest emotions dance around her. Well, strange for Soleil at least. She's hesitant, nervous.

"What is it?" I ask.

A smile plays over her face, but she suppresses it, shaking her head. "Never mind. You need to get that to Wilder."

"I'll be back," I promise, knowing there's no use trying to drag it out of her. She'll tell me when she's ready.

Yawning, she nods and then crawls on top of her bedroll. I think she's asleep before her head even touches the fabric. I watch her for a moment, feeling a strong desire to take her back to the Serpent and be done with this whole wretched mess.

Soon, I promise myself as I leave the tent.

"Where's Wilder?" I ask Patches, approaching the fire.

"He staggered to his tent. What happened to him?"

"He fought the mole trolls. He sustained several injuries, a few of them deep. Gregory patched him up the best he could, but Soleil is worried about infection." I hold up the bottle. "I'm supposed to take this to him."

"How big are the creatures?" Patches asks.

"They're taller than humans, but they stand hunched over. They're neither strong nor agile, but there are a lot of them." I roll my head, stretching my neck. "Except for Alvaro, you haven't had any trouble with them? Even while you were looking for us?"

"We haven't seen them at all."

It confirms my suspicion they don't want anything to do with us. We're just in the way of their next meal.

"Any sign of the treasure?" the mercenary asks.

"We found a Tilloran tolbit in the dragon's pit, but that's it."

That's been eating at me for the last several days. How did the coin get there? If the treasure isn't nearby, why was it in the pit? Was it the work of a packrat? Did the rodent spirit it away from the other treasure and then lose it on his way to his den?

"That's a good sign, though, isn't it?" Patches says.

"In theory," I sigh. "Now we just have to find the rest of it."

I glance around, suddenly nervous. "Where's Felicity?"

"She went to her tent."

"You saw her go in?"

Patches nods knowingly. "I'm keeping an eye on her."

Holding up the tincture, I say, "I'm going to get this to Wilder."

I leave Patches to tend the fire and walk to the mercenaries' tent, calling in when I reach it, "Soleil sent medicine."

Dax opens the flap. He's barefoot, and it's the first time I've seen his long black hair down.

"You look better than you did the last time I saw you," I tell the young mercenary.

"I feel fine now." He's annoyed, his agitation tangible. "But Patches has me on bed rest."

I laugh a little and offer him the blue bottle.

He frowns, accepting the tincture. "For Wilder?"

"That's right."

"What is it?"

"Something for infection or fever—I don't really know. But none of Soleil's father's concoctions have killed anyone yet, so I'm sure it's safe."

That earns me a grim smile.

I give Dax the dosing instructions and then return to the fire. We need to get supplies to Davyn and Gregory. But I won't leave without Soleil, not after I promised her I wouldn't. I sit, staring at the flames, deciding I'll wake her in a few minutes.

As I ponder the dragon issue, wondering what we're going to do, movement catches my eye. I look over as Felicity leaves her tent and sits beside me at the fire.

"I can't sleep," she says.

"You're not tired?"

She shrugs, but I can sense she is. She's also worried, and I suspect the bulk of that worry is for my brother.

"Do you think you could find the tunnel again?" I ask her.

Her fear spikes. "Alone?"

"With Dax."

"Isn't Dax injured?"

"He seems all right now."

Felicity thinks about it, rubbing her dirt-smudged cheek. I feel her determination just before she says, "I can do it."

She likes Davyn more than she wants him to know.

"I'll help you gather supplies," I say.

Suddenly suspicious, she asks, "What about you and Soleil?"

"Soleil and I have to find a dragon," I answer. I don't like the plan forming in my head, but I think it's our only option.

"We found the dragon." Felicity raises an auburn eyebrow. "She's in the pit with Davyn."

"Not that one." I cringe a little, hoping we won't be fried to a crisp. "The male voltaic—her mate."