Page 3 of Tempest Awakening
"Wait!" I screamed, planting myself in front of the dragon.
"There's someone over there!" I pointed toward the crumpled form of a homeless man huddled beside the guardrail, perilously close to the blaze.
At the last second, the dragon tilted his head. The rush of flames meant for the semi veered upwards, narrowly missing me and singeing the air above my head.
Heat washed over me, my hair lifting from the force of it. My glasses slipped down my nose from the sudden sweat breaking out on my skin. My breath hitched as the flames roared overhead, bright and blinding against the blue sky.
I didn't dare move, standing in place as the flames dwindled. When I dared glance over, the rider was storming towards me, his face contorted in anger.
"Look, just over there." Keeping low, I gestured towards the huddled form still slumped against the chain-link fence. "That man won't survive if you just torch the whole area. Please, we need to get him out of here first. Then do... whatever it is you were planning to do."
For a long, tense moment, the stranger simply stared at me, his eyes narrowing to mere slits. I met that smoldering gaze and held it, forcing myself to remain still and impassive despite the thunderous pounding of my pulse.
At last, the man let out a grunt of acknowledgement. "Very well. Get him clear, then."
With a sharp hand gesture, the flames dissipated as swiftly as they had ignited. The dragon closed his mouth with a snap, hisbody relaxing as he obeyed his rider's command. He turned his massive head to look at me with what seemed like curiosity. His golden eyes held mine for a moment before he lowered his head in a show of deference.
With a visible effort, I exhaled the breath I'd been holding. Nodding once, I turned and started back towards the homeless man, crouching low beside him as he struggled to prop himself upright.
"Easy, easy. You shouldn't be breathing in these fumes." I draped one of his bony arms over my shoulders, helping support his meager weight. "Let's get you away from this mess."
The poor man's sunken eyes blinked up at me, hazy and unfocused. "Th-thanks, miss," he wheezed between labored breaths. "You’re... one've the good ones."
Sirens split the air as emergency vehicles finally arrived. A paramedic rushed over, her eyes widening as she took in the scene. "I'll take it from here," she said, gently taking the homeless man from me. "Sir, we need to get you checked out. Come with me, please."
As they moved away, I felt a presence behind me. The Dragon Rider towered over me, his emerald eyes blazing with fury.
"What were you thinking?" he hissed, his voice low and dangerous. "You could have been killed! Do you have any idea how hot Yrdren's flames are? You could have been incinerated in a microsecond!"
As his words sank in, the adrenaline that had been coursing through my veins suddenly evaporated. My legs began to tremble, and I felt the blood drain from my face. The world around me started to blur, and I could hear my heart pounding in my ears.
"I... I..." I tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Tears welled up in my eyes, spilling over before I could stop them. My breath came in short, sharp gasps as the reality of what had just happened hit me full force.
The rider's expression shifted from anger to concern in an instant. "Hey, hey," he said, his tone softening. "Take a deep breath. You're safe now."
I tried to comply, but a sob escaped instead. My knees buckled, and I would have fallen if not for the rider's quick reflexes. He caught me, gently lowering us both to the ground.
"It's okay," he murmured, pulling me close. "Let it out. You're okay."
I buried my face in his chest, my body shaking with sobs as the shock and fear I'd been holding back finally broke free.
"Shhh, just breathe. I've got you, you're safe," his deep voice rumbled, the vibration oddly comforting. He held me as I cried, murmuring reassurances. Slowly my sobs quieted to hiccups and my breaths evened out. The panic and pain receded, his steady presence anchoring me in the present.
I don't know how long we stood there, wrapped in each other's arms. But, gradually, I became aware of my surroundings again—the murmur of concerned onlookers, the acrid smell of smoke still lingering in the air.
Embarrassment flooded me. I had just had an epic meltdown in front of a bunch of strangers and a gorgeous dragon rider who probably thought I was a complete nutjob.
I pulled back, scrubbing at my tear-stained cheeks. "I'm so sorry," I mumbled, unable to meet his eyes. "I don't know what came over me."
He clenched his jaw and looked away. "There's no need to apologize. I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."
I gave a weak shrug. "I did kind of run straight at a dragon breathing fire," I said, attempting humor to cover my mortification.
His eyes snapped back to mine, intense and unreadable. "You did. And it was incredibly stupid."
Despite his harsh words, I couldn't help but notice the way his arms flexed as he crossed them over his chest. The leather armor he wore did little to hide his muscular physique.
"I couldn't just stand by and let someone die," I said, lifting my chin defiantly.
