Ash finally met and held his gaze. The torment in it wrung his heart.
But all he said was, “No. I cannot.”
* * *
Tyrez helped the Legion Dragon limp into the meadow and propped him as gently as possible against one of the massive supporting roots.
He was the last one to be brought through from the beach. The Gryphons were everywhere, working over groaning Dragons. Tyrez deliberately did not look over to those who would never complain again.
Gore from their bleeding wounds covered Tyrez. With a sigh, he shifted to human, dropping the scales and growing new, shiny clothes.
He sensed eyes on him. Now that their task was complete, the Dragons and Dragonas who volunteered to help move the injured stood in a nervous group off to one side, heads close together. Most were still in Dragon form. He caught several glances from them. Obviously, despite the recent drama, the exiled Legion Dragon was a hot topic.
Tyrez picked his way through the mess. The meadow was filled with crystallized dust forcibly excreted from the Dragons. The colored crystals winked at him as he scuffed through them.
Dani popped up between Gryphons and advanced on the gossiping Dragons. Tyrez changed course, coming up behind her as she stopped before them.
“We are going to need food,” she said. “This forest is full of it, but you need to know what to gather.”
Tyrez’s brows rose. With everyone stuck here until they were verified free of the parasites, gathering food locally made sense.
He listened as Dani described clusters of plants that held water and the crustaceans that lived within them. She’d spent enough time living in this forest to glean the best food sources. She finished up a detailed description of seed pods that could be roasted and a warning to watch for predators that likely weren’t a huge worry for a Dragon.
The Dragons stared at her as she finished. She waved her arms impatiently. “Go. We need that food, like, now.”
Eyes rolled to Tyrez, who loomed quietly over Dani.
“You heard her. The quicker you leave, the sooner you’ll be back.”
An older Dragona in human form spoke up, her eyes flashing in anger as they moved from Dani to him. “You are no longer one of us. We don’t have to follow your orders. Or hers, either.
Tyrez clenched his jaw. “I realize that. But if you are truly here to help, this is the next step.”
One Dragon looked up. “We can’ts fly in this foresst. Too many branchess.”
“You’ll have to climb,” Dani said.
Their eyes widened. They exchanged glances, and then they moved toward the edge of the meadow.
“Lord knows what they’ll come back with,” Dani commented. “If I shifted, I could show them.”
“They’ll be fine, and I’d rather you not shift until we are prepared, in case the Dragon virus takes hold. Hopefully we won’t be here long.” Tyrez glanced around. “Is Cara still working on Ash?”
“Yes.” Dani’s face contorted with worry as she led him through the busy Gryphons. “The parasites are one thing. Once she removes them, he should heal. But there is way more going on with him than that.”
So she had sensed it too. “He seems confused.”
She shot him a look. “Yes.”
The knot in Tyrez’s gut twisted a little tighter. Ash was safe now, but had the rescue come too late?
Dani led him to a cluster of roots at the edge of the meadow, where Cara bent over Ash.
The golden Dragon shifter lay prone on the ground, his long hair radiating outward among the flowers. His eyes were closed, and his long fingers interlocked over his belly.
He lay very still as Cara’s glowing hands drifted over him. Far too still.
“Is everything okay?” Tyrez asked.
