It was true.With most injuries, their beast could heal them.Anything greater where someone couldn’t shift, they used this glass enclosure.A group of them would create the smog and call in Apophis, their spiritual leader—who had Mage blood—to help bring forth the injured person’s dragon.In the center of the enclosure was a bed with security measures to keep them stable and where he laid Morlie.
“What?”Kai was beside him now, stroking her sister’s limp, messy hair from her face.“You said you could save her.If there isn’t medical personnel or medicine here, we should have kept going—” her voice broke.
“We have an herbalist.He won’t be needed.”He faced Kai.“Trust me when I say your sister will recover.We are here in time.”
He saw the tears flooding her eyes, and the sight intrigued him.His kind showed their emotions differently.In the light, the moisture sparkled like diamonds.Her fear was palpable in her energy, and it soured her usual wild, sweet-vanilla scent—dragon flowers.His heart constricted in response.
“I need you to step out of the enclosure, “ he said, pointing to the other side of the glass door.
Her gaze shifted from him to her sister.“What do you plan to do?”
“First, I will strap her to the bed.This is important because her body will naturally fight the healing.”He was honest with Kai.“However, the technique will work.Because she will eventually succumb to it.”
The tension around her eyes showed her confusion.Kai seemed intelligent, but some things of his kind would take her time to understand.He wasn’t worried.They had a lifetime before them.
She still seemed unsure, but she nodded.“Just help her.”
“I will.”
He watched her lean down, kiss her sister’s cheek, and whisper, “Hang on, Morlie.You’ll be better soon.”
Done, she walked out.Instead of going to one of the chairs, she took a position directly behind the glass wall, giving her the most advantageous angle to see her sister.
Aodh understood.If it had been one of his siblings here, he would not have gone further than was required.
Moving quickly, he applied the heavy straps to the young, still girl’s wrists and ankles.The bindings were heavier than she needed and were too large to buckle securely, so he had to puncture a hole closer to her body to make sure it held.Finished, he walked to the door, closed it, and locked it.
“Aodh?”
He chose not to look at Kai or respond to her question.Time was of the essence, and he had a task to perform that would take his full concentration.With his back to her, he stepped to the foot of the bed and then closed his eyes.Next, he released every muscle in his torso and forced tendons to release bones to allow maximum capacity.Mentally, he awakened his beast but didn’t call him forth as he inhaled deep and slow.
His lungs began to fill with oxygen until his diaphragm stretched to Its limits and beyond.Both man and beast consumed the cool sweetness.Knowing what he needed, his beast set a fire inside him and stoked it higher.
As he felt the burn, Aodh started to exhale with great force.First, the room became hazy from the white smoke he had released from his lungs.It quickly became thicker, denser, and dark gray until it appeared more coal in color.Aodh didn’t need his eyes open to see the room’s darkness, and he could feel the heat of the smog caressing his skin as it swirled around him—taking over the space.
The markings on his skin began to tingle and sting as heat filled his blood.His beast wanted out, wanted to bask and writhe in the hot fog it had created.Aodh held it back.
Aodh continued even as his sensitive ears picked up on the banging and screaming of the woman trapped and helpless on the other side of the enclosure.
“Aodh, what are you doing?”she called out.“Stop!Stop!”Bang, bang.“You’re killing her!”she screamed.“Aooodh!”
Bang.Bang.Bang.Bang.Bang.
The glass was thick, too solid for the weak strength of a human to affect it.Even if she could throw one of the heavy chairs at it, it would not even crack.
He opened his eyes.His glowing gaze allowed him to penetrate the smog and see the female on the bed.Her body was now twitching and jerking against the restraints.
Morlie began to wheeze as her lungs tried to fight against the smoke saturating them.A racking cough shook her frail form as she started to choke on the clouds filling and consuming her on the inside.
After a time, Kai’s strikes against the glass walls ceased, but her screaming continued.
“Please let her go, Aodh.”
It wasn’t until Morlie’s body went still and quiet that the tension in his shoulders eased.For a moment, when it took too long for her to begin to attempt to fight off the smoke, he had concerns that the sick one would pass into the afterlife before the healing smog could reach her bloodstream.
He blinked, clearing his eyes.Now, there was only dark smoke in his view.Still, he turned, and with sure steps, he walked to the door.He unlocked the handle and exited quickly, not allowing a cloud to escape.On the other side, he engaged a code to keep the door locked.
“I hadn’t realized there had been a council meeting.”
