Page 102 of Shadows of Light
“We will,” Maverick promised.
“Of course,” Varo said.
Sahira clung to Alina as the dragon pulled away from the window and turned to fly over the land. At first, Sahira kept her eyes closed against the wind battering her face and the distance she sensed between her and the ground. Eventually, curiosity won out, and she pried them open.
She’d never been a big fan of heights, but the clouds drifting past astonished her, and the earth below was a beautiful, vibrant green with splashes of reds, oranges, and yellows from the turning leaves. As they traveled, Sahira smiled while she took in the beauty around her.
The dragon was powerful and confident as her wings cut through the air, and Sahira found a new appreciation for heights as she drank in the world below.
CHAPTERSEVENTY-EIGHT
It wasn’tlong before Alina touched down. She kept Cole securely tucked against her chest, and her head lowered as she crept into the cave on three of her legs.
Sahira flattened against the dragon’s back as the walls closed in and the rocks above nearly scraped her. Moist and dark, the cave smelled of minerals and fire. Though, she realized the fiery scent was Alina as she inhaled the dragon’s aroma.
Like riding a horse, each of the dragon’s steps had her shifting from one side to the other as they traveled deeper into the cave. Finally, they arrived at an area that opened into a large, circular space.
When Sahira sat up, her eyes immediately fell on Lexi, settled securely on the nest in the middle of the cavern. Alina’s three wyrmlings snuggled against her side. Two of them lifted their heads and yawned, but the little orange one remained sleeping.
Sahira was so focused on Lexi, she didn’t notice the two dragon heads emerging from the shadows until their warm breaths billowed over her. The rest of the dragons’ bodies remained cloaked in darkness.
Gulping, Sahira tried not to let her distress over the seemingly free-floating heads show. The dragons wouldn’t hurt her if she didn’t hurt Lexi.
Alina set Cole down near Lexi. “What happened to the Reaver?”
Sahira scrambled off Alina’s back and hurried toward the couple. “Love.”
“It does get us all.”
The orange dragon woke when Sahira knelt at Lexi’s side. A tiny puff of smoke spiraled from its nose as it sniffed Sahira.
Alina nudged her children away with her snout. “Shoo.”
Disgruntled noises issued from them, but they leapt out of the nest and scrambled to settle around their mom’s legs as Alina sat to watch Sahira. Sahira caressed Lexi’s cheeks and tried not to wince over how cold she felt.
The spell made her heart stonelike, and it did the same to all of her. The color had leached from her face, making her paler than paper. Her lips remained slightly parted, but no breath issued from her.
It was such a disconcerting thing to see from someone she loved so much. She ignored the twinge in her heart as she reached into her shirt, undid the button, and removed the potion.
This has to work.
Sahira took a steadying breath as she removed the stopper from the bottle. She’d never made a potion with crudue vine before—few hadeverworked with the rare vine—but she was confident she’d made the antidote right… or at least, as sure as she could be.
The spell came from the Book of Shadows her mother gave her; she’dneverhad a problem with a spell in it before. Her mother didn’t want anything to do with her, but she’d left behind a powerful book.
It was theonlything her mother gave her besides life. For years, Sahira believed the book was a sign of her mother’s love, but it wasn’t.
After she left the foolishness of her childhood behind and met her mother, she realized the woman left the book for other reasons. Sahira didn’t know those reasons and doubted her mother would ever reveal them, but itwasn’tlove.
It never had been. And she learned that lesson the hard way when she foolishly searched for her mother, only to be met with a woman who wanted nothing to do with her.
Even after all these years and all the distance from that awful encounter, the memory caused a pang in Sahira’s heart.It doesn’t matter if that woman loves you or not; you have plenty of others who do.
And shehadto save one of them.
With tender care, she started prying Lexi’s mouth open further. It took more time than she anticipated, but she finally got it open enough to pour some potion in.
When there was enough inside, she clamped Lexi’s lips shut and removed her hand. Lexi didn’t move, and none of the potion spilled out.
